Brushed motors have been used exclusively in RC until just the past few years when brushless motors came onto the scene.

An easy way to identify a brushed motor is the complicated endbell as seen on the right end of the motor shown to the left. This contains the springs and brushes. A brushed motor will only have two wires going to it, a positive and a negative.

Brushed motor have a center armature that has wire windings on it. It also has a 3 segment commutator. This armature is the part of the motor that spins.

The magnets for the motor sit outside the armature and on the inside of "the can".

There are replaceable brushes that make electrical contact with the commutator. These brushes will become worn out and burned and need to be replaced frequently. The commutator also wears and it needs to be trued, this is usually done at the same time you replace the brushes. Racers will turn the comm even more frequently to maintain top performance of the motor.

Sub C batteries are the most common and durable batteries in RC. They are the Round can type cells. A standard battery made from Sub-C cells for a 1/10 car or truck is typically a 6cell pack. 3300 mAh is a typical capacity, however there are cell up 4600 mAh capacity.

1/12 scale and some other forms of racing only use 4 cell packs. This reduces weight and can reduce motor wear.

For all out speed, 7 cell pack are available too!