Review – Pro-Line Revolver Tires

Worlds champion’s tires!
Words and photos: Sylvain Lafrance

 

 

 

Introduction

Pro-Line Racing is a well known company in the R/C industry. For many years, Pro-Line offers us great tires. The Crime Fighter, the Bow-Tie and the Hole Shot are among the most popular choices by racers all around the world. Recently, Atsushi Hara won the 2008 IFMAR 1/8 Scale Worlds Championship with the latest release from Pro-Line, the Revolver tires. The Revolver tires are offered in two sizes, the V2 and the wider V3 and in different compound.

 

The Revolver V3 on the left and the Revolver V2 on the right

 

 

 

Revolver V3 are 1.87″ x 4.38″

 

 

Revolver V2 are 1.68″ x 4.38″

 

 

The tires

I was curious to know more about those tires. I have ordered two pairs, one Revolver V2 and one Revolver V3. According to Pro-Line the new V3 tires are 4.6mm (12%) wider than the original tires. I have installed the tires on their wheels and measured each tires with a caliper. The Revolver V2 mounted on a Velocity V2 wheel is 43.94mm wide compared to 48.38mm for the V3 mounted on a V3 wheel. This is a 10% difference; it makes sense considering that it is pretty difficult to measure rubber tires’ width with a caliper. I also weighted the tires for the test; I kept the tires mounted on their wheels. The Revolver V2 showed 123g compared to 133g for the V3, a 10g (8%) difference.

 

123g for the Revolver V2 mounted on a Velocity V2 wheel

 

 

 

133g for the Revolver V3 mounted on a Velocity V3 wheel

 

 

 

 

43.94mm for the Revolver V2 mounted on a Velocity V2 wheel

 

 

 

 

48.38mm for the Revolver V3 mounted on a Velocity V3 wheel

 

 

 

 

I found the tread to be a mix between Crime Fighter and Hole Shot with the addition of bars and Space Invaders style spaceships! To be more precise, the inner tread is made of little squares and triangles. T-Bars are added each sides near the middle line of the tires. On the outer tread of the tire, uses V shaped pins.

 

The tread of the Pro-Line Revolver V3 Tire

 

 

The inside on the carcass is ribbed to prevent tires from ballooning and to keep them in shape. The inserts also have a ribbed shape to perfectly fit the ribs inside the tires.

 

 

The insert and the inside of the tire are ribbed

 

 

 

Atsushi Hara’s tires after a 60 minutes race

 

 This little yellow dot indiquates the compound… Yellow = M2

 

 

Conclusion

I did not track test the tires because tire performances are too much sensitive to the track surface. What works on a race track may not work on another track. However, I am persuaded the new Revolver tires will be a hit on many tracks. I think that when the track is too loose for the Hole-Shot but too hard packed for the Crime-Fighter, the Revolver will be the answer.

Now that I have Revolver tires on my buggy, I hope Pro-Line will release Revolver tires for my truggy!

 

For more information, visit www.pro-lineracing.com

 

 

 

 

 

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