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Everyone knows how to do something. Whether it's playing a guitar, gardening, carpentry, knitting, painting with watercolors,
caring for an iguana...we've all acquired certain skills in our lives, and it's only right that we share our experience with
radio controlled (RC) motorcycles (bikes).
On this site, we're going to talk about RC bikes and how we've evolved into this "elite" hobby. We'll give a bit
of history on the subject RC itself as we know it, as well as some background on RC. We might also include some
instructions on how to perform minor maintenance, as well as any tips or tricks that we've acquired through the years of RC.
And, of course, we'll include lots of pictures as well. This site is a first for us as it will take some getting
used to. We hope to not teach but to inform you of a hobby that we so avidly are fond of. If not for the building or
modifying, it is the uniqueness and dedication along with patience that is needed to be a part of this "elite" hobby...
You will see on this site the words bikes, motorcycles, and/or motorbikes used interchangeably. All in all, they are
one in the same...
A Word from the Website Editor...Marko-
Over 24 years have passed since the inception of RC into our lives. Not realizing the impact that RC would
have on us today as well as the rest of the world, RC was nothing more than running expensive models for recreation.
It was all simply for fun.
Back before 1980, our family was one of the first to ever have an Atari, even before it was actually called the Atari
2600. With games like Combat, Asteroids, Missile Command, Berzerk, and Pitfall, we were fortunate to unknowingly acquire
such hand-eye coordination skills in the practice of our own home rather than shelling out quarters at the nearest arcade.
Later came a large game called Indy 500 which included 2 paddle controllers and a cartridge. Though quite crude in graphics,
in retrospect, Indy 500 represented pinnacle of road racing competition games, even better than a monochromatic system called
Vectrex which had colored overlays to artificially, in a single swap, alter the color of the black & white screen.
The Vectrex was almost reminiscent of the old Apple computer that I had as a freshman during my Drexel University times.
In any case, Indy 500 was quite a fun game that raised the bar for intense competition. If you know the game, you will
see the parallels that it has to RC! I don't have to tell you. But Indy 500 was the means to an end, but at the
same time, presented a significant and new beginning...
Video games sparked a higher level of interest...radio controlled cars. My first one was a blue and white Monza
that was uniquely sold at KayBee for a stunning $149.00! The transmitter was constructed of a large box of aluminum
with a battery gauge, paddle wheel, a couple of trim switches and a throttle lever oddly on the right side. In short,
this car was extremely fast and a first of it's kind!! Nothing could touch this 30mph car. Mind you, this is back
in 1980! It was powered by a 540-sized electric motor with a 7.2V Nickel Cadmium pack. The car was a rock and
so was the transmitter! It was rigid, durable, yet very very heavy.
Around this time, there were only three dominant RC model car companies. There was Tamiya, Bolink, and Associated.
Tamiya set the tone in detail and aesthetics, combined with functionality. Bolink and Associated were less detailed
but concentrated on practicality and function. This is where I later got involved with electric dune buggies. Tamiya's
buggies were completely waterproof, encasing the electronics, and sealing off the tranny from water entering. This
buggy had real oil-filled shocks with a front independent suspension and double wishbone rear. The 1/10 scale buggy
was also powered by an RS-540 black motor. This buggy was great in dirt as well as snow! The bodies were not made
of lexan but made of a hard plastic. The buggies were completely unassembled kits that were purchased through Tower
Hobbies.
Many years later came the nitro Kyosho 1/8 Scale Circuit Racing Baja Buggy! Also a unique buggy because
of its dual aluminum framed chassis with completely encased radio box, this was powered by a .21 sized engine of your choice.
I used an Enya .21CX motor which was distributed by MRC. One word: awesome! This was the first time "drifting"
entered our vocabulary.
Later RC took a back seat to college and life in the Air Force. Years passed. But RC seemed not to have
changed that significantly other than that standardization and organized races have grown within.
Only a few years ago, I decided to take a small leap back into RC. This time, it was back to 1/10 scale nitro
on-road cars. Not particular about organized races, the sheer fun in driving a nitro powered car was filled with great
excitement. It didn't end there. 1/18 micro cars were the new rave. Clean, small, fast, and intriguing are
words that describe the 1/18 scale cars.
Oddly, we entered a new realm a year or two later. This is a realm that many RCers would dare not enter.
Generally viewed upon as slow and non-competitive, 1/5 scale motorcycles have shed new light on those disbelievers.
Many RCers and non-RCers alike have noted the uniqueness of these new machines! These 'bikes' do require a certain
type of skill and extreme patience to learn and to race with. Because of the difficulty in racing them compared to cars,
RCers tend to shy away from them. This is not to take away from RC planes or helicopters. Those are much more
difficult and challenging. But in the medium of land, bikes are the elite...
While the selection or base of RC bikes have increased, this site will focus primarily on 1/5 scale Thunder Tiger
bikes. The world of Nuova Faor, Kyosho, etc all exist with great respect. However this site is about our experience;
and thus, we'd like to share this exotic experience with you...
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A mix of the old versus the new. Pictured above is a vintage Royal R/C bike flanked
by the emerging Ducati 999R's by Thunder Tiger.
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| ...the 1980s saw the likes of the Tamiya Sand Scorcher (shown here) and the Rough Rider |
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