Quick Losi XXX-SCB review

[ChiefGeek]

I've had my SCB for a few months now so I decided to type this up and thought I'd share it here also. Love this car and can't see myself ever parting with it so long as I'm in the hobby. But I did try to be realistic with it and not be a typical "ZOMG ITS THE BEST"

Losi XXX-SCB
This car comes as a RTR from Losi and is a variation of the typical short course truck platform. It can be viewed as a SC/Buggy hybrid. It owes primary pedigree to its XXX-SCT counterpart, but the primary difference is its open wheel design, far narrower chassis, and buggy type body. The car tends to offer better than average durability and holds up to a good bashing session rather well, although if you try you will break it. The buggy design handles better then it’s SCT counterpart and jumps confidently without fear of the infamous parachute effects experienced by wider bodied short course cars. It comes packaged with a brushed motor and ESC that will handle 2S Lipos out of the box. Also you get a 2.4ghz radio system with spectrum internals. Classes are springing up left and right at local tracks, but currently only other manufacture of a similar design is the Kyosho DB but many are converting SCT and other trucks to the SCB to make their own flavor of the class.
∙Detailed driver figure and cockpit
∙LiPo-compatible ESC
∙2.4 GHz Spektrum SR300 receiver
∙3-gear transmission with sealable differential
∙Captured hinge pins

Pros
Does not suffer from “parachute” effect when jumping.
Handles more like a buggy then a SC.
Stock Losi Eclipse tires perform very well in dirt.
Responds very well to tuning changes.
Realism appeals to many looking for scale qualities.
Available Team Losi tuning kit offers many great upgrades in one convenient and well discounted package.
Stock brushed motor is decent.


Cons
Parts availability and LHS is typically minimum at best.
Open wheel design can get tangled up with other racers.
Shocks are known to blow and/or leak and are not threaded.
I personally find Losi support to be lackluster at best.

 

[alien13]

Pros
Does not suffer from “parachute” effect when jumping.
Handles more like a buggy then a SC.
Stock Losi Eclipse tires perform very well in dirt.
Responds very well to tuning changes.
Realism appeals to many looking for scale qualities.
Available Team Losi tuning kit offers many great upgrades in one convenient and well discounted package.
Stock brushed motor is decent.


Cons
Parts availability and LHS is typically minimum at best.
Open wheel design can get tangled up with other racers.
Shocks are known to blow and/or leak and are not threaded.
I personally find Losi support to be lackluster at best.

Just going to add some thoughts, I don't have the SCB, I do have the SCT. The LHS where I race does stock these and have a class for them, with a few drivers.

Surprised at your comment that it handles more like a buggy. I've driven my buddies Kyosho SCB, and my XX-CR, and they handle completely different, though it doesn't handle like the SCTs.

The Eclipse tires are some of the best "stock" tires on the market. When Losi brought out the XXX-SCT with them, everybody started buying the tires to put on their Blitzes and SC-10s.

The stock brushed motor will keep up with a brushless 17.5 on the track.


In your cons, you comment on parts availability. Pretty much everything except the body and chassis are the same as the XXX-SCT, so if at least one of them are popular, there should be parts. Though if your LHS doesn't hold races, I can see how they wouldn't stock many parts for them.

And yea, the stock shocks suck, though I've only blown one out myself.

 

[ChiefGeek]

This was all based on my personal experiences. It handles closer to a buggy then a sct for me, but not exactly like a buggy. What I mean is that its cornering is very crisp and responsive. Scts tend to be a little weak (again in my experience).

As for parts, I have 3 shops and can't even find the A-arms or bearings. Its all traxxas with odds and ends of Losi, AE, and others and often find myself hunting through other brands to find something that will work. Which for bearings and screwa this is somewhat simple as many use the same parts

 

[alien13]

This was all based on my personal experiences. It handles closer to a buggy then a sct for me, but not exactly like a buggy. What I mean is that its cornering is very crisp and responsive. Scts tend to be a little weak (again in my experience).

As for parts, I have 3 shops and can't even find the A-arms or bearings. Its all traxxas with odds and ends of Losi, AE, and others and often find myself hunting through other brands to find something that will work. Which for bearings and screwa this is somewhat simple as many use the same parts

That sucks. Out of the 5 closest hobby shops, only one doesn't have a track, and that one does sell mostly Traxxas, though that store is not heavily rc based.

 

[ChiefGeek]

Out of the 3 in town only one does have a track, and its on par with a well made backyard track and by no means resembles a real SC track. One can only dream, or atleast until I find a real track within a modest drive.

 

[alien13]

Out of the 3 in town only one does have a track, and its on par with a well made backyard track and by no means resembles a real SC track. One can only dream, or atleast until I find a real track within a modest drive.

I have to travel 45 minutes to the weekend track. The only track in town races on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and well, I work in the mornings. Then there's an outdoor track, but with my 1:1 racing thing, the only chance I get to take a night off to race outdoors is if there's a rainout at the 1:1 track, and guess what? Rc track is rained out too, lol. Then the last of the hobby shops with a track actually has two, one indoor, one outdoor. That again is another 45 minute drive.

The track in town that races during the week is owned by a prick. He came into some money, dreamed of having an RC store, and that's about where he stopped. He doesn't care if he's successful, he's prejudice against those who don't spend huge $$$ there, yet he doesn't stick any money into the place. It's so bad I'd rather eat in a sewer than pee in his bathroom.

You should look into starting a shop/track. If there's enough interest in your area, the business will take care of itself after the racing starts. If anything, pick one of the shops that doesn't have a track, and work with them. Contact the shop that does have the track and see if he will help promote you if you race on a different night.