XRAY XB808 Review in Xtreme RC Cars (USA)

PERFORMANCE TEST
The XB909 should be a lifted truck of some sorts.
Only SoCal peeps will understand that last sidebar.
xray
xb808 2009 spec
luxuriously driven
GAS
GAS
words: James Revilla | photos: Carl Hyndman
X
RAY seems to follow the route of full-sized vehicle manufacturers.
When the new year rolls around, you know there’s going to be a new XRAY, and in
the case of the 808 buggies, the latest just so happens to have “2009 Spec” in its
title. In the past we’ve found the 808 a worthy challenger in the highly contested
1/8-scale arena, but does that automatically mean that this year’s version will do even better?
That’s what I’m here to find out.
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SEPTEMBER 2009 | 57
xray
PART #: 350004
STREET PRICE: $640
Price as tested: $1,905
setup time: 9 hours
experience level: Advanced
9
0
0
2
8
0
8
B
X
Y
XRA
xb808 2009 spec
03
SCALE POWER
TYPE
DRIVE
GAS
GAS
01
heavy items on the
808 chassis are
pushed inward,
as close as possible to the
centerline of the chassis. For
example, look at the angle
of the center driveshaft, and
then look how the steering
servo is lined up to the angle,
bringing the servo weight
closer to the center.
01
…at the upper limit,
the 808 drove like
gold-medalist athlete…
02
All of the defacto
suspension
adjustments that a competitive
racer should have are found on
the 808. Note the nicely done
shocks, which feature threaded,
hard-coated shock bodies;
accordion-like protective rubber
boots; and large-hand-friendly
spring-preload collars.
Low-Altitude: he included air filter
assembly is oval in shape and sits low to fit
under the XRAY body.
Acker Who?: The steering
system features a carbon fiber center
plate with multiple holes that allow
you to change Ackerman with ease.
Roger That: Radio box
has plenty of room for a
receiver of your choosing, and
it positions the receiver pack
inward for balance.
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professional
suspension •
Lock ‘Em Down: On any
suspension piece that usually uses an
e-clip, XRAY elected to secure everything
with nylon locknuts.
CHASSIS
LAYOUT:
Double deck with bulkhead braces
thickness:
3mm
material:
7075 T6 hard-coated aluminum
SUSPENSION
TYPE:
4-Wheel Independent
turnbuckles:
Yes, HUDY Spring steel
STEERING:
Dual bell crank, adjustable Ackerman
SWAYBARS (F/R): 2.4mm / 2.6mm
SHOCKS
Anodized, hard-coated aluminum
bodies:
damping (F/R): 600 CST / 350 CST
pistons (F/R):
1.5mm / 1.3mm
springs (F/R):
Silver (0.75) / Silver (0.53)
drive train
type:
4WD Dual shaft
differential:
3, sealed silicone-filled gear
diff fluid (f/c/r): 5,000 CST / 7,000 CST / 2,000 CST
axle type:
HUDY Spring steel universals
transmission: Single-speed
03
strong
lead •
Where other
buggies
use pillow balls or a
standard C-hub type
setup, the 808 uses
a design that wraps
around the hub carriers.
Universal driveshafts,
multiple shock mounting
points and adjustable
turnbuckles are all
standard equipment.
spur gear
Material:
Steel
Clutch type:
3 aluminum shoes
BEARINGS:
Bearings, rubber/metal-shielded
gearing
clutchbell/
spur:
16/42, 32-pitch
GEAR RATIOS:
PRIMARY:
2.62:1
INTERNAL:
4.30:1
FINAL:
11.26:1
body, tires & wheels
body:
XRAY XB808
tires (F/R):
Not included
diameter/
width:
NA
hex size:
17mm
wheels:
Not included
dimensions
weight:
7 lbs., 3 oz. (3,260g)
track
width (F/R):
12.13 (308mm)
wheelbase:
12.5–13.0 in. (319–330mm)
ride height
1.31 in. (33mm)
SEPTEMBER 2009 | 59
Probably not, but that would make a great sales pitch.
Are the XRAY springs made of “HUDY Spring Steel”?
Carbon Nation: The carbon
fiber top deck is actually very simple
and uncomplicated.
02
tilted • All the
VEHICLE INFO
PERFORMANCE TEST
xray
Testing
The 808 went through the paces at Revelation Raceway in Montclair,
CA. The conditions were on the brutal side. Summer temperatures of
90-plus and the cloudless sky allowing the sun to beat down on a dusty
track were far from favorable. It took a little bit of on-track needle
tuning to make sure she didn’t run too hot, but still had agreeable
performance to test drive the buggy as intended.
