Hobby Town USA Distribution

[arch2b]

could the kyosho rep please explain to me why not a single hobby town within 60 miles of me will carry the dnano? what good is a sole distribution system when few of the chains will carry them?

i called them all today and none plan to carry them or even know when they will be available which is very odd considering some stores in other states have had them for some time.

my zip is 20874.

[jdob]

I would also like to hear something "Official" from Kyosho on what the deal is with the dNaNo and its exlusivity to Hobbytown USA...

I thought that I finally saw an add for the dNaNo in the latest issue of RCCA, but it turns out that it was for the 2.4gHz Mini-Z...AArrgghhh...

Nobody is going to know anything about them if there is no advertising and the majority of the outlets that are supposed to support them either don't have any interest or are cluesless all together...???

[edhchoe]

Personally, I would not mind if Kyosho dumps this stuff and these become available for 1/2 price. I would buy 4 more. :D

[arch2b]

i too find this to be slightly disturbing. ht usa has no mention of these on thier website at all. if it were not for a select few stores selling these over the phone, many of us would be s.o.l. it's evident that not even all ht usa even have a policy to sell over the phone or simply not even aware of it if there is. why will some sell out of state and not others?

i was told by the manassas va, ht usa that they will not even carry kyosho products.... i find that frustrating and at the same time makes you wonder about the quality of the relationship between kyosho and ht usa.

please, i have the money. help me find a reasonable way to give it to you.... you would not think that a customer would have to solicite a manufacturer to purchase thier product but here we are...

[Millertime]

It is an odd strategy, but given the somewhat small following the Mini-Z has in the US compared to overseas I guess they thought they needed to do something. It just seems like the hobby stores that would be more likely to support the dNaNo are getting shutout however. The only place around here that would even know the term Mini-Z is an independant. They would probably do well with the dNaNo but they don't have any option.

Honestly I had never heard of the dNaNo until it was mentioned by a guy I race with that works at a local HT USA. I was shocked to find it had been out overseas for over a year now. The response to their attempts to draw interest has been minimal, that's putting it nicely.

I still haven't seen anything official about how long the exclusive deal is. I hope that Kyosho will consider making their startup packages more affordable to HT if they're going to continue the exclusivity. There is a strong chance that these things will die before they ever get a chance to catch on here. $250 startup is not a cheap pricetag for a micro and they really need to racing program to spur interest. Without tracks in the stores it just won't happen.

[Action B]

i too find this to be slightly disturbing. ht usa has no mention of these on thier website at all. if it were not for a select few stores selling these over the phone, many of us would be s.o.l. it's evident that not even all ht usa even have a policy to sell over the phone or simply not even aware of it if there is. why will some sell out of state and not others?

i was told by the manassas va, ht usa that they will not even carry kyosho products.... i find that frustrating and at the same time makes you wonder about the quality of the relationship between kyosho and ht usa.

please, i have the money. help me find a reasonable way to give it to you.... you would not think that a customer would have to solicite a manufacturer to purchase thier product but here we are...

Our local hobbytown is embracing the Dnano fully. I first was annoyed now I'm pleased. If you need a Dnano Ray let me know, I can just drive up the street 10 minutes and purchase one for you. they have a whole case full of them here with parts.

[edhchoe]

That's awesome! I thought about taking my dNano and showing it to my local HTUSA to see if they would be interested. One of the guys who work there full time races 1/10 touring car on carpet. But I don't know if he will dig it. :o

[arch2b]

Our local hobbytown is embracing the Dnano fully. I first was annoyed now I'm pleased. If you need a Dnano Ray let me know, I can just drive up the street 10 minutes and purchase one for you. they have a whole case full of them here with parts.

can you email me? i'd like to work something out.

[fraz]

could the kyosho rep please explain to me why not a single hobby town within 60 miles of me will carry the dnano? what good is a sole distribution system when few of the chains will carry them?

i called them all today and none plan to carry them or even know when they will be available which is very odd considering some stores in other states have had them for some time.

my zip is 20874.

The "deal" they supposedly inked with HTUSA (or so I have heard) is you either do full dNano and offer racing and all exclusively... or you get nothing. That means no tires, parts, nothing. While that may sound highly restrictive, the "word" I heard was a 75% adoption rate nationwide. Even though 3/4 US adoption is killer, there are huge gaps of land that have no HT. Does it mean that it is likely you may be 60+ miles away from a _participating_ HTUSA... absolutely. I can see a lot of them that may have no interest in offering full boat dNano support. The whole plan is to drive revenue TO the HT stores, not elsewhere.

What do I think Kyosho and HTUSA should do? Set up and offer parts and cars supplementally via HTUSA corporate web site and share the same percentage revenues across all HTs for their already agreed upon percentage. That way the exclusivity deals aren't broken and the incentive is not breached. It's a win/win for all involved.

Then again, WTF do I know :p

[edhchoe]

I have two HTUSA within 60 miles and neither of them carry dnano.

[arch2b]

action b has a local shop but it's 3 hours from me and they will not do orders over the phone :( who would have thought that kyo would want to make it so difficult to purchase thier product.

[arch2b]

i called my local store again for the heck of it. this time i got a manager who gave some insight. he explained ht's large distributor has dropped kyosho due to a lack of support. he said they can order directly from kyosho however they can not give any time estimate on any order from kyosho due to lack of support.

this is painting a very contradictory picture of the ht/kyosho relationship. most if not all the stores i talk to do not stock kyosho nor plan to carry the dnano. why then was the ht chain chosen?

[payaso]

action b has a local shop but it's 3 hours from me and they will not do orders over the phone :( who would have thought that kyo would want to make it so difficult to purchase thier product.




I knew it would turn out like this months ago. I said it once and i'll say it again. Kyosho has shot themselves in the foot with this whole dNaNo thing and if I didn't know any better, I'd say Kyosho has something against America.

I'm in the same boat. I called the Tampa htusa and they just told me straight up, NO. They're not interested in them at all.

Way to go Kyosho. Make your product exclusive to stores that aren't even interested in it...lmao


They've dropped the ball in so may ways, I just have to laugh. Especially knowing that Traxxas has just released their new 1/16 BL erevo. Not only is way more car and bang for the buck, but you won't have to meet some stranger in a dark alley four states way to purchase one.

On top of all that, it seems that they aren't even really all that. I see jdob is having steering issues with his $300 collectors item and other are reporting that the super duper techy transponder is peeling off the bottom. AWESOME






Annnnnnd, before nanotrax chimes in to tell me I have it all wrong, cause I'm an american in america and can't unsterstand, or grasp the complexity of these things. Save it, holmes. The proof is in the pudding. It's an overpriced product, with even worse marketing, PERIOD











silla

[edhchoe]

The price needs to come down. Seriously.

[lornecherry]

The fact that no major distributor handles Kyosho does not bode well ...if you noticed the major mail order Tower Hobbies also dropped the Kyosho line a few years back; that was surely a kick in the teeth for an already low NA market share.

It may not be strictly Kyosho's fault though ...the high Japanese Yen combined with different N. American buying habits (we tend to like things big), and the high price of the car, have created the perfect storm for their marketing manager.

Although dictating that a hobby store must put a track into valuable real estate has its merits with respect to bringing people into that store over ordering online, ultimately it's the hobby store that must want to do this; I'm sure many franchisees shied away because it's risky to give that much space to a product with questionable acceptance here in North America, let alone one that's selling at the same price as much larger hobby-class cars that are already widely accepted.

Closed distribution usually backfires faster than detuned Fiat in a Saskatchewan snowstorm. And these are already a tough enough sell at $200-300 US, without silly restrictions on how they can be sold. Open up the distribution; lower the price before they get cloned or grey-marketed anyway, and simply get kids and adults racing at a reasonable price. There, I've made my marketing peace.

In spite of the hard distribution issues, the idea of micro-sized hobby-class racing has a definite market niche with so much potential – many have tried to do the Internet ranking and lap timing before but have failed. Kyosho has all the all the tools to make it work and addressed every complaint we had on the well-loved Epoch. Longer run times, questionable quality, scale detail and lap timing were all things we wanted to address with the Epoch's successor.

I only hope I’m wrong about the distribution …I really want this to work.

[-J-]

Annnnnnd, before nanotrax chimes in to tell me I have it all wrong, cause I'm an american in america and can't unsterstand, or grasp the complexity of these things. Save it, holmes. The proof is in the pudding. It's an overpriced product, with even worse marketing, PERIOD

He won't have to tell you you've got it all wrong because I'm gonna. First of all, he's an American who just happens to be living in Thailand, just like I'm an American living in Hong Kong. You've got your ass on your shoulders and you need to ask someone to help you get it off, before scare a bunch of potential hobbyists off with your uninformed rants.

The dNaNo is an awesome R/C. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that kyosho screwed up the marketing and distribution plan with the dNaNo, but that doesn't make the product itself crappy. If I wasn't in China, I'd probably be in the same position most of you guys are. Lastly, if you can name 2 R/C's that were perfect out of the box, and had absolutely no early production problems, which are unfortunate but often happen, I'll shut up. :)

[arch2b]

there is a thread for issues with the dnano or we can start another, lets keep this topic to the silly distribution plan :)

[billysnarf]

Here in the Dallas area.. 2 Hobbytowns.. no Dnanos... i have had money set aside for some time now for a couple of these cars.. but now, im done... that money will be spent a new traxxas 1/16th vehicle. I am just sick of this Dnano run around.. cool car, ****ty service.

[lornecherry]

Hint to Kyosho USA: If you are not going to consider open distribution or at least loosen restrictions then ...

Appoint at least one authorized Internet dealer to service your North American customers who do not have a participating HTA dealer in there area. I can guarantee this will help with the launch of the dNano. This site's online store is probably the logical choice, since the only information on dNano in the US (and Canada, where I'm from) is funneled through here. If it's a US exclusive provision with HTA that's genuinely holding you back, then I can certainly direct you to reliable Canadian distributors who would be happy to service the NA market. In addition to shutting out unresponsive grey-marketers that simply give the car an undeserved bad name, opening distribution will actually help the involved HTA stores by raising awareness for a product with a lack-luster introduction and very little advertising whatsoever.

In this economy, you need to service your customers first; the online racing and organized leagues will only work after you have a large base of happy dNano owners. For some reason you seem to want to put the cart before the horse.

- Lorne

[payaso]

You've got your ass on your shoulders and you need to ask someone to help you get it off, before scare a bunch of potential hobbyists off with your uninformed rants

my knowledge in the micro R/C world goes further than you will ever know and is one of the reasons Dave, the owner of this board made me a moderator over 6 years ago.



Keep your smart comments up and you're not going to be posting here anymore, got it?




I'm here to help point people in the right direction and if people get scared off from the nano line, so be it. It's marketed all wrong and way over priced for what it is. Most will be happier with an MR02. You're just being a fanboy.









silla

[edhchoe]

I hate politics... I love my dNano.

