OSW DIY IONI review

I’ve been working on this project like four months before everything came to life. It was a ridiculous idea at the beginning well I didn’t have knowledge, money or time enough to do it properly. More than two months since I finished my build should be enough time to write some accurate notes about the project.

My initial budget was soon left behind and potentially anything became a problem. Customs, electronics, dates and delays. When I was gathering all pieces, suddenly Ollie announced his kits and almost felt like crying. But, now, at this moment and looking back, can say I selected pieces what I needed and fitted exactly like they were supposed to.

• AC servo motor MiGe
• Digital servo drive IONI
• A lot of help from the iRacing forum guys

I will not go into the electronics and assembly part and will be focus exclusively on sensations and feelings. How this pieces of hardware change simracing concept and gets it into a professional tool.

After assembling part, MMOS tool configuration feels easy-peasy (thank you David 😉 )
I didn’t go further in configuring tools and tried with a provided and tested setup.

I am not an emotional guy, so the first impression was: “Ok, this is tough” and suddenly I was looking for imperfections or malfunctions. I knew things not going to work flawlessly and my brain was already working on it. The first test with Skip and Summit Point felt very realistic. First big turn with its interior curb and the tight and twisty middle sector was a nice approach to the feeling I was expecting.

My sense, used to the old G25, was unable to understand how many and little details I was being reported. Patches on the track, different kind of curbs, different heights, weight transfer, traction, crashes, etc. Everything you feel when you are completely connected to the road. I was not even in a 1:1 scale and I was feeling all those things.

I tried a lot of cars I’ve never driven before to taste a whole new range of feelings. Power steering cars, tourisms, old formulas, GT3 cars. Everything was different, better for sure, and everything was so powerful you need to relearn a wide new range of reactions.

This, clearly, has a counter part, physical preparation. Every Direct Drive (DD) wheel is a demanding product. A physical demanding product. If you want to feel it, you need to be close to 1:1 scale and this is a hard exercise and needs preparation. Your arms and your hands will call for a break sooner than later, probably before ten laps. You are going to be losing focus and concentration if you feel tired and this could end in a nasty and unpleasant crash.

Of course, once you’ve gotten used to it, the wheel feels wonderful. You can understand exactly what is happening with your car and in the track. iRacing FFB makes sense at last. It is almost instinctive how you can learn to avoid those extremely ugly curbs or patches and suddenly you are driving the right line and braking in a very good spot.

Does this steering wheel improve my lap times?

Short answer is, no.

But it teaches you how to drive better and more confident and consistent than you’ve never expected with a piece of domestic hardware. And with this confidence and consistence you will be improving yourself, your speed, and your knowledge about everything that surrounds you.

You can see a wonderful video review from Barry Rowland here: