THE Cub Report- Electrifying Your Monday

Hello out there rc world, it is Monday, thus time for yet again another episode of what’s happening in Cubby’s world…

First off… I am coming off a rather hectic weekend. Saturday was Red Bull’s Straight Rhythm motocross event at the Fairplex in Pomona California, while F1 made a stop in Austin Texas. Mercedes dominated the USGP, much like every other race the last few years, so I can’t wait for a major change in rules to get some fresh faces up on the podium. However, the Red Bull Straight Rhythm event had some HUGE news for those of you that are into the electric scene. You see, for the first time ever in the motocross industry, an electric motorcycle went head to head with gas. Josh Hill was riding an electric powered Alta Motors bike and ended up finishing fourth in the 250 class. Sure, Tesla has been doing fantastic with electric powered cars, but Hill on the Alta was the first time the moto world has had a chance to see how that technology stacks up against gasoline powered motocross machinery. Oh, the world sure is a change’n…

So… my head just about exploded last week after I read the rules for the new ROAR Clubman Series. To boil it down, ROAR has somehow found out that local racing is DOA (who would have guessed?? LOL), so they introduced a new series to help encourage its growth. The new pilot program was designed to keep the racing “simple, fair and fun” by using handout 17.5 turn motors in select stock class races. While I am pleasantly surprised that ROAR is actually attempting to do something to revive local racing, it once again proves that ROAR can not wrap their heads around brushless technology. Why is that? Well, anyone that has raced a 17.5 class knows it is all about gearing a motor to death, then dropping one tooth. And that is with motors that the racer is paying for. How do you think they are going to gear handout motors? I know how I would do it, by bolting a pinion up to the output shaft of the tranny and a spur to the output shaft of the motor. The handout motors are supposed to be randomly passed out each week, I can promise you that you wouldn’t want the one I used the week before, EVER. Yes, that is an exaggeration, but to win the 17.5 class at the local level really is a war of who gears taller than the next guy. But to not goof around here, do they plan on rebuilding the motors every week (or every single round)? Are motor companies donating all these motors & rotors? Or is this just a cash grab for a select few motor companies?

Once again, if you really want to get a massive amount of people racing locally, the ole’ Cubby Vaterra bone stock class could also work mighty fine in off-road. For example, instead of Vaterra on-road cars, off-road RTR vehicles that come stock with a sealed brushed motor would work just fine. There are a zillion of them already in consumer hands, but if you don’t have one, they are cheap to pick up. You’ve got vehicles like the Slash, Bandit, and Rustler from Traxxas, the Raider, Fury, and Vortex from ARRMA, the Torment/etc from ECX, the list of affordable brushed RTRs goes on forever. This class isn’t for the world championship, it is to get new racers in the door and to keep them coming back. And instead of making a couple motor companies some bucks, this would actually attract the attention of big car manufacturers, companies that have considerable resources to help ROAR with down the line when the class starts to blow up. Just say’n…

So there it is… another Funtabulous edition of THE Cub Report is in the books. Until next week, support your local hobby shops and bash spots when ya can.

YOUR Cub Reporter