NAVIGATION ICONS AND WHAT THEY MEAN!

The forward momentum of the bike keeps it up & running. R/C motorcycles in general

are fairly complex in design. Because they are made well, means they are also balanced

well and this allows the bike to ride correctly. There are no gyro’s in r/c motorcycles,

which are used in helicopters.

I’ll give you a hint though… It’s really the little guy riding the bike

who’s controlling it, which means you only think your driving it!

2. What type of Gasoline should I use?

This seems to be a big question I’ve seen on the message board from time to time. I’ve

used what I had access too. To break in the engine I used break-in fuel, which means

the oil content is high. %18 percent to be exact! I went through a full can of this break-in

fuel and then went to %20 percent nitro. There’s also a bunch of different brand names

including, Monster, White Lighting, Blue Thunder and so forth. The recommended nitro

fuel if you can find it is %15 to%18 percent nitro and make sure the oil content is aleast

higher then %12 Percent.

3.How do you start the bike?

A glow plug starter is required to get the bike started. There’s a bunch of different

starters out on the market which connect to the glow plug and everyone seems to

have a personal preference. I personally use a 1.5 volt batter with a remote starter.

Here’s a picture so you can better understand what I’m talking about.

4. What type of tires are available? 

At present time I only know of two available tires. The stock GP’s which come with

the SF501 Nitro bike (These tires are the ones with the cuts). The other’s are

Passelli Slicks, which come in 10’s, 20’s, 30’s and up. The lower the number the

softer the compound and the 10’s are really bloody soft.

5. How do you get the gas into the tank?

Well, I found a neat little trick to this one. It’s called syringe and rubber tube, which

really works great for priming the line, plus filling up the tank!

6. What type of Radio controller should I use?

When it comes to Radio’s it depends on how much you wish to spend and

what feels good to you. I purchased this Airtronics controller online

for about a hundred bucks and it’s just great. This controller is smooth

and really easy to adjust with the push of a few buttons. I highly suggest

this controller, which is an Airtronics MX-3. You cannot beat the bang

for the buck, but there are always more expensive controllers.

The controller that comes with the ducati 999 RTR is pretty cheap so

you’ll probably want to change it out if you really get serious about your

toys.

7. How tight should the chain be?

If the chain is too tight the chance of breaking something is greater. I’ve found

from testing that if you can get your finger under the chain between the swing

arm and upper chain,  tension should be perfect. You can also push on the

lower chain with your finger and it should have a little play.

8. Gas is all over the place where did it come from

On the underside of the exhaust is a vent tube, which excess nitro fuel will

leak out as you drive the bike. You can use plastic tubing and run a short line

to the bottom of the bike, then all the excess gas will be routed down and out.

9. My Tires keep coming off? What should I do? 

The nitro bikes are fast and will throw the tires off really quickly if you don’t

glue them. You should put a few little taps of superglue around the edge

of the tire and wheel.. Don’t put a ton of glue, because eventually you will

want to change tires and you’ll have a harder time replacing tires that are

glued all the way around. Four or five taps on each side should be sufficient.

10. The charger that comes with the ducati sucks? What can I do?

Yes, the charger that comes with the RTR ducati is your basic plug in

the wall charger. Change it!

There are plenty of chargers out on the market so it really depends on how

much money you wan to spend. Just make sure the battery charger can support

NiHM batteries, which seems to be the choice for most electric toys.  I’m currently

running 3300 NiHM in the electric Ducati using a triton 2 charger.

11. How do you stop the engine?

There are two ways you can stop the engine, but the first one seems to take

longer and then you usually end up re-priming the fuel line. First, pinch the

fuel line anywhere after the filter, but before the carburetor. This will stop

the engine, but it can take a few minutes to stop, which isn’t a great thing if

the engines running hot.

Second, take a rag and put your finger into the rag, then just touch the fly

wheel with your finger. If you have rubber gloves this will also work or any

type of goves will work. I don’t suggest using your finger without any protection

or you’ll hurt yourself. This seems to be the best and fastest way. Below is

a picture and if you look for the shinny brass wheel, this is the flywheel.

12. What about batteries in the bike?

The SF501 and other nitro bikes require a battery pack, which supplies

power to the servo’s. The stock battery pack is rather large and contains

four double AA batteries, which must be replaced often. It is suggested

that you purchase a re-chargeable battery pack such as the yellow one

below. They can be re-charged with most battery chargers and they seem

to last all day. You can purchase one for about 20 at most hobby shops.

