R/C bashing can best be described as the opposite of organized R/C racing. Bashing is driving your vehicle with no set guidelines or rules. Bashing is building your own jump from some bricks and an old piece of plywood. Bashing is seeing if you can catch the mail truck that just drove by in your neighborhood. Bashing is having fun your way.
The truth is, bashing means different things to different people. There is even the term extreme bashing that usually involves some ridiculously large jump that results in broken axles or bent chassis. I think that is typically done for the purposes of getting views by people who can afford to simply replace their car. I am NOT one of those people. Bashing to me DOES NOT mean intentionally destroying my car or truck.
So what do you need to bash around yard or the closet dirt lot?
You can use whatever car, truck, rock crawler, rally car, monster truck that you would like. You can even use a boat or a drone, but for the purposes of this post, we are going to stick to terra firm vehicles. We will address sea and air in another post. That said, typically ready-to-run (RTR) vehicles of some sort are the preferred options. These vehicles come pre-built and include most, if not all of the necessary components. Additionally, RTR vehicles can come in two flavors, battery powered electric or nitro powered fuel. Below is a break down of each type and their components.
| Electric Vehicle | Nitro Vehicle |
| Transmitter | Transmitter |
| Receiver | Receiver |
| Servo (Steering) | Servos (Steering and Throttle) |
| Electronic Speed Control (ESC) | Nitro Motor |
| Motor (brushed or brushless) | Glow Ignitor / Starter |
| Battery (NiMH or LiPo) | |
| Battery Charger |
“Bashing is about having fun…in your way.”
Where is the best place to buy an RTR for bashing?
There are an unlimited number of choices to purchase your first RTR for bashing. Both online and brick-and-mortar, hobby specific sites or big-box retailers. Now I personally have never purchased an R/C vehicle from anyone other than a Hobby Shop or the vehicle manufacturer, but I have watched plenty of people online that are happy with their Amazon bashers. Stay tuned for a review. It really comes down to where you live. If you are close to a hobby shop, I would definitely recommend visiting the shop and talking to the staff about what you are interested in and see what they have in stock. If visiting a hobby shop is not practical, then using a reputable online hobby shop or manufacturer directly will work as well.
In Conclusion
R/C bashing stands in stark contrast to organized racing and for the most part, so do the respective vehicles. But, you don’t have to be a racer to enjoy this hobby. The R/C industry does a pretty good job of offering vehicles for both sides of the track and bashing around with friends can provide just as much satisfaction as winning an A-Main at your Regional Championships. And there is nothing to say that you can’t do both.
If you are interested in finding organized races in your area, visit RCSignup.com.
