Kyosho ''Burns''

Kyosho Burns
Category 1:8 4WD off-road buggy
Constructor Kyosho
Successor Kyosho Inferno
Technical specifications
Chassis Aluminum
Suspension (front) Independent wishbone
Suspension (rear) Independent wishbone
Engine Mid mounted
Transmission Shaft driven four-wheel-drive 3x 3-gear differentials
Fuel Nitro
Brakes Single center disc brake, optional front disc brake
Tyres Rubber pin spike off-road tires
Competition history
Debut 1987

Kyosho Burns is a 1/8 scale four-wheel-drive, two stroke, offroad competition buggy which was released as a kit from 1987 up until 1992 , with 5 different specifications to meet different price points. It had a robust platform which was easily up-gradable with good performance even at an entry level. The success of the platform also lead to it being used in a monster truck model such as the USA-1 Nitro Crusher. Several parts and design elements were carried over to the classic Inferno series of cars.[1] which was produced from 1991 to 1996 and won several world championships[2].

History

Background

Although Kyosho was already popular in the market for 1/8-scale off-road cars such as the Vanning, Landjump and Presto from the Integra line-up, they were relatively complex vehicles made largely from metal, with limited upgrade/customization options[3]. These original buggies took their design ques from real life vehicles which were constructed with tubular frames and had rear mounted engines. The Burns took advantage of new technologies and design elements..

  • The introduction of more cheap yet durable and reliable injection molded parts, combined with metal elements where necessary for strength or adjust-ability
  • Strong, aluminium pan chassis instead of a tubular cage improving access for assembly and maintenance while maintaining rigidity. Also provides more flexibility for different motors, exhausts and electronics
  • Shaft driven 4WD system with adjustable center differential instead of previous chain driven configurations
  • 4 wheel fully independent wishbone type suspension
  • Mid-mounted engine for better weight distribution and handling
  • Single radio tray which held all electrical components and could be switched as one unit when desired
  • Lexan bodies which were easy to produce, reduced weight, provided protection for internal components, came in various designs to fit the same chassis, and allowed more creative freedom for paint and customisation.
  • Eventually released with 5 different factory specifications plus additional optional parts making it possible to start with the most affordable car and upgrade to a full option, competition ready vehicle wenn the skill and budget allowed. Alternatively one could buy a fully specced. car for less than the cost of the individual parts.

With the exception of the large variety of standard models and the single radio tray, these designs can still be seen in the current Kyosho 1/8 scale buggies[1]. The single radio tray was changed to a separate servo tray and water resistant battery and receiver box from the Inferno MP5 onwards.

It is often not realized that the MP nomenclature which is synonymous with Kyosho buggies from MP5 onwards, was already in use at Kyosho for the Burns Series. Burns MP1, Turbo Burns MP2, Inferno MP3, Turbo Inferno MP4.[2]

Production run (1988-1992)

Models

As would be seen in future Kyosho releases, an intermediate level car was released first containing some performance parts. For both the Burns and classic Inferno series a more affordable "DX" version would be released only a year after the intermediate level vehicle. The differences between the Burns models were however more substantial than the later classic Inferno's. All of the cars were released in Kit form, with no pre-assembled parts.

  • Burns 4WD, item no. 3096 (1987-1988)
  • Burns DX 2WD; item no. 3098 (1989-1991)
  • Burns DX 4WD; item no. 3099 (1989-1992)
  • Turbo Burns; item no. 3097 (1989-1991)
  • Turbo Burns Special Champion Car (SCC), item no. unknown (1990 after World Championship)[4]

The Turbo Burns was replaced with the classic Inferno 4WD in 1991[1], with the cheaper Burns DX 4WD still on sale until the release of the Inferno DX in 1992[5].

The cars popularity also spawned a larger number of 3rd party suppliers which provided additional performance accessories such as gears, brake discs, aluminum mounts and wishbones, stiffer chassis plates etc. One of the more popular suppliers was Duratrax.[6]

Pricing

Although it was still not cheap the Burns had mass appeal and brought the hobby within the reach of many younger hobbyist. At the time, a stock Burns DX 4WD with basic OS RF-B engine would cost around US$580 in the Tower Hobbies catalog, or US$710 Dollars with the competitive OS EX-B engine. [6] A Turbo Burns with OS EX-B engine could cost over US$1000 (almost US$2000 in 2017).

