Wondering what motor to put in your 1/10 buggy, stadium truck or short course truck? They run the same motors, so we counted them together. In 2WD stock, the most popular is the Hobbywing V10 G4R. In 4WD stock, it's the Trinity Slot Machine. In modified, it's the Hobbywing V10 G3. We counted the setups saved in the RC Setup App since January 2024.
The number under each motor is how many racers run it in that section. Check your class rules first, since they usually decide the wind. Counts updated November 2026.
Buy links to AMain may earn us a commission. That doesn't change the order: racers decide that.
Choosing the rest of the electronics? See the most popular ESCs, radios and servos for 1/10 off-road buggies and trucks. Running a 1/8 electric buggy or truggy? See the most popular 1/8 electric motors.
Most popular 2WD stock motors
514 racers named a stock motor and wind for a 2WD buggy or truck. 17.5 is the most common at 324 racers, then 13.5 at 154 and 21.5 at 103. This is where the classes differ most: buggies are mostly 17.5, with only 61 of 432 racers on a 13.5, while 64 of 76 stadium truck racers and 42 of 61 short course racers run a 13.5. Hobbywing leads with 181 racers, followed by Trinity at 68, Reedy at 59 and R1 at 58. This list covers motors with at least 15 racers.
1. Hobbywing XeRun V10 G4R
49 racers
The most popular 2WD stock motor in our count, with 38 of its 49 racers on the 17.5. Across both drivetrains, nearly everyone who named an ESC pairs it with a Hobbywing. The button goes to a 17.5 combo with the XR10 Pro G3X ESC, a good buy if you need both.
Buy the 17.5T combo at AMain (opens in new tab)
2. Reedy Sonic 540-SP5
40 racers
The most one-sided wind choice in this list: 34 of 40 racers run the 17.5. It's also one of only two stock motors here where Hobbywing isn't the top ESC. Across both drivetrains, 30 racers run a Reedy with it and 17 run a Hobbywing.
Buy the 17.5T at AMain (opens in new tab)
3. Hobbywing XeRun Justock 3650 SD
38 racers
The most popular stock motor in short course, where 12 of its 38 racers run it, and the most evenly spread across winds: 18 racers on the 17.5, 11 on the 13.5 and 10 on the 21.5. It nearly always runs with a Hobbywing ESC.
Buy the 17.5T at AMain (opens in new tab)
4. Hobbywing XeRun V10 G4
35 racers
Close between the 13.5 and the 17.5, 16 racers and 14, with 5 more on the 21.5. The buttons go to the newer V10 G5, which 12 stock racers in our count already run.
Buy the G5 17.5T at AMain (opens in new tab) Buy the G5 13.5T at AMain (opens in new tab)
5. Trinity Slot Machine
28 racers
21 of its 28 racers run the 17.5. Hobbywing is the most common ESC with it across both drivetrains, with Tekin next. This count includes the original and the Slot Machine 2, which is the current version.
Buy the SM2 17.5T at AMain (opens in new tab)
6. R1 Wurks V21
27 racers
More into the 21.5 than most, with 14 racers on the 17.5 and 9 on the 21.5. Hobbywing is the most common ESC with it, ahead of R1's own. The button goes straight to R1.
Buy the V21-HD 17.5T at R1 Wurks
7. Trinity Revtech X Factor
24 racers
The most popular stock motor in stadium trucks, where 9 of its 24 racers run it. It's split evenly, with 11 racers on the 17.5 and 11 on the 13.5. If you're buying new, the button goes to Trinity's Slot Machine 2.
See the SM2 17.5T at AMain (opens in new tab)
8. Fantom Helix
15 racers
12 of its 15 racers run the 17.5. Hobbywing is the usual ESC with it across both drivetrains, though a few racers stay with Fantom's own.
Buy the V2.1 Works 17.5T at AMain (opens in new tab)
9. Team Powers Actinium
15 racers
11 of its 15 racers run the 17.5 and 4 run the 21.5, nearly all in buggies. It's the other motor here where the maker's own ESC beats Hobbywing, 6 racers to 4. The V5 is discontinued.
See the V5 at Hobby Addicts
10. Team Exalt Phoenix
15 racers
10 racers run the 17.5 and 6 run the 21.5, all of them in buggies, and Hobbywing is the usual ESC with it. The Silver Spec is discontinued, so the button goes to the Bronze Spec.
Buy the Bronze 17.5T at 997 RC RacewayMost popular 4WD stock motors
4WD is a 13.5 class: 145 of the 174 racers here run one, 26 run a 17.5 and only 2 run a 21.5. Hobbywing leads with 57 racers, followed by Trinity at 30 and Reedy at 20. Nearly all of these racers are in buggies, at 168 of 174. Fewer racers are spread across these motors, so this list covers those with at least 5.
