On the Horizon RC Podcast · Horizon Hobby

S3 Episode 4: Gil Losi Jr. and Frank Root - Developers of the Losi Promoto MX Talk Design, Development, Struggles and Triumphs

·1 hr·3 clips

Frank Root explains that MS6X requests a lean angle instead of steering the front forks.

Chris Dickerson and Steve Petrato open the show with the usual Horizon check in. They talk through a busy season, the ERP system transition, and the customer disruption that came with moving off a legacy system that had been in place for more than 25 years, which sets a frank tone before the RC conversation gets going. Gil Losi Jr. and Frank Root join for the main interview. From there, the discussion stays centered on the Losi Promoto MX and the work it took to turn an ambitious concept into something that could be tested in the real world, with the hosts treating the bike less like a launch announcement and more like an engineering story. The prototype stage comes up early. They explain that the first bike was partly 3D printed, could jump only a little, and left a lot more to learn than they expected once tooled samples arrived and the machine started seeing real use. The suspension problems are the centerpiece. The guests walk through fork volume displacement issues, pressure build, bleed off, loose forks, and a rear shock setup that had been designed around a nine pound spring before production testing showed the bike needed something closer to the 21 pound range. The numbers matter here. They make it clear that the rear suspension was not just a spring swap, because the leverage in the system meant the parts were seeing roughly two and a half times the force they had been designed around. The tone stays practical. Gil and Frank keep returning to the idea that the bike had to survive real riders doing real things, and that meant adding material, beefing up weak points, and rethinking parts that looked fine on paper but not under jump stress. Nothing here is treated lightly. They talk about modification tooling invoices, the cost of re engineering, and the decision to keep pushing until the bike felt right rather than simply good enough. That discipline gives the interview its shape. Instead of glossy launch talk, the episode keeps coming back to the consequences of getting the details wrong and the satisfaction of fixing them before the product reaches riders. The finish is friendly. Chris and Steve thank the guests, say the bike is clearly the thing everybody is talking about, and point listeners toward the dealer locator and local hobby shops if they are trying to find one. It stays hobby first. Fans who want the nuts and bolts of an RC release, especially the people who like suspension talk and product development war stories, will get the most out of it.

As heard by us

A grounded RC build story with enough technical detail to hold attention.

This episode follows the Losi Promoto MX from prototype to production with a steady behind-the-scenes focus. Chris Dickerson and Steve Petrato are joined by Gil Losi Jr.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Listen for the story behind the hype and the hard fixes on this bike.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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