[arch2b]

in his defense (-j-), your last couple posts have been torrents of raining down on them as if they were $300 p.o.s. granted, teh source of the frustration is well deserved, the rest was baseless.

[Millertime]

Well I thought this might be a great place to discuss the dNaNo now that's it's about to be unveiled to North America. I guess if the moderators want to use their status to threaten people that disagree with their opinion then we'll find somewhere else to have the conversation.

[-J-]

Though my comment probably was inappropriate, I don't like being threatened for having a differing, valid opinion.

Now, I'd like to get back to the decent discussion you guys were having about the HTUSA distribution.

[arch2b]

i agree (as another moderator). going hostile on someone whom has a differing opinion makes us no better than the other juvenile forums. were better than that. if there is a personal issue, please discuss this off forum.

lets all just get back to dumping on kyosho for the absurd choice they made in an attempt to get this product in the u.s. market. :) lets direct our anger/frustration where it's most appropriate ;)

[-J-]

i agree (as another moderator). going hostile on someone whom has a differing opinion makes us no better than the other juvenile forums. were better than that. if there is a personal issue, please discuss this off forum.

lets all just get back to dumping on kyosho for the absurd choice they made in an attempt to get this product in the u.s. market. :) lets direct our anger/frustration where it's most appropriate ;)

Agreed. :)

[Millertime]

Group hug? :cool:

Has anyone heard anything about Kyosho getting the tracks out to the stores? I don't want to rub it in, but I'm lucky enough to have two HTUSA stores within an hour that have signed up but they are both waiting on their track.

The Mooresville, NC store has been on a waiting list for months now. They said they were 4th in the US to sign up and there are 3 tracks that we know of in operation. They were told months ago that the track would be there within a week, and it keeps getting pushed back.

The limited distribution is bad enough, but if Big K can't even get the tracks to the stores that WANT to participate, we're in real trouble.

[arch2b]

i was told by someone in the know that kyosho essentially put the cart before the horse meaning they can not get product to those whom chose to carry it. reasons were not given but it's obvious kyosho has issues with the supply chain.

another checked box in the laundry list of mis-steps with this product launch.

the true shame is, i really want these. i'm ready to plunk down $600+ on them however i can not get them without ordering out of state at higher prices (high enough already) or going to ebay which is both cost prohibitive and warrantyless purchases which i consider foolish for something that costs as much as these do.

i'm very close to buying them mr-015's instead and forgetting about dnano's. unfortunately, if things don't improve, i think the vast majority of others will as well.

honestly, you can get these for $130 (kit only) which is reasonable considering they are minaturized mini-z's. i have no problem with that cost but like everyone else, it would be better to have them cheaper. smaller yet just as complex product does not = cheaper though. the starter kit is rediculous if you ask me though. $100 for a shoddy tx (read the mini-z posts on the tx) and shoddy charger (read mini-z posts on the charger) is nuts.

[-J-]

if Big K can't even get the tracks to the stores that WANT to participate, we're in real trouble.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Kyosho Japan hasn't even gotten dNaNo tracks to China (their next door neighbor) yet. We had to make our own carpet track to run on. I know Kyosho Japan and Kyosho America operate fairly independently, but we always get things much quicker here. The limited edition MR-02 chassis's are in stock at a couple of my LHS's. We could be in for a long wait. Then again, seeing pictures like this:

http://reflexracing.net/images/KO_Propo_2009/1200/KO_Propo_2009_03.jpg

http://reflexracing.net/images/KO_Propo_2009/1200/KO_Propo_2009_44.jpg

http://reflexracing.net/images/KO_Propo_2009/1200/KO_Propo_2009_45.jpg

http://reflexracing.net/images/KO_Propo_2009/1200/KO_Propo_2009_20.jpg

http://reflexracing.net/images/KO_Propo_2009/1200/KO_Propo_2009_19.jpg
at mini-z races is encouraging (the 2009 KO PROPO Mini-Z Grand Prix). I just don't know.

I agree with Arch2b, if Kyosho doesn't do something quick, people will be spending their hard earned cash elsewhere, especially with the current economic situation. A couple of people have already mentioned other R/Cs: MR-015 and Traxxas 1/16th scale vehicles.

[USRaja]

I think most people who buy this car will be from the die hard miniz groups. I dont see alot of new customers willing to put down the $300 for such a small car. I recently got to see some kids test out a Dnano on a Hobbytown track and the kids struggled to keep the car straight and off the wood barriers. The car had too much speed and acceleration for them. I think the price needs to be under $100 for a rtr kit with transmitter, battery charge and car, for this to take off. I dont think it matters if it is only sold at Hobbytown stores or opened up to online distributors. The price needs to come down, alot.

[edhchoe]

Under $100 is asking too much, IMO, although it would be nice. :nod
What I don't understand is why the body+fitting kit are so expensive. Also every HTUSA should be obligated to carry at least one car to demo with or without a track.

[jdob]

Under $100 is asking too much, IMO, although it would be nice. :nod
What I don't understand is why the body+fitting kit are so expensive. Also every HTUSA should be obligated to carry at least one car to demo with or without a track.

I agree with the cost of the bodies and the required fitting parts sets being way to high! For the cost of a body/fitting parts set you might as well just buy another dNaNo...which may be Kyosho's thinking anyway...:confused:

[lornecherry]

Kyosho is trying to do a little too much without initial market penetration. Are the dNano meant to be a true-scale enthusiast collector's car? (the price of the "fitting parts" and bodies, would almost make it seem so) ...if not, the fitting parts should cost no more than $10. Bearings, diffs and other parts need to be priced slightly under those of the Mini-Z, both to counteract inferior clone parts and to keep the all-in price for 2.4 GHz racing slightly under that of the Z.

