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Models
Six families of radio-control machines, six different ways to spend a Sunday. Here is what they are and who they actually suit.
In the shop
What will you find at ASI Model?
- Off-road Buggies, truggies and monsters, 1:8 and 1:10
- On-road and drift Touring and drift on tarmac
- Crawlers and scale Trial and realistic scale rigs
- Boats Brushless monos and catamarans
- Flight and drones FPV drones and fixed wing
- Earthmoving Scale excavators and hydraulic machines
Six families of machines, and for each one the same question before we sell you anything: where will you use it? Dirt, tarmac, rocks and water call for different models.
The pit wall
We only sell what we know how to repair
No brand comes into the shop unless we have the parts and the hands-on knowledge to work on it. It is the most honest filter we know.
Not sure where to start?
Tell us where you’ll drive it and what you want to spend. In five minutes we narrow it down to two models, and explain what actually separates them.
What we put in motion
Six ways to make the dust fly
Before we sell you anything we ask where you’ll use it. Dirt, tarmac, rocks and water call for different machines: getting the first model wrong is the quickest way to give up.
01
Off-road
Buggies, truggies and monster trucks in 1:8 and 1:10. Jumps, dirt, mud: the most direct way to find out whether this hobby is for you.
Where nearly everyone starts. An electric 1:10 buggy takes the hits, is repaired with four tools and works on any loose surface: a field, a disused yard, the gravel drive behind the house. The step up to 1:8 and hotter motors comes later, once you can read a setup.
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01
Buggies and truggies in 1:8 and 1:10
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02
Monster trucks and short course
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03
Brushless electric or nitro engine
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04
Tyres and inserts for every surface
02
On-road and drift
Touring and drift on tarmac. Here the winner isn’t the one with the most power: it’s the one who understands the setup.
On tarmac everything counts: camber, toe, shock oil, tyre compound. It is the most technical discipline and the most satisfying to dial in, because every change shows up immediately on the stopwatch. Drift is the most spectacular branch and, surprisingly, the cheapest to run.
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01
Electric 1:10 touring
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02
Rear-wheel and all-wheel drive drift
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03
Bodyshells and scale detailing
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04
Setups, geometry and race spares
03
Crawlers and scale
Trial and realistic scale rigs. Torque, slowness and detail: the discipline that takes you up the mountain on a Sunday.
The exact opposite of speed. A crawler takes on rocks, roots and streams at walking pace, and the challenge is finding the line, not the lap time. It is also the best category for anyone with small children: low speed, little damage, plenty of satisfaction.
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01
Crawlers in 1:10 and 1:18
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02
Realistic scalers with metal detailing
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03
Axles, gear reductions and suspension
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04
Soft tyres and brass wheels
04
Boats
Electric and brushless powerboats. On Lake Garda you have the finest race water in Italy ten minutes from here.
Living in Desenzano and never trying a boat is a waste. From training hulls to brushless monos and catamarans that pass 60 km/h, we also see you through the delicate part: waterproofing, cooling and battery management.
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01
Brushless monos and catamarans
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02
Starter hulls for the first runs
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03
Propellers, shafts and cooling systems
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04
Advice on where sailing is permitted
05
Flight and drones
Drones and flying models to start with without wrecking everything on the first take-off. With the rules explained plainly.
Flight is the category where people most often buy the wrong thing. We help you start with a forgiving machine and explain, without scaremongering, what European rules require on registration, categories and flight zones.
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01
Beginner and FPV drones
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02
Electric fixed-wing aircraft
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03
Propellers, batteries and chargers
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04
Guidance on registration and flight rules
06
Earthmoving
Scale excavators and site machines, hydraulic and otherwise. A building site in the garden, taken very seriously.
Anyone who works in construction falls for these at first sight. Hydraulic models reproduce the real movements of excavators, loaders and dumpers, and become a whole winter’s project of building, painting and weathering.
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01
Hydraulic and servo-driven excavators
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02
Wheel loaders, dumpers and trucks
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03
Interchangeable buckets and attachments
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04
Scale painting and weathering
Before you buy
Which model is right to start with?
For an adult, an electric 1:10 buggy or short course: tough, quick to repair, at home on almost any surface. For a child under ten, better a crawler or a 1:18: less speed, less damage, more real fun.
Electric or nitro?
Electric in 90% of cases: it starts straight away, needs no carburation and works even in tight spaces. Nitro makes sense if you want the noise, long run times and enjoy the mechanics.
What age do you need to start?
From six or seven with a suitable machine and an adult alongside. Most of our customers, though, are between 25 and 45 and buy for themselves — sometimes claiming it’s for their child.
What does the first year really cost?
A decent model starts at around 150-200 euros. Add a battery, a charger and a few spares: the first year, without racing, stays comfortably under 400 euros.
The pit wall
We only sell what we know how to repair
No brand comes into the shop unless we have the parts and the hands-on knowledge to work on it. It is the most honest filter we know.
24 brands stocked
- 01Traxxas
- 02HPI Racing
- 03Maverick RC
- 04Radiokontrol
- 05HSP
- 06ARRMA
- 07Corally
- 08HoBao
- 09FTX
- 10CEN
- 11Tamiya
- 12Sanwa
- 13Futaba
- 14LRP
- 15Team Magic
- 16Joysway
- 17FME
- 18Huina
- 19HRC Racing
- 20Pro-Line
- 21Killerbody
- 22Hobbywing
- 23Hubsan
- 24Savox
Why these and not others
There is only one criterion: whether spare parts can be sourced. A beautiful model from a brand that vanishes after two seasons becomes a paperweight the first time a suspension arm snaps. We would rather stock fewer lines and stand behind them.
That applies to chassis and electronics alike: the transmitters, servos, speed controllers and motors you find here have parts, updates and real support in Italy.
Can’t find your brand?
Call us anyway. We also repair brands we don’t sell, whenever the parts can be sourced — and we tell you straight away when they can’t.
Come and see us.
Bring us an idea, a budget or a broken model. There’s always somewhere to start.