HPI Savage
From Free net encyclopedia
The HPI Savage is a 1/8th scale radio controlled monster truck manufactured by HPI.
The original version was the now-discontinued Savage 21 which served as the basis for the vehicles that came after. It featured a two-speed transmission, heavy-duty slipper clutch, four-wheel-drive, HPI .21ci³/3.4cm³ pull-start engine with rear exhaust and a HPI 40 MHz three-channel pistol grip radio. A "reverse module," sold separately, mounts inside the transmission and utilizes the radio's non-proportional third channel and an additional servo to add the convenience and fun of reverse when the model is first brought to a complete stop.
The Savage 21 was replaced by the updated Savage 25. This version added both a larger HPI .25in³/4.1 cm³ engine for additional power and torque as well as HPI's unique Roto-Start electric starter system. The Roto-Start kept the weight-saving advantages of the pull start with the extra added convenience of electric starting via an external electric starter. This starter, standard on most new HPI models, incorporates a gear-driven one-way bearing mounted on the engine in lieu of the pull starter. The external starter is a motor-driven gearbox which spins a steel shaft and is powered by a standard 7.2v Ni-Cd battery pack. A pinned ball joint similar to those found on "dogbone" axles mates with a socket on the rear of the engine. An updated version of the Savage 25 adds a three-speed transmission along with updated wheels and tires. These parts can easily be retrofitted to previous versions. A mechanically identical variation of the Savage 25 replaces that model's Lexan pickup truck body with that of a Kawasaki KFX700 all-terrain vehicle with articulated rider figure designed to move with the models's steering motions.