R Racing RS5 Wheel Review

Final thoughts on the RS5 Steering Wheel from R Racing. With a 305mm diameter, the RS5 one of those wheels that can pull double duty. It can cover all the GT and prototype cars as well as open wheel cars. The front wheel plate is made of 4mm carbon fiber. It is a very stiff plate. I could find no defects in the carbon weave. The front plate is populated with 10 APEM push button switches.
With 2 more on the back 3D printed plate. I found easy to reach all of them from the grip position. They have good spring pressure with minimal play. There are also 2 CTS rotory encoders on the bottom middle of the front plate. These are good quality encoders with nice detentes and very little play on the shafts. The RS5 uses a 3D printed knob on the encoders. They feel solid in hand with
no flex detected. I do like the shape of the grips on the RS5. They have a firm feel to them without being too hard. The fabric on this RS5 is a similar to Alcantara. But can be ordered with other material
like suede leather. The material did have some wrinkles in it but did not effect the driving experience. I would like to see R Racing do a better job in applying the grip material. The electronics on this
wheel have very professional look to them. With a well thought out custom circuit board. And an industry proven Leo Bodnar USB conversion board. Just a very tidy solution here. The shifters on the wheel are magnetic units. They are small magnets so very little effort is required to make a shift. I would like to see larger magnets here to increase the shifting effort. The carbon paddles are 4mm thick providing a very solid feel when actioning them. I did find the reach to be just a bit short for my small hands. I Would like to see an extension solution added in the RS5 kit to allow one to adjust the reach. Driving with the RS5 was a pleasure. It has a stiffness that will surprise you considering the back housing is made from 3D printed material. Overall I think this is a good wheel for sim
racing. And I don’t want to forget to mention here that R Racing offers custom options for the grip material and the sticker layout.