Now people can't stop talking about the 1/12th Fantom 4wd re-re!!! :)

[Coelacanth]

So is there any difference between the BL 480S and 480T motors other than different-colored end-bells? Are they identical inside?

[XLR8]

So is there any difference between the BL 480S and 480T motors other than different-colored end-bells? Are they identical inside?

Excellent question. According to the information on Kyosho's webpage, it appears to be just cosmetic.

Only one set of specs:

Le Mans 480t and s.JPG (23.4 KiB) Viewed 1501 times

Le Mans 480t and s.JPG (23.4 KiB) Viewed 1501 times

Perhaps different timing limits for each endbell? Seems unlikely but maybe.

https://rc.kyosho.com/en/37033.html

[HS-YZ250]

Where are these being offered for sale? Will they be available in the US? Can’t seem to find them listed in the usual places. Thanks.

The motor, I mean. The car, I can find.

As of right now, I've only seen them on the Kyosho Japan website, with a note of some kind. Might have to wait for them to show up on eBay.

[1300GT]

Where are these being offered for sale? Will they be available in the US? Can’t seem to find them listed in the usual places. Thanks.

The motor, I mean. The car, I can find.

I ordered mine from this place. When I ordered it they were listed as "in stock". After ordering I was then informed it was pre-order and I could have the order cancelled if so desired. To which my response was " Naaaaahhhhhh, it'll get here eventually."
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.rcjaz.com.au/kyosho-37033-480t-215t480s-p-22491.html&ved=2ahUKEwiz85vOlZrrAhXTzTgGHbAvCHQQFjADegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw2Qzl5q9_1B2NhRFSl3DxKB

[RC10th]

Ouch, that's about $100 less than the kit..... lol

[sundevil67]

Now this is really frustrating. I am on the 'waiting list' at kyoshoamerica.com, and received a notification this past Friday telling me that the Fantom was in stock. I pulled up the page on their website, credit card in hand & a little drool on my chin, only to discover that the thing is still unavailable for purchase!

I suppose it's possible they sold out that quickly (I didn't see the email until the following day), but I'd assume that 'put me on the waiting list' button would have changed to 'sold out' or 'back order'.

The plot thickens when you look at the smokin' deal that popped up on Amazon that appears to be from Kyosho itself, offering to ship the car from Japan in 3-5 weeks, for $1200 US DOLLARS .

[sundevil67]

One more thing ... I've had an ongoing search for a front sprocket (EF-19) for many years now, and just discovered 3 sorta different options! Maybe I can finally get my old Fantom road-worthy while I wait for the new one to actually be available. I did fire off a note to Kyosho America asking if the 'new' version (#1) would be a direct replacement for the original, but they've never been very responsive to similar questions in the past, so ..

Any of y'all tried #2 or #3, or have any reason to be confident #1 would work without any modification?

1. A 'new' version for the re-release, appearing to be made of some type of alloy that has to be more durable than the original
2. This one on eBay - assuming it's a 3D-printed reproduction... looks like this'd work for sure, but #1 is preferred...curious if anyone's tried it
3. Then there's this one from Shapeways which includes some additional gears

Thanks!

[1300GT]

Just got the email. Mine's in the post.

[duckhead]

Now this is really frustrating. I am on the 'waiting list' at kyoshoamerica.com, and received a notification this past Friday telling me that the Fantom was in stock. I pulled up the page on their website, credit card in hand & a little drool on my chin, only to discover that the thing is still unavailable for purchase!

I suppose it's possible they sold out that quickly (I didn't see the email until the following day), but I'd assume that 'put me on the waiting list' button would have changed to 'sold out' or 'back order'.

The plot thickens when you look at the smokin' deal that popped up on Amazon that appears to be from Kyosho itself, offering to ship the car from Japan in 3-5 weeks, for $1200 US DOLLARS .

I received the same email this past Friday:

"This is an automated notification from Kyosho America to let you know that the item you were expecting is back in stock."

Same result, when I checked I got this: "Sorry, at this time we are out of stock on this particular item."

So yeah, either folks jumped on this REAL QUICK, or there was only a small amount available, or this was a mistake on Kyosho's part.

->Mark

[sundevil67]

Kyosho actually replied and confirmed it was a sell-out. I’m annoyed because I want mine now, but I guess the popularity means it’s more likely they’ll put some support behind it and it’ll no longer be a struggle to find parts for my Fantoms. Of course it is also possible they’ll just manufacturer a limited number & anyone that missed out will be SOL or stuck paying big bucks on eBay.

[sundevil67]

I don't know how they expect to get this kind of money - maybe they're trying to 'cash out' before parts become readily available for this thing, but they are clearly delusional. They're trying to sell one of these EF-19 sprockets for $122 + $29.99 shipping!

https://www.ebay.com/i/353184341419

One more thing ... I've had an ongoing search for a front sprocket (EF-19) for many years now, and just discovered 3 sorta different options! Maybe I can finally get my old Fantom road-worthy while I wait for the new one to actually be available. I did fire off a note to Kyosho America asking if the 'new' version (#1) would be a direct replacement for the original, but they've never been very responsive to similar questions in the past, so ..

Any of y'all tried #2 or #3, or have any reason to be confident #1 would work without any modification?

1. A 'new' version for the re-release, appearing to be made of some type of alloy that has to be more durable than the original
2. This one on eBay - assuming it's a 3D-printed reproduction... looks like this'd work for sure, but #1 is preferred...curious if anyone's tried it
3. Then there's this one from Shapeways which includes some additional gears

Thanks!

[Coelacanth]

I don't know how they expect to get this kind of money - maybe they're trying to 'cash out' before parts become readily available for this thing, but they are clearly delusional. They're trying to sell one of these EF-19 sprockets for $122 + $29.99 shipping!

https://www.ebay.com/i/353184341419

That wouldn't appear to be Kyosho that's doing the gouging, that's just some random Japanese eBayer. Lots of what he's selling isn't Kyosho.

[sundevil67]

I never got the impression the eBay sellers were representing Kyosho itself...

It was the seller on Amazon that was asking $1200 for the entire kit that I originally thought was Kyosho because of how they listed "Kyosho" beneath the product title...

You know, the place where you usually click to see all products that seller/brand has for sale on Amazon. It wasn't until just now that I returned to the page to discover "Brand:" now preceding that label.... a distinction that was definitely added since the last time I checked...so someone must have complained. Clicking the link now reveals "E-Flight" to be the one doing the gouging while Kyosho (hopefully) scrambles to produce & distribute more of these things.

That wouldn't appear to be Kyosho that's doing the gouging, that's just some random Japanese eBayer. Lots of what he's selling isn't Kyosho.

[1300GT]

Mmmmmmmm, Kyosho.

[1300GT]

Just had a look through the instructions. Five option parts are already listed in the manual. They are,
EFW001G wing
EFW002 carbon rear axle
EFW003 SP rear wheel hub (clamps on)
EFW004 front double ball bearings. (Replaces the big single bearing)
EFW005 carbon suspension arm.

It'll be interesting to see what else is offered in future.