Collectibillity and current popularity (1992-)

Today, the Burns is a sought-after collectors item when in good condition with its original box and documentation. The most valuable are typically mint condition Turbo Burns with the paint job and OS EX-B engine which were shown on the box art. Prices range from US$100 for a Burns DX 4WD in good running condition, to US$500 or more for a mint Turbo Burns.

There is also a large community which still uses the cars, with several forums providing detailed information and restoration threads (see external reference list below). Nostalgic hobbyist and parents of the 1980s also restore these old cars so they can be enjoyed with their own children[7]. Although special option parts are relatively rare and expensive, regular spares and parts cars are available in abundance on sites such as ebay and craigslist making the Burns a very affordable and rugged entry level vehicle even today.

In lieu of noise restrictions and the advances of battery and brushless technology, some cars are also being converted to an electric powertrain[7]. This does require some modifications to the car, so good condition versions are typically left in stock condition for authenticity and value.[7]

Box Art and Marketing Material

General presentation

Unlike Tamiya and many other manufacturers[8] which had drawn box art allowing for some artistic interpretation, Kyosho used studio pictures of the completed models[9]. The only notable exception to this was the Kyosho Prestige[10]. The main picture on the front of the box showed the car from a forward angle. The sides of the box featured a top down and close-up shots without the lexan body and a picture of the car being driven. The main box art for the DX 2WD was the same as for the DX 4WD, there was however a separate picture of the car with its own paint job used in marketing material[11], as well as a small image on the side of the standard Burns DX box.

Paint jobs and differences from final production models

The paint jobs were simple yet effective with each of the three main models (Burns 2WD, 4WD and Turbo Burns), getting their own unique designs[9][11]. Even today the paint jobs for the Burns 4WD and Turbo Burns are instantly recognized by most of the RC car community. Restorers typically try to emulate these to a certain extent[12] which has also become easier in recent years due to 3rd party suppliers providing good quality reproduction bodies and decal sheets[13].

Burns and Burns DX

The angular patterns and bold colors chosen for the box art matched the boxy lines of the car. The pictures on the Burns and Burns DX box-art were however most likely pre-production models as there are differences between the pictures and the final kit.

  • Various decals were not available on the final decal sheet (including the number "1" on the 4WD DX, or the large "KYOSHO" on the back of the 2WD DX). These however were decals which were available on other Kyosho models at the time.
  • The yellow fuel tank on the box art was white in the production model
  • The shiny wheels nuts were replaced with black oxidized versions, the same goes for the nylon nuts on the shock towers
  • Although included in the box, the rear torque rod and roll bar is not shown on box pictured model (Burns box not DX)
  • Pictured model has wrong assembly of the front upper left suspension arm and the rear upper suspension arm they were mixed up with each other. (Burns box not DX)

Fine red striping was done using Kyosho Micron Tape (can be seen if one has the original box).

The Burns and Burns DX both featured O.S. Max .21 VF-B engines, the Turbo Burns had a O.S. Max EX-B engine. O.S. engines would also feature prominently on the box art for later cars.

Towards the end of the DX production run the marketing material also showed a simplified paint job for the Burns DX which featured clear windows with painted safety nets and an O.S. EX-B engine instead of an O.S. VF-B engine[14].

Turbo Burns

The new rounded body received more flowing lines and calmer blue coloring with a color matching O.S. Max .21 EX-B engine.[15]. There is a minor difference between the box model and the final model, that is one the side of the box shows a prototype turbo burns using burns optional chassis plates (BSW7) and drilling holes further in the rear to fit the rear gear box towards the rear end to achieve a longer wheelbase, so the there are 8 holes for the rear gear box 4 of them are covered, it is believed that the final production chassis was not ready when the box photo was taken. Moreover, the body on the box picture is missing left side bubble where it was added in the final production body.

