EMAX RS1606

What it pulls

EMAX’s own bench test, one line per prop. Drag across the chart to move the throttle; the model above follows.

What you get

• 1 kg on 4S

  At 16.8 V the 4000KV pulled 1,027 g at full throttle on an HQ DP4 × 4.3 × 3, drawing 34 A; the 3300KV pulled 875 g on the same prop at 23.7 A.

  Source: EMAX 4000KV test report (16.8 V), EMAX 3300KV test report (16.8 V)

• Between 14xx and 22xx

  EMAX made the 1606 for 3 to 4-inch quads, which it says were stuck between 14xx motors and heavy 22xx motors, and for frames carrying HD cameras such as a RunCam Split.

  Source: EMAX USA product page

• 4 g/W at 40%

  At 12.6 V on a DALPROP T4045 the 3300KV made 122 g at 40% throttle, at 4.03 g/W.

  Source: EMAX 3300KV test report (12.6 V)

What to pair it with

Our reading of EMAX’s numbers, so your build matches what the motor was tested with.

ESC

On EMAX’s bench the 3300KV drew up to 25.1 A and the 4000KV up to 37 A, both on a GF4052 at 12.6 V; on 4S the 4000KV drew 34 A on the HQ DP4 × 4.3 × 3. A 30 A ESC covers the 3300KV; the 4000KV needs 40 A. (EMAX 3300KV test report (12.6 V), EMAX 3300KV test report (16.8 V), EMAX 4000KV test report (12.6 V), EMAX 4000KV test report (16.8 V))

Props

3 to 4-inch props, per EMAX. It tested 4-inch props at 12.6 V, where the GF4052 pulled most, and 3 and 4-inch props at 16.8 V, where the HQ DP4 × 4.3 × 3 pulled most. (EMAX USA product page, EMAX 3300KV test report (12.6 V), EMAX 3300KV test report (16.8 V), EMAX 4000KV test report (12.6 V), EMAX 4000KV test report (16.8 V))

Battery

3S–4S. EMAX tested both KVs at 12.6 V and 16.8 V and gives the max thrust on 4S. (EMAX USA product page, EMAX 3300KV test report (12.6 V), EMAX 3300KV test report (16.8 V), EMAX 4000KV test report (12.6 V), EMAX 4000KV test report (16.8 V))

Frame

Four M2 holes, 12 × 12 mm. (EMAX USA product page)

Where to buy

• EMAX USAthe maker’s US store; same price for both KVs (both listed as sold out)
  $12.99seen Oct 19, 2026
  Visit
• EMAXthe maker’s global store; 3300KV at this price, 4000KV at $20.00 (both listed as out of stock)
  $10.78seen Oct 19, 2026
  Visit

Plain links, not affiliate links. Prices change; the store’s page has the current one.

Full specs

Bench data

Redrawn from EMAX’s test reports. Thrust is static pull on a bench, more than you get in flight. Power is volts × amps; efficiency is thrust divided by power.

Inside the motor

A brushless outrunner: the coils stand still in the middle and the magnets spin around them. From the top down:

• Shaft. M5 prop thread. (EMAX USA product page, EMAX product page)
• Stator. The coils are wound on a stack of thin steel laminations: 16 × 6 mm (1606). (EMAX USA product page, EMAX product page)
• Bearings. 3 × 6 × 2.5 mm. (EMAX USA product page, EMAX product page)
• Base. 4 × M2 holes, 12 × 12 mm. (EMAX USA product page, EMAX product page)

How fast it spins

KV is the motor’s no-load speed per volt. With nothing on the shaft, the 4000KV version reaches about these speeds; a prop loads the motor and brings it down, typically to around 70–75% of these figures at full throttle.

A 12-pole rotor has 6 pole pairs, so every turn of the shaft is 6 electrical cycles, and a six-step ESC switches the phases 36 times per turn.

About the 3D model

A generic outrunner drawn from EMAX’s published sizes: the 16 × 6 mm stator, 20.8 mm bell, 5 mm shaft, 12 mm mounting circle and 9 teeth and 12 magnets. Anything EMAX doesn’t publish is typical for a motor this size, and the bell’s spoked top, the base and the inside are a generic design, not this motor’s. The colours are read off the maker’s product photos. There are no logos or markings: it is our drawing, not the maker’s.

Sources

1. EMAX USA: RS1606 - Brushless Racing Motor (product page, with the spec list and EMAX’s test reports). Retrieved Oct 19, 2026.
2. EMAX: EMAX 1606 RS1606 3300KV 4000KV Brushless Motor 3-4S (product page on EMAX’s global store; the same spec list). Retrieved Oct 19, 2026.
3. EMAX: RS1606-3300KV test report at 12.6 V, four props (image on EMAX USA’s product page). Throttle steps of 30% to 100%; EMAX’s rpm column is left out because it reads “Max” at full throttle.. Retrieved Oct 19, 2026.
4. EMAX: RS1606-3300KV test report at 16.8 V, four props (image on EMAX USA’s product page). Throttle steps of 30% to 100%; EMAX’s rpm column is left out because it reads “Max” at full throttle.. Retrieved Oct 19, 2026.
5. EMAX: RS1606-4000KV test report at 12.6 V, four props (image on EMAX USA’s product page). Throttle steps of 30% to 100%; EMAX’s rpm column is left out because it reads “Max” at full throttle.. Retrieved Oct 19, 2026.
6. EMAX: RS1606-4000KV test report at 16.8 V, four props (image on EMAX USA’s product page). Throttle steps of 30% to 100%; EMAX’s rpm column is left out because it reads “Max” at full throttle.. Retrieved Oct 19, 2026.