I got the cheapest 1/5 scale gas buggy ROVAN 30CC (what's it like?)

I finally picked up the cheapest 1/5 scale gas buggy. No, not the overpriced HPI Baja. This is the ROVAN 1.5 scale 30cc buggy. It's better than I expected for the money, around 430 bucks. I actually paid less with an eBay coupon.
Lets take a close look and unbox this thing together.
Did I mention that huge PIPE wow.
part 3 (first start) • First Start of my Rova...

[@hybrid32494]

first start and break in procedure here (PART 3) kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYbSc56ufrllfdE

[@keithstone3263]

I ordered one this morning. I opted for the 36cc model. Out the door I paid $627 If you go to the Rovan website you aren't charged the sales tax. Killer deal

[@hybrid32494]

Update part 2 video here (made my oil choice and 2 cool upgrades) kzbin.info/www/bejne/qprJqomMmJtrl68

[@XVRDANCE]

Where can i find one?

[@hybrid32494]

AI VD Gevolgd thats ironic because capitalism has given us all these great clones while hpi is robbing us. Enjoy!!!

[@hybrid32494]

Frankie Maguda Ebay is a great place to buy these. Search for rovan rtr. You will see many listings, king motors is the same as well.

[@hybrid32494]

YEP, clearly HPI is still profiting one way or another.

[@zeeshanhb9520]

I have one of them, it was very fun to drive and stuff. I want to give you some pointers on this truck because there is some things, the tires don't last long nor grip well, make sure to tighten and loctite all screws Because some of them can be loose, get a kill switch because the fail safe will do nothing if the battery runs out or the battery gets unplugged, don't use the stock radio because it has horrible range, make sure to oil the air filter because they are not oiled from the factory normally, lastly don't use that oil or the chainsaw/wallmart oil because your engine won't last long because that type of oil is very thin and doesn't protect the engine, I recommend the Klotz super techniplate oil, Amsoil dominator, motul 500 or 800, Maxima 927, yamalube, belray sl2, Honda hp2, Castrol power, or redline 2 stroke oil, those are the best 2 stroke oils. The petroleum based oil like the ones you can buy at Walmart or a gas station are garbage and made for low revving and low power chainsaws, you need a dirt bike/motorcycle grade 2 stroke oil. Also the gasoline now and days has something called ethanol, that ethanol has alcohol in it and that likes to mess up the rubber pieces in the engine like the diaphragms, oil seals ect so what I do I buy something called ethanol stabilizer, I like star Tron, you can buy it at home Depot or something like that, it really makes the rubber prices last longer. Also I'm assuming you probably bought this because you've been told you can just buy any 2 stroke oil and stuff which is the furthest from the truth, they are not like chainsaws though they have a similar engine design. It's not as simple as a chainsaw, chainsaws are very low performance engines and are made for reliablity, that's why it's different. Oh also rovan says 25:1, don't do this because it will give you alot of tuning headaches, so what I do is break it in one 24:1 and then after 1 gallon of 24:1 go, to 28:1, it will really make your tuning experience and it holding a tune much much easier.

[@hybrid32494]

wow, great advice. Very helpful. So you are saying to not use the 2 stroke oil I got? It's synthetic oil, isn't that what is recommended anyway. The oils you recommend are they synthetic? Great idea on the kill switch too. gonna look it up.

[@Unfinished_sentenc]

Z_hb71 onLSF forums hell yes! Thank you !

[@zeeshanhb9520]

@@hybrid32494 oh it is synthetic, then your good. I thought it was petroleum based, your fine to use that then 👍

[@theclubhouse1209]

@@hybrid32494 the statement about the ethanol is false, ethanol will lose it's octane rating if left unused for a month or more, just get some (stabil) for storage. run 91 octane or better, some gas stations advertise ethanol free with higher octane fuels just look on the pump. i prefer castor 927 because it has a castor synthetic mix. the castor oil has a higher film strength while the synthetic has a higher temperature resistance.make small adjustments when retuning after breakin.

[@hybrid32494]

great advice!!! I've picked up some castor 927 on amazon, it was a good overall value and is highly recommended. In NYC there are no fuel stations without ethanol i'm aware of, so have to use regular 93 pump gas. Can you tell me what the basic fuel consumption on one of these gas motors is. I basically know that it takes me about a year of running 5 of my nitros to use a gallon of nitro fuel (45 bucks). Since the cost of this 2-stroke racing oil is substantially higher than the gas itself, how long in terms of engine hours do you think It would take to use 16 OZ of the 2 stroke in the premix at 28:1. I'm trying to calculate the basic cost effectiveness of this compared to nitro.

[@jacksrccars347]

Still love this video a year later . It's what made me get my Baja and I've never looked back . The thing is a beast !!!!!!!!!

[@hybrid32494]

hey bro! I still love mine too, and as you've seen I've gotten like 2 more Bajas since this one, I now have a total or 3. They have all held up well and nothing significantly wrong. Did you see the video where I pulled a whole X-Mass tree around an RC track with this baja at speeds, lol. YUP!! And it's still fine.

[@tharpbilly2396]

@@hybrid32494 can i buy it on amazon?

[@SteelCityRC]

Seems Rovan, KM, and Redcat get alot of criticism. What's funny the criticism usually comes from people who have never even ran any of them, just snobby is all. I have a couple Redcat 5th scale gassers that have been ran with name brands. Yes I have done numerous upgrades to them, but at the end of the day every other guy has respect for them man. In fact praising the Redcats Man! You build the RC how you want, pay attention to the little things to keep reliability up and all is good. Cool video showing how it really can be affordable to get into 5th scale. Thanks For Sharing!!

[@hybrid32494]

thanks for the great comment!!! All the HPI guys just cant self justify spending that much money on something that needs the same upgrades as these cheaper clones, ahahaha. Lets face it, they do the same upgrades that I am sure you have done too. Except they pay more for them and get the same speeds mostly anyway. Years ago it was the LOSI drivers who were SMUG, today it's the 1/5 scale HPI and LOSI again.

[@That1E_K1129]

I love my shockwave!!! Funnest thing ever going in 4 yrs now

[@SteelCityRC]

@@That1E_K1129 that's awesome. I am a Redcat guy. I have two of their 5th scales. And I have two Losi 5th scales. I swear the Losi break more.

