tested: Rhino6 18 + 20

[Toby]

if you have a R2 20, keep it until it is dead.
It still is an awesome kite.

For anyone without R2 20, they can buy a R6 20 to have similar performance.

But above IS a review of a R6 20 in compariosn to the R2 20...

Greets
Toby

[Puetz]

G'day,

I got my R06 20m finally, picked it up and raced down to the beach, but typical, no wind and a new kite. Wind was 5 knots so I thought I would fly it anyway, just to look at it.

The colours are not as they have shown on Norths website or even in their brochures, I assume its because the panel layout is different to 16m and below. Mine is blood red canopy with black LE/struts which looks plain but the combination is good IMO.

I had to modify the lines on the bar, ie I took the ring thing off and attached the front lines straight to pully, as I opend the bag for the first time, the instructions were right there, took 2 minutes so not too bad.

Pumped the kite up, I was alittle concerned at the pressure I had to pump it up too, 10 psi seemed high so I think I will calibrate the gauge with another guage, just to see if they are the same, it seemed a high pressure, much more than I usually pumped my kites up too. I found 8 (10 psi recommended) for struts and 5 (6 psi recommended) for the LE, again, I assume the gauge is ok. More on this when I checked it out.

Flew the kite and the first impressions is easy to turn and rock steady in the sky, even in 5 knots of wind. I assume the steadiness is a combination of things, one major part being the battened cam things on the leading edge and canopy. As much as I pulled the kite back and forth in the sky, steady canopy shape, my other kites flap about, distort and so on. Again, all this is in light winds, but it is the first thing I found different to my Naish X4.

With a much narrower bar compaired to my X4, I was surprised the kite turned so easy, quicker than I was led to believe, I think it flies quicker, I will rig both kites one day and try a direct comparisons, maybe I will borrow a friends Rhino 04 20m and compare the 3 of them.

I tried the safety and it worked so until I have a further tests in real wind, we'll see how it works.

I have only ever owned Naish Kites so going to North was a bit of a change for me, time will tell but for now, first impressions is the kite it good, I will keep you posted when I get to try out on the water.

Cheers for now,

Robert.

[Morfin]

So Robert, what are your reviews for your R06 Rhino 20m. You have flown it by now im sure....or not.

[Puetz]

G'day again,

well we had a big big dry spell, no wind for ages, worst in years, its over now and I have been enjoying the Rhino 20.

First of all, the Rhino 06 is faster than any other 20 I've flow, and I admit its not many but for a 20 its very fast, especially with the narrow bar. If I put a longer bar on, it would turn super fast. I found the kite would travel across the window faster too, so combined faster kite and faster turning, translated to better jumps. I don't think I have them dialled yet but I feel I have better hang time, and as a consequence my timing is out on spinning style jumps.

I haven't sailed my Naish X4 20 and the Rhino 06 20's back to back yet but the differences are big enough to know for sure, better hang time, better upwind on the Rhino, and streets ahead on the Rhino 04 20m, and light years ahead of a Wipika 20 '03 model not sure, I've got a Gaastra Phonix 25, the only thing it has on the Rhino is its hang time can be longer but no where near as high, with the extra height on the Rhino, it evens out so the 25 and the 20 are similar, if the Phonix went higher than ofcourse the hang is longer.

Today I had a good run, I'd say in the middle of its range, no depower and I found I went upwind better than I normally would. In fact I didn't have to push hard on the rail like I normally did, which ment I could ease off and sail more upright and therefore less stress on the legs and knees, if I had too, really push hard I could go higher and the kite let me. With this easing off, I could sail faster and therefore jump higer. A few times I went into a back spin and found myself still in the air 1 or 1.5m too high and ended up over rotating, now I have to get used to slowing down the spinns.

The big payoff for me now is that in light winds, I used the micro hook and stay on the plane, infact a little while ago, the wind dropped, but I maintained my ground but was using the micro hook more (not used to it yet but learning) with 10 12 foot jumps. When I stopped, I took a look at the wind and realised it was lighter than I would normally sail, some of my friends looked at the wind and left again thinking it was too light, they were right but I found myself very surprised at how I actually kept going. Basically, what I'm getting at is the bottom end is better than I expected and better than anyother kite I've tried.

