UPDATE: March 2012 - Before you continue reading this page I should warn you about two things: first of all the Bullet is poor choice if you seek tough truck and second - yeas, you can make it tough, but it costs money. The Team Magic E6 Trooper Monster Truck we now sell is ten times stronger in any aspect and even with the lowest cost electronics it will behave much like the bullet - great steering, great acceleration and tons of fun. But it won't break every time you go out. Plus you will find parts for it in USA and Asia, and in most Europe (either from our website or Amainhobbies in USA, or Robitronic dealers as the Hurricane is the same truck).

This page might end as a list of initial thoughts as there are some things we still have not tried with our Bullet Flux but it may be useful for those looking for more information about this particular model. Few weeks back I just received my Savage Flux HP and after modifying almost everything in it (which might end as another article for RCParts) I ended up looking for something more appropriate for my girlfriend. Like the E-Revo VXL, but not that easy to break - my plans never included repairing her truck after each run, and even if I knew she would be a careful driver, I also didn't find the VXL ability to break so easily very appealing.

I liked the HPI Bullet stadium truck (the MT only has a different Body shell, so it cannot be considered different in anything but the looks) the first time I saw it but I knew it is not the my kind of truck (now the Trophy Flux is something much more like I like it). Yet it was the perfect truck for a women - fairly fast, not easy to break if you are careful, good on both light offroad and for the occasional run on the street and very agile. She liked it!

There are tons of stuff that I may write about the Bullet, so here is a list of pros and cons that should be the most useful way to explain what to expect from the Bullet ST. But first - something about choosing the right batteries and a list of what I have modified and what tuning jobs I'd do sooner or later.

Battery for HPI Bullet Flux ST
The brushless system in the RTR Bullet Flux consist of and EZ-RUN 4300 Kv brushless inrunner and a 35A ESC, which is not very good option for this motor. I planned to use the truck with 2S batteries, so it wouldn't have problems with heat (I didn't wanted it to be too fast anyway), so I got those 5600 and 6000 mAh hardcase high discharge nano-tech batteries from Turnigy - I don't think there are any other good options with similar prices. Hell, I don't even think there are similar batteries for almost twice the price, as those are really high discharge in reality! All went good and after few runs I never had a single issue with the batteries, although despite the low temperatures outside our last run led to very warm motor - but it was after full 40 minutes of heavy offroad drive!

My advice - consider 2S if you don't plan to run the truck on the edge of its capabilities and get batteries with as much capacity as you can find. Nothing is more boring than changing the battery in the Bullet. Running on 2S will help you to avoid breaking diffs and you will hardly need more - it is still fast, and if you'd like better acceleration, you would be able to change (careful!) some of the ESC options - motor timing (I don't believe it is necessary) and Punch control. The Bullet Flux won't do wheelies on 2S, but it does bring its power on the ground.

On 3S... now, that's a different story. You will probably break the diffs. You may hit a tree. Or a brick wall. You can expect problems with heat. You may turn the Bullet to scrap. But it will be fun. I got a couple of these too, just in case, but this is not the way I would run it most of the time.

Tuning the Bullet Flux ST
There are very few tuning parts for the Bullet available from HPI or major tuning manufacturers and they are all but one unnecessary. Off course I got the aluminium support braces, but they only add weight. They might be of help if you make frequent jumps with the Bullet but if you do - you will probably break other stuff way before you see a brace bending. And all of those aluminium parts are expensive.

The right thing to get is a new ESC. HPI offer the Vapor pro (stock in Savage XS) one, but you may find other or even better one. I'm still undecided of the fate of our Bullet's ESC, but I will change it soon.

Another right thing to do if you don't jump often is to change the shock position - this will lower the truck and add some stability. Do not do that if you plan to jump a lot. It will sit as low as some buggies if you move the bottom end of the shock further on the lower arms.

I will soon have a sway bars for the Bullet - it is a combo product (I hope we will soon have it in our shop here) and I will update the review when I test it, but keep in mind that the front doesn't really need a stabilization bar, as it will become even more jumpy than stock front is. The rear would have better use on light off-road and on-road.

