X - 30 Days
It’s been 30 days with the Xb1 from Xbility so I thought I’d take some time to draft up some thoughts for others to glean how things are going in Madison.
I’ve setup two kits thus far and both are 2500kv based cars for the MMRC SPEC Lexan and hardbody classes at MMRC. Both cars are running the Xbility ball diff, and neither of them have any upgraded parts installed. I’m running the Nexx front wheels currently with disc’s and they seem to be running well for me.
With all the testing, and weekly club racing I’m happy to report I’ve had zero issues with the car through normal wear and tear. Plenty of hits from other cars and it survived unscathed. No broken parts!
There are 29 different ways to tune this car…
I think that’s the first thing I noticed with this car. There are 29 legit ways to tune this car without buying a single upgrade or part. And each setting can really be felt when driving. If you’re new to tuning a car, you will find the stock setup will yield an easy to drive car albeit with more steering AND it will rotate faster than you might expect. Don’t try and de-tune that out, give yourself some lap time. With multiple testing and tuning sessions over 30 days I’m just now getting to understand the car. Give yourself time!!!
While I initially shifted away from the default setup in the manual, I slowly moved back to the stock with medium springs front/side/rear. For those without the manual, I’ve included some of the basis settings.
Start to rethink tire selection…
This leads me to my second tip… You have to rethink tire choices. I don’t think you can take any car’s previous tire setup and plant it on this car and expect equal results. With the rear spring position and droop adjustment option this car will rotate faster and have more grip with on power steering out of the box. If you’ve not felt it before it can be a bit alarming. I shifted to a slightly harder front…. KS Firm to a KSK Med in the front and to a softer rear with a shift from the Marka RR15 to a RR10.
With the setup, and tire choices this car is a dream to drive. It rotates so good I had to re-think how I use throttle and I’m no longer getting dropped on corner exits during racing. The car just feels so planted at every point in the corner and that it builds massive amounts of confidence.
I’m just getting started to be honest. I’m now experimenting with other aspects of the car setup and it’s crazy how much I feel the change in the car’s handling. I never feel like I’ve reached a “dead zone” of tuning where I just can’t get more out of the front or the rear.
I suspect for someone with far greater tuning skills this car would likely feel like a fine tuned instrument. One thing is 100% clear, whatever your driving style, you can tune the car to your liking. That’s impressive.
Wow on the customer service…
It’s not to say it’s been perfect. I’ve had one parts issue with the center carbon piece with a poorly machined hole, but a slightly wider spare set screw fixed the issue. I’ve also had one spare parts bag have the wrong part. While frustrating, I’ve had numerous conversations with José and the issue was resolved quickly. Compared to other kits I’ve had from many others, this seems relatively minor. I’ve also stripped one horn and I suspect it was just normal driving that caused enough energy to funnel into the horn. You might consider having some spares ordered and consider these as an easier replacement part vs. having to pull apart your servo and replace gears.
That’s my third tip…. Please connect with José if you have questions or any tuning help. He’s been such a great resource for me and is genuinely happy and excited for me to find an extra tenth or two. Always has suggestions and they make sense based on how the car feels on the track. I felt like I’ve learned so much in the last 30 days and the spark is back. Very exciting!
I’ve been able to compete locally with a number of other drivers and things are going well. I feel more confident with each week that passes and that’s translating to higher consistent runs and faster lap times. I’m never “surprised” by what the car is doing anymore and it’s a really enjoyable and rewarding experience. This has a HIGH degree of FUN!
Hoping this helps others as they try and make a decision about buying an Xb1. There are SO many options right now and I can’t imagine being a new person trying to weed through all the different cars. I can only speak to how great an experience I’ve had with the Xb1. If you can build a car to the manual, and you don’t mind messing around with a few tires, this kit will give you amble fun and enjoyment and very little hassle as your skills improve.
It’s been a really great experience and I’m looking forward to what Xbility has coming in the future. If this is just the start, wow!
Did you get an XB1? Have thoughts, share them in the comments!