[@ianklauss4235]

Great content mate. Very well presented. Great information.

[@johnevans5439]

Watched this video. Ordered one last week and was delivered yesterday. I love it. Awesome video.

[@hybrid32494]

hey bro!! awesome!! Now you see what I'm saying. This thing is really a work of art and no short cuts on anything even for that low entry price. You can't beat this. It's literally cheaper than a 1/10 scale traxxas brushless truck these days, ahahah.

[@johnevans5439]

@@hybrid32494 you can't beat what you get for the price.

[@hybrid32494]

keep me updated on it, I wanna know how your first start goes and all that good stuff my dude.

[@johnevans5439]

@@hybrid32494 I ended up wrecking it. I hit a wall and broke the frame. The new one was delivered yesterday morning. Good as new.

[@EAFISHINGNYC]

I got one two days ago. I haven’t turned it on yet. I’m just double checking everything before I put any gas in it but it’s amazing for the price amazing. Unbelievable Same here I’m not paying $1000 $1500 for the same car I enjoy your videos. I believe you in Staten Island. I’m in New York Brooklyn. Maybe we could race someday 🎉

[@InTheDogHouse3DPrinting]

25:1 Gas oil mix is pretty rich oil wise. The older 2 strokes ran at 32:1. I'm used to working on Stihl, Echo, and Husqvarna 2 strokes, and they run at 50:1. Get a built Zenoah engine that is ported and built for a good price for this and it will rip.

[@ygtx44]

New engines should be ran at 25:1 for their first uses!!!!

[@drewalsup9200]

So it seems like hpi has sold the intelectual property to a big conglomorate and other manufacturers are selling the same thing and allready upgraded out of the box. I bet the parts are even interchangable. Seems like a great buggy for the price. I bet 5th scale gas engines are alot less finicky than nitro engines. As i used to build them up on my goped scooters years ago they are tons of fun to work on.

[@hybrid32494]

hey dude!! The parts are interchangeable, that's the main benefit of getting one of these clones. Nothing wrong with that, not everyone will abuse their RC and break parts constantly. I almost never break anything, I don't destroy my stuff, that would just cost too much and I would not be able to buy all the cool used retro RCs I get on ebay, LOL. thanks for the comment!!!

[@simonhathorn1928]

Suspension on the 1/5 scales comes fairly stiff -tight feeling, but after few days good solid running the suspension really softens up and starts to settle nicely.

[@l4ncer2005]

Agree!

[@STEVOD313]

Ive seen 7 commercials or ads during this video LOL u must be killing it with the ads cash🤣

[@hybrid32494]

lol, barely enough to cover the cost of this RC over 3-4 months lol. And thats the total account revenue, not just this video alone.

[@thatsmyrc]

Man there are so many adds popping up like popcorn that’s how your getting all these rcs lol 😂 j/k

[@hybrid32494]

this is about the only video that actually plays all the ads, I'm surprised myself. Must be a popular topic, most ads don't even get served on many of my vids. If this video gets 1000 likes I'll even crash this full speed into a solid wall, that would be fun to see. hahaha. If not this, then my brushless WL Toys.

[@rcplayer7581]

@@hybrid32494 lol i wanted put block buster under old slas body say be careful lipos lol

[@bradleypendleton202]

STEVO D 313 yeah I’m in Britain and I got no ads...

[@rexracer7192]

Just gotta completely upgraded rovan for 500 bucks, 36cc engine 3speed trans, 65kg servo, this thing should be a beast!!!!!!

[@setxws6]

I had a Rovan truck version of this probably 7-8 years ago. Very big and impressive sitting there but not spicatular performance. Get the XMAXX, you'll have the size and performance and now messy motor or mixing gas/oil.

[@hybrid32494]

hey man!! you're pretty much right, these large scale gas RCs are not fast by any means, for their size. Without tall gearing and a good pipe these are fairly slow. But then again, it's much cheaper than the XMAXX with the commonly failing ESC. I stopped buying top of the line high powered traxxas/castle rc's after the XO-1. Any ESC failure is basically gonna be a 200 dollar repair.

[@skullboiPlays]

Love that you broght up gopeds lol i still got mine with a giant pipe like that

[@hybrid32494]

whats up man!! It's all about those GoPeds, I loved them too. The bigger the pipe, the better, ahahah. I just ran this baja the other day and got a new top speed of 44 MPH, very good results from a stock clone baja. Check out my newer videos too, i'm sure you will love them.

[@canonballsimp]

Thanks for the review! Just paid €320 inc delivery and insurance from banggood. Should arrive in less than a year!

[@hybrid32494]

hey my dude!! you're going to love this thing, I still have mine and not a single piece has ever broken, and I pretty was bashing it good, and even towed an entire XMASS tree, lol.

[@canonballsimp]

@@hybrid32494 thanks dude! Towing stuff... Now there's something I never thought about!

[@longboardguy]

Hey man really like your style of vlogs and I subscribed can’t wait to see this thing run I may have to get one I didn’t realize the price differences from HPI and it looks pretty well the same. I just started watching your Losi xxxnt video really enjoying that very cool. Cheers 🍻🇨🇦😄👍

[@Skilpadjie1]

So I got the 4x4 Rovan in 1/5th. Don't want to break your excitement on this one. But the 4x4 is a lot better at driving and having fun. Plus has 2 of those enormous servos you got excited about. 1 per wheel.

[@hybrid32494]

hey man!! Now way, it has 2 servos, Whoah!!! Im too excited as you said. Can you send me a link to the one you're referring to. I never heard of one servo per wheel, thats nuts!! Im sure the 4x4 is better, I only got this because it was the cheapest and best equipped Baja style gas rc at the moment. thanks for the comment btw!! and did yours also have the broken seal on the box when you got it?

[@MrJohn1966elliott]

I have got Rovan 1/5 scale 29cc 2WD Truck. It is good and running well. I'm from Western Australia. I have installed some aftermarkets stuffs into my RC Truck.

[@hybrid32494]

nice!! which upgrades have you gotten? I'm looking at some larger rear tires for this now.

[@Todd66]

Good looking buggy. Another good video!

