KM Baja VS HPI 5B

What are your thoughts on the clone vs 5b debate? I have my personal opinions (which has been formed off opinions of others, and videos )

Lets here yours.

Personally, I think that if you know what you're doing, and can fix a couple minor errors, your good to go. Simply boiling the A-arms, tightening screws, and making sure everything is good to go.

I say this because I either want to get a used 5b for around $550-$600, or a clone on E-bay for $650 shipped with a Pipe and ported to a 29cc.

Videos haven't really proven anything to me. They look the exact same, and when it comes down to it, the KM looks like a good buggy. All of the HPI parts say "Made in ____ " anyways. I doubt that foreign places have nothing to do with the building of the 5B.

I was wondering the same thing. They look exactly the same, and all parts are interchangeable.

[pinkpanda3310]

I can't say about the clone but my good friend has the 5b SS and he loves it. Other fellas have tried to upgrade there machines but it does'nt go like the SS.

[TexasSP]

Go check out the 5B and large scale forums and see what they say. Odds are there will be much more feedback there than here.

http://www.hpibajaforum.com/

http://www.largescaleforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6

[Takedown]

Originally Posted by TexasSP

Go check out the 5B and large scale forums and see what they say. Odds are there will be much more feedback there than here.

http://www.hpibajaforum.com/

http://www.largescaleforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6

I also predict alot of biased opinions...

[_paralyzed_]

since parts are interchangeable I would buy the cheaper one and just upgrade to 5b parts IF anything breaks.

[pinkpanda3310]

If you haven't run gas before just remember to change the clutch every 3-4 runs (IIRC). My mate buys brake pads (real car) and cuts peices off and re-shoes the clutch. If you upgrade and get a 30cc big bore kit on a decent motor, you'll need to change the clutch before one full tank of gas.

The other thing is expence (sp?) I beleive large scale buy parts less but are more expensive. If it works out the roughly the same i don't know

from what i hear the clone is just as good.

As for the "ethical support HPI" debate....the way i see it, im not going to pay a grand for the original, but if i guy the clone and purchase the hpi original parts...im helping out.

[lincpimp]

Originally Posted by Andrew32

from what i hear the clone is just as good.

As for the "ethical support HPI" debate....the way i see it, im not going to pay a grand for the original, but if i guy the clone and purchase the hpi original parts...im helping out.

Yeah, people who want a hpi baja will buy it, the clones will sell to people who do not have the money to buy the hpi version.

As far as supporting HPI goes, you can take that to an extreme and say that hobbyists should pick just one mfg and only buy cars from that one mfg. But that would be dumb...

And it is not like HPI has started the 5th scale class, or has a ton invested in the baja design. It is not that revolutionary.

I bought a used baja, so who am I supporting?

[Snowman 78]

I have one and looking back I may have been better off getting a SS.
I got mine with a pipe to the door for $550.00 it is a King Motor Baja 5b clone with 23 cc I bought it back in Nov of 2008.

I had to replace both upper and lower ft “A” arms with RPM (I broke both lower arms the first day out when I hit a small tree I don’t think the HPI arms would of broke with the same collision, but who knows) I also replaced both ft hubs with HPI ones (the bearing were sloppy in the KM hubs).

I also had to replace the clutch after 2 tanks (I used HPI clutch with 8k spring)

I had to replace all 4 wheels (hex striped out, HPI wheels have a metal ring around the hex)

I also had to re-bild all 4 shocks after I bent the Rt Ft shock shaft (they had no oil from the factory and the piston hole is way to small & needs to be drilled out)

I then had to replace the rear upper trans plate (the KM plate is aluminum but is very thin and cracked)

I also had to upgrade the raido system (RX, TX, throttle and brake servo, and steering servo I also upgraded the receiver battery) some of this is a wash because (I think) the SS does not included any electronics.

I then did some upgrades like air filter, fail safe, pull starter outerwear, ect (these would be need with a HPI as well)

Then about a mouth ago I had a lean seize (damaged piston and cylinder)
The KM motor is a clone of the fuelie 23 I had the motor tuned on the rich side ran good gas with good 2 stroke oil and cleaned the air filter after every run so I don’t think a true fuelie would have seized on me.

I have yet to run a full gallon of fuel thru it yet because of all the problems I have had.

I have not taken the time to add up all I have spend because I don’t want to know.

I must say there is nothing like running a 1/5 they have a lot of power, long run time and are BIG, it like driving a RC ATV.

I think I will order a big bore kit and try my luck again.

[brushlessboy16]

Originally Posted by lincpimp

Yeah, people who want a hpi baja will buy it, the clones will sell to people who do not have the money to buy the hpi version.

As far as supporting HPI goes, you can take that to an extreme and say that hobbyists should pick just one mfg and only buy cars from that one mfg. But that would be dumb...

And it is not like HPI has started the 5th scale class, or has a ton invested in the baja design. It is not that revolutionary.

I bought a used baja, so who am I supporting?

Single Mothers..



And I dont see the point of this- they both probably come out of the same factory in china.. Either way your supporting that factory...

[lincpimp]

Originally Posted by brushlessboy16

Single Mothers..

Yeah, every kid needs a daddy... Just not me.

I stopped supporting single mothers when I found alcohol could get me in much cheaper.

As far as snowman's info goes, sounds like the KM baja is alot like an emaxx after you put the 1st al part on it, everything breaks after that.

Looking at the hpi baja I have I am really not that impressed. Sure it is big and heavy, but I am not so sure it needs to be that heavy. The chassis could be alot lighter, and designed as a 1 piece to reduce the number of fasteners and material overlaps. I guess the size of the 2 stroke motor dictated the design, but if you were going electric from the start the chassis could be made much simpler and lighter.

I am still designing the dual motor mount for my baja... Got sidetracked with the savage projects...

[nitrostarter]

Originally Posted by lincpimp

Yeah, every kid needs a daddy... Just not me.

I stopped supporting single mothers when I found alcohol could get me in much cheaper.

I am still designing the dual motor mount for my baja... Got sidetracked with the savage projects...

Easy on the single mothers now... Everyone's mother was single at one point in their lives....

And will you finish one damn project at a time... Geezz...

I was thinking the clone was just as good, until I read Snowmans post..... I have checked out the large scale forums, and the HPI Baja forum. One forum did not allow clone discussion, the other one I got a bunch of simple replies "It's a clone" that did me no good.

Maybe 1/5 is out of the question, but who knows... With that list of parts, it's not looking so good.

[Snowman 78]

Originally Posted by Always Dreamin

I was thinking the clone was just as good, until I read Snowmans post..... I have checked out the large scale forums, and the HPI Baja forum. One forum did not allow clone discussion, the other one I got a bunch of simple replies "It's a clone" that did me no good.

Maybe 1/5 is out of the question, but who knows... With that list of parts, it's not looking so good.

I posted my experience with the clone, however I have heard good things about them and the new ones look a little better them mine.

This has a lot of GOOD info:
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_7249314/tm.htm

PS I did order the big bore kit for mine today, I will see how it turns out.