The XRAY catalog is pretty luxurious on its own.
Acceleration and Speed • On the
loose areas of the track, large rooster tails would
accompany the visual of seeing the 808 shoot
forward. The chassis had good balance off the
line, and the rear end stayed as straight as the
front wheels on take off. Top speed was matched
up pretty good for the track layout, which
featured a half-length straight as the only place
to truly open it up.
Rating: 10/10
Braking • When you get lucky and your
brakes feel just right, that allows you to push the
vehicle more toward its limits when driving. This
held true for the 808. The dual disc brakes offered
great bias, using the factory settings. The four
wheels would come to a complete stop as if the
vehicle had some sort of ABS built in—that is, the
brakes didin’t lock up at the twitch of the trigger. If
the 808 went farther than I thought under braking,
it wasn’t because of the buggy, but because of the
loose layer of dust that was all over the track.
Rating: 10
Low-Speed Handling • At low speeds
the 808 had neutral steering, so it was easy to
select a line on the course and follow it. However,
every once in a while I felt like I had to be more
active with the steering wheel, as small trigger
blips would easily break the tires loose, bringing
the rear end out just enough to cause you to
notice. She never actually spun out, but
there were a few times where I
thought that it would.
Rating: 9
High-Speed Handling • Whenever I
pushed the trigger to the upper half of its throw,
the 808 would come alive and power its way
through the course. The layout had at least 3
S-turns incorporated, which really tested the
high-speed capabilities of the 808. It passed
with flying colors, as I found that I could
full-throttle the buggy from beginning to
end, especially through a certain S-turn that
would lead me to the huge kicker jump in
the midfield. Amazingly, I still had a lot
of steering, which made quick work of
maneuvering through the technical layout
of the track that day. At the upper limit,
the 808 drove like gold-medalist athlete-and
title that describes how good it felt, even on a
loose track.
Rating: 10
Rough-Track Handling • It gives
you some extra confidence knowing that if
you hit a rhythm section at an angle, that the
buggy you were driving would stay close to level
in the air—and this is how the 808 handled the
uneven stuff. Through the off-camber sweeper,
the rhythm section, and the drop downs, the 808
stayed composed and didn’t seem to break a sweat.
The shock setup out of the box felt just right,
allowing the suspension to do its job while keeping
a handle on anything rough on the track surface.
With the majority of the weight near or over the
centerline of the chassis the 808 easily crossed
over the bumpy stuff with ease.
Rating: 10
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GAS
test GEAR
radio:
Futaba 4PK, FUTK4900,
$500
receiver:
Futaba R604FS,
(included with radio)
Steering
servo:
Associated XP Digital DS1015,
29167, $90
throttle
servo:
Associated XP Digital DS1313,
29166, $75
engine:
OS VZB V-Spec, LXMML2,
$400
Receiver
pack:
Racer’s Edge 5-cell 1600,
RCE5088, $27
fuel:
O’Donnell 30%, ODOP3330,
$25/gallon
Exhaust
Pipe:
Jammin’ JP-2, 10045, $90
tires:
AKA Crossbrace pre-mounts,
14004SPW, $29/pair
CONTACT
XRAY:
www.teamxray.com
Os engines:
www.osengines.com
futaba:
www.futaba-rc.com
jammin’:
jamminproducts.com
team associated:
www.rc10.com
racer’s edge:
www.racers-edge.com
o’donnell racing: www.odonnellracing.com
aka:
Jumping • Having all the weight crammed
as close to the centerline of the chassis as possible
2009 spec
xb808
www.raceaka.com
GAS
PERFORMANCE TEST
also helped keep the 808 from leaning over jumps.
With the kit settings, the buggy would fly through
the air with its nose slightly pointed toward the
sun, so I found that I’d have to give the brake a
very, very small tap in order to get the nose to come
down even with the backside of the doubles and
triples. Once the 808 made contact with the dirt
upon landing, it was nice and steady, allowing me
to punch the trigger and set myself up immediately
for the next part of the track.
Rating: 9
No comment on the sleeveless shirts shown inside.
Wrenching
Maintenance • During testing there was
a small mishap with the steering servo where the
servo wire got separated by rubbing on the metal
servo casing. I had to remove the radio tray in order
to get the steering servo out, but after removing
the throttle linkages it only took me three minutes.
Out came the radio gear all in one place, and I also
had access to the drivetrain, center diff and brakes
to inspect while Skinny (who was testing a different
vehicle the same day) got the assist for fixing
the servo. That said, any other maintenance is
typical compared to most of the other competitive
machines out there. If you’ve worked on an
1/8-scale buggy before, there are no surprises here.
