Just Ordered my Gmade Komodo Truck

[Shape_Shifter]

I have loved building and wheeling my Sawback so I ordered a Komodo today.

Am I the first?

GS01 KOMODO Overview

UPDATE!
My Komodo Build Thread is Here

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[TrailSnail]

Let us know how you like it when you receive it. Other than what looks like very stiff shocks in the videos, these look pretty nice.

[Shape_Shifter]

Originally Posted by TrailSnail

Let us know how you like it when you receive it. Other than what looks like very stiff shocks in the videos, these look pretty nice.

Yeah, the Sawback needed some mods to make it crawl right but that's the fun.

I like the idea of the hard plastic parts on the body of this truck. Body looks kinda Ford-ish.

[apsilon]

Originally Posted by TrailSnail

Other than what looks like very stiff shocks in the videos, these look pretty nice.

Couldn't agree more. I really like the styling of it and have been thinking of picking one up for myself for Christmas but every time I see a video it looks like it has rigid links instead of shocks. It spoils the scale look seeing it jarring and bouncing over every little ground imperfection.

I know shocks can be changed but I have having to spend money to fix something out of the box. Upgrades are supposed to be upgrades, not fixes.

[Shape_Shifter]

Originally Posted by apsilon

Couldn't agree more. I really like the styling of it and have been thinking of picking one up for myself for Christmas but every time I see a video it looks like it has rigid links instead of shocks. It spoils the scale look seeing it jarring and bouncing over every little ground imperfection.

I know shocks can be changed but I have having to spend money to fix something out of the box. Upgrades are supposed to be upgrades, not fixes.

I couldn't disagree more. Building and rigging a specific ride is half the fun. Why would I buy a truck that needs nothing? I'm not a farmer, I'm a hobbyist.

1:1 scale Jeeps or 1:10 scale Jeeps - its all the same.

[apsilon]

Not everyone can afford to buy something like this and then still buy more parts to get it to work correctly. The included parts should at least have an acceptable level of function. There's a big difference between needing to replace a part and wanting to replace a part. These shocks just don't work correctly judging by the videos which is odd because I have several Gmade shocks in Zeros and XD piggybacks and they do work so it's not like Gmade can't produce good shocks.

If they're going to include a part that doesn't work correctly I'd prefer they didn't include the part at all and reduce the kit price a bit. I've got nothing against building or upgrading (I don't have a RTR nor do I have a vehicle that's stock) but a kit should function out of the box and from what I've seen, those shocks don't function correctly.

[Shape_Shifter]

Originally Posted by apsilon

Not everyone can afford to buy something like this and then still buy more parts to get it to work correctly. The included parts should at least have an acceptable level of function. There's a big difference between needing to replace a part and wanting to replace a part. These shocks just don't work correctly judging by the videos which is odd because I have several Gmade shocks in Zeros and XD piggybacks and they do work so it's not like Gmade can't produce good shocks.

If they're going to include a part that doesn't work correctly I'd prefer they didn't include the part at all and reduce the kit price a bit. I've got nothing against building or upgrading (I don't have a RTR nor do I have a vehicle that's stock) but a kit should function out of the box and from what I've seen, those shocks don't function correctly.

I understand your concern. Clearly this truck is not for you.

[Jeepiac]

Originally Posted by apsilon

Not everyone can afford to buy something like this and then still buy more parts to get it to work correctly. The included parts should at least have an acceptable level of function. There's a big difference between needing to replace a part and wanting to replace a part. These shocks just don't work correctly judging by the videos which is odd because I have several Gmade shocks in Zeros and XD piggybacks and they do work so it's not like Gmade can't produce good shocks.

If they're going to include a part that doesn't work correctly I'd prefer they didn't include the part at all and reduce the kit price a bit. I've got nothing against building or upgrading (I don't have a RTR nor do I have a vehicle that's stock) but a kit should function out of the box and from what I've seen, those shocks don't function correctly.

I'm with ya on this. I modify the snot out of everything, but it should still function properly in stock form. Seems that other brands of crawlers have their share of design flaws also. Seems that every kit on the market has a flaw or crappy part that everyone knows about including the manufacturer, but it's up to the hobbyist to rectify these flaws. Modifying in an effort to improve, and replacing incorrectly functioning parts are two different things.

[Shape_Shifter]

This truck has not even hit the U.S. shore and already the internet experts are conveying their opinions based on watching a pre-production video.


IMO, I don't expect anything to work properly out-of-the-box. My world is full of pleasant surprises...

[Jeepiac]

Don't get all butt hurt cause a few of us think the shocks may suck. I'm buying one soon as they hit the states. I've resisted converting my Sawback to a 4 link long enough and this will help the ol' feller keep his leaf springs right where they are. Buy the way, Sawback shocks SUCK!!!

[Shape_Shifter]

Originally Posted by Jeepiac

....Buy the way, Sawback shocks SUCK!!!