The rechargeable batteries are also smaller, which will give you more

clearance on the track. Place a few pieces of electrical tape on the battery

packs and with the zip ties they will not move around while running.

The electric bikes servo’s run off the primary battery pack so no extra

Batteries are required.

13. How can I clean my bike without an air compressor?

One of the necessary tools that I've found useful is a can of

compressed air. You can pick them up at most computer stores in

your area. They can be used for blowing the bike off in the field

or waiting until you get home. Plus, another thing that I've

found helpful is when you are out in the field and need to replace

a glow plug, but without getting dirt inside the engine.

Just point the tip into the top of the cooling head and blow

all the rocks out. Now, when you remove the glow plug no

rocks or dirt can fall into your engine. Just remember to

point the bike down before you blast away or the rocks will

just jump around inside the head and not actually fall out.

Most stores sell them in sets of 2 for 10 bucks.

This is a really a must have out in the field!

Compressed air & a necessary tool..

14. What is the best way to setup my steering?  

I’ve noticed this topic several times in the R/C forums so I thought it would

be appropriate to add something here about this. The standard steering setup is the

use of rubber fuel tubing over the servo arm, which is illustrated in picture number #1.

This works in general, but does not allow you to steer the bike very well. The

better setup is in picture #2, which contains two spring on each side of the servo

arm and is held in with hex-locks. This is a much more desirable setup and normally

requires a one time Installation with minor adjustments later. You can purchase the

parts or kit from one of the online retailers or any local hobby shop. The images

below demonstrate the old way and new way to setup your r/c bike steering.

The new style gives you better control; plus you can adjust your desired spring tension

Old Style and New Style R/C bike Steering Setups.

 #1  #2

15. How do I setup the throttle control rod?

There are a variety of ways to setup the throttle control rod

and it depends on what you have to work with? But, you still

need a return spring, which will push the throttle closed after

you let off the gas. Below is a picture of my SF501 nitro bike

and the throttle setup, which is stock for the kit. If you have

a chance check out the Revo monster truck at your local hobby

shop, which has an easy way to setup your throttle and will work

on your bike. They also sell those throttle parts separete from the kit.

Just thought you would find this helpful if your looking for other

throttle options?

16. A temp Gun... Do I need one?

A very wise investment would be a temp gun and I highly suggest you buy one.

They run anywhere from 25 to 50 buck depending on features, but in general

all you need to know, “how hot is my motor?” Duratrax makes the Flashpoint,

Infared temperature gauge gun, which is 24.99 at most hobby shops. Now, most

engines should not exceed 240 and normally run between 190 to 210, which varies

depending on the engine. Point the gun into the top of the cylinder head and push

the button and the temp will be displayed in a few seconds. Running your engine too

hot will shorten its life and could cause it to burn up. Unless you like replacing your

Engine… buy a temp gun and use it on a regular basis.

17. Got the need for speed, but don't have a lot of money?

You want to get more speed out of your bike, but buying a bigger

engine is not an option? Well, consider buying a different sprocket

and you can gain that top speed or low end torque. Several of the

online retailers now sell carbon fiber and aluminum sprockets,

which will help with that little extra speed your looking for. Not only

do they make your bike look trick, but they are lighter and stronger.

You’ll be surprised what dropping or adding a few teeth can do.

18. Air Filter Care..101  

The deal with air filters… Ok, The primary job of the air filter is to allow

air into the engine and to keep the dust, dirt and grime out. If you don’t keep

the filter clean, your engine cannot perform to maximum output and we

don’t want this happening. You should remove your filter every several

runs and blast it out with a can of compressed air. There are several types

of filter lubes that trap dust while the engine is running and to lubricate the

engine also. It is very important to maintain good filter practices since this

will determine the life of your engine.

19. Stand your bike up!

When you’re not using your nitro bike be sure to stand it up. Why you ask?

Because standing your bike up will allow any excess nitro fuel to drain out of

the pipe. Too much fuel in the pipe will not allow enough vacuum required to

pull fuel from the tank into the carburetor. By draining it over night the next

time you go start the bike you will not need to stand it up. Just try this a few

times and you’ll see its much easier. Also, on the bottom of the pipe is a drain

plug or vent tube, which allows excess fuel to escape. Put the largest fuel

tubing you can find and this will allow the fuel to escape much faster and will

keep the engine from bogging out.