Rating: 9
Wear and Tear • Did you notice my
constant use of “going off jumps sideways” in the
driving portion of this review? That’s because I did!
And when you hit a huge jump sideways, chances
xray
are your buggy will land at any number of odd
angles other than flat. With the heat beating
down on my head and a lack of fluids, I had
my fair share of “mishaps” while I tested
the 808. At one point I did the lawn dart
maneuver, and the 808 kept on rolling.
Rating: 9
Tuning • XRAY is known to have racing
as part of their mantra in everything they
do, and the 808 continues that standard.
Like with previous iterations, this newest
version has all the standard adjustments
that any 1/8-scale racer would want. Out
of the box, the standard setup was pretty
good, but as with most of their vehicles,
XRAY also offers a long list of tuning
upgrades to satisfy your urge to tinker.
Rating: 10
Conclusion
It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed an XRAY,
and I’m still impressed by the quality of the
materials, build and execution of their latest
1/8-scale buggy. On the track, that same level
of awesomeness showed whenever I pulled the
trigger. When one of the local drivers asked me
how the newest 808 felt, the first word to come
out of my mouth was “nimble”—and it felt that
way throughout testing. If you’re looking for
an easy-to-drive (at the limit!) buggy and you’re
chasing the checkered flag, the 808 ’09 Spec is
right there, ready for you to call its name.
xb808
2009 spec
GAS
SCORECARD
SCALE RATING: 1=POOR 10=EXCELLENT
10
10
9
10
9.5
9
INSTRUCTIONS
parts quality/fit
durability
tunability
overall performance
value
hits
• Very nimble
• Smooth jumper
• Quality is legit
misses
• You pay for excellence
• Next year it will technically be “old”
main competition
Associated RC8, Losi 8IGHT 2.0, Mugen Seiki MBX6, Tamiya 801x,
Hot Bodies D8
who it’s for
1/8-scale racers looking for towards the upper-end of things.
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GAS
xray
SCALE POWER
xb808 2009 spec
TYPE
DRIVE
GAS
GAS
POWERPLANT INFO
A
rmed with a full bottle of fuel and my transmitter, it only took a few minutes of needle
tuning to get the O.S. VZB V-Spec .21 purring like a kitten. Even with the hot conditions
(and low airflow since it was tucked under a buggy body) the VZB kept her idle—and the
power offered was as consistent as can be, requiring zero re-tuning throughout the afternoon.
Response was excellent without being over-sensitive, and it had some good fuel mileage as
well. The engine ran at a steady 220, even if I felt like I was about to internally combust.
x-dyno
data
POWER PLANT DYNO PERFORMANCE
engine data
O.S. Engines VZB V-Spec .21
BORE AND STROKE:
0.653 in. x 0.629 in.
(16.6mm x 16mm)
Displacement:
0.21 in.3 (3.5cc)
FUEL:
O’Donnell 30%
Pipe:
Jammin’ JP-2
plug:
O’Donnell “hot”
peak x-dyno hp*:
1.41 @ 23,500 rpm
peak x-dyno TQ*:
60.91 oz.-in. @ 22,750 rpm
peak x-dyno rpm:
41,750
average HP:
1.06
average TQ:
41.98 oz.-in.
POWER FACTOR
LOW END (TQ/HP):
35.87 / 1.15
TOP END (TQ/HP):
49.81 / 0.94
correction factor:
1.039
*All numbers are SAE corrected
Needle settings
Power Factor: Our new rating is an average HP/TQ reading for two selected rpm ranges. Low-end power factor will be the
average values from 10,000-25,000, and the top end power factor will be from 25,000 to 40,000 rpm.
High:
2- 1/2 turns out
LOW:
1- 3/4 turns out
mid:
NA
operating temp:
220 °F
performance INFO
acceleration
curve
0-60 ft: 2.01 mph
Top Speed: 43.9 @ 219 ft.
Average Run Time: 6 minutes
test conditions
weather:
Super hot with a slight breeze
Temp/humidity:
93° F/26%
Barometric
pressure:
29.97 in.
altitude:
652 ft.
track type:
Loose dirt
handling
TURNING RADIUS:
4 ft., 6 in.
On power:
Neutral
off power:
Slight oversteer
braking
Control:
Poor Satisfactory Good Excellent
Fade:
Poor Slight None
Overall:
Poor Satisfactory Good Excellent
SEPTEMBER 2009 | 65
At least Mr. Hudy wasn’t wearing mandals.
ENGINE: