Kiteforum.com

This thread continues to look at the new KITEPROSHOP.com KITEBAR-SYSTEM
(patent pending)

I have no commercial kiteboarding affiliation whatsoever. I copied the following photos & information from the Kiteproshop website. I'm posting it here so the Forum can more easily evaluate the details of this new product.

Because this bar does offer some new safety solutions, I hope you will take the time to study this set up and help critique the design.

I applaud all kite manufactures who develop improved safety systems for our sport. These guys are pushing that envelope further by giving us significantly more depower ability when we need it. For instance, the X2 allows you to choose one of three knots on the leader lines depending on how much depower you want the bar to have. The problem is, you have to make that adjustment ON THE BEACH! The Kiteproshop bar lets you do the same thing but WHILE YOU'RE RIDING. That is huge. Increasing the depower range while on the water is a great step towards better safety. Plus it seems to have some other cool features too.

Anyway, everybody please take a close look at this material and let's discuss it more.

You can find all this and more on their website at:

KITEPROSHOP




<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: phree on 2002-08-13 06:13 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: phree on 2002-08-13 06:19 ]</font>

One suggestion: at the moment, the front line is knotted to the leash. So when it has to go through the bar, the knot might catch. It seems much safer to loop them through eachother (as seen on the manual for the X2 leash).
Cheers
Nico

Seems like a good system,
When you adjust the position of the back line with the balls, can you confirm that you have to do it on both side, and at the same time if not kite won't be ballanced and will spin...
Also I don't know how easy it is to take those red balls out of their positions but if it is too easy I certainly see the potential for unwanted release during spins, grab, falls etc..
And if it is too hard then hard to adjust, it will then be critical to find the proper ballance, hard dillema...
Anyway it is great that more and more products as this one are coming out,
Keep the good work,

latter,,,

Good questions.

I have a question about pulling the trigger to totally release the kite in an emergency. Is there any concern for accidental release?

In the photo it looks like when you pull the first quick release to fully depower the kite, your fingers are very close to where the open loop of the other trigger is. I wonder how easily that pin pulls out? As far as replacing the easily lost pin, I'm sure it's readily available at any hardware store.

a few things:

the ball-sollution just replaces the adjuster which is rigged at every 4-line bar i know.


i think it works well, you got three positions to depower the kite and i don't use more with my adjuster, too (when too powered up, i pull it about half the way. if this is still too much i pull it all the way down)

i don't think that you can release the whole system by accident - the thingie you gotta pull works in upward direction and the release of the shackle works straight towards your belly.

you'll finally get rid of the safety leash without getting rid of the safety system and you'll get a system that'll work well with rotations!

i say: great work!

(gotta try this piece!)

the ball-sollution just replaces the adjuster which is rigged at every 4-line bar i know.

Is that true Toby? I thought the "little black ball" adjustment was similar to the standard brake line adjustment strap and that the red balls on the end of the bar provided EVEN MORE depower options.

This is a very basic and important aspect of this bar. It doesn't just give us a different way of achieving the same amount of depower. It gives us what we're already used to and then gives us even more depower if we want. Correct Toby?

It would be great if Toby or somebody else familiar with this bar could jump into the discussion and answer some of the questions that have come up so far.

As I see and read it the red balls replace the standard single depower strap.The standard single adjuster won't work as the two front lines are independant and one of them has to slide thru the bar to make the saftey work.
BoB

Phree - how can you adjust the position of the little black ball on the fly with power going through the front line.
Come on - think about it.
The adjustment is on the back lines only while the kite is in the air. It is a "thinking outside the box" solution, the only problem I can see is that the ball system may slip causing the kite to steer to one side. There does not seem to be any positive lock for the ball, it relies on the line being tight & we all know this is not always the case when powered up.

Radman