True.


I made a four link in the rear of my Sawback and keep the front on leafs with Revolver shackles. I wanted to have an all leaf truck that was not a Trailfinder or Bruiser and keep the Sawback all leafs but I kept braking leaf springs with my all superior mega torque.

The funny thing is, I now have the Sawback on bone-stock SCX10 shocks How's that for out-of-the box happiness?


I look forward to modding the eff out of the Komodo. Tracking says it has not left HongKong yet......

[Jeepiac]

I have no excuse for not replacing the shocks on My Sawback. The occasional wheel hop in the rear causes problems in tight spots, but I don't have any problem with the springs. Of course I'm not running mega power, just enough to be a great crawler.

[Greeley]

It comes with the transition shocks, you can run these in 2 set ups, droop and normal, seems to me g-made have it set up in droop mode which would mean hardly no upward suspension travel, but loads of downward travel which is good for descending a rocky hill side, this is the reason it looks so stiff over tiny obstacles.

The shocks can be changed to a normal set up but it raises the ride hight and C.O.G of course.

[savagedustbunny]

Just ordered my Komodo on a whim coz some other local bought one Should have it from Germany next week - yeah!

Any links to specific vids out there you guys want to share? I have YT'ed a bit but if I've missed any... gimme some more

Scale side, I've only driven my SCX10 G6 so don't really have much to compare with as well as your lengthy shocking debate. Pun intended...

Cheers guys

[MaFoDes]

Well. I was kinda surprised in a negative way to see how the Transitions on the Komodo perform. I have 'm on the R1 and they are great there. Judging by what i see on video (Yes Shape_shifter) this thing bounces like hell. Nothing scale about that....

**Reminder to myself: If i order a Komodo. Immediatly order other shocks**

[Shape_Shifter]

Originally Posted by MaFoDes

Well. I was kinda surprised in a negative way to see how the Transitions on the Komodo perform. I have 'm on the R1 and they are great there. Judging by what i see on video (Yes Shape_shifter) this thing bounces like hell. Nothing scale about that....

**Reminder to myself: If i order a Komodo. Immediatly order other shocks**

Yes, yes, yes, I see the crappy ride in the videos. One thing I do notice while watching the various videos is that none of the drivers have any skill . I dont watch the video and think, "Golly, look how crappy this stock truck rides". Instead, I watch and all I can do is plan on how I am going to modify it to make it work the way I want. I see any RC model I buy as a platform to build from.

I tend to gear my trucks extremely low and setup my motors and esc for extreme slow speed with full drag brake. The ability to control crawling speed can help a stiff suspension seem more realistic. Proper drag brake is key to this.

That being said, the kit does not come with a motor/esc so some of the poor driving skills seen in the controversial videos can be attributed to those trucks being setup for higher speeds and drivers not being able to drive slow enough to allow the stiff suspension to work well.

All the trucks I build have plush, flexy suspension. This model will be no different.

[MaFoDes]

I will have to agree on that. Partially.... I did see Mr Medic drive it slow and he even had to wait for the suspension to drop. There is no excuse for that... (even if i watched him yesterday switching to King Shocks).
Flex is heavily overrated and as you say, driversskils aren't.
However, seeing every rig as a platform to improve is a good thought!

[Shape_Shifter]

Originally Posted by MaFoDes

I will have to agree on that. Partially.... I did see Mr Medic drive it slow and he even had to wait for the suspension to drop. There is no excuse for that... (even if i watched him yesterday switching to King Shocks).
Flex is heavily overrated and as you say, driversskils aren't.
However, seeing every rig as a platform to improve is a good thought!

Mr. Medic? Is that the RCsparks guy?

[apsilon]

Originally Posted by Greeley

It comes with the transition shocks, you can run these in 2 set ups, droop and normal, seems to me g-made have it set up in droop mode which would mean hardly no upward suspension travel, but loads of downward travel which is good for descending a rocky hill side, this is the reason it looks so stiff over tiny obstacles.

The shocks can be changed to a normal set up but it raises the ride hight and C.O.G of course.

I finally had a chance to download and look through the build manual and see what you mean. In the stock set up there's only a 13mm (~1/2inch) spring supporting the truck. Assuming some compression when installed and the fact it won't compress to nothing means it must have a quarter inch of upward travel at most.

I really don't see why they included these instead of their XD Aeration or Zero shocks instead. The Aeration is even half the price (retail) of the Transition so they could've lowered the kit price or increased their profit.

Still really like the look of this truck though.

[Shape_Shifter]

Originally Posted by apsilon

I finally had a chance to download and look through the build manual and see what you mean. In the stock set up there's only a 13mm (~1/2inch) spring supporting the truck. Assuming some compression when installed and the fact it won't compress to nothing means it must have a quarter inch of upward travel at most.

Dose anyone know the length on the Transition shocks?