Moza R9 Bundle

Our rating: 9.6/10

In just 2 years, or even 2 and a half years, Chinese sim-racing peripherals manufacturer Moza Racing has made a name for itself as one of the discipline’s go-to’s. His rather unique approach to covering the “gaps” in the segment has won him a following from the running community worldwide.

Even if Moza Racing was actually launched in 2021, it’s worth noting that this manufacturer is a division of a Chinese electronics giant, mainly operating in the field of camera stabilizers. But sim-racing isn’t just about knowledge of motorized parts, it’s also about a passion for the discipline.

Among the peripherals offered by Moza, we have 6 bases, 3 of which are bundles. As I said earlier, this Chinese manufacturer targets market segments that are more or less empty, mainly for its bases. For example, its catalog includes Direct Drive bases developing 3.9, 9 and 16 nm of torque, and on these power levels, there’s virtually no one in front of Moza. Today we look at the R9 bundle, which includes a 9 nm torque output base with 3 different flywheel options.

Main and technical features of the bundle

• Base Direct Drive outgoing 9 nm torque
• Aluminium construction for base housing
• Use of carbon fiber on 2 steering wheels
• A choice of 3 different steering wheels, including one for Formula and GT3
• RevLED on all 3 steering wheels
• QR from the competition with wireless steering wheel connection
• Compatible with the entire Moza Racing ecosystem

Design

The design of Moza’s R9 base isn’t all that different from its little sisters, the R3 and R5. The overall shape of this device is like a ” X “The entire housing is black, with a few white Moza logos here and there. Honestly, it’s beautiful even when it’s minimalist.

For steering wheels, the bundle offers 3 different options: the CS V2 which is sober, with leather all around and aluminum for its structure. The RS V2 which is virtually identical to the CS, but with a carbon-fiber plate on the faceplate and multi-colored controls. And last but not least GS GT V2P which is made entirely of carbon fiber and designed for Formula and GT3. The latter is flashy, but that’s to be expected as the shuttlecocks in these competitions are, so…

Customized assembly

The R9 can be mounted on furniture such as a desk or table, or on a cockpit. For furniture, you have Moza’s “Table Clamp”, which is sold separately by the way, but still offers a pretty good hold for the R9. However, you need to choose a sturdy table or desk to mount this base with its 9 nm of torque.

You won’t have to worry about cockpits, as most of those available on the market support Moza Racing peripherals. But this base is attached only by its faceplate, and some people don’t like that.

As for the steering wheels, they all use Moza’s QR, renowned for its solid connection to the base.

Manufacturing and finishing

The R9 base is made of aluminum from the aeronautics industry, to minimize weight and facilitate cooling of the engine and on-board electronics. This base is very well made, with an exemplary, flawless finish.

For the steering wheels, two use aluminum for the structure and leather for the rim. It’s simply premium, very well made, with attention to detail. As for the last one (the GS GT), it’s made of carbon fiber with perforated leather handles. It’s very beautiful and superbly well finished, I must say. Even if Moza is a brand with only 2 years’ experience in the game, it has to be said that its products are premium and very well made.

Getting started with the bundle

The CS and RS flywheels (both V2) are completely round with a diameter of 33 cm. That’s what you find on most sim-racing wheels on the market, and it’s a diameter I really like. These two wheels are trimmed in leather, which makes them easier to grip, and the controls are positioned on the sides for easy access when running. As for the pallets, there are 4 of them, and they’re quite a good size, especially for the RS.

The GS GT steering wheel is rectangular in shape, with a diameter of 30 cm, which is standard for Formula racing. In terms of ergonomics, virtually all the controls are on the sides, close to your fingers, so you can use them without taking your hands off the wheel. In the center, we have 5 switches to change Traction Control modes or any other parameter in play. The steering wheel is easy to grip, and also features 4 rear-mounted paddles.

Sensations during play

Let’s move on to the sensations provided by this bundle, and more specifically its base. So, the R9 develops 9 nm of maximum torque, which isn’t exactly far off the 8 nm of a CSL DD, for example, but the sensations are much more present.

The force feedback is precise, fluid and above all powerful, and I noticed a difference compared to Fanatec’s CSL DD. I could feel practically everything the car in front of me was doing. Practically. To put this in context, Moza has its own software for adjusting the various peripherals of its products, notably its bases. It’s all about Pit House “and it’s a really, really complete tool for fine-tuning the basics and all that Moza stuff.

The trick, by default, is that there are a few blurbs in the driving experience, particularly concerning the car’s behavior when it loses grip, especially on the rear axle. To counteract this, you’ll have to spend a good while, as I did, on Pit House to find the right parameter settings, and this is both the R9’s strength and its weakness. Fanatec bases don’t have this problem in stock configuration. You can leave a CSL DD in its factory settings and still have excellent racing sensations. But at least Moza’s software is good and allows you to have very advanced settings, which I must admit isn’t all that bad.

Compatibility

Moza Racing is a young player in sim-racing, and is content to offer PC-only compatibility for its products, except for the R3 bundle. As a result, the R9 will only run on Windows, and with the entire Moza ecosystem, even if the latter pales in comparison with the competition.

For sim-racing titles, virtually all those on the PC will support it without the slightest problem, except perhaps Foza Horizon 4 and 5, where you’ll have to do a lot of tweaking to get it to work.

Value for money

As this bundle is available with 3 wheels, we have 3 different prices. On the Moza Racing website, it starts at $628 ex VAT, and ends at $838 ex VAT. It’s worth noting that Moza is currently running promotions, which is why prices are down slightly.

If you’re looking for this bundle from a French supplier, invoices can go up to €1,000 incl. VAT. In my opinion, value for money is pretty good, even if the R9 bundle faces stiff competition from Fanatec and Simagic.

My verdict

As far as I’m concerned, I think the R9 bundle is a good choice for riders looking for a high-performance, ultra-configurable base unit of excellent quality, especially in terms of the QR, which is just perfect, but not very durable over the long haul according to some reports.

However, you should know that Moza Racing is a very young brand, and its ecosystem suffers a little. The most concrete example is its selection of steering wheels, which is meagre if you compare the Chinese manufacturer with Fanatec, for example. If you’re not afraid of taking the Moza Racing plunge, I recommend the R9 bundle with the SR-P crankset for a superb setup.