[@rogeralwine607]

Hybrid, I stumbled across your rc car post, I love the info, you seem very knowledgable. I read one comment about rovan being junk/clones, well I will tell you I own a rovan 5t , and it has been great, very fast easy starting, but loud with the expansion chamber. I own the hpi 5 b, also very buggy, had I known earlier it would have been rovan all the way. I also own the redcat rampage, a disappointment. One thing I discovered with the off brands is to set the hi and low needles to hpi needles initial settings for initial startup. I put a aftermarket walboro carb on the redcat and the linkage did not quite match up. Im thinking about cleaning the factory carb and putting it back on. Like I said though the needles are often off with the off brands (my experience). I probably own over 20 rc vehicles, from 12 scale up to 5th scale. ill post a list. I got your dream car, a schumacher fusion with the 3spd tranny, and a.21 thunder tiger motor, its a 1/10 scale. Great videos and knowledge, very helpful!!!

[@TonysRcTechboom]

Fantastic buggy, nice comparison with the price differences and the great unboxing review thanks for sharing big like I've subscribed 👍😀👍

[@hybrid32494]

hey dude!! thanks so much. you get so much for the money here, and I'm not really worried about it being a clone, I don't destroy any of my RC's, I've learned those pricey lessons in the past. LOL.

[@Zomby1Woof]

I used to have an HPI Baja buggy. Mine was a kit too which I had to supply my own radio except for the steering servo. I put 100's of dollars into it too. It was fun but I sold it years ago. That clone buggy is a great bargain. With that aluminum shock bracket and that tunes pipe. I hope you have a place to run it. have fun. You'll need a better air filter.

[@hybrid32494]

thanks buddy!!. Im looking forward to breaking it in soon, I have pick Castor 927 racing oil for it, what do you think? I don't really ever run on first or sand anymore, so I think the air filter will be fine, don't intend to mess this up for the pure bashing vids as many ppl do. My goal is to just show that these are worth the money and reliable in normal starting and running conditions. IF I want to bash, I use my VXL slash, lol.

[@Zomby1Woof]

@@hybrid32494 I'm sure that Castor 927 is good too. I think I used to use Amsol 2 stroke oil. There is an HPI Baja forum you can go to to find out all about the Baja. Just don't tell anyone you have a cheaper clone. There should be a lot of after market goodies available for it too. Check out DDM (Dave Discount Motors) for just about everything. Here's the link: www.davesmotors.com

[@hybrid32494]

yup, i read all the 1/5 scale gas threads related to oil. It seems the castor 927 is the all around best. The dominator 2 stroke is great too, but literally twice the price of the castor 927. PLus it says that break in should not be with synthetic oils, and better to use conventional, IDK about that.

[@Zomby1Woof]

I used to bash my Baja. But back in the 80's I used to race 1/8 on road nitro cars, the Serpent Excel was the car. And in 2006 through '08 I used race a 1/0 nitro Losi XX-NT. Then I got into the Baja as the racing seemed to be dying out where I was living. I had a great spot that was walking distance from my house for a while. It was a new community under construction and there was an undeveloped spot that was great for running at.

[@manuelmaldonado6304]

Damn that is a big box.

[@hybrid32494]

ahaha! Literally right! Now imagine the PRIMAL MT, it came in 2 boxes!! and one was bigger than this! .lol

[@gunnerman1880]

Man that is super sweet rc never seen anything like it. Good luck with it #loadsoffun

[@hybrid32494]

thanks man!! It's my first 1/5 scale, love it so far.. right on!!!!

[@levihogge9144]

Good choice in 5th scale ! I own 2 rovans have no complaints. Like it other comment use good synthetic oil dominator oil is good Castor oil 927

[@hybrid32494]

thanks!! I'll pick u some castor or dominator on amazon, kinda pricey but I guess a quart will last a while anyway, right?

[@anthonylaudano9751]

I own 3 5th scales and let me tell you they are amazing and they can take a beating and a lot fun

[@hybrid32494]

hey man!!! thanks, looking forward to it. Been too cold out here so having to delay it unfortunately.

[@remkojerphanion4686]

Cool video! Rich Piana RIP

[@hybrid32494]

yup!! he taught us all the high price of illegal supplementation, lol. I think he said in one video his monthly cycle was $8,000. Compared to that, this ROVAN is a great deal, ahahaha.

[@InActionPrductions]

So good advice but some things dont need to be changed like ur remote. I have the stock flysky remote that cam with it. Still working after 5 years with it. So dont bother spending wxtra money for a remote when the one that comes with it does the job. You should get outters for the bottom of the motor, Ir filter and pullstart. This will stop water from getting in ur motor and keeps dirt and grass out also. When it comes to oiling ur air filter put it in a baggy. Put 2-3 drops thats it and squeeze the filter so the oils does all over it so its fully covered. Dont use more than a few drops as its very sticky and will hinder air flow. Most use 25:1 for break in. Im running 32:1 as my spark plugs foul up if i mix it richer. Like i said ive had mine 5 years now and used 2 bottles of lucas oil. (Tried dominTor oil but dont like it. You have to mix it really lean) i get about 30-40 min runs with 93 octane gas. The foams in the tores like to hold water and expand at speed and blow up. Its a good idea to tape you foams with tuck tape. The red sticky stuff and it dont stretch or rip when in the wheel. I have 3 year old foams i made yes i make my own foams and taped that look like new still. Foams are expensive and if the foam breaks a good chance ur tire might rip also. Simple trick to keep ur tires and foams longer. Get lock tight and take every screw out and put lock tifht or you will loose screws and mayne parts at the same time which is never good. A kill switch is very important because if it takes off on you full throttle and hit someone it WILL break their legs! Or your car will hit something hard and blow up on impact(just parts breaking of and bending not a firey explosion lol) most things should be replaced as they break. But if you feel like spending $1000s just for the point to upgreade it giver. Mine was a rovan but not many stock parts left on mine. Got a 32cc with valocity stack on air filter. Side pipe and diff locker. Shell wheelie 100 on gras and still wheelie on snow with paddles. I have a bunch of vids on my channel of my rc if you wanna see what they can do when upgraded. Some epic crashes too lol hope this can help some people. Also look on fb lots of forums on there for help or more info about 1/5. Also you should get limiting straps for your shocks so they dont over wxtend when jumping. This will cause your shocks to leak over time and will bounce and handle poorly

[@ljaysperspective1775]

I luv it, i cant believe how affordable this model is. Most popular brands sell there models for so much and its such an expensive hobby. It should be friendlier cost wise. Could you put a link at the bottom as to where to purchase, thx for sharing!