1. Trinity Slot Machine
20 racers
The most popular 4WD stock motor, and all 20 of its racers run the 13.5.
Buy the SM2 13.5T at Horizon2. Reedy Sonic 540-SP5
16 racers
12 of its 16 racers run the 13.5 and 6 run the 17.5, with some running both. That's the most 17.5 use of any motor in this list, so it's worth checking your class rules before you pick a wind.
Buy the 13.5T at AMain (opens in new tab) Buy the 17.5T at AMain (opens in new tab)3. Hobbywing XeRun V10 G4R
14 racers
13 of its 14 racers run the 13.5. The button goes to the newer V10 G5 in 13.5.
Buy the G5 13.5T at AMain (opens in new tab)4. Hobbywing XeRun V10 G4
12 racers
11 of its 12 racers run the 13.5. This button also goes to the newer V10 G5.
Buy the G5 13.5T at AMain (opens in new tab)5. Trinity Revtech X Factor
7 racers
Still on plenty of cars, with all 7 racers on the 13.5. For a new one, the button goes to the Slot Machine 2 that replaced it.
See the SM2 13.5T at Horizon6. R1 Wurks V21
7 racers
5 of its 7 racers run the 13.5. The button goes to R1's V21-HD in 13.5.
Buy the V21-HD 13.5T at 997 RC Raceway7. Fantom Helix
5 racers
All 5 racers run the 13.5, and as with the 17.5, most pair it with a Hobbywing ESC.
Buy the V2.1 Works 13.5T at AMain (opens in new tab)Most popular modified motors
6.5 is the most common modified wind in both drivetrains, at 90 racers in 2WD and 47 in 4WD. Next is 7.5 in 2WD, at 53, and 5.5 in 4WD, at 32. Hobbywing leads with 173 racers, followed by Reedy at 44. This list covers 2WD and 4WD together, since only these five motors reach 10 racers.
1. Hobbywing XeRun V10 G3
75 racers
The clear favorite in modified, with more than three times the racers of anything else, and the top modified motor in buggies, stadium trucks and short course alike. 29 run the 6.5, and the 8.5 and 5.5 have 10 each. It leads in both drivetrains, at 48 racers in 2WD and 32 in 4WD, and nearly always runs with a Hobbywing ESC.
Buy the 6.5T at AMain (opens in new tab)
2. Reedy Sonic 540 M-Series
23 racers
Spread across more winds than the G3: 6.5, 7.5, 8.5 and 6.0 all show up. Racers split evenly on the ESC, with 8 on Reedy and 8 on Hobbywing. Some entered only "Sonic," so this count covers the Sonic mod line, and the button goes to the current M4.
Buy the M4 6.5T at AMain (opens in new tab)
3. LRP X22
12 racers
Tied for third, with no single wind in charge: 7 has 4 racers, 6.5 has 3 and 5.5 has 2. Most run it in 2WD, 9 racers to 4 in 4WD. Too few racers named an ESC with it to call a favorite.
Buy the 6.5T at AMain (opens in new tab)
4. SkyRC Ares Pro
12 racers
The most 7.5-heavy motor here, with 7 of its 12 racers on that wind. All 12 run it in a 2WD buggy, and Hobbywing is the usual ESC, 8 of the 11 racers who named one.
Buy the V2.1 7.5T at Lindinger
5. Surpass Rocket
10 racers
The 6.5 and 10.5 lead with 3 racers each. 7 of its 10 racers run it in a buggy and 3 in a short course truck, and all 8 who named an ESC run a Hobbywing.
See the V5R 6.5T at OZRC4WD short course trucks
Most 4WD short course racers don't enter a wind, and many list a motor by its size or kV instead, so very few of them are in the lists above. Of the 88 who named a model, the most common are the Hobbywing 3660 at 15 racers, the Hobbywing 3665 at 14 and the Tekin Pro4 at 11.
How we counted
We count anonymous totals from setups saved in the app. A racer counts once per motor no matter how many setups they've saved, and a value only counts if the racer entered it themselves, not if it came along with a copied setup. A wind of 13.5 or higher counts as stock and anything lower as modified. A racer who runs more than one class or drivetrain counts in each. Motors that come in ready-to-run trucks, like the Traxxas Titan and Velineon, aren't counted, since their wind doesn't match a racing class. Plenty of racers leave out the model or the wind, so these rankings only cover the ones who entered both.