Specifications

The Burns series parts number started with BS for the standard parts, and BSW for the optional parts. It was possible to upgrade the entry level Burns DX 2WD to Turbo Burns specification by purchasing the required "BS" and "BSW" numbered parts. Comparing the various instruction manuals the following differences can be found.

Burns 4WD (1987-1988)

Baseline specifications

Burns DX 4WD (1989-1991)

Parts which were not included or changed from the standard Burns 4WD were:

  • From black to orange o-rings in shocks (change)
  • No Bulkhead seals (omission)
  • From ball bearings to metal bushings (change)
  • From Universal swing shaft to dog bones in the front (change)

Burns DX 2WD (1989-1992)

In addition to the changes of the Burns DX 4WD, the DX 2WD included additional changes to reduce the sales price:

  • All internals removed from center differential (omission)
  • No front center shaft (omission)
  • No front differential, front axles or bearings in the front differential housing (omission)
  • Front hubs which were specific to only this model (change)

Turbo Burns (1989-1991)

The Turbo Burns was the competition level buggy which provided not only the full specification of the original Burns 4WD but also the following changes and improvements[16].

  • Longer wheelbase. Although the chassis plate in Burns and Turbo Burns are of the same length, the longer wheelbase in the Turbo Burns was achieved by moving the rear gear box further to the rear.
  • Adjustable center differential
  • Adjustable Rear wing
  • Longer wishbones at front
  • Rear hub carriers with more setup options
  • Larger capacity shock absorbers front and rear
  • Newly designed, stronger shock stays/towers with more setup possibilities[17]
  • Rear anti-roll bar (stabilizer/sway bar)
  • Fuel tank with spring loaded cap
  • Newly designed tuned muffler and manifold
  • New lexan body
  • New 5 spoke wheels

Turbo Burns Special Champion Car "SCC" (1990 after World Championship - 1991)

The SCC was released towards the end of the Turbo Burns production run with some optional parts in addition to those on the Turbo Burns[4].

  • Rear Carbon Shock Tower
  • Front Carbon shock tower (made specifically to implement the longer rear shocks at the front, available as an optional part for the Turbo Burns, part no. BSW50)
  • Front Brake system.
  • Wide tires on front as well as rear. (Tires used were the Kyosho "micro pin" tires seen on the later Inferno model)

There are few parts of the later Classic Inferno Model which can be used on the Burns, however one useful upgrade is later model differential which had 4 spider gears instead of 2[18][19]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Kyosho RC Car History". Kyosho Company Website.
  2. 1 2 "Kyosho's Yuichi Kanai Father of the Inferno". RC Car Action.
  3. ↑ "Kyosho Vanning Integra 4WD". classic.rc-junkies. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  4. 1 2 "Turbo Burns SCC 1991 Auto8 article". Retromodellisme.
  5. ↑ "Kyosho 1992 USA catalogue". Retromodellisme.
  6. 1 2 "Tower Hobbies 1992 Catalog". rccaraction.com. 1992.
  7. 1 2 3 "Kyosho Burns Brushless". Oople.
  8. ↑ "Tamiya 1980s buggy box art". sci-fi-o-rama.
  9. 1 2 "Kyosho Catalogue". Flickr.
  10. ↑ "Kyosho Prestige". Tamiyaclub.
  11. 1 2 "Kyosho Catalogue". Flickr.
  12. ↑ "Vintage Kyosho Collection". Flickr.
  13. ↑ "Marwan RC". Marwanrc.
  14. ↑ "GreatPlanes Catalogue". Flickr.
  15. ↑ "Kyosho Turbo Burns Box Art".
  16. ↑ "Kyosho Turbo Burns review". Retromodelisme.
  17. ↑ "Shock tower comparison Kyosho Burns and classic Inferno Models". Flickr.
  18. ↑ "Kyosho Burns & Inferno Differential Comparison". Flickr.
  19. ↑ "Turbo Burns Rebuild thread on RC10Talk". RC10 Talk.
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