ADVERTISEMENT | ADVERTISE WITH US

Product Test: Atomik R/C MM450 dirtbike

ADVERTISEMENT | ADVERTISE WITH US

Mike Garrison

0 Aug. 21, 2012, 6:45 a.m.

Main Photo: Product Test: Atomik R/C MM450 dirtbike

8/21/2012

By Mike Garrison

LiveRC.com

As some of you may know I grew up racing motocross. I spent every moment of every day living, breathing, and dreaming motocross. As I got a little older, 2 plates, 4 screws, 2 titanium rods, 2 bone grafts, and 1 wheelchair later...it has occured to me that while motocross is an amazing sport, it can be slightly hard on the body and perhaps not quite as safe as R/C racing. What a wonderful world we would live in if only there were some way to combine the thrill of motocross with safety, fun, and excitement of R/C.

Late last week we received a package in the mail. As I began to open it I realized my dreams had come true...inside this box was a little motocross miracle! Under all the bubble wrap and packing peanuts was the all-new Atomik R/C Metal Mulisha Brian Deegan MM450 1/4 scale dirtbike!

First Impression

As we unboxed the Atomik R/C MM450 we were all smiles. The bike comes out of the box completely ready to run with 2.4Ghz radio system, 4200Kv 550 brushless system, 3200 mAh LiPo pack, actual replica bike stand, and of course the foam rider who we named "Freestyle Fred". Unlike many "ready to run" vehicles, this bike is truly READY TO RUN right out of the box.

The Build & Setup

The Atomik R/C MM450 is truly one of the most scale replica R/C vehicles on the market. The bike features actual working metal chain and sprockets, rear shock, front forks, and knobby tires. The detailing of the bike gives it a very realistic appearance that reminds us of an actual Honda CRF450 dirtbike.

Key Features:

Beadlox Wheels and Tires with Griplox Style molded inserts front and rear
Direct Steering via Oil Filled Dampener
2.4Ghz 3Ch VR3T digital programmable radio with 3rd channel mixing and high torque steering servo
4200Kv V550 Class Brushless motor included
True-to-Scale chassis, engine, exhaust, and radiator details
Molded Neocell (Mini Deegan) foam scale rider figure
Real steel roller chain

On the Track

To test the Atomik R/C MM450 dirtbike we felt that it would only be appropriate to test it on an ACTUAL motocross track. The MM450, like any 2-wheeled R/C vehicle, isn't designed for tight spaces and likes lots of room to go fast and make sweeping corners. A lap around your standard 1/10 scale or 1/8 scale offroad track would take some SERIOUS skill as it would be nearly impossible to get any R/C bike to make such tight and technical turns.

Upon plugging in the battery we immediately heard a noise, similar to a jet plane getting ready for take off. It turns out this is the Atomik R/C Electronic Gyro Stabilization System. Atomik has developed a very unique rear wheel gyro system to help balance the bike for easier handling and performance. The design features a brushless motor which powers a weighted flywheel in the rear wheel spinning at over 12,000 RPM.

Learning to control and drive/ride an R/C bike is considerably different than an R/C car. Keeping enough momentum to make corners, yet not oversteering leaning in too much and sliding out (like real life motocross), is a tricky concept to learn. Once we got the hang of it we were off and running!

Conclusion

In conclusion of this product test we have decided that the Atomik R/C has taken the R/C dirtbike concept to a whole new level. There are other bikes on the market for slightly less money, however, in our opinion the MM450 is worth every penny. It's realistic styling, realistic features, overall performance, and easy ability to learn puts this on the top of our list. Aside from replacing the servo tape and tweaking the suspension a little, the MM450 comes right out of the box ready to rip. The durability of the bike is excellent. While we did lose a swingarm pin, this was a rare occurence, which can happen to anything. After slamming big jumps, dirt piles, asphalt parking lots, and even a mailbox...the MM450 is still going strong.

As for "Freestyle Fred", well we tried countless hours to tell him the triple backflip isn't possible. Despite us trying to stop him, he felt it necessary to go for it anyway. 2 1/2 rotations in "Freestyle Fred" came crashing down in a dusty tangled mess. We grabbed our R/C heli and life-flighted him to the Lego hospital back home. After close examination by Dr. Barbie, "Freestyle Fred" is temporarily using my back up wheelchair while he and his foam legs heal for a second attempt....

On the LiveRC Beacon Rating we give the Atomik R/C MM450 a 5 out of 5. Technically the MM450 ratings add up to an average of 4.5, however, seeing how this is such an innovative product and the amount of detail and hard work really shows...we rounded it up to an overall 5. As for now there isn't a racing class for R/C dirtbikes, so the bike can't really be judged by it's R/C track performance, instead it is judged on it's overall performance, fun factor, and ease of use. Atomik offers the whole package in one box: