Kyosho Raider
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2024 4:38 am
In 1988 Kyosho unveiled the Raider as an entry level 1/10 2wd electric off-road buggy. The world of off-road racing was advancing and the technology developed for competition models was able to trickle down and provide greater performance capabilities to more economically priced kits. Kyosho took advantage of this and created the budget friendly Raider, which mirrored the design of competitive models at half the price. To meet that goal a shallow ABS plastic tub was molded with an integrated front kickup while the rest of the vehicle was constructed from glass filled molded nylon, which included the bolt-on front bulkhead with built-in shock tower that held the hinge pin equipped lower a-arms and fixed camber links. Inline front hubs and knuckles connected to long adjustable tie rods that led to a Kimbrough style servo saver completed the steering system. The battery mounted transversely to the chassis under a triangulated brace that tied the gearbox cover to the tub walls, sandwiching the gearbox between the top cover and the tail of the chassis plate. Mounts for the lower hinge pins were molded into the gearbox from which lower a-arms would hold the rear hubs with the help of fixed camber links pivoting from a bolt-on shock tower. Plastic bodied coilover friction shocks with adjustable collars would serve as the standard dampers though provisions for a mono front shock or installation of Kyosho's Gold shocks were designed in as well. Lastly was the mid-mounted motor that provided thrust to the bevel diff equipped transmission with plastic dog bones and metal axles being leading to new one-piece white nylon "phone dial" wheels with 11.50R-15 Mud Star tires in the rear and Bridgestone 20.5/50F tires up front. A clear lexan body and wing, large plastic front bumper, rotary mechanical speed controller, Lemans 05 Stock motor and bronze bushings were included with the unassembled kit, less radio. However an ARR version of the Raider, as well as a rebodied ARR version called the Super Bomber, would be released in in 1989; and a Raider Pro with Kyosho Gold shocks, bearings, new tires and updated lexan body followed in 1990:
