HPI Savage XL Octane up close

[Blubbergutts]

Had my octane 3 weeks now pulling wheelies changing up gears running in great ,this is a great monster truck IMO , upgraded a few things like servos changed stock ones to savox ,put my own proline wheels and tyres on wheelie bar ,savage suspension conversion kit,in time I'll change the transmitter and reciever ,my only fault with with this car apart from price us the noise it's very loud louder than my baja I've heard in time there will be an exhaust upgrade that will bring sound levels down.......

 

[TOoSmOotH]

Just ran my 4th tank and it is just getting stronger. I still need to make some transmission adjustments but I have gotten it into 3rd gear. Had a little trouble firing it out of the box but now it's money even from cold 2-3 pulls with the choke on and then 2nd pull with the choke off. It's a lot of fun already.

Pros:

Uses gas
Long run times
Handles great

Cons:

Loud!
The pull start gets hot to the touch if you need to restart it during a run.
Pull start access with the body on.
Charging the 2 battery packs is a pain.

Didn't think it was going to change the game before I got it but now that I have it WOW. Don't want to start a religious battle but I think between this and the Losi we could be seeing the beginning of the end for nitro.

 

[bobaloohoo]

nitro has made it through the electric controversy, there will be no problem through the gassing age

 

[Alexander_0_1]

I also think nitro will last....for those people within a 50 mile radius of a hobby shop, but for those of us that would prefer a fuel a little easier to come by, and a heck of a lot cheaper, I'm certain that nitro will phase out of our hobby stations, I'm actually debating going full gas and electric, and leaving all my nitro stuff alone.......indefinitely.

 

[hulkmaxx]

I also think nitro will last....for those people within a 50 mile radius of a hobby shop, but for those of us that would prefer a fuel a little easier to come by, and a heck of a lot cheaper, I'm certain that nitro will phase out of our hobby stations, I'm actually debating going full gas and electric, and leaving all my nitro stuff alone.......indefinitely.

I doubt nitro will completely phase out completely maybe some places. I don't see a big difference after checking out the Savage octane running at the LHS parking lot. Other than the fuel being cheaper and maybe easier access for some like me since the hobby shop is like 60 miles out from me. If you still have to tune the octane often just like nitro I do not figure that many people will quit nitro. An the only thing electric in my RC stable will be my crawlers. Some areas I bet LHS will push these just like they do electrics and lie by saying it's way easier because they don't break like nitro rigs Blah blah blah. If the gas 1/5th scale didn't kill out nitro, doubt these will.

 

[TOoSmOotH]

The 2 gassers I have are far easier to tune than my nitro fleet. 1/5 scale hasn't hurt nitro because it has limited places you can run it vs 1/8th. My XXL2 comes next week which is a gas motor in a nitro form factor. That will be the true test.

Before I got the savage octane I was skeptical about its impact but now that I own one my mind has been changed. My LHS likes the gassers because they can ship oil using normal shipping vs using hazardous freight to ship nitro. (Big part of why nitro is so expensive)

Including the oil I am paying less than $5 a gallon for 93 octane and if I run out of gas I can get more and don't have to wait for the hobby store to open up. I bought the fuel oil I am using at autozone for my DBXL and my octane for $5 which can do about 5 gallons.

 

[hulkmaxx]

The 2 gassers I have are far easier to tune than my nitro fleet. 1/5 scale hasn't hurt nitro because it has limited places you can run it vs 1/8th. My XXL2 comes next week which is a gas motor in a nitro form factor. That will be the true test.

Before I got the octane I was skeptical about its impact but now that I own one my mind has been changed. My LHS likes the gassers because they can ship oil using normal shipping vs using hazardous freight to ship nitro. (Big part of why nitro is so expensive)

Including the oil I am paying less than $5 a gallon for 93 octane and if I run out of gas I can get more and don't have to wait for the hobby store to open up. I bought the fuel oil I am using at autozone for my DBXL and my octane for $5 which can do about 5 gallons.

Yep you really don't have to tune a gasser in the 1/5th scale category like the Baja 5b, and yes they take up more room to run and there heavy as hell that's why I sent mine down the road. Cheaper fuel for the octane yes but after watching the guy at the LHS you will definitely have to tune it more often than the 1/5th scalers. I am betting the XXL2 will require the same amount of tuning prob almost as often as a nitro. Prob will hold a better tune or be somewhat easier to tune. I plan on adding both the XXL2 and the Octane to the RC stable eventually. I hope they stay in popularity long enough for the after market companies make some bad ass upgrades.

 

[TOoSmOotH]

Well the good part is the XXL2 is the same chassis etc as the XXL. Just by looking at the octane it looks like it mostly has the same parts as the Savage XL. At least all the parts you would want to upgrade. (Arms, knuckles, etc.)

The one mod I am looking for is a different exhaust for the octane. Something a little more quiet would do. That or ear plugs lol.