Are the dNano meant to be marketed as racing league indoor scale? Probably, maybe, should be ... and ironically the lap timing component (which we all used to whine was so very expensive in the days of AMB race/transponder timing sets) is priced spot on. Or are they meant to be just fun hobby/toy cars? Nope, too expensive for that. Let's not even go there ...these are not Microsizers or even X-mods ...the quality, engineering, and ironically, market niche planning are far in excess of most other attempts.

Small scale enthusiasts will spend the money to race competitively and the internet-linked racing and small space requirements are indeed the hot selling points that no one else can touch. This could be extra income for established R/C clubs that can generate another class without investing in sq. ft. which is their biggest expense. Hint to Kyosho: watch the official tracks expand faster than bailout handouts, if you shift the focus from expensive retail space sq. ft. to a club-based setting.

Regarding the naysayers on cost, these are still much cheaper than anything competitive in 1/10th or other racing classes. And much cheaper than a fully-pimped Atomic Mini-Z that I was shocked to see can run north of $600 ... If we keep in mind the racing league target and don't for one minute confuse these with Radio Shack toys.

The name is catchy, but not really in-tune with the North American market; NASCAR or NASCAR haters aside.

Given the very infrequent and spotty appearance of Kyosho USA on this forum in general, I suspect that they are operating very independently of the otherwise customer-oriented Japanese head office. Japan probably has both eyes on China anyway, as any marketing manager worth his salt is becoming heavily invested in that high-growth market.

So what am I saying? Kyosho is sending mixed signals with what they are really trying to do with this car in North America. If they want a racing league to drive sales then do it right ...start by selling the official Kyosho tracks to approved Mini-Z clubs or established R/C clubs in North America. You'd have 100 tracks out in a few months. The track is also small enough to license a home-version for practice. Did these ideas not enter the marketing launch discussion? The trickle-down exposure from 100+ tracks would do more for anyone selling the cars (HTA) and Kyosho USA in general.

And if there are indeed genuine problems with getting the official tracks made as another poster suggested (somehow I think it's something else to do with politics and money) then K of NA needs to chime in here once and a while to stop the rumor mill, and perhaps, lay out their vision of what they want to do with this in North America.

With one of the major ebay stores lowering some of their prices yesterday, Kyosho NA needs to act quickly and decisively if they don't want to lose out to the grey market.

[arch2b]

good points.

i totally agree with the hobby shop track racing not being the best means to get the racing going. the same can be said with mini-z's. you will find 10x's the number of private clubs than official store tracks. rcp is a house hold name by putting the store track in everyones garage, basement, spare bedroom. as a result, club racing is flourishing.

in my opinion, the minute you depend and rely on brick and mortar stores, you've already put a shelf life on your product. we all know the support your local hs debate, but e commerce opens you up to markets untapped and locations overlooked by traditional retail stores.
follow the success of the mini-z...they have 10 years of history lessons to pull from and they immediately jump into what failed with the mini-z, for those that recall the great planes exclusivity crap. the minute that changed, the entire mini-z scene changed.

[Millertime]

Well I just heard something rather interesting.. now this is 3rd person so I can't say how accurate the info is.

I called the local Hobbytown that has been waiting on a dNaNo track for several months to see if there was any update. I was told "Right now we don't know what is going to happen. Kyosho USA has had a management change and they have not decided if Hobbytown will still be an exclusive retailer for the dNaNo. They have not sent any tracks out to Hobbytown stores in months and we cannot get an answer if we will ever get one."

:confused:

I guess that could be good or bad if true. Good that it could mean that Kyosho will open the product up to all retailers, or bad in that it could mean Kyosho is dropping support of the racing program in the US altogether.

Has anyone else heard anything along these lines? It's been awful quiet..

[KyoshoAmerica]

I think this will explain a lot for you guys. http://racednano.com/

[Millertime]

I might be missing what you're referring to, but I don't see anything there regarding the distribution or future track locations. I have two local HT stores that have said they plan to have a track in store, one has been waiting for months and one made the decision about a month ago.

Any ideas on when we'll see more locations?

[arch2b]

I think this will explain a lot for you guys. http://racednano.com/

yes, the racing site is nice however it offers little, if any factual product information which is what i seek :) thank you for posting though, we had thought maybe we had been forgotten:o

[jdob]

I might be missing what you're referring to, but I don't see anything there regarding the distribution or future track locations. I have two local HT stores that have said they plan to have a track in store, one has been waiting for months and one made the decision about a month ago.

Any ideas on when we'll see more locations?

BUMP! Because I want to know too... :confused:

[KyoshoAmerica]

I might be missing what you're referring to, but I don't see anything there regarding the distribution or future track locations. I have two local HT stores that have said they plan to have a track in store, one has been waiting for months and one made the decision about a month ago.

Any ideas on when we'll see more locations?

More track locations will pop up very soon.

Which stores are close to you?

[KyoshoAmerica]

yes, the racing site is nice however it offers little, if any factual product information which is what i seek :) thank you for posting though, we had thought maybe we had been forgotten:o

What did you want to know? Maybe i can help you. This might help as well.

http://www.kyosho.com/eng/support/instructionmanual/dnano/dnano.html

[Millertime]

More track locations will pop up very soon.

Which stores are close to you?

Hobbytowns in Mooresville, NC and the Harris Blvd. location in Charlotte, NC were the ones I was referring to. Both have said they have put in their orders for a track. I've had a dNaNo for some time now, just looking for a place to race!