The cam battens are doing there job, the kite feels very stable even in way too less wind than I should be even trying to sail. I couldn't put my finger on why the kite was so stable until I could see compaired to others flying and no ripples or fluttering while idling at the zenith, where as the others where wobbling alittle. I reckon it was overall stability and the cams where a good contribution.

One complaint I have and that is with the bar, and to be fair its only people like me that it affects. I'm 6'5" with big hands, when I hold onto the bar, I seem to spred my hands abit, so my thumb touch the chicken loop, with my little finger touches the bar ends. When I go for a big jump or need to pull hard for a quick turn, the bar ends rub on my little fingers, and if I pull really hard and the leading hand slips, the little finger really pushes hard on the bar ends, I never had that on my Naish bars, from the X4 20, 16 and 12 (I don't count my sons 5.5 AR5, I only use that when I'm teaching him). This is a minor thing and I think unique to me, maybe someone else know what I'm saying. I would like to try with a wider bar and see what happens.

This kite is fast turing, easy to turn but luckily not too fast so accidential bar input doesn't cause trouble, I found the Wipika Matrix much easier to turn but it did have a wider bar, the Naish X4 is much harder to turn and the Rhino 04 way too slow, but easy enough. For me, I don't mind alittle pressure on my arms, and there maybe easier turning kites out there but if its too easy you can over steer and stuff up your tricks.

One more thing I found, if I pulled the bar fully on, and used the micro bar, the kite flared alittle but not enough to kill the power or speed of the kite, this is great as all the other kites I have tried would stall and slow down, infact as you only pull the bar because you need that little extra power and it delivers, with the Naish and others the kite would slow down, I found the Rhino would fall back alittle but still pull upwind, I love this as you would tend to do this in light wind.

If I work out more on the kite I will post more, I've had afew brews so I may not have come across to elequently (shit I'm hopeless at spelling) this time.

Conclusion is its a great kite and I love it so far. Thanks Ken Winner for a good product.

Cheers for now,

Robert.

[fat blokes can fly]

Needs to be compared back to back with the previous light wind master!
The 20m rhino2!!!

[Puetz]

G'day again,

I got to learn about the top end of the kite. Performance is outstanding, I was comfortable up to 20 knots, occasionally I would be pulled off my edge but thats when I was getting aggressive with it. Upwind was way better than all other 20 and 25m kites I've used. I had the depower only pulled 1/3, I still had 2/3 to go so I don't know what sort of top end I will get out of this kite, I will post when I find out.

Jumping was absolutely and utterly brilliant, man the hang in stronger winds is massive, again, way better than all other 20 and 25m kites I've tried. I'm used to the small bar now and I think Ken has got it right.

This is one awesome kite.

Regards Robert.

[bordy]

I Tried my new Rhino6 20 meters,
gusty wind 12-18 knots
I found it very very powerful..
HUGE lift and LOOONG hang time.
I found it as fast as my old rhino4 20m..(even if he old bar was bigger..).
I had to tie a knot close to the red plastic ball to make the 5th element a little bit shorter(it was too long in my opinion..loosened..)
Amazing kite.. I had fun!
good job North!

[fat blokes can fly]

Puetz,bordy have either of you ever tried the rhino 2 20m. The rhino 4 20m is not a good comparison as it was not a good kite, infact it the rhino 4 20m is one of the worst 20m's I've owned!
thanks

[Morfin]

What about the low end of the kite. When you were riding the 12 knots....how did it feel?

[Puetz]

G'day,

keep in mind, I'm 120 kg, in 12 knots I'm up and running on my FLX132. I used a Wipika SS 125 in similar conditions and no worries although I found the smaller board not as easy upwind. In sub 10 knots I used my Airush Switch 155, I go back and forth but small jumps so not as much fun. But, when 15 - 16 knots, man the jumps are great.

I find the upwind is really awsome for a big kite, and others who have ridden this kite liked it too. I think a 20m kite is for heavy dudes like myself, would be the ones to get the best out of it, especially jumping. Lots of my friends comment on how high I am getting lately, I'm starting to believe them. On one I unintentionally cleared a dude windsurfing, he happened to stop (stalled) right in the middle of a jump and I watched him pass under me, my eyes glued on the top of his mast.

Again, this is the best 20m kite I've ridden, it even rivals my X4 16m and 12m for fun and height.

cheers Robert.