THE Cub Report, Version- I Hate Nitro, But…

If you’ve read the CR for any period of time, you clearly know I have a passionate hatred of nitro. It stems from years of watching T-Maxx drivers grind away on “easy starts” with no success, or even when they could get the engine to pop to life, actually sitting the truck on the ground was the kiss of death, causing it to immediately die. It also stems from years of watching other nitro owners struggle to get their trucks started, and struggle even more to keep them to running. Yes, we are in a hobby, a hobby that should require a certain amount of work to truly enjoy, but it isn’t a fun hobby if certain products leave their owners frustrated and inches away from taking a sledge hammer to their pride-and-joy.

“Small gas” engines like the ones in the HPI Octane and the Losi Gas XXL were supposed to fix all the problems that a typical nitro engine had. However, my experience with those two vehicles was not good. You see, I consider a good gas experience to be like the one I have with my HPI Baja 5B- it starts every single time, it stays running, and I never, ever, have to touch the needles on the carb. The first HPI and Losi were not like that, they were pretty much like a nitro, requiring all sorts of fiddling and tuning, and both left me looking for a sledge hammer of my own by the end of the day.

I hate nitro, but… we have been reviewing the latest small gasser from Losi, the gas 8IGHT-T for a few weeks now, and it is different. I hate to spoil all the fun of our full review (that should go up any day now), but it has left me with a much better impression. We did have some problems keeping it running during the break-in period, but it always started easily, and once the break-in was over, it has run like a top. In fact, after the break-in period, it has pretty much delivered on the promises made by the gas revolution.

So now I feel all mixed up inside. After a deep, passionate love affair with the endless power of brushless, I have started grabbing the gas 8IGHT-T before heading to the backyard to get my daily rc fix. It has fired right up, ran like a scolded ape, and continues to put a smile on my face. Ok, its exhaust note will surely get on my neighbors nerves at some point, and at some point it will need some TLC to keep running like it is now, but for the first time in over 15 years I genuinely don’t hate a fuel powered rc.

Now my opinion really means nothing, or at least it means no more than anyone else’s, but I’m just say’n that if the latest gasser has changed my mind about fuel power, it just might change a lot of other people’s minds, and it might just take off. Yes, they still have a ways to go, but they have gotten a whole lot closer to where they need to be, something that I didn’t think would ever happen.

Yo, later ya mongrels, support your local hobby shops and bash spots when ya can!

YOUR Cub Reporter