Team VTX
ST-1
RTR TRUGGY
Review by: Tony Molhoek
Photography by: Jose Estrada
stock photo
Introduction:
In the 1/8 RTR truggy class there are many
contenders the Team VTX ST-1 is one of these. RTR doesn't mean ready to race,
it means ready to run, that being said, Team VTX has a good solid contender in
this competitive class. Over the course of the last month, both Jose and myself
have put these truggies through a sever battery of tests, both on and off the
track. We experienced extreme highs and extreme lows. As you read on I will
share these experiences with you. Before I continue I would like to thank Jose
for the great pictures and time spent on this review.
Things you will need:
Team VTX does a wonderful job of including
all the allen wrenches and basic tools you will need to
get started with your new truggy. Of course like any other RC vehicle you must
remember to make sure that the screws that hold you vehicle together are
tightened and apply blue locktight where needed. I didn't use the stock radio system on the test vehicle,
but if you do, you will need 12 AA batteries. A good starter
kit that includes the necessary
items needed to run a nitro vehicle is recommended. For the Radio system I used
a nomadio react system on the ST-1. For more information on the nomadio radio
system please visit www.nomadio.net.
RTR Features:
Pivot ball suspension with big bore
aluminum shocks leads the front of the ST-1. Both in front and back are capture
end pivot pins which means no more losing your e clips which on the track can
be madding at times. The pivot
pins are fully adjustable and Team VTX includes plenty of inserts so you can
customize your front role along with your camber and caster. Shocks are fully
adjustable as well, with plenty of upper and lower settings to satisfy anyone.
Torsion bars are standard both in the front and in the rear.
The drive train includes
three sealed diffs that come filled with silicon
grease in the diffs instead of regular RTR grease.
For the novice user the stock silicon grease will work just fine. That being
said, I wanted to test it out at the track to see how it worked. To my
surprise, I didn't experience any tire ballooning coming out of the corners or
in the straight aways. Of course for the more
advanced drivers you will want to set it up the way you like. With an 11 tooth
clutch bell on a 44 tooth main gear this truggy can get out of a corner in a
hurry. Both Jose and I were impressed by how well it handled and accelerated.
The steering is anchored by
bronze bushings, with a high torque E-9001 servo and an adjustable servo saver
allowing the ST-1 to be adjusted for all conditions. For the everyday basher
the stock servo will work. For the advanced driver at the track the servo is
plenty strong enough, but a bit slow. I decided to give it a try and was
surprised at how well it handled the corners at our local track,
it didn't take to long before I was tearing the track up.
The Team vertex .26 drill start gives the ST-1 plenty of power.
Included with the .26 mill is an aluminum tune pipe and composite shoes. The
tuned pipe gave us good take off and top end speed. It seems to be a good match
for the .26 vertex mill. With composite shoes the wear life should be better,
as compared to aluminum shoes. The foam air filter comes with a cover to keep
dirt and moisture out. We recommend if you’re running in a dry atmosphere to
take the cover off, it does restrict air flow. With low, medium, and high
adjustments on the carb you can tune the .26 right
in. Your high speed needle should be four turns out from closed, your low 3.5
and your mid should be flush with the collar.(midrange
being the size of the fuel spray)Adding to it, Team VTX includes a Drill
Starter with there package, you will need a 7.2v
battery and charger.
THE TEST:
With most RTRs
you get fair performance on all levels, we found the ST-1 to be different. Its on
track ability was surprising right out of the box the shock setup had a very
good feeling. The cornering was fantastic; it dug in hard and came out strong.
The power of the Vertex .26 was great; the power was there at low, mid and high
ranges. Being able to keep up and beat a Hyper 7 was a good feeling. This truggy rocks. Its air control is much different than
the others. It doesn't have the typical nose dive off launch it flies true,
which was a welcome surprise. We put both of our truggies through the ringer,
kind of a bash session on the track with no regard for vehicles at all.
What we broke, I broke the
back capture end, that was on a misguided jump, my
fault. Jose raged his clutch bell, again our fault. After getting the truggies
back together we continued our test. This time in the bashing
arena. WOW, doing donuts on dirt, grass, and pavement was easy. Whether
jumping curbs, tree stumps or a home made ramp the Team VTX ST-1 handled with
ease. For a RC vehicle costing less than 400 dollars all I can say is this, for
track performance, a few upgrades and you’re in the hunt. For bashing its all
good out of the box with a top speed of about 35mph you really can’t go wrong.
What We Liked:
The .26 Vertex motor with
the aluminum tune pipe was fast and very impressive. Accompanied by the Team
VTX styling for the price, we really can’t complain. We had some issues off the
start with the motors. It’s not whether or not something goes wrong its how the
company handles it. Team VTX has one of the best customer service programs of
all the RC companies. We called, gave our complaint and they took care of us
with no questions, good work and thank you.
What We Did Not Like:
It’s very simple what we didn't like, as
with most RTRs the electronics were not the best, but
would suffice for the beginner or the back yard basher. Good enough to get
started, but that is it. Jose ran his until the upgrade to the nomadio system.
Make sure to consider this before buying any ready to run vehicle.
Conclusion:
For the price the VTX ST-1
is hard to beat, the .26 motor is potent to say the least. For the beginner it
will get you started, for the more advanced driver with a few upgrades you will
compete and can win. The ST-1 should be considered if you plan to race. Trust
me when I say this, this vehicle was a treat to review. I wasn't sure how good
a RTR could be, this one has changed my mind.
Credits:
Special Thanks to Jose Great work
To Grand Woods park for the track
To Wade owner: All
About Fun Hobbies & Games, Thanks for the opportunity to put it in print.