[@hybrid32494]

you got it!!! These have become basically the price of a 1/10 brushless short course model, insane, right. You just gotta search the brand ROVAN or KING MOTORS on ebay, they are the same, and many sellers actually have these. Just look for free shipping and good seller feedback.

[@ljaysperspective1775]

Awesome thx!

[@anthonylaudano9751]

You get what you pay for I own 2Baja and a 5t and in my opinion the best 5th scale on the market they can take a hell of a beating

[@johnsneen424]

They should have a pre filter cover for the air filter, I think outerwears makes one for the HPI Baja, should probably work on the Rovan buggy filter. Just like the other guy said ,make sure 2 oil the air filter with some 2 air filter oil for 2 strokes, like some Bel-Ray, Maxima, Amsoil,ETC.

[@InActionPrductions]

Pretty much everything for the hpi fits the rovan km models. Some upgrade parts dont fit and will need the hpi part to fit to it

[@vicsspeedperformance950]

I bought the King Motors version, and mine came with Flysky remote and a 34cc for the same price

[@hybrid32494]

Victor Baker Jr wow. Thts terrific. I was looking for that model too. Cud not find it. You got it on ebay too? Im looking now and the only models with the flysky i see are at least 550 now.

[@vicsspeedperformance950]

Kingmotors.com

[@vicsspeedperformance950]

I bought a T1000 I got it from king motors. Com it's a 2wd 34cc it was around April ,it was on sale 30% off 395 plus I bought a upgraded duel pipe from China, oh yeah the fuel line is in 2 pieces going into the tank you need to put one solid piece line through the rubber grommet cuz that will come apart eventually. And my car came with a FlySky remote the one you got was shity

[@shythawks9549]

Can’t wait to see this in action! Is this your first Gas powered RC Buggy?

[@hybrid32494]

hey man, yes this is my first 1/5 gas rc. I've only got pretty extensive experience in nitro and electric.

[@shythawks9549]

hybrid32494 Awesome! Can’t wait to see it run. I was diagnosed with melanoma this last July and had 3 surgeries and now the treatments suck and are kind of stopping me from working here and there so I’ve had some time on my hands. I grabbed a WLToys A979b. So much fun! But I wish I saved a bit more for a Traxxas Rustler XL rwd. See them on eBay for around 180$ almost bought a used vxl for 220 it was mint talked with the guy and everything. Great seller but money lol. Can’t work that much so money sucks right now haha. Oh well. But yea man I love the channel! Learn new things everyday and enjoy watching the videos and seeing your excitement. It’s awesome. My 14 month old son now likes them. Keeps yelling truck truck truck until I put this video on hahaha. Have a good day my man!

[@hswing11]

good video well done

[@hybrid32494]

hey buddy! thanks for watching! I'd love for you to watch some newer videos on my channel with this baja, I pulled a whole Xmas tree with with around an RC track, and also it topped out at 44 MPH. Pretty phenomenal for a budget Rovan.

[@stevethomas-cc5lz]

king motor / rovan. i have two of the KM. the baja 5b. the rovan is the cheaper of the two. km has thicker and tighter fitting parts. the radio, battery and servos and motor suck on both though. i have put zenoah 29cc in both mine and they run fine

[@hybrid32494]

hey my dude! thanks for watching! I have since gotten 2 more Rovans and a King Motors Baja. My stock 30CC rovan hit 44 MPH, and is still kicking AS* to this day! All stock motors too. Check out some of my newer videos, you will see. Ofcourse the 29C zenoah is a great Motor too, no denying that.

[@stevethomas-cc5lz]

@@hybrid32494 i will chek them out sometime. Lifelong rc modeller here. 50 yrs worth.

[@hybrid32494]

@@stevethomas-cc5lz glad to have you here my dude! You got a couple years on me, but I think my appreciation for this hobby will surprise you. I treat it with respect and never destroy my stuff just for views.

[@Unclefacts]

there's a reason this is cheap, and the HPI costs more. This one's junk, the HPI isn't.

[@brandoncrimmins6296]

I beat the shit out of the one I bought and it hasn't had any problems yet but even if it had...Everything on it is interchangeable with HPI so as parts break. I will just replace them with better parts. Either from HPI or Aftermarket Aluminum parts makers.

[@brandoncrimmins6296]

@Brandon Jones well at least for me with my experience... I haven't had any problems with anything lining up or not fitting. More importantly... If I did. I live in rural Minnesota so I don't have a dealer by me which means I order 90% of my R/C stuff online. So if it ever was an issue I would just get the Rovan/King Motor parts that do fit. I'm not denying that it's a lesser quality model than what HPI produced in years past (we'll have to see where the new ownership takes HPI). But I will NEVER spend WELL OVER $1,000 on an R/C Car/truck/buggy... Because as much as we all get irritated when our wives call them "toys". If we're being honest with ourselves... That is, in fact, what they are.

[@brandoncrimmins6296]

@Brandon Jones I know that. I've got plenty of expensive Revo, T-Maxx and Savage models. But none of them cost me more than $600. And most of them I buy as parts lots or collections for sale on ebay and fix them. That way I get an awesome Revo 3.3 or Big Block Maxx and a boat load of parts to build them with. I do have 1 Revo Platinum that I bought new and paid $750 for. And 1 T-Maxx 3.3 that I bought brand new when they updated it with the longer chassis that I paid $600 for. Both of these are set up for RACE ONLY use. I've got them so low that they might as well be buggies. But they outrun and out handle all the buggies I have. The only thing I have that can keep up with them is an HPI Hellfire SS. So I do thoroughly understand that they aren't "toys" to us. But to our spouses and the rest of the world. They are.

[@supastihl89]

Love it man. Kevin Talbot just got one a few days ago and hes been ripping runs great

[@hybrid32494]

ye I saw talbot's video. I was going to order it on that Chinese website too but they charge shipping of about 40 bucks. Technically I saved around 80 bucks compared to his (not that its a big deal, lol). The seller I got it from has great customer service too, and shipped from NY within 3 days for free. Plus I got to use a 10% eBay discount code at the time. Gonna start this up and break it in soon, still wrenchin on my nitros, ahahah.