20. Frame Sliders or Crash bars?  

Frame Sliders … This is probably the one thing that everyone goes through

really fast. Every time that I have run my bike I end up bending, loosing and

just trashing them. I decided to make my own using brass, which you can

buy at most hobby stores. With the original rods I went to my local hobby

shop and purchased a bunch of brass rods, (the same size) then using a

chrome polish can, made my own. The brass seem to take hits much better

and you can buy a million of them for a few bucks. Just hold the rod on

one side of the can then bend it around to the otherside, cut with a pair of

pliers and repeat! You can even cut them shorter for harder cornering.

21. Tools are a basic necessity for any R/C hobby.

It is basically impossible to be involved in any R/C hobby without

having some basic tools. The same goes for R/C motorcycles, which

means you should consider buying some of the following: Pliers,

scissors, screw drivers, body reamer, ratchet at attachments, metric

and standard hex drivers, glow plug wrench and a few other tools

that you find useful. You can pickup a cheap tool box at any local

hardware store and then start your collection. Below is a picture with

just a few tools that I keep in my box.

22. Glow plug Care.. 

The Glow plug is a very important part with any nitro engine. Proper care and

replacement will determine how your engine runs. The Novarossi engine, which

comes standard in the SF nitro bike contains a stock plug. Remove this plug and

replace it with an O/S A3 plug or you will spend days trying to get the engine to

run. For what ever reason the stock plug can make dialing in the bike difficult,

but from personal experience replacing the plug lowers the compression in the

engine, which in turn allows starting the engine that much easier. Replace the

plug when the filament burns up and use a can of compressed air to blow out any

debris. Good plug practices means, clean the plug, replace the plug when necessary

and be careful while replacing the plug so you don’t cross tread the cylinder head.

23. Clutches explained and simplified.

The primary goal of the clutch is to engage or disengage the engine. When the engine is

at idle the clutch spring places pressure on the shoes holding them together. This spring

is usually extremely tight and holds the shoes in place, which pulls them away from the

bell housing. As the engine rpm’s increase the crankshaft starts to spin faster and faster

and the centrifugal forces are applied on the clutch spring. As the crankshaft rotates

faster the centrifugal forces eventually over power the clutch spring, which moves the

clutch shoes towards the bell housing, hence “Engaging the engine”. Without the clutch

spring the engine would be engaged all the time and the bike would always move.

Installing: Place the clutch shoes onto the fly wheel. Connect the spring ends together

and start on one side of the shoes, slowly stretching the spring over the shoes. The

outside of each clutch shoe has an indentation where the spring sits. This spring is

normally very tight and you may need a screw driver to help pry the spring over the

shoes. Be very careful not to damage the spring or shoes while installing.

24. What type of brakes should I be using?

The stock brakes that come with the Ducati, FM-1e and SF501 are very

generic. Plastic rotors, plastic pads, which just do not offer the stopping power

which is required while running at 45mph. It is highly recommended that you

upgrade your brake setup with steel or aluminum rotors, along with matching.

pads. Pat’s brakes are currently offered for the SF501 and others, which fit

withing the required specifications. These brakes offer some extreme stopping

power and fabulous looks. Even swapping out the plastic parts for steel will

show a very noticeable difference and far better performance.

25. Fuel Filters protect your engine from harmful contaminants.  

The primary job for the fuel filter is to separate particles from the fuel and keep

dirt and grime from entering the engine. Most fuel filters contain just a simple

screen, which allows fuel to pass though it while blocking all the bad harmful

contaminants. I often run 3 fuel filters, one in the tank and two others between

the tank and carb. Make sure you blow out the screens because the filters can

clog up often due to the environment that we run our toys in. It is always good

idea to run a screen as one filter and a element filter as a secondary. It does not

take much grime to damage your engine.

26. Nitro Engines.. More Power, More Torque, More Fun!  

Nitro engines? Power, Torque, Size, Pull, Non-Pull, SG, Big Block or Small Block?

The choices for nitro engines continues to grow daily and it really is hard to decide

what you need and what you can afford? Right now there are only a few engines

that will fit inside the bikes frame without modifications, which is typically a .12

with the SG shaft, Pull Start. The Pro guys are starting to push the envelope

by adding .15’s and up by modifying the engine and frame to accommodate the

added power. The RTR SF501 currently comes with an Sirio .12 and this is a fine

engine that has plenty of power. Some kits come with the Nova Rossi .12, which

is a high rpm motor and it screams. The choice is really yours with regards to

how much you can afford to spend on a motor and how good your customizing skills

are to fit the bigger motors. But keep this in mind! As the hp’s increases it will

become that much more difficult to keep the bike grounded.

Any questions that you need answered, ask away! Lorenzo