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By: Barre

By far, the most competitive market in nitro R/C is the 1/10th scale touring sedan class. In fact, I would consider this class of model to be the scale that rescued R/C from obscurity. Kyosho's V-One S is the latest entry into this fiercely competitive class.

Trickle-down technology works its way down from racing cars to the cars we drive on the street. The same holds true for the V-One S. Borrowing heavily from 1/8 scale suspension technology, the V-One S offers unprecedented "tunablitity" in a 1/10th scale car. Admittedly, we've been pretty satisfied with our "Super" scale cars lately, but the V-One S (and its sister, the V-One R) are poised to tempt us back to 1/10th scale cars.

It seems Kyosho's attitude with V-One models was to get it right the first time. That is, they didn't want the buyer to feel that additional parts were required to make the model competitive.

The model starts with a high-quality, 3mm, countersunk aluminum chassis and the good stuff continues up through the assembly process. As usual, Kyosho's manual is clear and well organized in most cases. Some steps cram several sub-assemblies on one diagram -be careful. I did notice a little more parts mixing that usual. Be prepared to have most of the parts bags open within the first few steps.

Assembly begins with the gear diffs. These are notable because they are o-ring sealed and can be packed with diff grease or filled with silicone oil (although the silicone oil is not included in the kit). The steering servo is mounted upside-down and dead-center on the chassis. The servo is protected by an extremely nice servo saver. I've never broken a steering servo, but the peace of mind is nice.

Next, the front suspension is assembled. This is the most innovative part of the model. As I mentioned, the V1S borrows from 1/8 scale suspension technology - unequal length a-arms with uprights supported by infinitely (or nearly) pillow balls. This setup is standard both front and rear. The pillow ball system allows for camber, toe and width adjustments at both ends - a tuner's dream! A small bumper protects the front and a full-width foam bumper protects the freshly painted body (nice detail Kyosho!). The front end is completed by one of three drive belts. Keeping with Kyosho's "doing is right" philosophy a full set of ball-bearings is included with the kit.

The middle shaft is next. A couple of the notable points here are that the parts fit with great precision. Be patient, study the manual and everything will go together perfectly. In addition, Kyosho designed an extra tall "lip" on the pulleys to keep the belts from skipping off. This is a common problem with belted cars, especially when the belts begin to stretch. There are no belt tension adjusters included in the kit.

Bolting the GS-15R pull-start engine is a straightforward (remember to use loctite on the metal to metal screws). The 2.6x25mm screws for the header are never sufficient. Thanks from a tip from a fellow R/Cer, I tapped out the header with a 4-40 tap and bolted that baby tight!

Radio installation was breeze, thanks to the compact and efficient radio tray. A transponder holder is included and can be attached to the radio tray. The V-One S also includes a radio box (in two sizes) for protecting your valuable gear. The fuel tank, carb and brake linkage and air filter were installed without a hitch.

One of the final steps is to install the muffler. It's kind of a curiosity because it looks like a tuned pipe but feels heavy. Since it's made in two pieces, I took it apart and found a baffle inside. Replacing this unit with a true tuned pipe might be on a racer's priority list.

The Skyline GT-R body looks great. Our friend Joey Illagan saved me the pain of trimming, painting and applying the decals - looks great Joey!

Before breaking in an engine, I would normally check the needle settings carefully. I have found from past experiences that Kyosho engines usually come perfectly pre-set from the factory. I filled the V-One S tank, gave the starter a few pulls - then a few dozen more. The fuel was barely flowing through the fuel line. I checked the connections, the seals and the manifold for leaks. Nothing seemed out of place. Finally, I thought to check the main needle. Although the instructions recommend that the main needle be set at 2 turns out from closed for break-in, the needle had been set at four turns out from the factory. I reset the needle. The engine would now run at half-throttle and above but would not idle. After more frustration, I thought to check the low end needle. Normally, you would rarely need to touch this setting in a new engine. The instructions recommend that the needle be set 0.5mm out. Upon inspection, the needle was flush, making the engine run lean and unable to idle. Once, the low-end needle was set, starting was easy and the car idled through a few more tanks of gas. It just goes to show you that even if you are experienced with nitro engines, you have to remember the basics.

Stay tuned for Part II of Kyosho V One S                    

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                                               updated on 6th December 2001