[@supastihl89]

I would jump on it with some hype about that thing going around with it on kevs channel. I also told him theres a set of skis and tracks available for it

[@hybrid32494]

you're right, but unlike Talbot I don't really intend to destroy this to show how tough it is, anyone can do that, it's just pointless bashing. At some point anything can be destroyed and repaired for alot of money. I kind of find his video style to be addictive at first, and then very annoying, with all the yelling and laughing. Do you really ever recall when someone ever laughed that much when they were driving any RC, LOL. I already got two small mods for it, it's not a secret I'll tell everyone here. A silencer and some powerful LED pods.

[@supastihl89]

Right on. Yea i hated seeing them smashed but he has a good time i guess. Something different.

[@hybrid32494]

ye, he deff has a good time with all the yelling and laughing. I find it distracting, lol. Too much of the promotions going on too. But better than paying for cable on the TV, so gotta keep adding those subscriptions, lol.

[@overspray5281]

Awesome vid. It's funny how you can't share a great deal without still getting hate comments😂

[@hybrid32494]

stefan barr lol. Yup man. You def said it. Thats the truth. It badically comes down to the fact tht brand name marketing has managed to convince ppl of pure brand superiority. If hpi was more compettively priced i might have gotten one a long time ago.

[@teamster442]

Great lil buggy loud asf quick bought myself one before christmas after your first run/ breakin. Go over all your bolts i did have a few loose. rear tires are trash expect to replace them in short mine lasted 5 mins in a grassy field the rubber tore. But over all great for 446$

[@bmxdad5495]

Can you post a link on where you bought this? I cant find one like yours at all with that engine or especially anywhere near that price, all of them I'm finding are $650-$899, thanks for the awesome videos!

[@hybrid32494]

hey man!! I just checked eBay for ya, you're right. IT looks like very few ROVANs are even listed right now. It's ok, here is a link to their website, it's the same thing as eBay basically and free shipping too. Check their site for other models if you can too. There is a green one that is the same spec as mine for 529 right now. The one in this link is 429, but it has a slightly lower engine displacement. www.rovanrc.com/1/5-buggy/1/5-scale-275a-27.5cc-gas-ready-to-run-rtr-gas-baja-buggy-blue/

[@bmxdad5495]

@@hybrid32494 awesome thanks man, I gotta have one of these lol

[@imkaneforever]

He got a steal. He paid what an aftermarket exhaust costs for my 1/5 scale losi 2.0 lol.

[@paulkazjack]

Oh start it up then mate!

[@Burntrice747]

Try Maxima castor 927. It's a great smelling, great lubricating 2 stroke oil at a great price.

[@hybrid32494]

hey bother!!! Thats what I wound up choosing, great oil. I made a few newer update and running vids on this, check them out. Great oil for sure, do you get the 64OZ size? that seems to be the most cost effective one.

[@PeterMcGlashan]

Have you guys ever tried Motul or Amsoil Dominator. Also I'd like to see how it runs on VP race fuel. 😎

[@aaahockey25]

I owned a rovan and ended up breaking just about every single part and it ended up just being a HPI with a Zenoah engine in it.

[@hybrid32494]

Cameron Brantz Hey man!! So ur confirming what we all already mostly know. That these clones are basically the same as hpi. So this means thatbthe 13-15 yr old hpi design is still the same, lol.

[@aaahockey25]

@@hybrid32494 Yeah they are basically identical but the metals do not have the same tolerances and are weaker so about a year in you'll have spent the same amount on parts as you would have a HPI. When I rebuild my motor about an hr of run time i pulled it apart and it was literally missing parts of the cylinder.

[@LJ2281]

Sounds like you cant drive for nothing lol

[@STEVOD313]

Looks like its gonna be fun, is the hpi parts interchangeable with this? I think ive heard of this company, dont they have the models that look like the Losi 5T?

[@hybrid32494]

yup, these have fully interchangeable parts with the HPI baja it says. I saw they do have the same losi 5T type models, and really cool on-road sedans too. They are all over 600 though. A stretch compared to this one here. SteveO do you know or remeber the 1/5 scale brand FG? They sell for over 1K usually, top notch, but too much for RC i'd say.

[@rcplayer7581]

Yes and amount aftermarket parts are endless they build alot diffrent kind of racing based from the original hpi baja now its smarter start these rovans the deals get compared to hpi and you fully getting into money no issue you end uo building from mostly aftermarket losi s 5t replica are rovan lt 360 ofcource nicer have brand i have losi 5t but instead putting top line obrian i now have rovan 36cc and its compareble to a smaller displacement obrian motor for 200 dollars cant go wrong ..guys if want lear alot 5th scales go to botagel rc he dont like electric tho dont metion it lol

[@hybrid32494]

yup, this is the best 1/5 scale gas RTR deal there is. First time I say an HPI Baja with the original engine, OMG, it was so slow. These should be much quicker.

[@Azaelyyandel]

Hpi/Rovan/kingmotor its all the same. Interchangeable parts too. Its all about the brands this days.SMH.

[@STEVOD313]

@@hybrid32494 no i've never heard of the FG brand, I dont really know much about the gas or nitro rigs, but I've been looking at the 5T clones lately

[@Unfinished_sentenc]

A beast! Thank you for sharing!

[@hybrid32494]

you got it!!, thanks for watching. I'm learning some of the 1/5 scale running techniques and issues right now, before breaking it in.

[@tomjones1967]

Sweet ride! I want a 1/5th real bad. Looking at used stuff & Rovan on eBay.

[@hybrid32494]

hey man!! I looked for used ones as well, they seem to sell for about the same price as the new ones, if you can even find one. Not many for sale, that I've seen. Let me know if you find any, id be curious to check the auction out myself.

[@tomjones1967]

hybrid32494 thanks bro. I know all the auctions new isn’t that much more. What seller did you use? Thanks!

[@hybrid32494]

Tom Jones yep, ur better off going new. I got it from rovanrc, the actuall brand itself located in ny. Very fast shipping and great service i gotta say. You gotta wait for the ebay coupons then order this, thats how i got it for 395 total.

