Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

Honest Toro2 Reviews (please)

Forum for kitesurfers
Hernan
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 734
Joined: Tue Aug 13, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Honest Toro2 Reviews (please)

Postby Hernan » Mon Jun 09, 2003 5:35 pm

These kites are hitting the market and reciving not so good comments at this forum.
Lets post some users reviews at this thread.

stormrider
Medium Poster
Posts: 75
Joined: Tue Aug 13, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Cornwall
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby stormrider » Mon Jun 09, 2003 9:27 pm

The Toro II turns very fast, goes upwind well and has a very good upper wind range. It is a very good kite for wave riding.
Downpoints are that this kite behaves not very reliable at the lower end of its wind range (stalling, on-off power) and develops no lift at all.
To be honest, I swaped back to the Toro I which is much better all-round kite. My strong recommendation to North is to back to the roots and produce a kite for the masses and not a hang-time machine with no range and a depower-wonder with no lift. Hopefully they will survive this season with not too many disappointede customers like me.

Hernan
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 734
Joined: Tue Aug 13, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby Hernan » Mon Jun 09, 2003 11:45 pm

stormrider wrote:Downpoints are that this kite behaves not very reliable at the lower end of its wind range (stalling, on-off power) and develops no lift at all.
This no lift issue, happends at its low end or always?

Dwight has said that the T2 jumps better (easier) than the Rhino with a little less hangtime, as its lower AR suggest.

I have used it (14) once, we are offseason here, cold, no wind. I don't like it very much. Very easy to stall, I can't get any decent jump but the wind was very gusty and I wasn't kiting very often. (everything turns wired).
I'm just planning a trip to a kitespot and have some doubts about travelling with this kite or exchanging it for something else. (perhaps my old and sweet X2)

User avatar
pitlisa
Frequent Poster
Posts: 215
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Luxembourg
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby pitlisa » Tue Jun 10, 2003 9:58 am

Hi Hernan;

I completely agree to stormrider, concerning the Toro2. Concerning the low-end of my 18Toro2 (me:90kg), wasn't able to go upwind 13-15knots(even with the Cabrinha powerlock bar).
So I took my old 11.5Arx, and had a better session than on my Toro2.
I tried every possible line set-up's, but no chance. When the backlines were to tight, it was immediately over sheeting, so I adjusted the strap so that the tips were parallel, but then no power at all. Concering higher wind, I had the feeling I could hold it nearly as long as my 11.5ARX.
But as Hernan said, there also some good aspects about that kite:
- for that size, good quick turning
- easy steering
- very smooth in the turns
- good depower

So Hernan, I hope I could help you and by the way, I still believe in North, as I ordered a new 20Rhino2 in hope to get the low-end power I want. But if I get disappointed again, I was for sure my last North kite.

Cheers
Mich

Vito
Medium Poster
Posts: 55
Joined: Tue Feb 11, 2003 3:26 pm
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Argentina
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby Vito » Tue Jun 10, 2003 2:22 pm

I also use my Toro2 18 for the first time and have exactly the same feelings. The kite stall continously with low wind. I couldnt try all the possible settings, and still hope to find a way to make this machine work. Anyway the first impression was very sad, as I see all my friends (lighter than me) riding on 14 an 16 kites, and I couldnt get out with my 18.
VITO.-

Ozone Kites AUS
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2781
Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2002 1:00 am
Weight: 75kg
Local Beach: Lennox Head, NSW, Australia
Favorite Beaches: There is a reason I live in Lennox Head.
Style: Old Coot. strapped surfboard
Gear: Ozone 6/8/10/12 Reo V7, 10/14 Enduro v4, Zephyr V7, Edge V12 10M, Alpha V2 8/14M, Firewire Vanguard 5'2" and Evo 5'1" and Delta Designs ReVamp 5'9" couple of custom Blacksheep surfboards Mystic Stealth harness and stealth rope slider.
Brand Affiliation: Ozone, AxisFoils, Armstrong, Core, Cabrinha, Slingshot, North
Location: Australia
Has thanked: 8 times
Been thanked: 9 times
Contact:

