SF506 Nitro With Picco Omega .12   ALMOST-READY-TO-RUN

Well, the new SF506 nitro bike from Nuova Faor has arrived so its time for my personal opinion and observations for this newly released bike. First, let me state that the bike is very similar to the previous race version; however it does exhibit some changes and or modifications which allow the bike to stand out.

What’s in the kit?

The bike comes from the factory assembled which is a good thing. Included in the kit is un-painted plastic body and a plastic bag which contains some body clips, cable to servo mounts and a few random plastic parts for various things. The plastic body is the same design as previous models, but I was not expecting Any changes so no worries there.

The bike looks pretty great with the typical at a glance first look and for someone who has never owned a bike, via first purchase will very be pleased. The first thing That pops out at you is the side exhaust, which really gives it a real sportbike look. I’m a little worried about how well the exhaust will take a hit because its now out in the open? On previous models the tip of the exhaust would get damaged when the bike goes down via a high side; and that exhaust was directly behind the bike. It just seems to me that a hard hit could take out the pipe completely, but I could be wrong?

Has anything changed on this model?

Now let’s move onto the frame, which has changed! I’ve been looking over the bike and there are subtle, but several changes just about everywhere. I’ve located a few holes on the frame that I’m confused why they are there? I’ll probably need to e-mail NF and ask what they are used for? I do like the fact that the frame has been expanded around the rotor start and no longer uses the frame to mount via the engine. One other thing I wanted to mention is the rear sub frame, which has a nice place to mount your reciver. On the very rear of the frame is a flat plastic tray, which connects both left and right frame together and offers a nice place to stick the receiver.

Yes, there’s plenty of plastic on the new bike and I’m disappointed on a few parts, which should have been aluminum like the previous race bike. The rear hub is plastic and why is completely beyond me? Plastic is light weight, but plastic is also weak. I’m sure NF is trying to keep the cost down, but certain parts, which are constantly under a load should be some type of metal and not plastic! The two major parts in my opinion are the rear hub and main drive gear. Well, I guess that’s what aftermarket parts are for?

Front forks; Ok, the forks now have a plastic tube which connect them together and I’m Guessing this is to equalize the pressure between the forks? I haven’t had the privlige Of running the bike with this type of setup, but I’ll let you know if it works or not? In Theory it should work, Hummm is about the only thing I can say at this time.

Gas Tank; They managed to grind the front corners off which I’m guessing will allow The body to rise up a tad bit and you know what this means? More lean angle so I can understand why they did that; which is not a bad idea. Also, power pack that supplies power to the receiver seems to be larger and has a secondary zip-tie mount. I think the four double AA battery pack might actually fit now? It appears to be large enough by just looking at it; even though I have not put both models side by side. The tank is pretty much the same besides the corners & battery mount modification. I also forgot the mention that the metal counter balance weight is now GONE! This was supposed to equalize the weight of the bike due to the engine on the left hand side, but it doesn’t seem to be a problem now and has been eliminated. I know many of you removed them on the previous models and did not encounter any problems. With the counter balance weight removed it also offers easier access to the engine adjustment screws. Good deal!

You know I’ll be honest when I tell you that I own the 05 race bike and wasn’t expecting allot of changes between that model and this one. I’ve been looking over the bike and do notice subtle changes, which does make sense and subtle enough to classify it as a new bike. Yep, I’m addicted to R/C motorcycles so it probably wouldn’t matter if they changed the tires alone? I’d still buy it…But. I’m not married either…

The SF506 does come with the Picco Omega .12 engine and the only apparent difference between the installed version and the install it yourself version of this engine is the cooling head. The cooling head in the bike is considerably much shorter then the stock Picco. They had the cooling heat custom made for the bike and it says SF506 and evo on it. I’m assuming the shorter head makes the engine run hotter? I don’t think any other modification were done to the engine, but I could be wrong?

The 506 also comes with motor mounts, which was never included on previous models, why? I have no idea why, but I’m glad they added them to this model. With the motor mounts you can add just about any engine that will fit inside the frame? Like Tim Taylor from the T.V. show “Tool Time” always says… MORE POWER.. Yuk, Yuk, Ha, Hua.. something like that anyways.