[@tontobb8956]

Yr better off with the 28: or 29 cc. They spin higher revs and are quicker than the 30 cc which has only more storque You should strip that down and rebuild it. Will all vibrate loose with no thread lock

[@hybrid32494]

hey buddy! thanks for watching. This was my first Baja, so I've done alot of learning over the time. I can totally agree with your points o the small motors having more RPM. Please watch my newer vids on this, I got a top speed run of 44 MPH with this (stock-only larger rear tires) and I also have a 29CC rovan, that one is about 6 MPH slower overall. Ive checked RPM in my vids and this motor got 17,800 max RPM, not bad for a stock budget rove, right?

[@topdown3852]

Hi, I like your comment. Which do you recommend for a cheap 1/5 rc ? Thanks

[@tontobb8956]

@@topdown3852 cheap rc is rovan or a king motor buggy.....or if u are a little cluey, 2nd hand bajas pop up for half price, but be careful...many have been thrashed and need alot of work to get running, beware buddy Truth be known, both hpi and the knock offs all need upgrades, when u start pumping more power thru the drivetrain stuff breaks Fact of life, its just wank factor owning a hpi, but if u race sanctioned proper events, u will need a hpi Ive bought 2 rovans and 1 hpi, they all need upgrades cause the stock parts are shit quite frankly I have a 29cc engine in my hpi, they call it a stage 1, which i believe is port polish and matching the head to the bottom end so intakes all line up and it flows freely, but breaks stuff all the time, so u just keep upgrading till it stops breaking also open up yr carby intakes and the exhaust, but very important to know where to remove material and how....remove 1mm too much and throw yr engine in the bin lol Quite easy to learn actually if u take yr time

[@eliserenissimo6481]

VERY GOOD MAN ................BRAVO- I WANT TOASK : IF U DON'T USE PER ONE YEAR THE MACHINE CAN START NORMALLY OR HAVE I TO CLEAN PISTON E INSIDE ENGINE CYLINDER BEFORE ? BECAUSE I HAD TRAXXAS MAX NITRO AND STAMPEDE ......IF I DID NOT START UP EVERY MONTH ENGINE STUCKED AND I HAD TO CARRY TO SHOP MECHANIC MODELLISM TO UNBLOCK ---THANKS FOR HELP

[@kennethrogers3687]

Wanted one but I live in a rv and it would take up half of it. Lol I'm not willing to share my space with it. Bummer! Thumbs up.

[@hybrid32494]

hey man!!! sorry to hear that you cant get one, but RV living is pretty cool too, so you're still having a worthwhile time anyway. thanks for watching!!

[@Mr.Donkeypoo]

the greatest cars come from FG Modellsport, I'm still sad i sold mine a few years ago

[@u1es]

If you can afford it.

[@andrewdenine1685]

Bud you make a great salesman

[@hybrid32494]

hey man!! thanks for watching! I actually used to be an auto salesman years ago. I just love this baja because it's the best priced and equipped one I've ever seen. I just did some new speed runs with it, and got 44 MPH btw, with slightly larger rear tires.

[@thatsmyrc]

That rig looks super cool bud I’m looking forward to the run vid have a great Xmas and new year if I don’t catch you one here again.. do you go too the ball drop since you live in NY? 🎉🎊👍🏼

[@hybrid32494]

hey buddy!!, thanks, you too!!! Nope no new years ball drop for me, went once many years ago, got really sick from the cold, not worth it, LOL.

[@anthonysmith4539]

I’m looking at getting a 1/5 scale tv buggy are these rovans any good? Because the hpi Baja is like double the price and fg marders aren’t far off

[@hybrid32494]

hey my dude!! So far I own 3 different ROVAN and King Motors Baja's and not one has ever broken in any way. They are literally the same design as an HPI, but come much better equipped. Check my channel for the 29CC rovan baja, it's on a good promo right now. I still have this one in this video and it's amazing. They are all better equipped than a real HPI too.

[@rubenreyes1360]

What’s up bro I like watching your videos cool do u do any videos on rock crawlers

[@hybrid32494]

hey bro! thanks so much! Until not all my videos have been mostly toy grade rock crawlers or WL TOYS type stuff. But I did purchase a brand new redcat GEN 8 a while ago, and it's still in the box. That may be in the future!! What do you think?

[@rubenreyes1360]

I have one my self Redcat gen8 there nice u should do a unboxing video on yours

[@hybrid32494]

Yes dude ive been planning on it since i got it lol. Still have not even took it out the shipping box. I got too many nitro and gas projects going on now. Need space. But i also wanna crawl!!

[@MadfugginMax]

dang there was a 29cc one not to long ago in black for around 300 bucks i dont see it anymore on the rovan site,and all the ones around 450ish are sold out however this is still in stock for 499 "1/5 ROVAN 320A GAS PETROL BUGGY READY TO RUN RTR 32CC HPI BAJA 5B SS KING MOTOR" so i guess ill be getting this one in a couple weeks,all good though i dont mind a couple hundred more for a bigger 32cc engine and the color i like, this will be my very first petro beasty :)

[@Ryan-gf3jf]

Great vid If you going to buy a hpi 26cc engine its cheaper on DDM its 245 complete! You get more bang for your buck with Rovan but the hpi baja parts dont match up exactly... the holes are slightly off. Rovan is a great start to get into the 5th scale hobby!

[@eflowers765]

What's a good servo to use in this throttle and steering?

[@Ryan-gf3jf]

@@eflowers765 i use a savox sc 0225 for my baja throttle servo u prob would have to use the stock servo horn because i think the servo horn that savox gives is shorter! If you use the savox horn u wont be able to get full throttle!

[@thebug4046]

After engine break in 32:1 seems to be what a lot of people with 1/5 scale run that thing looks really nice I should see what they are in Canadian $$

[@hybrid32494]

ye, check what they go for where you are, this would save a lot on fuel costs for you and no more methanol adventures, LOL. Another aspect I didn't mention is that their resale value is very good, so basically a win-win for you if you get it cheap enough.

[@robertlengemann4947]

I Have the King Motors Baja and love it!!!

[@hybrid32494]

cool!! you got the same engine size as this? any weird breaks so far on yours?

[@xXYannuschXx]

I wish Rovan would sell these to or from Germany, the import is nearly as expensive as buying an original HPI Baja.

[@509grind]

Can you provide a link. I cant find this guy in black on eBay. Thx.