Thanks

[arch2b]

What did you want to know? Maybe i can help you. This might help as well.

http://www.kyosho.com/eng/support/instructionmanual/dnano/dnano.html

actually, that provided a link to another page in english that has some of what i'm looking for. thank you very much!

not to get all picky and demanding but tim left some big shoes to fill in terms of helping to keep us up to date. over on mini-zracer for exampl (http://mini-zracer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29994)e he kept a sticky post, but listed all 12 months and simply updated them with product listings as they appeared.

this is especially important with dnano as there is currently no place to find product delivery dates domestically.

where can i find individual parts kits information and pictures? the 'new' parts listing on the japanese site has them as they are newly released but the images are rotated off and i can't find them anymore.

feel free to email me if it's easier than posting your response here.

[payaso]

Though my comment probably was inappropriate, I don't like being threatened for having a differing, valid opinion..


Nobody threatened you for having a different opinion, so don't make it out like that.

You were warned for your use of foul language. Tiny doesn't want it on the board.

You're free to any opinion you may choose.









silla

[arch2b]

Nobody threatened you for having a different opinion, so don't make it out like that.

You were warned for your use of foul language. Tiny doesn't want it on the board.

You're free to any opinion you may choose.








silla
valid concern, thank you for the clarification :) and yes, as payaso says, please refrain from using foul language. were all capable of expressing ourselves without using those words. if not, that is what we have profile messages and email thru the profile for :)

[arch2b]

What did you want to know? Maybe i can help you. This might help as well.

http://www.kyosho.com/eng/support/instructionmanual/dnano/dnano.html

again, thank you. i've updated the lineup sticky (http://tinyrc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24053) with additional car information.

[Murdoch]

heh.. isn't this cute.

Still fawning over the dnano's even though there is no support for them now. Why don't you grow a sack and tear kyosho a new one for this bonehead move.

oh that's right i forgot. you're so much of a fanboy you can't even see past your infatuation for these things. rather bend over and take it instead of actually having the cajones to say something.

dNanos are dead. time to move on.

[arch2b]

read the thread... most of it gets into just how we feel they botched it here. you pick a reply or two where info was shared in good fashion in order to justify your own bitterness.

no, they are not dead. they are over a year old already in japan. mini-z's were in the same situation when they were new here. it just takes time and a good product. 10 years later and mini-z's are doing great. lets just hope it doesn't take as long for the dnano.

i take your reply for what i think it's worth, worthless ranting because you don't like how it was handled. so what, get over it, get around it and move on. :)

[RsFan]

Geez, I just joined because I love mini and micro RC stuff, the first thread I read is this one and wow...is there always this kind of bickering?

I don't know what the big deal is anyway, I have a friend who's got a DaNano and it;s pretty cool. I wouldn't spend that much on one, especially since my Xmod with the Atomic motor will stomp it, but hey, if you have the money and want one why not? They have nice looking bodies, so what if they are a little slow? So was my Xmod before I hopped it up.

[Murdoch]

Bitterness? Are you crazy? No bitterness here, just calling the bs when I see it. Charging an arm and a leg for them, cherrypicking locations and killing support tells me they don't care about them or you guys.

But if you want to chase after them like a six year old with an infatuation, go right ahead.

[RCP-Tracks, Inc]

I think it will take a little time to get the tracks to all the stores. They have a bunch HobbytownUSA stores already in the loop to get started on the racing program, so maybe a little patience is in order. The dNaNo has only been here in the states for about 4 months now. It takes a little time to get such a unique program up and running.

On another note, I've been working on a new program and have something in the works to get clubs involved in dNaNo racing here in the states. Give that a little time too and things will start to pick up before you know it. Like arch2b said, it took the Mini-z many years here in the states to get established. I believe Kyosho has spent a lot of time and money to design the dNaNo and like most of their other products, produced a very unique and high quality RC car. With a little time, the dNaNo has the potential of being just as great and popular as the Mini-z within the small scale RC community.

[betty.k]

howdy gang, been a while!

in my experience, kyosho have had a reputation for producing quality products at enormous prices and with minimal support. i have no idea where to buy genuine kyosho products anymore.

it's almost as if they want to keep kyosho customers as part of an elitist club. i think me, ph2t and oldtamiyaphile are the only australians that have heard of dnano's.

it would be easier (and cheaper) to find an epoch and convert it to miniz electrics than to buy a dnano, which i have done. i don't care how good dnano's are, their exclusivity has put me off them for good.

as bad as kyosho are on this topic, i think ht have missed a big opportunity by not going with the entire track/parts/readysets deal (whether it was their fault or kyosho's).
i'm fortunate enough to have a dedicated 1:28 track and shop within walking distance of my house. the track is one of those iwaver "imat" tracks (rcp ripoff), they have a dedicated pc based lap counter/transponder setup.
the shop is a fully stocked iwaver dealer with readysets, upgrade parts (both iwaver and atomic) as well as all other scale rc's.
i've only been going there for about 6 months now and have already spent around $500 on rc's there. and that's not including track time fees.

so not only have kyosho shot themselves in the foot, they're robbing ht stores of an opportunity to find new markets.


shame kyosho, shame.

[Millertime]

I just wish we could get an honest answer on what's happening exactly. It's the lack of information in any form that is creating all the rumors and raw feelings.

As far as we can tell there hasn't been a new dNaNo track in any store for several months. And given that one of the track's main features is the scoring system tied into global rankings, it's very unlikely that tracks ARE out there and we don't know about it. That's not something that makes me optimistic - it simply cannot take that long to produce and deliver one single track.