And the best upgrade you can do to the Bullet Flux ST? Change the servo! You can either use the SF-50 12kg servo from HPI (found in the Savage Flux HP) or other, faster servo with similar torque. Given you have the possibility to limit the servo travel through the 2.4 GHz TF-40 transmitter the Bullet comes with, you should do it to avoid damaging the front hubs or arms. Changing the servo will make a huge change of your truck - it will improve the on power steering a bit and, with one further adjustment it will allow you to make instant off power 180 degree turns (when you stop the truck turning it to face the opposite direction, who doesn't love that?).

The last thing I did to our Bullet was to remove the heavy grease from its differentials and add some real lubricant there. This will keep the diff gears from wearing and it essentially helps the truck to easily oversteer when wanted, but it has adverse effect on steering precision. Thinner fluid in the front diff will make the truck off-road movement harder to predict as the wheels will have more independence from each others movement, but it really adds huge fun factor. The back doesn't really need such change, but it will allow the diff to react faster in light off-road condition - for example consider one of the rear wheels hits a bump and jums only a bit above the road (this happens all the time when you drive offroad) - the diff with thicker fluid will start delivering more power to that wheel slowly and by the time it hits back the road it will have a bit more torque than the other wheel, resulting a slow change in the opposite direction. Due to the thicker fluid those changes are slow and the diff will act as semi locked most of the time. If you change the lube inside to something with much less viscosity - the diff will unload the wheel which is on the road almost immediately and by the time the wheel in the air hits back the road it will have much more torque which is instantly reallocated back to both wheels. Sure - it will lead to more wheel spin (and tire ballooning on some other trucks with different tires) and add some imperfectability, but it would lead also to the feeling the truck is reacting much faster and turn faster. If you want the Bullet to be more stable - don't change the fluid in your diffs or add thicker fluid to add some "locked" feeling to the diffs. You might as well just ignore them and get hardened diff gears from HPI to buletproof the diffs of the Bullet (what a waste of words) using the same sticky grease or heavy silicone oil inside.

Get CVDs. That way you will never need to go looking for a dog bone lying somewhere on the track. They are expensive, I know.

Things you don't want to/need to/must not do with a Bullet Flux ST/MT
Don't jump a lot! The suspension of the Bullet trucks is note meant for bashing. Sorry, that's a fact and you cannot change it. It is very fun to drive and it is speedy and agile, it looks nice, but it is not a monster truck which can do a meter high jumps.

Check temp levels if running on 3S. Heat may kill the ESC and the motor.

Don't trust HPI that those trucks are waterproof. The whole waterproof story is some rubber seals stuck here and there and you will probably find lots of water between the same rubber seals and the plastic pars holding them. At least don't put the Bullet under your shower or do it carefully.

Things you might not like in your Bullet Flux truck
Limited number of upgrades. Pretty much every tuning option HPI currently offers is a waste of money. Except for the CVD shafts.

It is not really a monster truck. It is more like a stadium truck for beginners.But it's still a better choice than the 1/16 E-Revo if you don't mind the size difference (I know, I know that these are not rivals).

It's brushless system is not even from CC, it is actually a cheaper brushless combo with the worst possible ESC.

The things you will love in the Bullet Flux ST
It looks like our Bengal cat when she is in her "destroyer" mood - jumpy, agile and mean.

It is a great truck for anyone that is not looking for highly moddable RC car.

Most people with great expensive truggies will envy the guy that hold up to the challenge with his small and relatively cheap truck.

Thing I'd read if I were you
This. It is more like real review.

28.11.2011 - here is an update from our last "3S experience" - we got the front left hub and knuckle arm literally torn away from the truck - and it was a small rock that caused the damage. I'm ordering now few aluminium parts meant for other model to see if they will fit, as those plastic hubs are too easy to break. Sure - our suspension was stiffer due to the lowered ride height, but the truck wasn't even going at some mad speed when it happened.