Being an RC car enthusiast owning a Tamiya grasshopper can be super exciting. Especially if you have grown up in the 80s. Because this RC car goes way back to that time. So, owning this can be a nostalgic experience. But, wanting fast RC cars is another huge deal.
So, how fast does the Grasshopper RC car go?
This car in particular isn’t so fast. They aren’t made for racing or anything like that. The top speed for this buggy is said to be 27 MPH. But you’ll usually get 12 MPH from the one with a 380m motor and 19 MPH from the one with a 540 motor. If you want to make it faster we’ve got that covered too!
The speed of the grasshopper isn’t the only thing we’ve mentioned.
There are several other Tamiya buggies with different speeds. Hop into this article to know if this RC car meets your expectations!
Speed of the Grasshopper
The Tamiya grasshopper has been around since the 1980s. And since then this R/C car has been used for just fun. These R/C buggies are not particularly for racing.
Though these R/C cars aren’t deemed the fastest, they are responsive and smooth. The 380-motor grasshopper was easier to control than other buggies with a 540 motor. Even though the grasshopper isn’t racing it is faster than most buggies or even trucks.
Now let’s discuss what you’ve been waiting for, speed. The Tamiya grasshopper motor of 380 has a speed of 19 KPH or 12 MPH. This buggy has a stock pinion and a NiMH battery.
The Tamiya grasshopper with 5a 540 motor has a speed of 31 KPH or 19 MPH. This buggy has an 18T pinion and LiPo battery. Although some Tamiya grasshoppers have gone at a speed of 27MPH.
Most RC cars come with a speed of over 100 MPH. So, as you can guess, the speed of these buggies isn’t a lot. But they are extremely fun to play with.
However, the Tamiya hornet is faster than the grasshopper. Tamiya hornet’s top speed is approximately 43.4 MPH. If speed is important to you there are other faster RCs in the Tamiya collection.
The Tamiya Super levant and the frog are the fastest ones. They go at a speed of 40 MPH. The off-road buggy champ and the tt01 have a speed of 30 and 20-30 MPH respectively.
Ways to Make Tamiya Cars Go Faster
It’s okay if your grasshopper doesn’t have the speed you were looking for. You can always change that. Given, are some Tamiya grasshopper upgrades you can carry out to make your buggy go faster.
Gear System
Your Tamiya car is supposed to have two gears. One is the pinion gear and the other one is the spur gear. Both of these can be upgraded for faster speed and smoother acceleration.
But in your case, you should upgrade the pinion gear. Because this upgrade will increase the speed.
On the other hand, upgrading the spur will increase the speed. And additionally, adjust the acceleration. But, it will not be as noticeable as what the pinion gear will do to the speed.
Whichever you choose to adjust will not let you down. You can adjust both of them together for the best result!
Tires
The tires of your RC are another big factor for speed. The bigger the tires the better. Since the diameters of the tires are bigger they will cover more ground.
And covering more ground defines more speed. Keep in mind that the size of the tires can be increased to a certain amount. If the tires are too big, instead of becoming fast they will become slower.
Good tires will not just last you a long time but make your car go faster.
Weight
This you would have guessed already. That the weight can bring a difference to the speed. If the body’s weight is too much it will naturally slow down the car.
To solve this it wouldn’t hurt to replace a part here and there. But the one downfall to this is the traction of the car will decrease. Now, this isn’t an issue if you are just planning on driving in a straight line.
But, if you plan on making turns and racing the car will flip over. Which will end up damaging your car. If you see this as the only way you can increase speed.
Weight added to the front of the car can increase traction. And stop it from flipping over.
Batteries
Yes, heavy batteries are a thing. If you are currently using Ni-Mh batteries consider switching it up. We recommend you use the Li-po batteries.
The Li-po batteries are lighter, faster, and have more energy. But the weight isn’t the only case here. You should also check if they are properly charged.
Because poorly charged batteries tend to give less speed.
Motor
Brushed motors will make your RC cars slower. So, a solution to this is to switch your motor to a brushless one.
The brushless motors let your car go faster. Because brushless motors are known to give less friction. And with less friction less energy is lost, hence cars travel faster.
Practice
Upgrading isn’t the only solution to this problem. Before upgrading make sure that you properly know your RC car. And how much the cars can handle.
Because if you do the wrong updates your car will get damaged. So by practicing you will know the things your car can and cannot handle. By this, you can also figure out how fast your car will go.
Through practice, you can also learn different techniques. Because techniques are another way to make your car run faster. Also before upgrading look through the Tamiya grasshopper manual.
FAQs
Given below are some commonly asked questions you relate to!-
Q: Are electric RC cars faster than gas RC cars?
Ans: Yes, electric cars are faster. Because electric cars have Lipo batteries and their motors are brushless. So, they have the capacity to give you 100+ speed.
Q: What is the lifespan of the batteries of RC cars?
Ans: The NiMH batteries last from three to five years. But these cars generally have a small lifespan because the motors of these cars are continuously charged. The vehicles which are controlled by the radio have a life expectancy between three and six months.
Q: What is the run time of RC cars?
Ans: An RC car will run for 15 to 30 minutes. But the run time of these cars depends on a number of factors. The factors may be the voltage, capacity, the battery you are using, the temperature of the air, the motor, and the surface your car is being driven on. It can also depend on the way you drive it.
Endnote
We hope now you know how fast is the grasshopper rc car. This car might not be the fastest. But, they still have a decent amount of speed. If you’re an RC car collector definitely go for this one as it is a classic.
Good luck with your collection!
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