Review: Losi Micro Rally
Review: Losi Micro Rally
Someone once said that “Good things come in small packages”. I’m sure it wasn’t the engineers over at Losi, but they did decide to use that phrase as a benchmark for their latest Micro release, the 1/24th scale Micro Rally. This pint-sized pocket racer comes with a great-looking Rally-inspired body, Rally-style wheels and pretty serious all-terrain rally tires. In fact, everything included is Micro sized (other than the transmitter), and should make my testing quite easy since I can do it in my flower garden!
THE FACTS
WHO MAKES IT Losi
WHO IT’S FOR Everyone
HOW FAST 7.3mph
HOW MUCH $110.00
BUILD TYPE RTR
VEHICLE TYPE 1/24-scale 4WD Micro Rally Car
THE BOTTOM LINE The Micro Rally is one of those take-anywhere-with-you cars, mainly because it fits just about anywhere. You’ll never have to be without your RC fix…ever again!
PROS & CONS
+ Complete package, including battery and charger
+ 4WD makes it super easy to drive and can conquer most 1/24th scale terrain
+ Unique 2-in-1 ESC/receiver combo unit saves space under the shell
+ Body shell resembles quite a few of the real Rally cars racing in today’s WRC series
+ Bottom-load battery means quite changes without removing the body
+ Good run times on the supplied 220mAh battery
- Radio system is 27MHz
- On/Off switch should be reversed so that, if something hits the switch, it doesn’t turn the car off.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Yes, it’s 1/24th scale, and even though the motor is dinky and the battery looks like it could only power a wristwatch, this little sucker gets up and goes! It’s plenty fast with the included electronics, and the 2-in-1 ESC/receiver combo unit works great and saves a lot of space. I did give the Micro Rally a minus point because of the 27MHz radio system, but really only because that limits you to owning (or racing) 6 of these at a time.
• The Micro Rally comes with a 4.8v 220mAh NiMH battery pack. This is great for a beginner and should give you plenty of hours of worry-free running. Power is good, too, and charge times are just shy of 25 minutes. I’ve already scoped out some compatible LiPos to get this little sucker moving…but that’s another article.
• The Micro Rally rolls on a super smooth, shaft-driven drivetrain. A non-fluid filled gear differential is located at each end of the car and is easily accessed by simply removing a few screws. Located under the top deck (or cover), you will find one of the cooler features on the Micro Rally…an integrated slipper clutch! Adjusting this can help save the drivetrain from failure during your intense off road excursions.
• Losi has included a full set of oil-filled shocks. These cute little micro-units also include a bladder to help performance. The shock springs soak up most of the bumps the Micro Rally travels over, but hit anything big and this little guy will go flying! Try to keep it to 1/24th scale mountain roads and gravel pits and you’ll be fine.
• The steering linkage is also quite unique. Most cars come with a adjustable turnbuckle or threaded rod but, because the Micro Rally is about the size of a goldfish, sourcing an adjustable link is a bit difficult. To keep it simple, a clear piece of plastic is attached with screws to the steering bell crank and steering knuckle. While this setup does not provide any adjustments, making a new link out of scrap lexan is an easy workaround.
• So, you say to yourself, “Wow, a car this small has to be rolling on plastic bushings, right?”. Uh, no. This little dirt devil includes a FULL set of ball bearings. It’s hard to believe that considering the inexpensive pricetag, but Losi certainly wanted to make sure you got your money’s worth with the Micro Rally!
ITEMS NEEDED & USED
- 8 AAs for the transmitter
+ 8 MaxAmps AA’s
TOOLS INCLUDED & NEEDED
+ Hex keys, turnbuckle wrench, wheel wrench
SPECS & TUNING OPTIONS
Losi Micro Rally
DIMENSIONS
LENGTH 6.42 in. (163mm)
WIDTH 3.72 in. (94.5mm)
WHEELBASE 3.9 in. (99mm)
WEIGHT 5.3 oz. (160g)
Suspension
- Shock position— 3 holes on towers, 2 on arms
- Camber (F&R)— turnbuckles
- Roll— Multiple camber rod locations front and rear
- Ackerman— 2 positions
- Toe— turnbuckles
- Wheelbase— rear hubs can be spaced
- Weight bias— 3 battery spacers provided
Drivetrain
- Diff stiffness— grease or silicone diff fluids
- Slipper clutch— Tension
Losi Micro Rally Chassis Shot
MAINTENANCE AND TUNING TIPS
• For racing, consider rebuilding the gear differential after 3-4 races to keep it working at optimum performance. Bashers can wait longer between rebuilds.
• After a few runs recheck the slipper clutch to make sure its operating properly after it has broken-in.
• The shocks and springs can settle after just a few runs. Make sure to check ride height often.
• The battery can be moved fore and aft to adjust weight bias. I positioned the battery towards the rear which gave the truck a bit more rear traction.
THE LAST WORD
Losi has given everyone interested in RC cars a vehicle that they can take anywhere with them, play with any time they want to and yet still made them durable enough for competition. I love to RC, especially the competitive part of the hobby. As I say that, I sit at my desk with the Micro Rally sitting next to me, trying to figure out how I’m going to explain to my better half that I am contemplating tearing up a section of the back yard (honey, it’s a SMALL section) and putting in a rally track. If you’re anything like I am, I will most likely be getting 2 or 3 more of these and inviting my friends over. Rally day at the Phalen house…who’s in?
Links
Losi, losi.com, (877) 504-0233
MaxAmps, maxamps.com, (888) 654-4450
[as seen in: RC Driver Magazine]
