Logitech MOMO Racing Wheel And Pedals Set

I started racing on the computer using a keyboard, and I was pretty good with that playing Porsche Unleashed and Rally Masters, but I wanted a wheel. Plus, I got Grand Prix Legends and that virtually requires a wheel or joystick. So a couple years ago I bought a Logitech FF wheel (the red one) and liked it well enough and used it a lot. A whole lot. A week ago the shifter buttons started acting up, skipping gears. I look into fixing it but it requires soldering circuit boards and such, so I decided to spring for the new Logitech Momo Force.

Okay, maybe that's just the way I justified spending a big whack of money on a new toy, but the real question is, is the wheel worth the money?

First off, I gotta say it looks great. Great may be an understatement. The wheel's motor and bearings are housed in a hefty plastic base with a very secure and easy to use clamping system. The wheel is a real, honest-to-leather Momo wheel (Momo has been making wheels for Ferrari and other cars for decades) and looks and feels fantastic. The shifter paddles are metal, and the buttons on the front of the wheel (6 in all) are substantial and good-looking. The pedal base is also a substantial red plastic piece, with a large metal skid plate in front of the pedals. The pedals themselves are metal-covered plastic, and look like they'll stand up to plenty of use. So it looks great, and it looks tough. But looks aren't everything; in fact they're nothing if the wheel doesn't work well. So let's hook it up and try it.

Right away things look good; the clamps are easy to use and screw the wheel down tight. My old Logitech would sometimes come loose after a vigorous battle on twisty roads, but the Momo stays tight. I'm finding that just the two clamps at the rear are more than enough. If you want overkill, though, here's an additional bolt you can use at the front of the housing (if you want to drill through your desk); Logitech even includes a paper template so you can drill the hole accurately. I really can't imagine needing it. I've heard some people find the tightening screws (which are on the underside of the housing) hit their legs, but I haven't found it to be a problem.

Wires. Time to dip into the snake pit behind my computer. There's a small transformer that provides power to the pedal base a cable that plugs into the steering wheel base, and a USB cable from the steering wheel base to the computer. This does mean draping these cables about so they're not in the way. A bit of a bother but pretty typical. Also typical is the not too firm fit of the power cable into the base, something you have to be careful about. If you're not getting any force feedback, check this cable to make sure you're really plugged in.

Start up the computer and the wheel is recognized by Windows (98SE in my case) and the software from Logitech installs without fuss. I did have a couple problems. One is a centering problem, which is common to many users -- the wheel has to be turned a bit for your cars to go straight. There's a fix for this on Logitech's web site (www.logitech.com) called the "Center Adjustment Utility". You fire this thing up and move the slider to the left or right, then apply the change. It works, but it's annoying to have to do it. Annoying in my case because I only have this centering problem with Porsche Unleashed and not with Grand Prix Legends, so I have to use the utility whenever I switch games. It's not a killer, but it shouldn't be necessary. The other annoying problem I had was, so far, a one time event. I'd raced with both games for a bit, then, upon going back to Porsche Unleashed, the wheel was extremely off-center and wouldn't respond enough to the Center Adjustment Utility. I fixed it by removing all the Logitech software from my computer and "removing" the wheel using Control Panel/System/device manager, then reinstalling it all. It's worked okay since with no reoccurrence for several days now -- even after playing both games. Again, not a killer, but annoying.

On to the critical part, gameplay. It's very good. The wheel has no slop, turns smoothly, and the shifters are easy to reach and shift smoothly and positively. The buttons aren't the easiest to reach, unfortunately. The top two on each side are a bit of a stretch for me, and the bottom one is even more so. If you've got long fingers you may have no problem at all, women and kids may find it hard. The lack of slop in the wheel is great, especially compared to my old Logitech wheel with its plastic bushings. That one rattled like crazy, and the noise from the plastic housing was a bit much. Driving a rally game produced one heck of a racket. The Momo is far better here. Although the force feedback mechanism is apparently more or less the same in the Momo, the better bearings and far heftier housing quiets the noise down a lot.

I've never used one of the super high-end wheels, like the TSW, but this Momo feels awfully good to me. The wheel is smooth and the force feedback is excellent The pedals are fine; they pivot and they have different rate springs, which makes the brake feel much more natural, which is always a problem on a computer racing game. Until they come up with force feedback for brake pedals, this one probably does as good a job of attempting to replicate real feel as you can reasonably expect from a computer game.

In short, the Logitech Momo Force is expensive, but worth it. Mind you, at a minimum of $140+ plus shipping (street price), it's considerably more than most other wheels. But then it's considerably cheaper than super high-end wheels like the TSW. Logitech looked at the market and plopped the Momo right in the middle ground between the plastic-fantastic wheels most people use and the extremely pricey non-force feedback high-end. I think they've got a winner. If you've got the money, and you like racing games, I'd say go for it. You'll have a loads of fun with it, and it's sturdy enough it will probably save you money in the long run.