MOZA Racing R21 and R25 Ultra DD Wheel Bases – Review

MOZA Racing R21 and R25 Ultra DD Wheel Bases – Review

MOZA Racing is back in the high-end segment. With the new R21 and R25 Ultra DD Wheel Bases, the popular manufacturer offers redesigned bases with new features at a very competitive price.

Ordering and shipping

MOZA Racing is offering the new wheel bases at a surprisingly affordable price. Contrary to the current trend of price increases, MOZA Racing is lowering the price of the R21 Ultra DD in its own shop by €200 to €799 compared to its indirect predecessor (R21 V2). The more powerful R25 version is available for €999. However, taxes and customs duties may be added depending on the country of shipment.

• R21 Ultra DD Wheel Base: $699.00 / € 799.00 / £699.00 / AUD 1,299.00 / JPY 119,900.00
• R25 Ultra True Torque DD Wheel Base: $899.00 / € 999.00 / £899.00 / AUD 1,649.00 / JPY 149,900.00

In addition to MOZA itself, the base will also be available again from the usual third-party suppliers, such as our German partner shop Sim-Motion. With our affiliate code, you can currently get a 5% discount there. All additional costs are included in the prices here.

5% Sim-Motion Gutscheincode / Coupon code: simracingpc-5

The product tested here was provided by the manufacturer. No influence was exerted on this review at any time.

Scope of delivery

As usual with MOZA, the scope of delivery for the new Ultra DD Wheel Bases is quite limited. MOZA includes screws for assembly, a data cable, and the appropriate power supply in the package.

• Base Unit
• Power Adapter
• Power Cord
• Data Cord
• Bolt Kit

Specs

Below you will find the technical data for the two new bases, which hardly differ in most respects. Particularly striking are the compact dimensions and the newly added LED strips on both sides.

Mounting

Before the base can be used, it must first be assembled. MOZA has listened to the community’s wishes and now offers significantly more options, especially compared to the first-generation bases:

• Bottom Mount: The first option is four M6 threads on the underside of the base. These follow Fanatec’s established hole pattern, which is supported by almost all current rigs. The holes have a lateral spacing of 78.4 millimeters and a vertical spacing of 66 millimeters. If you have a rig with a thick aluminum plate, you will need longer screws than those supplied by MOZA. The manufacturer could easily have included two versions of the M6 screws in the package.
• Front-Mount: In addition to mounting from below, the base can also be attached using a front mount. Four M6 threads spaced 79.9 millimeters apart are available for this purpose.
• Side Mount: Two new M6 threads have been added on each side, spaced 66 millimeters apart. MOZA offers the appropriate brackets for side mounting of the bases.

This makes installation much more flexible and, thanks to its very compact dimensions, the base can be easily positioned according to your own preferences. However, you should always have a solid cockpit or at least a wheel stand. Installation on a desk is possible, but not recommended for wheel bases with 21 or 25 Nm.

All you then need to do is connect the supplied USB-A cable to your PC and connect the external power supply. The hardware is then ready for its first laps on the race track.

Compatibility

The new bases fit seamlessly into the MOZA ecosystem and are compatible with the manufacturer’s versatile range of products.

Steering wheels (Quick Release)

The most important factor is probably the steering wheels. Here, MOZA continues to rely on the proven and popular NRG-style Quick Release (QR). This allows the wide range of MOZA wheels to be supplied with data and power directly via the QR, while also providing a play-free connection between the wheel and the base. With MOZA’s extremely versatile range, there is sure to be at least one suitable wheel for every sim racer.

Unfortunately, the Ultra DD wheel bases do not support USB passthrough. This means that third-party steering wheels can currently only be operated with additional USB cables. At this year’s SimRacing Expo in Dortmund, German manufacturer BavarianSimTec presented a solution in which the connected steering wheel was powered directly via the base, but there is currently no way to transmit the USB signal directly. Other manufacturers such as CONSPIT, Asetek, and VRS are more open in this area and already offer corresponding pass-through solutions.

Ports

The DD Ultra Wheel Bases are equipped with the ports typical for MOZA on the rear.

• Power
• PC (USB)
• Pedals
• Dashboard
• Shifter
• Handbrake
• Emergency Stop Switch

This means that the manufacturer’s hardware, especially if you already own several MOZA hardware components, can be operated without additional USB cables and connected directly to the base. For a base with a torque of over 20 Newton metres, an emergency stop included in the scope of delivery would have been desirable. However, this can be purchased separately for around £45 if required.

Software

One area in which MOZA has made further progress with the new generation is clearly the software. While two to three years ago it was not yet 100% mature in some areas, a complete software package has now been created that even stands out from the competition in some respects. Particularly noteworthy are the FFB equalizer (individual frequency ranges of the FFB can be amplified or reduced) and the Base FFB Curve, which allows the FFB output to be controlled via a graph, for example, exponentially in relation to the input from the software. These options are not essential, but they offer plenty of scope for experimentation and fine-tuning.