One of my local HT stores has said they were the 4th in the US to sign up. I tend to believe that claim as they do have a pretty good selection of dNaNo cars and parts, with no track to support it. I've talked with the people there and they know that these will not sell well if at all unless they can get that track in the store to promote it. I just can't imagine the store owner putting out that much advance on 7-8 cars, readysets, and parts without expecting that they would also get the track. So why is it that they have been told "a week or two" for several months, and now they say they can't get a straight answer at all?

[arch2b]

i think it's fair to say we all agree that kyosho is failing in regards to how this was launched, handled.
those with experience, know the product is of good enough quality and the price is actually fair when you consider what your getting compared to a mini-z (tx, autoscales, charger and batter excluded and overpriced).

is this doomed to failure? i would think it's an easy claim to make however this was said of the mini-z too and 10 years later here we are.

is the dnano a world wide phenom, no. it never was. mini-z's were not either. they have been in japan for over a year, here a couple months, elsewhere, i'm sure it's still planned but behind schedule as most kyosho things are.

are we consumers who want these upset? sure. who isn't when they have a hard time buying what they want. again, mini-z's were not easy to buy either but that improved. are we some fanboy for still wanting these, why is it necessary to put that label on someone who enjoys something despite the hardships to get it? am i just as critical on how the product launch was and is being handled as the next person. just makes me a more educated buyer. atleast i know all the troubles going in vs. tossing money at ebay to get it hear first. for all my want and rants, i at least can return mine if needed.

kyosho usa has in my opinion been about worthless when it comes to mini/micro rc marketing, much less product information. save for a few brave souls who gave thier time to share information we got/get bumpkiss. even stores that sell them know less than us at times. i think rcp has done more to promote the mini-z (and likely dnano) than kyosho at trade events and broader market venues.

i still believe club racing is far more valuable to a product long term success than store tracks. mini-z's have made it 10 years with little to no store support save for a few brave shops. 90% at least is club racing and or traveling sponsored series. i see dnano doing well in this model as well with the current and soon to come track products and god willing, the new lap timer (there are alternatives).

what i find pointless is for someone to come here just to ridicule those of us whom find these enjoyable and worth the headaches. complain, whine, toss things and yell to your hearts content about the situation if that suits you but why insult others?

i don't see the solution as terribly difficult. resale to ecommerce sites and that alone will be enough in my opinion. have someone translate existing japan websites to proper english and update product availability information and i'm a much happier consumer. and for gods sake, atleast keep the hobby shops trying to push your products up to date. how do they expect a store to promote something they get little info on. give them the tools they need.

[lornecherry]

...good points all around ...I want to emphasize to the naysayers that there is a significant difference between the dNano and the Mini-Z. Try as one might with a Z, you needed to take apart half your living room to set up a decent track. Apartment dwellers? They are really shut out, as a Z on a 10-foot track, no matter what the quality of that track, is not very fun.

I read so many threads from Mini-Z owners who never experienced the ‘miniature race car potential’ in the pre RCP days, because little thought was given to the overall racing experience at the Z’s introduction time. For that (and even though I made/sold tracks for a while), we need to thank RCP. In fact, I know I spent much more time on trying to improve the racing experience than modding the car itself. Those of us that endlessly dabbled in lap counters and tracks can sympathize with the frustration - like driving a Ferrari in 30 MPG zone.

Truth was, the Z was ahead of its time from an engineering perspective, and despite many cloning attempts, it has become the Toyota Camry of 1/24th scale.

The problem with the Z’s a launch was never the concept, quality or even the price, it was where, how and with whom. My biggest problem was WAF (wife acceptance factor), when 30 feet of track replaced our living room furniture on a weekly basis. RC is fun but expensive, divorce is only the later. My point? …if a car and track cost $500, it is not a toy, it’s a hobby and it has to fit into lifestyle of the target market.

Slot cars succeeded because of the easy form factor: set 'em up and race anywhere. Sure there were the die-hards with 200 feet of meandering track alongside a 1/64th scale city that took three months to build … but many parents put a smile on their kids face with a full race setup in the bedroom.

So what does this all have to do with the dNano? In short, the dNano represents the first hobby-class car that can be raced indoors in your own home, in almost space, with lap timing and tunable performance.

Kyosho is fortunate that the dNano concept is capable of outliving teething problems with respect to distribution, provided they do open sales up. (I should not have had to go to Japan to get my lap timer, after posting and asking for a month on the boards …not when the cars have been in the market for 4 months in NA. In this economy, there should have been a dozen dealers clamoring for that $350).

Forbidding authorized Internet sales cost Sony and other high end electronics manufactures huge market share earlier this decade; Kyosho should not make that well-documented mistake. If they authorize Internet dealers, it will not only satisfy customer demand, but gain much-needed advertising and PR, all while protecting the consumer from unauthorized grey marketers.

There are indeed caution flags with respect to giving the Internet-based lap timing to any hobby shop that wants it. Collaborative racing needs to be authorized and centrally controlled, while at the same time it is opened up … RCP has hinted in some threads that he has something in the works along those lines, and that is a good thing.

As for the argument the cars have been on the market for only for 4 months; if there is no strong availability up and running for the Xmas holiday buying systems, the cloners will eat the market share gap faster than you can say iDnano, or whatever name the cloners pick. Rest assured there is someone, somewhere reverse engineering all of Kyosho’s hard work as you read this.

Kyosho needs to understand that they can’t do this alone; and I want to be cautiously optimistic they do understand, given that they appear at least sporadically on these forums and are bringing in partners to make the dNano a racing experience and not just the world’s smallest hobby-class R/C car.

