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Re: Core riot xr2 10m

Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 1:55 am
by robertovillate
jb

Are you using the new Sensor bar (with recall improvement)? Any comments about the bar.

I have been using the ESP bar for a few years and really like it. The Sensor looks like it could be very nice with the centerline & depower cleat changes, and elimination of the mini-5th line. I am curious about the ease of use of the power adjuster, performance of the safety system in high load conditions, and also abrasion on the line from the cleat.

fyi/ I did a few mods on my ESP bar, the most significant of which was retrofitting an outside line with OSR ring/handle. I like systems that have some redundency and would probably do this to the Sensor as well...any thoughts about this?

thanks
rv

Re: Core riot xr2 10m

Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 5:31 pm
by jb8431
Hey Roberto,

Overall performance of the sensor bar is excellent and huge improvement over the ESP bar in my opinion
The depower line through bar with front to back orientation reduces torque on the bar when cranking a turn.All of my core kites turn faster and easier with this bar. Even my GT which I still love to fly. Plus you can stradle the middle line between fingers when one hand riding. The above the bar cleat is excellent and depowers at 2:1 ratio because of the dual line guide in the depower system. It is the easiest cleat to undo and you can adjust the power in nuking winds with 2 fingers....no joke...this is a stand out feature for me it make adjusting power so easy. I did not like the ESP pull/pull strap, there is too much friction in it and it was a pain to depower in light wind for me plus the friction on the ESP webbing wore out and broke on me. the twist release is great and I like it better than push because on all push releases I have accidentally deployed and once in mid air ( pretty scary). This system is not going to do that and I haven't yet. And I have ridden a lot with it. So, no worries in your mind on that one.

The recall was not a clear to me, but for some reason over time the metal ring that went over the release pin was not suitable long term. Core replaced with a line loop that goes over the pin instead and a larger diameter pin.

Re: Core riot xr2 10m

Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 7:06 am
by robertovillate
jb,

Thanks for the detailed response. I suppose someone could start a thread titled "In search of the elusive perfect bar". There seem to be quite a few good bars on the market these days but they all seem to have some deficiency. So I think the best thing is to be aware of the idiosyncracies and for riders to detail these observations candidly as you have done.

IMO the sign of a good company is the one which listens to this feedback and makes changes to improve. Maybe nobody or nothing is "perfect" in this world but it's usually possible to make things better. I hope and I'll be intrested to see if Core takes this to heart.

I wonder if there is a solution to the G-loop/donkey dick issue that can be fixed on our own? This seems like fairly important problem.

Your observations about the Sensor make a lot of sense - and some of these things are reason for concern. I know it;s frustrating to feel like ideas and concerns are shrugged off, or to get inadequate response to these concerns. I think some companies try to make too many changes year, reinventing the wheel only to create new problems without proper field testing...and then some companies focus on a design that is planned to last for 2-3 years and they have a hard time to make improvements until the next generation is ready for manufacturing. Again, not a perfect world I guess.

(sorry if this is somewhat off topic)
re: OSR retrofit - I respect your opinion on this, and not disagreeing or arguing with with you - but please understand the following. I've only resorted to this method a few times, usually with smaller kites in very strong winds which were unexpected when I did not have anyone to help me land + kiting in on-shore winds + high tide/no beach with no way to self land + need to land the kite ASAP (before I am 75m from shore).

I know from experience that the kite will spin around the outside line as it comes down and I take this reality into consideration. (I've been kiting since 2000 and until 2006 almost all kites had OSR - good and/or bad as that might seem). While it may not be the perfect solution I feel that in some of these rare situations I would rather let the kite spin a little as it comes down than to try to self-land it when and where it might be impossible. The other condition of choosing this method is when I might be riding in an on-shore wind and I will switch my leash connection with an extra leash while well off-shore and then execute the QR process (again) well offshore so the kite will spin & land in the water well before I get to the shoreline (as mentioned above). Because the bar will slide up the single outside line and takes the other 3 lines with it I then really only have one line in the water to worry about in the first moments. If I need to release completely I still have that option as well.

I've seen a lot of the new-gen kites now rigged with centerline safety systems hang in the air after QR in high wind situations - so that's one reason for my lack of 100% trust in it. I guess one should not have 100% trust in anything. Again, I only go into the OSR mode on rare occasions...and I do not like the idea of eliminating my choices by having only one system to "kill" the kite. Maybe this is a matter of personal preference and judgement, maybe old habit (good or bad). I do not preach that others should do this, and if they choose to do so they should be well versed on it/and practice it for the experience of what to expect. So doing this is somewhat of a last choice - for one reason because the mess of lines can take an hour to sort afterward.

cheers
RV

Re: Core riot xr2 10m

Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 12:13 pm
by rocktor
How is relaunch and upwind abilities of the XR2? I am getting a good deal on XR with ESP bar. Is it worth getting the XR2 and sensor bar or grabbing a great deal on XR is a good idea? Anyone has flown them both? Thanks.

P.s. I am talking more for a 10/12 quiver

Re: Core riot xr2 10m

Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 2:21 pm
by epaschalis
Xr2 is way better. Faster and less bar pressure. Power is the same. Upwind ability more improved in xr2 due to better profile.

Get the xr2 with sensor bar. These kites are to keep for more than a year and preferably should be the newest models.