In addition, MOZA now offers comprehensive preset profiles for many common simulations and enables the automatic assignment of profiles to simulations and even individual cars. Overall, the software may seem a little intimidating at first for beginners due to the many options available. However, it offers brief explanations of the various parameters, and the existing profiles provide a good basis for your own explorations. A tip here: The new generation of DD Ultra Bases basically allows you to get by with very low damping values. This allows the FFB to be reproduced extremely directly.

• Basic Settings
• Advanced Settings
• FFB Effeckt Equalizer
• Base FFB Curve
• Miscellaneous
• Button Mapping
• Base LED

LEDs

MOZA has equipped the R21 and R25 Ultra DD Wheel Bases with two LED strips on each side, featuring nine individually controllable RGB LEDs. These offer various options, such as idle effects (modes: Off, Constant, Breathing, Color Cycle, Rainbow, Sand Flow) or telemetry effects:

• RPM (Standard-Color)
• RPM (Gradient-Color)
• Fuel
• Pit Limiter
• ABS On / Active
• TC On / Active
• DRS On / Available
• Flags (Yellow, Blue, Green, White, Black)
• Turn Left / Turn Right Indicator

The latter can certainly offer a certain added value, but they are mainly a nice gimmick, as they are outside the direct field of vision. Compared to configuration via SimHub, the individual settings can be managed relatively easily in the software itself, and effects can be added with just a few mouse clicks.

Force Feedback

The most important aspect of the Wheel Base is, of course, the force feedback. MOZA has also made some changes in this area and promises the following revisions, among others:

• 21-bit encoder: The built-in encoder offers a resolution of 21 bits, resulting in a resolution of over two million data points.
• Real-time torque sensing: The bases feature a torque sensor that detects the user’s steering movements. According to MOZA, it has an accuracy of 0.1 percent. It is said to offer a frequency of 2 kHz and further increase the precision of the force feedback.
• Zero-cogging flat wire motor: According to MOZA, the built-in motor offers improvements over its predecessors and was designed by MOZA specifically for use in sim racing. This is said to result in particularly low cogging and make it extremely precise, yet smooth at the same time.
• MOZA’s Advanced New Force Feedback Algorithm: The underlying force feedback algorithm has also been revised. According to MOZA, it has been further refined for the new generation of bases and should now enable even more realistic force feedback experiences.

Many of the points mentioned are, of course, an improvement on paper. The question is whether the changes will also be noticeable in practice. And here, the conclusion is quickly clear. As expected, the new R21 and R25 Ultra DD Wheel Bases from MOZA are not revolutionary, but they do bring force feedback significantly further ahead of the rest of the current lineup. The bases require less damping, offer even finer details, and even when operating at full power, the temperature always remains within comfortable limits (maximum hand-warm). The maximum torque of 21 and 25 Newton meters, respectively, are explicitly not peak values, but can be accessed over a longer period of time, lap after lap. With these two new wheel bases, MOZA has arrived in the high-end segment and has absolutely no reason to shy away from the competition. The bases are extremely fun to use right from the start, and the profiles provided give you a good basis for the appropriate force feedback settings right from the outset. The reduced damping now provides even more direct feedback, enabling more precise handling. Cogging is absolutely not an issue, and with the right settings, oscillation is either non-existent or very minimal.

The maximum force delivered is more than sufficient for 99 percent of all applications. Above all, the strength of the two bases is more likely to fall into the category of “nice to have rather than necessary.”

LFE (Low Frequency Effects) and sound effects

The excellent force feedback is also underscored by the expansion of the usable frequency range. This enables additional subtle effects in the low frequency range in iRacing, for example. This applies to engine vibrations, for example, which provide an extremely immersive experience when starting the car and feel very realistic. Compared to the MOZA R12 we tested recently, the base offers even finer details here, which are also noticeable with curb or slip effects.

In addition, the new generation base has another feature: when switched on, it can play various start-up sounds through its own vibration. This is a feature that would probably not have been possible with the first generation of MOZA bases.

Driving impression

Conclusion

The new R21 and R25 Ultra DD Wheel Bases from MOZA are not only extremely interesting products on paper. The R21 Ultra DD in particular offers excellent value for money and, apart from USB passthrough, has all the features you could want from a modern direct drive base. Added to this are goodies such as the well-designed software with an extremely wide range of settings and the built-in LED strips. The new R21 and R25 Ultra DD Wheel Bases are therefore not only recommended for MOZA fans, but could also be a real alternative for other sim racers who are looking for an absolute high-end base.

5% Sim-Motion Gutscheincode / Coupon code: simracingpc-5