Tamiya B2B Racing Sidecar - 58017 (Radio Controlled Model Review)

  Released by Tamiya on December 1, 1979, a sideways departure from RC car racing was the B2B Racing Motorcycle with Sidecar. This was a large 1:8 Scale three wheeled model, complete with rider and passenger.

  The model did not handle well, being very unstable on cornering. This was mainly due to the single front semi pneumatic slick front tire. In an effort to compensate for this the two rear tires were sponge to try and induce some under steer.

  The hard plastic body was difficult to decorate and the poorly prepared decals failed to bend to fix on the curved surface of the shell.

  Tamiya never repeated this type of model that never truly caught the imagination of the RC racing enthusiasts as much as many other of their excellent models. Although rare, examples of this Tamiya model are generally cheaper than others of the first 100.

Rating: 3.5 RCScrapyard

My First National

   When I first started in RC, way back in the late 1980s, I would turn up to the weekly club meeting, with my Tamiya Boomerang, Acoms transmitter, two sets of crystals, a couple of 7.2v batteries, a charger and a tool box with a wheel spanner and a few spares.
   It was three five minute qualifying rounds and a final, and every month we would have a trophy meeting. The trophies were donated by a two of the older semi professional guys who basically ran the club and over the years had collected what must have been hundreds of trophies and had no space for them anymore. The lure of a trophy always brought out the "not as enthusiastic types" and the small church function room was always packed on those nights.
   About a year in, my collection of B final trophies was beginning to clutter my room, and my dad bought me the new Tamiya Manta Ray. That was the big turning point in my RC career.
   From then on it was A finals all the way. Then one day in the summer of 1992 the club organisers (the semi pro guys) asked me if I would like to go to a BIG national meeting way down south in Malvern. I asked my dad and with a bit of prompting he said "why not".
   When we got to that meeting we found there were around a hundred competitors, with ten groups of ten. I was in group "H". a two of my friends went down with us and they were in group "I" so were on just before me.

For Those New to RC

   For those starting in Radio Controlled Racing, I have prepared a number of articles with some useful Hints, Tips and Advice, based on my many years of experience in the sport.

   The categories include Battery information, Motor advice, ESC history, Servo choice, Setting your gears, Ball joints, plus many more.

   Entering the world of RC Racing can be a scary, so there are also articles relating to my own personal experience on entering the sport, and how, with determination and practice, you can progress to the higher levels of competition.

   To see the full list of our Radio Controlled Model Hints, Tips and Information, check out the list on the RC Scrapyard Homepage. ▶ ▶