| |
 Cost
of equipment has been a barrier to entry for many people into the RC
Hobby. It shouldn't have to be that way, and now it doesn't need to
be. The newest release from the Sportwerks garage directly addresses
this need. With their first-ever 1/10-scale electric vehicle, the
Sportwerks Raven ST (tm), Sportwerks provides competition-level
quality for less than what a typical RTR truck would sell for. No
longer will you need to spend over $150 for a basic, bare-bones
flexi-flyer RC stadium truck, as the Raven ST offers performance
oriented options at reduced price. The Raven ST will be able to grow
with you and remain competitive as you grow and progress through the
hobby.
 The
backbone of the Raven ST is a molded composite tub chassis. A number
of braces have been incorporated into the Raven ST's chassis, both
on the front and rear end of the truck. Two molded upper braces
connect from the rear bulkhead to the main chassis near the rear of
the battery tunnel. Two more braces are used in the front of the
chassis, one that spans from the front bulkhead and over the
bellcranks and a second that is attached above the servo and comes
forward. This is all done to help reinforce the Raven ST's tub
chassis and provide as rigid of a platform as possible. To further
reinforce the rear of the chassis and rear shock tower, the
transmission keys to the rear shock tower. All of the heaviest
components are mounted towards the centerline of the tub, including
the battery pack, servo, and speed controller. When you examine the
bottom of the chassis, you will find that the sides have been angled
up, giving the Raven ST a narrower footprint in the event that it
bottoms out after landing from a jump. Finally, all of the screws on
the bottom of the chassis are countersunk to prevent the Raven ST
from getting slowed down if a screw head or portion of the chassis
snags on a landing.
 Whether
you're going to tear up your backyard, the local park, or the local
RC track, the Sportwerks Raven ST comes with the right components to
soak up the rough stuff. Top-filled aluminum bodied oil-filled
shocks do the dirty work on all four corners of the Raven ST, but
they're not your average shocks. The aluminum bodies are threaded
and include a threaded pre-load adjuster nut to increase or decrease
the pre-load on the springs for precise ride height and handling
changes. To reduce the CG (Center of Gravity) as much as possible
and protect the front shocks in the event of an accident, the front
shocks mount to the rear of the shock tower. Adjustable camber links
are also standard equipment on the Sportwerks Raven ST. The inside
front camber links utilize a vertical ball stud for simple roll
center changes while out back a number of different mounting options
can be found for both the inner and outer camber link. Where ever
you plan to drive your Raven ST, there's plenty of adjustability
designed into the suspension.
 The
Raven ST utilizes an industry-standard 3-gear transmission. This
conventional design incorporates a slipper clutch into the top
shaft, middle idler gear, and bottom mounted differential. While
spinning your wheels and throwing up dirt rooster tails may be cool
for a short period of time, you will eventually want to go forward.
That being said, the top shaft on the Raven ST's transmission
features a fully adjustable, dual-disc slipper clutch. A slipper
clutch gives you the adjustability to eliminate any slippage for
maximum power delivery to the rear wheels, or you can loosen it up
for easier control and bump absorbing. That's the beauty of an
adjustable slipper clutch, as you can truly fine-tune and tailor the
traction delivery of the transmission. Long dog bone driveshafts
send the power from the differentials outdrives to the rear axles.
All the moving components in the Raven ST's drivetrain spin on
smooth shielded ball bearings.
The Raven ST features dual bellcranks to get the truck pointed in
the right direction. The Left bellcrank features an incorporated
servo saver to protect the gears on the included servo. Much like
the camber links, the steering links are adjustable, allowing you to
make infinite toe-in or toe-out changes.
 The
Sportwerks Raven ST is not only the first Sportwerks electric
vehicle, but it is also the first vehicle to feature a Sportwerks
transmitter, receiver, and servo. Instead of just throwing in an
inexpensive radio to get you up and running, the Raven ST comes with
a transmitter that you can actually take to a race and not be
outclassed with, unlike some other trucks in its class. The 27Mhz
transmitter has many adjustments on it that you would expect to find
on a more expensive radio. The Sportwerks transmitter features servo
and throttle reversing, steering and throttle trim, along with
steering endpoint adjustment (EPA). The Raven ST features a brand
new Dynamite Tazer 15-turn electronic speed control to provide the
stop and go control. Cars and trucks that include sealed endbell-type
motors grow stale quickly; with this in mind, a powerful 19-turn
motor comes bolted to the motor plate. For the ultimate in
ready-to-run, the Sportwerks also includes a 1600Mah NiCd battery
pack. To get the Raven ST up and running, all you'll need to do is
purchase a battery charger and 8-AA batteries (For the transmitter)
and you're good to go.
 A
ready-to-run can't come with tires not glued to the rims, right?
That's why the Sportwerks Raven ST comes with pre-mounted and glued
off-road tires right out of the box. Multi-rib front tires and
mini-pin rear tires come mounted to white dish rims. Firm inserts
are included as well to provide sidewall support. If and when you
decide to swap out the kit tires for something else, the front and
rear axles accept industry standard rims from companies such as Team
Losi. The Raven ST comes with a choice of two different body colors,
red and black, along with a number of decals as well. This gives you
the ability to personalize your truck.
1/10-scale off road electric trucks has never been this simple to
get into. Whether tearing up your backyard or the local off-road
track, the Sportwerks Raven ST has the features and performance
you're looking for. From all of the items you might want for the
track to the included electronics, mounted and glued tires and
painted body, the Sportwerks Raven ST has it all in a very
budget-friendly package.
Sportwerks Raven Features:
-
Sportwerks 2-channel AM pistol-grip radio system
-
Dynamite Tazer 15T ESC with forward and reverse
-
Sportwerks 19T modified racing motor
-
Multi-rib front and medium pin rear tires
-
Prepainted, decaled, trimmed and mounted body
-
White dish racing wheels
-
Aluminum oil-filled coil-over shocks with threaded
-
Molded composite rigid chassis design
-
3-gear transmission with adjustable slipper clutch
-
Complete ball bearing set
-
Molded front bumpers and rear engine guard
-
Adjustable steel turnbuckles
-
Bell-crank steering and adjustable servo saver
Sportwerks 1/10 Raven ST RTR
SWK1500 - Price:
$189.99
|
|
