Yokomo yz4 SF 1:10

YZ4 driver at my local club, dropped huge amount of £ on a pair not long back - I can see him lusting after this one.  Never quite understood it at club level - sure you can spend your hard earned how you like - but the meat behind the Tx makes up 90% of the ability.  I still remember seeing a kit Tamiya buggy lap faster, TQ every round and take the podium against the latest Durango and Kyosho offerings.

For years we had a regular A-finalist running an ancient B4 against the newer mid motor 2wds and doing well. He eventually moved to a B5 but didn't really do much better. Too many people swap cars too often to whatever the latest model is, don't spend time setting them up and getting familiar with them and then wonder why it isn't the 'improvement' its cracked up to be. 

 

All that said the belt YZ4 is a very interesting car - its basically 2 YZ2 gearboxes linked by a belt, which is unlike any other 4wd out there. This version is not really that different from an Xray, or a B64 which makes sense in that they are the cars that people are buying, but takes some of the variety away from 1/10th. 

Agreed.

 

This is a case of company chasing the main revenue streams...and pandering to its established customers, by creating something they think the customer desires...

 

As opposed to creating products that are more bold/innovative....which would inherently entail more financial risk.

 

Can't really blame yokomo, in an ever more competitive marketplace...

The belt YZ4 is a great car in come conditions - on wet astro its amazing, but a lot of die hard Yokomo fans were still running B-Max III's which work at least as well on a dry track. So the switch to shaft was going to happen. 

Its just sad because whilst Schumacher and Losi have always run belts, Yokomo were the first major player to switch back to them after a series of shaft drive cars. And the design made great sense for people that also ran a YZ2 as some many parts are common - which must have also saved Yokomo some money. It just never really caught on.

 

I don't race much anymore, and when I do I only run 4wd if the track is slippery so I'll keep the belt Yz4 as it suits.