Postby Ozone Kites AUS » Thu Jun 12, 2003 8:17 am

Vito wrote:I also use my Toro2 18 for the first time and have exactly the same feelings. The kite stall continously with low wind. I couldnt try all the possible settings, and still hope to find a way to make this machine work. Anyway the first impression was very sad, as I see all my friends (lighter than me) riding on 14 an 16 kites, and I couldnt get out with my 18.
VITO.-
All my customers reckon it is a huge improvement on last years Toro. I have sold about 40 toro 2's, and no customers are complaining.'
All kites I sell come with the bar and lines already set up by us.
I suspect some people are expecting an 18M kite to fly well in fluctuating light winds. If the wind drops to 5/6knots nearly every kite will begin to show signs of not having enough wind to fly properly, but who can kite in these conditions anyway.
One person says his toro 18 will not power him upwind in 12 knots, but we need to know a lot of other things about this day.
Like what size of board? What size of person? Winds steady of fluctuating?
Any current in the water? Kite flying experience of the rider? Etc.

In light winds I always trim the kite in a bit on the strap/cleat as this makes the kite fly faster, and I always sheet out at the bottom of a power stroke to get the kite to fly as fast as possible against gravity to the top of the power stroke.
The one thing the toro 2 does not like is to be oversheeted in light winds, trim it in a couple of inches on the strap, you will see a big difference especially if you actively sheet in and out, in on a down stroke and out after the kite is pointing up again.
Toros are awesome kites.

babe
Rare Poster
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2003 9:39 am
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby babe » Thu Jun 12, 2003 9:43 am

We have the same problem with toro2 18. We tested this kite on diff. days into different conditions with four kiters and different boards. Furthermore we have flew the kite to all diff. setuppoints. none of us could drive upwind with this toro2 18size. However the 18 toro2 pulls only moderately (you expects more from a kite in this size). When we brakes the kite over the board-edged, the kite loose dramatically the power in the front windwindow. Unfortunately we are all agreeing that the size 18 does not work. Other sizes from toro the 2 series like 10.12 and 14 are very, very good kites and make a lot of fun.

User avatar
twannie
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 505
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2003 1:00 am
Local Beach: Mui ne ,Vietnam. Cadzand bad,Netherlands
Style: freeride
Gear: Ozone,Dakine,Axis
Brand Affiliation: Ozone,Axis,Dakine
Location: Mui ne, Ozone ,Axis
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0
Contact:

Postby twannie » Thu Jun 12, 2003 11:05 am

yep i agree on steve.

I give lessons with the toro2 and ride them myself sometimes.
they need to be fine tuned. They don't like backline tension.
And they need a bit more wind to fly.Don't compare these kites with high performance kites like r2 x3 lift pro....

greeet twan :bye:

waiting4wind
Rare Poster
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby waiting4wind » Thu Jun 12, 2003 11:08 am

I have to agree with most comments on the Toro II 18m2 -i.e. it doesn;t work. I have used it three times in conditions from 11-15 knots. (I am 84 kgs on a 145x38 Fanatic Board). Below 12 knots it doesn't work very well at all. Above it, it pulls like a train downwind, no matter how hard I edge. Depowering causes it to stall. Steve's comments about pulling in the trim strap a little in light winds are true, as it turns faster when depowered. It seems to be impossible to jump - there is no lift when the kite is sent back.
I also have Toro I kites - 8 and 12 and they're great.
Last edited by waiting4wind on Mon Jun 16, 2003 9:26 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Jordanis3r
Frequent Poster
Posts: 204
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: london , UK
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Postby Jordanis3r » Thu Jun 12, 2003 12:35 pm

having ridden toro's i am looking to get toro II's over aero II or even storm II's - was looking at getting a 12 and 16 - i am 78 k intermediate kiter / weekend warrior :D board is around the 150 mark (or will be:D)

comments ? - i use a naish x2 bar 27m lines


Return to “Kitesurfing”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Abaltasis, Aberdovy kiter, andylc, arjas, Bartolo, Bing [Bot], Clem, decay, htsc, macguffin, wrogu, Yahoo [Bot] and 390 guests