Things should improve, especially when the economy perks up …it’s hard to buy one of these for you or your child, when you see the company that makes your full-scale car parked outside is in Chapter 11. Not to mention that from a corporate perspective, marketing dollars are as hard to come by as a Paris Hilton weight gain.

The driving force behind the launching of the dNano must viewed from an overall market perspective, as a disruptive technology that may eventually replace slot cars altogether. And from that perspective, I kind’a smile every time I think about these little things. Even my wife approves.

[KyoshoAmerica]

actually, that provided a link to another page in english that has some of what i'm looking for. thank you very much!

not to get all picky and demanding but tim left some big shoes to fill in terms of helping to keep us up to date. over on mini-zracer for exampl (http://mini-zracer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29994)e he kept a sticky post, but listed all 12 months and simply updated them with product listings as they appeared.

this is especially important with dnano as there is currently no place to find product delivery dates domestically.

where can i find individual parts kits information and pictures? the 'new' parts listing on the japanese site has them as they are newly released but the images are rotated off and i can't find them anymore.

feel free to email me if it's easier than posting your response here.

If i find some time i will start to post on mini-zracer.

Domestic delivery dates for any Kyosho product is very simple to calculate. You can almost always count on it showing up in the US about a month after it's release in Japan.

Check out this site http://dnano.jp/

[arch2b]

do you have an order sheet? i've spoken with HTUSA employee's who have said they have no idea what they can order as they were never provided with order information, only packaged product deals. i have to scroung up part numbers to provide them to ask you if they can order them. this is an unsustainable model that i hope gets corrected soon. at this point those who read here know more about what is and isn't available.

[Millertime]

KyoshoAmerica (Sorry I don't know your real name ;) ) -

Any comments on the availability of more tracks for HT USA stores? Personally I bought my dNaNo with the expectation of taking place in the standardized racing with global rankings. Let's be honest, the price of a dNaNo is above the curve for total startup costs. Now the value for that initial cost is very good in my opinion, with 2.4ghz radio and RFID transponders coming standard.

Without the Kyosho tracks the transponder is worthless, and in my opinion that takes a big chunk out of the value that offsets the price.

[mugler]

Without the Kyosho tracks the transponder is worthless, and in my opinion that takes a big chunk out of the value that offsets the price.

Ditto.

Better planing should have been implemented on the availability of store tracks!

[Hobbytownsean]

read the thread... most of it gets into just how we feel they botched it here. you pick a reply or two where info was shared in good fashion in order to justify your own bitterness.

no, they are not dead. they are over a year old already in japan. mini-z's were in the same situation when they were new here. it just takes time and a good product. 10 years later and mini-z's are doing great. lets just hope it doesn't take as long for the dnano.
i take your reply for what i think it's worth, worthless ranting because you don't like how it was handled. so what, get over it, get around it and move on. :)


Very well put. From a dealer stand point the lack of pictures and discriptions does hinder the process a bit. BUT......these things are selling well along with numerous parts. I understood that parts would be on back order when we put in our initial order. The Rep at Kyosho that I speak with is very knowledgable about the whole program and has answered all of my questions from both myself and customers that I get info for.

So to say that Dnano's are dead is a joke. All new product launches (especially R/C) take some time to get rolling. I back Kyosho 100% on this venture and look forward to all the stores (including mine) getting the tracks setup. That is when the Dnano's will really come alive on the market.

[Millertime]

Very well put. From a dealer stand point the lack of pictures and discriptions does hinder the process a bit. BUT......these things are selling well along with numerous parts. I understood that parts would be on back order when we put in our initial order. The Rep at Kyosho that I speak with is very knowledgable about the whole program and has answered all of my questions from both myself and customers that I get info for.

So to say that Dnano's are dead is a joke. All new product launches (especially R/C) take some time to get rolling. I back Kyosho 100% on this venture and look forward to all the stores (including mine) getting the tracks setup. That is when the Dnano's will really come alive on the market.

Does your Kyosho rep have any information on the delays in getting the tracks into the stores? I'm thinking about just selling mine and forgetting the whole thing if we won't be racing anytime soon.

[Hobbytownsean]

Does your Kyosho rep have any information on the delays in getting the tracks into the stores? I'm thinking about just selling mine and forgetting the whole thing if we won't be racing anytime soon.

From what Kyosho told me, the tracks can not be made fast enough for the demand at the moment. Corp has the estimated arrival dates for all stores that ordered one.

[MrNanoTrax]

i think people who like to talk negatively about the dnano simply don't appreciate the value of what kyosho has brought to RC. its a collectors item... its a model that can be raced out of the box... the R&D & licensing alone justify the price & if its out of your price range, just pick a cheap alternative & move on. simple.

[arch2b]

i think people who like to talk negatively about the dnano simply don't appreciate the value of what kyosho has brought to RC. its a collectors item... its a model that can be raced out of the box... the R&D & licensing alone justify the price & if its out of your price range, just pick a cheap alternative & move on. simple.

off topic, can you check your profile messages :)

[lornecherry]

The Dnano is anything but dead; quite the opposite: this concept addresses a very strong niche in the US and world market ...a niche that the Epcoh, Superslicks, etc. touched on but couldn't get right. One just has to look at the micro flight market and people like Plantraco to see the potential of all things minature.

Moreover, there is enough expereince and expertise on this board alone to help Kyosho through its teething problems in the US.

I am fascintated by this; enough so to risk divorce by dusting off some 4 year-old Epoch tracks and redesign the concept for dNano. I'll have more to say (hopefully positive) once I have six cars racing side to side with lap timing on a decent track.

