Home » HPI Baja 5SC Gas Powered RC Short Course Race Truck Review

HPI Baja 5SC Gas Powered Truck

HPI Baja 5SC RC Short Course Truck

Thinking HPI Baja and you are entering into the world of RC Short Course Racing with its big jumps, hairpin corners and dirt bashing fun. The HPI Baja 5SC truck will take you to the next level of RC Short Course Racing

Short course racing seems to to be a continually growing drawing in newcomers of all ages.
Fun with a capital ‘F’ is how you would describe short course trucks. They are great fun just to bash around with but provide even more excitement on the race track.
Short course racing does get a little physical, having full fenders and good bumper protection ensures you stay on track without every minor contact causing a crash.

The HPI Baja5SC is a gas powered short course race truck.

HPI BAJA 5SC 1/5 Scale 2WD Truck

Designed as a short course race truck the HPI Baja 5sc popularity continues to grow and with purpose built short course race tracks being developed it is little wonder.

Short Course racing is off-road truck racing in an enclosed dirt arena. Filled with jumps, straight sections and tight corners, short course racetracks are just like the RC version of off-road tracks, just imagine them filled with 20 full-size trucks, each with 700hp, scrambling for track position and bashing each other in the turns! You can bump and batter each other but keep the truck on its wheels, thanks to the fully enclosed wheels and tires.

1/5 Scale RC

At 1/5 scale the HPI Baja 5SC is a very big radio controlled truck that can can reach speeds of up to 40mph (65km/h)
At this size the engines in most are 2 stroke petrol engines. The big advantage here is petrol is readily available and the oil you can get from any chainsaw or motorcycle shop. The engines are based around a chainsaw motor. I will be recommending that a two stroke synthetic based oil be used with the petrol because of the way the engine will be revved and loaded.

HPI have obviously done their homework when building this Baja truck and have added some very good upgrades into it as standard.
Meaning you will spend more time driving and having fun and less in the workshop. My previous experience with RC off road trucks was of frustration as it seemed I was always be fixing something.

What’s this Truck Got?

* New Short Course Body
The wide Short Course body, enclosing the wheels, is the first thing you’ll notice about the HPI Baja 5SC: it’s more realistic than the Baja 5T body and it fits completely over the new wheels and tires to let you take corners deep, run the competition wide coming out of the corner and really bang together with other trucks! The HPI Baja 5SC comes pre-painted in your choice of black or bright red, each with color coordinated graphics.

* HB Rodeoo Short Course Tires and New TR-10 Wheels
For high traction on a variety of dirt surfaces, HB Rodeoo tires are standard equipment on the Baja 5SC. The asymmetric tread pattern mirrors the design of full-size off-road racing tires. The sticky rubber compound, block treads and wide grooves give the right mix of sliding and gripping. Concentric rings on the sidewalls give extra grip if things get really hairy! Bold new 10 spoke wheels (TR-10) using heavy duty beadlock rings add to the realistic Short Course looks of the HPI Baja 5SC.

* Updated Rear Hubs
New rear hubs have been added for increased durability and easier adjustment of the toe-in setting. The new hubs are lighter weight and allow toe-in adjustments of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 degrees to help match the truck performance to track conditions.

* Super Heavy Duty Drive Shafts
All-new extra-thick 9mm dogbones are the starting point of the HPI Baja 5SC drivetrain upgrade – these are new, thicker and stronger to outlast the roughest rides and racing action you can find! New wider rubber boots are included to keep the dirt and mud away.

* Heavy Duty Front Wheel Hubs
To keep in sync with the new super heavy duty drivetrain, the HPI Baja 5SC also comes with new Heavy Duty front wheel hubs. These new axles utilize a screw and nut design that eliminates the previous use of an e-clip, which furthers the reliability of the truck.

* Heavy Duty Shock Absorbers
HD shocks feature large 6mm diameter shock shafts for increased durability. Threaded shock bodies are used for easy adjustment of ride height.

What Others Think of the Baja 5SC

Fast and handles Review by Gene

Bigger is better. The SC is best baja ever. Handles, is fast, and is great in sand and in dirt. (Posted on 4/21/11)

this is a great truck! Review by b5 dude

I bought this truck like a week ago and it is by fare the best rc i have ever owned! It handles great and has a lot of power. I put the hp pipe on it and it screams. Plus there is no tuning just gas it up and go! great truck (Posted on 1/4/11)

Here is What You Get with the HPI Baja 5SC

RTR Performance Straight From the Box
SC-1 Short Course Body
Fuelie 26 Engine 40+ Mph
8,000 RPM Racing Clutch
HB Rodeoo Short Course Tires
Front & Rear Short Course Bumpers
Super Heavy Duty Drive Shafts
Super Heavy Duty Diff Shafts
Super Heavy Duty Drive Axles
Updated Rear Hubs
Heavy Duty Shock Absorbers
Long Travel Suspension
Metal Transmission Gears
Viscous Torque Diff
Dual Vented Disc Brakes
All Metal Gear Servo SFL-11MG
3000mah Rechargeable Receiver Pack and Charger
Sealed Radio Box
2.4GHz radio system
Large 700cc Fuel Tank
Dirt Guards

Overall the Baja 5SC is a very good short course truck. It is definitely lighter than others in the same class and certainly looks impressive.

Aftermarket part manufacturers have not been slow to cater for the rising demand of hop-ups enthusiasts in the 1/5 scale market want. Companies from all over the world make the parts you want to modify the truck to cater to your particular needs.

HPI over the last 12 months have released 3 kit versions of this popular short course truck. The latest being the SS29, meaning the kit comes with a Fuelie 29cc engine, coupled to a high flow aluminum tuned pipe with steel tubular header. You can view the SS29 at HPI or check the pricing at Amazon.com

Full Assembly Instructions and HPI RC Cars DVD

HPI makes it super-easy to get into large scale! The Baja 5SC is completely pre-built, painted and assembled right out of the box, so hitting the dirt is fast and easy! All you have to do is open the box, add AA batteries to the transmitter, charge the receiver battery, add 25:1 pre-mixed fuel and go! As with all HPI cars and trucks, you get a full, in-depth instruction manual with step by step instructions that allow you to easily disassemble and reassemble your truck for maintenance and easy servicing. The HPI RC Car DVD is your personal RC car expert in a box!

So!…What’s it Cost?

Ok the price. Well it’s not for the budget minded, but then, if you are looking at 1/5 scale RC truck racing you you already knew that. Here is the link to Amazon so you can see the price they are offering.

The Baja 5SC RTR will get you going and you will have endless hours of fun – especially with run times up to 45 minutes – however the Baja 5Sc SS29 (after you have custom built it) will have you competing at the race track.