Hier al een review van de 9m2 van de hand van Dwight:
My Review of the 9m...
For anyone who has ridden the R7, you will understand my review better.
The low end grunt like the R7.
A very fast riding speed like the R7. If you love to ride fast, this kite is sweet.
Bar pressure to pull the bar down, is less than any North before it. It is not a no feel bar pressure like some other brands, so people coming from those brands might find it higher. But North riders will like the reduced pressure because they did it while "improving" the direct feel for the kite by a huge amount. If you thought the R7 was direct, the new Rebel is way more direct.
It turns faster than the 9m R7, but slightly slower than the old Rebel 9m.
The top end is way more comfortable/usable than any bow I've flown before due to the steering directness remaining superb at full depower. This also makes it the best wave riding kite North's ever done. You can ride waves at zero power will full direct and fast steering.
The only issue for some testers has been a slight adjustment to the kite loosing a little power when oversheeted under certain conditions. For those kiters, tuning your bar for equal lines with Iron Heart against the bar works well. Don't tune the bar for equal lines in the micro hook. This prevents oversheeting the kite. For most people, just forget it and ride, the kite is sweet.
Construction changes to the ribs were made. The rib bladders remove behind the leading edge thru a zipper, reinforced with a velcro strap. They don't pull out the tips. The vertex rib design is gone. The ribs are fat where hidden behind the leading edge tube, and super thin at the trailing edge. This keeps the rib very stiff with less air pressure, without making a lot of drag. The bonus for me, is less need to top off the ribs with more air pressure each time I kite. The ribs stay hard for weeks. Less pumping, faster rigging for me. Cam battens are gone at the ribs. 3 less battens.
The kite is more lifty and has a lot more energy on tap for boosting.
The kite has a very smooth ride. Smoother than the R7 and another 08 kite I recently tested.
I tested the relaunch a few times to find out how the bungee helps. I am impressed so far. I had no problem relaunching the kite after I dropped it leading edge down, facing me, like we sand a kite on the beach. I think that has been the hardest position a flat bow kite can get in.
Van kiteforum.com
North Rebel 08
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