[arch2b]

The Dnano is anything but dead; quite the opposite: this concept addresses a very strong niche in the US and world market ...a niche that the Epcoh, Superslicks, etc. touched on but couldn't get right. One just has to look at the micro flight market and people like Plantraco to see the potential of all things minature.

Moreover, there is enough expereince and expertise on this board alone to help Kyosho through its teething problems in the US.

I am fascintated by this; enough so to risk divorce by dusting off some 4 year-old Epoch tracks and redesign the concept for dNano. I'll have more to say (hopefully positive) once I have six cars racing side to side with lap timing on a decent track.
off topic again, can you please email me :)

[Millertime]

From what Kyosho told me, the tracks can not be made fast enough for the demand at the moment. Corp has the estimated arrival dates for all stores that ordered one.

That's what I've heard, but the reality doesn't seem to match that. We haven't seen a single new track placed in a HT USA store in months, it can't take that long to make one?

Unless of course those new tracks are out there but not shown on www.racednano.com in either the track locator or on the rankings boards. There are only 26 dNaNo cars registered in the US and three of those have not turned a lap according to that site.

[MrNanoTrax]

off topic, can you check your profile messages :)

replied to your message... sorry, i replied based on some issues covered in the thread. should we start a new one about the dnano bashing? :D

[Hobbytownsean]

That's what I've heard, but the reality doesn't seem to match that. We haven't seen a single new track placed in a HT USA store in months, it can't take that long to make one?

Unless of course those new tracks are out there but not shown on www.racednano.com in either the track locator or on the rankings boards. There are only 26 dNaNo cars registered in the US and three of those have not turned a lap according to that site.

Thats interesting that only 26 of the Dnanos are registered, those are probably owned by Kyosho employees!!

We knew in advance the track was going to come after the inventory and have gotten word that we are to receive ours on the 13th of this month. Fingers are crossed.

[Art Davenport]

That's what I've heard, but the reality doesn't seem to match that. We haven't seen a single new track placed in a HT USA store in months, it can't take that long to make one?

Unless of course those new tracks are out there but not shown on www.racednano.com in either the track locator or on the rankings boards. There are only 26 dNaNo cars registered in the US and three of those have not turned a lap according to that site.

hmmm, I think that "Sales" vs. "Registrations" are something KYOSHO needs to work on. I know that my Hobby Town has sold more than 30 cars in the short time they have had the track. I can only think of a handful that have acutally run on the track and had their car registered. As the race programs take off I'm sure that more will participate in the Registration process.

[Art Davenport]

Thats interesting that only 26 of the Dnanos are registered, those are probably owned by Kyosho employees!!

We knew in advance the track was going to come after the inventory and have gotten word that we are to receive ours on the 13th of this month. Fingers are crossed.

I'm not a KYOSHO employee. LOL I am looking forward to some competition on the lap count thing though....

[jdob]

There is a banner up on the main page of the Kyosho of America web-site for the dNaNo now!!! We are getting there - slowly but surely... ;)

[RCP-Tracks, Inc]

I know of one store in California that has a track, but has not yet been registered on the dNaNo site. I am sure there are more. Give it a little time and things will start coming together.

[mugler]

I know of one store in California that has a track, but has not yet been registered on the dNaNo site. I am sure there are more. Give it a little time and things will start coming together.

Which store would that be?
Thanks

[Hobbytownsean]

I'm not a KYOSHO employee. LOL I am looking forward to some competition on the lap count thing though....

So thats 25 that are registered to the employees!! J/K glad to hear so many have sold.

[RCP-Tracks, Inc]

Which store would that be?
Thanks


Torrance Towne Center
25357 Crenshaw Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90505

[Millertime]

So thats 25 that are registered to the employees!! J/K glad to hear so many have sold.

Well we know there are a lot more that have sold, just that they are not registered since you have to be at a track for that. My point in only seeing 26 registered is that it doesn't seem likely that there are more tracks out there we don't know about. The total number of registered cars has gone up by like 4 in two months :confused:

[mugler]

Torrance Towne Center
25357 Crenshaw Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90505

Great , thanks for the 411, now I'll have to go out and check it out.

[Hobbytownsean]

Well we know there are a lot more that have sold, just that they are not registered since you have to be at a track for that. My point in only seeing 26 registered is that it doesn't seem likely that there are more tracks out there we don't know about. The total number of registered cars has gone up by like 4 in two months :confused:

Agree. Once the tracks start hitting more stores, we should (hopefully) see a drastic increase in registered cars. Customers from as far as the D.C. area are already talking of making trips down to race their Dnano's at our track (when it arrives).

I have heard rumor of South Carolina customers really wanting to push this and make it big on the east coast. I am on board for that.

[RCP-Tracks, Inc]

Great , thanks for the 411, now I'll have to go out and check it out.


I would call first to see what times the track is available to use. I know they received their track last month, just not sure what schedule they have for it.

[mugler]

I would call first to see what times the track is available to use. I know they received their track last month, just not sure what schedule they have for it.

Will do in regards to their schedule.
I think they were suppose to get delivery of the track that was being used at Long Beach Grand Prix when Kyosho, HPI & Tamiya were exhibiting there...

[-J-]

Check out this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HhpbiLVkpo) video.

Now, I know it's a seemingly unrelated video, but at the beginning of the video, when the guy is talking about the truck, you can see a HTUSA/Kyosho dNaNo track in the bottom left-hand corner of the frame. There still is hope. ;)

[Zach.Type/RS]

The Arlington,TX HobbyTown USA has them and a track, its just not fully up yet.