[@thondupandrugtsang]

Excellent review.

[@wdavie27]

Hiya my friend do you know if there's a cage that bolts on the back for protection to save crushing the pipe from crashing or flipping over iv noticed people with a cage added after upgrading and pimping there buggys

[@Unknown-kd3ri]

What's the distance between the 2 exhaust mounting bolts? I need to know for reference

[@dazspurs9899]

Only downside with these engines and gearing it’s like a 2stroke go cart ,slow acceleration and benefits are mid and top end plus the fuel is cheaper than nitro

[@hybrid32494]

hey my dude, thanks for watching. In a newer video I got this thing to hit 42 MPH with nothing other than slightly larger tires In the rear. The better motors can get a couple more RPM, but this Is sufficient for a stock machine for this price range. Otherwise you are 100% right.

[@dazspurs9899]

@@hybrid32494 I will still buy one and upgrade the motor to about 45cc i think there great value for money

[@bigrichassuah5936]

Welp. I know what I’m getting next

[@hybrid32494]

hey my dude! Ye, you cant go wrong with this thing, I still own it and nothing at all has broken. I even towed a whole damn XMASS tree behind it with a rope, and nothing broke.

[@jakestellar4600]

hybrid32494 you polled a Christmas tree with it??? Wtf did you make a video????

[@camrowdrone6497]

Amazing size👍🏻

[@johnorabone6112]

you wanna see big, google QSAC and quarter scale r/c racing. in the 90s and early 2000s was pretty big. Zenoah engines, scale moly frames and suspensions. Nascar Winston Cup Cars, open wheel Supermodified, open wheel World of Outlaws Sprint Cars. Very scale and realistic. Needed a real knowledge of racecar setup.

[@rtoebak76]

Nice ride buddy. I still have the 2wd marder and bought the 26cc upgrade motor and pipe exhaust. This was years ago and it rides fine. I hope you will be having the same fun i'm having. Maybe some day a 4wd kit or those crazy 71cc beasts. Sounds less like a weedwacker :-)

[@hybrid32494]

ye man i'm getting to understand the fun with the 1/5 scale models, taking a break from nitro now after this. I was considering one of the front disk brake kits for this. I saw a nice kit for about 40-60 bucks which is purelly mechanical it says. You ever seen those? BTW i started this up and ran the first tank in the newest video on my channel and used the silencer. Listen to the noticeable difference it made.

[@rtoebak76]

@@hybrid32494 Know nothing about these brakes but the muffler was pretty good :-).

[@wdavie27]

yoo Bro my one just arrived on monday woohoo and i got a red one still not uploaded the unboxing yet lol im buzzing doning the heat cycles nd cant wait to get some Brap time my friend haha

[@hybrid32494]

Will fpv Big congrats to you!! I rem a while back you were telling me you wanted one, now u got it!! I saw that red one, looks really nice btw. Which oil Did you go with?

[@ChrisXCXCX]

Looking at buying one so many different engine combos any to watch out for???

[@fishersoll1780]

I want to know more about that pipe

[@bobdoodle6527]

Is the 26cc engine for rovan available for sale? I have a terminator rovan 26cc engine and want to replace it. Question, can i replace my 26ccrovanterminator truckl with 30ccengine? by the way I like your review of the buggy. Hope to hear from you?

[@hybrid32494]

Hey man!! Thanks for watching. You can safetly get any engine upto 32cc id say. Im actually starting a new engine install project with a rovan 32cc engine. It will be in my next video, it would be your best bet. They are all the same basically as long as its 32cc ir less you should be good.

[@stevethomas-cc5lz]

yes you can. get a zenoah from DDM.COM

[@billkleinschmidt3908]

No No No...… Don't know what eBay site your looking at, but these sell for between 675 and 775 all day long on eBay…. and if you want the Short Course version it's over 1200 bucks!!!!!!!!……. yes it's a great vehicle..... but sorry it's in the same price range as an HPI...… The Price your quoting is for the No Engine or radio version...…

[@hybrid32494]

hello, You're right, the prices have recently went up some. Check this video again at about 35-40 seconds time in the beginning. You will see that the price was 446 and I had the EBAY coupon code for 10%. So I did pay under 400 total with free shipping. I just checked, there is a much better 36CC version of this for 535, you can submit a best offer too. Check this link, let me know if you buy it. www.ebay.com/itm/1-5-Rovan-360A-Gas-Petrol-Buggy-RTR-36cc-HPI-Baja-5B-SS-King-Motor-Compatible/332694224840?epid=26020691371&hash=item4d761effc8:g:vCIAAOSwbTRbLAn4:rk:2:pf:0

[@klausknudsen106]

Broken seal is not ok, unless you done it your self. if the factory brakes for inspection, then they must replace it. just saying

[@hybrid32494]

hello, thanks for watching!! The included literature actually says that it has been inspected after the factory by the seller, and it's normal to have a broken seal. This is something I've never heard of before, I agree. Its possible these are just drop shipped items and actually are checked by the final sellers. (mine has zero damage of any kind). Also it's possible they had to open the box to put in the addition running gear it came with after the factory sealed the model itself in the box.

[@klausknudsen106]

@@hybrid32494 Yeah its funny how things sometimes work, here in denmark, they are verry strickt about things like that, even customs will put on a new seal, if they would have had to breake it. And you are welcome :)

[@hybrid32494]

LOL, yep, the instructions literally say not to worry about the broken seal. I must say that the packaging was very good, and nothing damaged at all. Also weird that they removed the clear lexan body plastic film for me. I guess they really prepped the car, ahahahaha.

[@klausknudsen106]

@@hybrid32494 OHH dear, i ordered the ROVAN AG03 BAJA, well i did that before watching your video, it comes to day. This one have some decent upgrades to it, so lets see how it holds up :)

[@the4rsofrc83]

Sweet! I'll look that one up!

[@YOVlogs]

Hey nice video did u break in the engine

[@hybrid32494]

hey buddy, not yet. I've purchased the needed oils and items to make this a proper break in and overall correct way of doing it. Im going to do an update video on this soon, also got 2 very useful upgrades.