Wheels and brakes are both different! The wheels are now 10 spoke and appear to be aluminum and not plastic as I first thought. The front and rear brake include plastic rotors, which I’m sure will stop the bike, but plastic does wears down faster then aluminum or carbon for that matter. I’m going to give the stock brakes a good run and then decide if I should go with some type of aftermarket setup such as; Pat’s custom’s. If you want some fantastic aftermarket brakes then please visit the news section of this website for pictures and contact information.

The stock brakes include duel fronts and single rear disks and they do looks pretty solid. I’m pretty sure by just looking at them; Their more then capable of stopping the bike quickly, but brake fade is going to be a problem, because I know how plastic handles when it gets hot. Otherwise, I’m sure the brakes will be more then sufficient for the average R/C’er, but who is an average r/c when it comes to remote control bikes?

Well, I’ve given you the general layout of the new SF506 nitro and I will add additional information as it becomes available or if I missed anything. I will be adding a description of how the bike handles, how the brakes work not to mention the Picco engine. I have run the Picco engine before, but not with the shorter cooling head and not in this bike. In general Nuova Faor has put a great deal of thought into the new SF506 and did make some significant changes Additional information will be posted so please check back on a regular basis and feedback is always welcome.

Below are several snapshots of the new NF/SF-506, so I hope this helps explain things a little better. Just click on the pictures for a larger image.

Click on Images for Full Size

The video below is approx. 3 minutes in length and a general
description of the bike is given The bike is not running in this video,
but a description of the bike is given; Including the good and the bad.

    Click on Image to view the video
Bike: SF506
Bike Description: By Lorenzo
Location: San Diego, CA
Video: 3 Minute Video, Lorenzo talks about the new SF506
File Properties: WMV (windows) File Size 14.9 Mb
Download in Zip Format: Nuova Faor's SF506 Nitro Bike

General:

Welcome to the world of high end R/C motorcycles. The SF506 is a

top of the line bike with re-guards to racing. The bike is really nice and

looks fantastic, but its not completely ready to be raced does require some

modifications to get it running at maximum performance. The engine and brakes do

require some tuning, but other then that the bikes is ready to hit the track.

However, if you want to get serious about the racing then you’ll need to

change a few things to get the fastest lap times. The forks need to be replaced

with some nice aftermarket forks, plus the brakes also need to be replaced.

Nuova Faor used allot of plastic on the bike to save weight, but plastic

also wears much faster as I’ve found out. A bunch of minor modifications

to the bike have been made and this can only increase the bikes potential.

One thing I would like to mention about the bikes frame is the position

of the receiver. They designed the frame so the receiver has its own little

place to sit at the back of the bike. With a piece of double sided tape it sits

in a rock solid position and is out of the way, not to mention easy to access.

Engine:

The SF506 comes with the new Picco Omega .12 "RACE" which most of you know is

one of the very few side exhaust motors avalaible on the market. The Picco Omega

is the typical ABC construction and is reasonably priced for the performance

it has, but it can be tricky to dial in. I’ve tuned 3 Picco engines and even though

I’m getting better, due to repetition they can still be temperamental. So far every

engine that I have tuned came from the factory stock and required tuning to

get the engine running properly. The engines are always set on a super lean

setting and this is bad for a new engine. You always want to run the engine rich

and slowly lean it out to obtain the proper air-to-fuel ratio. It has plenty of power

and is fast! I still think the Novarossi Rex is faster, but it could give the engine

some competition. The new exhaust is tuned for this engine and sounds fantastic;

not to mention it looks great to match.

Handling:

The bike handles very well from the box, but to really be race ready and get the

maximum performance and or handling the forks need to be replaced. The 506

stock forks just don’t offer the best damping and/or feel that a bike of this magnitude

should have. So in my opinion I would consider swapping out the rear shock and

front forks for something more adjustable and with smoother action; best control.

Better control as you know means faster lap times. Other then that the bike handles

very nice and looks fantastic zipping about. There are a bunch of changes between

the 501 and the 506; but I’ll let you find them all. The changes really do fix and

or offer enhancements to the bike.

Tires:

The bike is running full PMT tires and offer maximum grip at maximum lean angles.

PMT’s currently offer the best racing tires on the market; which are especially designed

today’s R/C motorcycles. With tire compounds always getting better this allows the

bike to take corners faster and in return means that drag bars can be shortened. PMT’s

currently come in 100’s and 200’s compounds, 200’s are medium and 100’s are soft.

With the types of tires on the market and the 506’s potential I’m sure we will be seeing

Incredibly fast lap times.