I am very happy to have been able to do part of this analysis that I share half with Rodriguez. We’ve been testing the Moza Racing R9 base and Moza Racing GS steering wheel for about 2 months now, and have been able to see, to our delight, that there is a new competitor on the market that expands the range of offerings available for simracing to continue to grow.
Gudsen is a recording camera stabilizer company that has been in business since 2012 and recently they started to create some simRacing peripherals. We assume that either they are racing fans, or they have seen that a potential run in their local and international market.
For more than a year they have been releasing products (at a cruising speed) for simRacing. From bases, to steering wheels, pedals, dashboards, quick releases, etc. A whole ecosystem that creates a new line of products within the company, what we know as Moza Racing.
Presentation and features
This Moza Racing R9 , protagonist of this first article, is one of their most ambitious projects so far, as they are in direct competition with another European manufacturer of recognized names that we all know. It is an opportunity to project themselves internationally and it is crucial that the product meets the characteristic standards expected in the old continent. The Direct Drive base has a force (it is not everything, but it is important) of 9Nm, so it is already ahead of its rivals in this first approach to the mid-range.
With the box in our hands we see that Moza’s packaging is up to the quality of the product they want to sell. The design of the box, the instruction manual, the arrangement of the elements, the protective foam, stickers and even a cover for the base, all point in very good ways that we value very positively.
The base is smaller than a Fanatec DD and of similar weight. It is almost entirely made of metal, except for the back cover, which is made of plastic. Behind it has a small power button and 4 connections: the power supply, the USB connection to the PC, the connection to an emergency off button and a last one to connect to an external display (these accessories must be purchased separately).
At the front we find the quick release at the end of the motor shaft. A shaft that surprises us for its diameter and a quick release that surprises us for its solidity and finishing touch. We are not surprised by the novelty of this QR, as this type of QR has been on the market (for real race cars) for some time and its quality is beyond doubt, what surprises us for the better is that a direct drive base of the most economical range comes standard. Very good point for Moza.
Installation, software and configuration
Once we have everything out of the box and have it in front of us, we move on to bolting it to the cockpit. In this case we used a cockpit from NWS LIFE Premium, which we recently reviewed (September post). We make sure that the base is firmly screwed to the tray and connect it to the PC and power.
We install the latest version of the Moza software on the PC. The interface of the Moza Pit House application is very clear and quite attractive. It has all the sections of the different products they have in their catalog and they are unlocked according to the ones we have.
Undoubtedly the software is the most controversial point, not because there is anything wrong with it in itself, but because it seems misunderstood. Moza‘s software approach to the configuration of its peripherals is completely different from what other manufacturers have been doing so far. This initially confuses the user and can lead to confusion, discomfort and even rejection. Lack of patience is something very common in these times, however, reading the descriptions of the parameters and disabling some added effects that brings the default configuration, we can leave the base working in a way quite similar to what we know from other manufacturers and we have assumed that it is the FFB transmitted by the simulator.
That extra configuration and understanding we have to have it clear in order to unveil the great product that R9 is. Undoubtedly, little by little they will be refining this aspect and in future versions of the firmware or software, these small modifications may come included by default, leaving the user the freedom to highlight certain effects or disable others having a better feeling from the beginning.
Once this small learning process is understood, everything works normally and updates and configurations are made without problems through the application known as Pit House.
An extra point of the configuration is that we have a mobile application that connects to the base via Bluetooth, and from there make any adjustment of the FFB configuration “hot”. Without leaving the simulator, restarting the race, or anything else, we will directly feel the change and thus we can notice the change of feeling much better. Great point in favor the app, point against the need to give location permissions and activate the GPS to use the application.
Testing
Once we are ready and with the base “properly” configured and with everything in place, it’s time to jump on the track and test how this new base works. The test drives have been done with iRacing with several vehicles: street, GT3 and formula type, in circuit tests and in several competitions throughout these weeks (some of them even with victory). We would have really liked to do some drift tests, but with this rim it is not possible, we need more grip surface. We are sure that with this base drifting would be much more fun because of the improvement in control it gives us. It is noted to test in the future when we have a compatible round rim.
The driving sensations in a stable situation are not very different from what we can feel with high-end bases, in that aspect everything is transmitted with the expected immediacy (within a margin of acceleration that is usually linked to the cost of the base) and therefore is on par with others in its price range. In that respect it is quite similar to what we know and seems difficult to perceive or measure comparable differences. Subjectively there are none. It is at the moment where we start asking for big efforts where the base shines like few others in the mid-range. When we get on a kerb, when we race on it, and when we leave it that these 9Nm give a glimpse of how optimized they are.
I say a glimpse because it is not only in the kerbs where the amount and detaile of torque that can apply this small base is shown, as the long corners with a wide radius where we notice all the mechanical grip are one of the brightest points of this little beast. The clipping that we have noticed in other devices in these cases, does not seem to occur with the Moza Racing R9 and holds with constant torque without faltering. This is very visible on turns like 2,3 and 4 at Watkins Glen with a GT3 or we assume (I’m remembering now) the carousel at Road America.
This kind of behavior makes the base get hot, although not to the point of burning or being dangerous, but it is noticeable that it is working at the limit of the 9Nm which offers. The good thing about the Direct Drive bases is that do not have a drop in performance over time by not having mechanical parts, which is one of their main advantages.
The Moza GS steering wheel
A small mention to the steering wheel before addressing it in an individual article and analysis. The rim looks great and the materials are good. The feel, the finishing touches, the weight and the quick release and its seamless integration with the base make it a little bit of a pleasure. We will talk about it in a few weeks.
Final Thoughts
Particularly I can say that I was VERY pleasantly surprised by the set, being far beyond the expectations I could previously have on a product of this price range. Rodriguez also shares this same thought. This base is on same price of its possible competitors, and it is offering something more (torque) with a different approach. Its limitation to PC and Moza’s steering wheel ecosystem (still under development) may be a constraint for its purchase, but if it is not a problem, the rest comes out very well in terms of performance of a great little base at a price unbelievable years ago.
Undoubtedly we are facing a product with more than enough power for most fans and with a really good build quality. In our case, we can not be happier with the tests and simulations we have done with this base. Of course, we must take into account that it requires a minimum of knowledge and desire to want to tinker (a little) with the configuration to leave it completely to taste. At least for the moment.
Pricing and availability
All Moza products, can be found on the Moza Racing website. In this case, the Moza R9 9 Nm base can be purchased in black for 439 dollars (VAT excluded) or in white for 459 dollars (VAT excluded) and first of them is stock for immediate shipment.
In Europe you can choose to purchase with a 2% OFF in Simufy using our affiliate code: SFYOPTF7ZMR98 or clicking here: Moza Racing R9
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My experience with R9 at turns 2,3 and 4 at Watkinson Glen is different – I get a lot of clipping. FFB is 100% at Pit House and only 70% in the game (AMS2), yet clipping is very noticeable. Same in ACC. Turning FFB down to 50% seems to help, but hey, who would like to run this base on 50% only? Anyone knows how to fix this?
I’d say testing was on iRacing. No road effects or other FFB extra added.
Did you solve it?
I have the same problem with 60% force.