[@YOVlogs]

@@hybrid32494 hey buddy I got this same buggy and this is the video and I have to break the engine and its running gr8 kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKWVZo2MdtyJqtk

[@andre51286]

I had both a hpi and a rovan, the rovan cost me more to keep running and it was not as good as the baja 5b, the engine lost power alot quicker and needed a rebuild

[@joeyfesta2042]

Question ?,,, Is there a difference in speed using the stock exhaust or the upgraded version.?

[@rctrucks2094]

The rovans come with the tune pipe stock. The tune pipe is a lot better and a lot louder than the black can muffler.

[@xxjacobi]

So this is also an HPI copy?

[@spaceace1427]

I have this same model done an exhaust upgrade and bash the heck out of it and haven’t had any problems at all, this thing is pretty rock solid and for the price is amazing getting ready to buy another one, no complaints here, but everyone is different tho... Also is you check out my channel you can see my exhaust upgrade.

[@fabianflores2807]

Wtf that car is amazing. What is the link for buy it?

[@hybrid32494]

hey!! thanks for watching, just check eBay for ROVAN 1/5 scale. You will see several variations of this buggy.

[@AimlessMoto]

Video of using it?

[@bigpoppapaulsradiocontroll2724]

Looking at getting one of these bro long term hows it been is it worth it?

[@hybrid32494]

whats up man!! I literally have not broken a single thing on this at all. I've also hit a new top speed of 44 MPH, idk if you happened to see it in the last few videos. Love this thing. You won't be disappointed, it's alot of RC for the money for sure.

[@bigpoppapaulsradiocontroll2724]

@@hybrid32494 thanks bro didn't think I'd missed many your vids but living in a house with 4 girls it ain't easy to hear anything over their constant singing and dancing 😂😂

[@championshiprings6376]

Should I get this one or the king motors one ?

[@hybrid32494]

hy man! thanks for watching! I will tell you that u will not be disappointed with either brands. I currently still have this buggy, and it's terrific, not a single piece has broken. I also have a KM baja, and it's nearly the same, just different specs. I'd suggest to stick with ROVAN because it's slight cheaper at this point for similar spec models.

[@AmericanConstellation]

A weed whacker motor on wheels!

[@hybrid32494]

lol, basically. Great idea, right!!! These do produce higher RPM than the typical lawn equipment though, and have a wider power band, thats the slight difference. They also run with more oil than the lawn equipment.

[@4PFHarrison]

I was thinking of getting a Revo 3.3 but this looks cool which should I get

[@hybrid32494]

I have a revo 3.3 too. Great truck. Both of these are totally different though. are you looking for your first nitro/gas model? Speed wise I would say they are probably the same too. Check my page on the revo 3.3 I did some speed runs and overviews on it before.

[@4PFHarrison]

hybrid32494 thanks for your response, it’s going to be my 1st nitro because I’m kind of tired of electric.

[@hybrid32494]

yup, you got it!!. Electric is great and all, but the learning curve is pretty fixed there. The nitros and Gas models are alot more temperamental and when you get one to run at least pretty well you will have way more joy and satisfaction than even the fastest brushless trucks there are.

[@4PFHarrison]

hybrid32494 should I get a Revo 3.3 or is there a better option ? I was wondering if I’d enjoy it because I’m so use to my Fast and quick Bandit VXL and just don’t know if I’d think it’s boring and slow .

[@hybrid32494]

hard to say, from the non big block nitro trucks the REVO is definitely the best. You could get a larger 1/8th scale model with a big block motor, but they come with their own issue. For one, they take more fuel than the revo motor. and nitro today is about 45 a gallon for 20%. Really a great all around truck with super plush suspension and nice electric start. They also have good resale value on eBay, lol.

[@josepenate7367]

good review,good deal.

[@hybrid32494]

thanks!!! Finally a price point on these 1/5 scales where almost anyone can get into them, unlike the 1K and up losi and HPI models.

[@allothernamesbutthis]

any gears that are plastic, change to metal, plastic gears lasted about 45 minutes on my fg.

[@norcalsawsquatch9854]

How did u get it that cheap? Show us a link

[@justinkrzynowek9166]

Rovan/King motors is not worth it in the long run. Larger engines thst use more gas but have less power than the smaller and tighter engines that come with the Hpi 1/5 scales. Mainly overall they are poorly made and will cost you more in the long run than just paying the price for an Hpi. But on the plus side if you need a 1/5 scale thats rtr at a low cost go for it. When stuff breaks you can just buy hpi parts because they are almost exact clones

[@hybrid32494]

hey man!! I did need a low cost 1/5 scale, and this thing delivered. I love it. Did you see my updated vids on this, it's solid. Pulls wheelies, had a great pipe, nothing has broken. IDK about the HPI engines being any better, they are basically all similar other than their displacement. I would surely love to find an older used HPI baja for a comparo.

[@kateza9658]

Where to buy?

[@cwatson42785]

You gonna make a running video buddy?

[@hybrid32494]

yes I'm still studying and learning about the oils and break in process. Gonna finally start it up soon though. These seem to be pretty different from nitro models.

[@chriscoffel7909]

The factory seal means they inspect then seal at the factory you got tricked.

[@gonzore.5256]

Meby a nice copy.

[@ericperry72]

Question, Can this be converted to electric?

[@kirbyvanduzer6565]

I know a reverse gear is available for these can you order it with the reverse from the factory

[@hybrid32494]

hey buddy, I can tell you for a fact that not a single Baja will come with reverse or a 2-speed from the factory. These things are great as is, you really do not need reverse, nitros these days also do not have reverse.

[@kirbyvanduzer6565]

@@hybrid32494 yeah I noticed how easily it turned and when I buy one of these I’ll just be backyard bashing it but probably once in a while finding a bigger place to take it I live on two acres so it won’t hit full speed but I may be able to find a bigger place to take it I like it because you don’t have to adjust the carb constantly like nitro and eventually I’ll learn how to fix small engines like the one on this one I’ve seen videos on these they are awesome and very loud but they are so cool it’s unreal one thing I’m curious about how long does the battery on the servos on the buggy last on a charge

[@marcusbridges514]

did you buy yours off of the website?

[@hybrid32494]

hey buddy! At the time of this video I purchased this model from RAVAN on ebay. They are currently sold at rovanrc.com. Rovan also sells them and others in their Ebay store. Basically you're looking for any rovan or king motors Baja, they are similar.

[@timgriffin1245]

Kind of sounds like a white E40.