X-Bow flies great, But.....................................

[cholas]

My 9 meter XBow which I've flown less than ten times developed a stitching failure along the leading edge seam in the same spot where my friends XBow failed and also same as where my Contra 14 also failed.
I don't overinflate and haven't crashed or abused these kites.
I landed a friends Ion2 on the beach and was checking out its' construction quality, it makes Cabrinhas look like tissue paper, his leading edge was rock hard, and the material and seams and sewing all looked like it was built to handle so much more than the Cabs. I flew it yesterday and it had plenty of power and performance in a fluky wind.
Anyway, I just ordered an Ion2, will further evaluate it, and may just make the switch for the entire quiver.
Look out Cabrinha, could be the beginning of a Tsunami of change.

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Yeah, I'm sure this post will cause a huge wave in the kiteboarding world.

Seriously though, I have put my 06' CB 9 through hell and back (like I have replaced the leaders 3 times already due to wear) . While I have snapped one of my lines kiting in 40knot gusts with it, I have never had any problems with stitching.

Maybe give them a phone call, I bet they will hook you up.

[shymac]

Have you took at the New Slingshot Turbo II?

I'm bias of course but kites are really doing well and the construction of the kites could be one of the best on the market. Super clean and super solid. Demo one if you have the chance.

Cheers

[duinkiter_rod]

have you ever seen the stitching of the Ozone Kites????
Those kites look REALLY solid and they really are. the leading edge only could resist a nuclear bomb!!!!

[Galeltic]

my xbox2 hasnt any problem with your
so many times kite crash down water
and it was fine quality to me
also sb1 dont have nay problem !
i think u pumped air up too much so under 7 psi is better than overpsi 7

[Olle71]

Exact same thing happened to me yesterday with my Xbow 9. It landed LE-down, not that hard actually, after a missed transition and the stitching ripped from the LE along two of the struts.

Will contact the local dealer tomorrow since I regard this as a pure manufacturing and/or design weakness. Have seen too many posts on this subject and too many first hand failures to just sit quiet and have it repaired.

Too bad because I really love this kite and the way it handles in the low end as well as nuking end of the wind register, it is my one kite quiver!

I bought the kite in april and it has less than 10 hrs on the water.

NOTE: My SB1 12 has seen 20 times the action and water time and gone through heavy abuse including rock hard crashes on gravel without failure.

[rossc]

Have you took at the New Slingshot Turbo II?

I'm bias of course but kites are really doing well and the construction of the kites could be one of the best on the market. Super clean and super solid. Demo one if you have the chance.

Cheers

I have 2007 Ion2's and 2007 TD2's. The TD2 construction quality is good, but the Ion2 is better. Of course the price you pay for that is the weight. I haven't weighed them, but just from carrying them, I'd bet the 16.5 Ion2 is 1-2lbs heavier than the 17m TD2. The Ion2 flies better and I think it's more stable, but the TD2 is a better ultra low wind kite. Seems to have more grunt on the bottom and it relaunches in 5-6MPH.

I'm not very good at this point, so I do crash kites now and then. I also pump them up HARD and I haven't had any trouble with either the TD2 or the Ions.

[droffats]

This problem has been hammered on numerous times on this forum under Xbows, Contras, even SB 2s. Here is what I posted for the SB 2 (it's not flame bait, but the usual suspects will hit on it):
Lots of stores will sew up the kite for you inexpensively. In the USA, I had a Contra repaired for $80. It sounds like it had the same type of tear.

DROP THE BAR. That is the key to keeping the kite from tearing. When crashing leading edge down, hard and fast, drop the bar before the kite hits the water (or land). The extra tension by holding the bar is just enough to cause the tear. I know when I tore mine I had one hand on the bar as I was trying to steer/save the kite even though it was too late. The other time I've seen this happen it was the same. The guy was trying some move, blew it, and he tried to bring the kite around, and instead, smashed it hard into the water with both hands on the bar.

Cabrinha won't warranty these for anyone who was holding the bar in on the crash. Supposedly, Cabrinha has fixed this weakness in all the new kites starting with the Omega.

Whenever I'm upsidedown/backwards and out of control, I let go. The kite is fine and then gets ready for relaunch. Yeah, yeah, it's obsurd to have to do this and other kites don't require it. True that. That is why the Xbow 3, Contra 3, Omega, upcoming SB 3, and Revolver all have the improved construction.

-Stafford

[Feng]

Cabrinha won't warranty these for anyone who was holding the bar in on the crash.

How Cabrinha is planning to check that the guy was holding the bar in on the crash ?

[ronnie]

Cab Driver and Stafford have now inferred
improper use of the equipment (e.g. crashing kite straight down on LE with bar sheeted in)
as being a reason for Cabrinha to refuse warranty.
Where does this authority come from?
Is it in the manual?
Have Cabrinha Stated somewhere that you must not do this?
One of the Cabrinha Videos shows a kite coming down quite hard on the leading edge.
This sounds like a
(There is a design fault with the kite and we are retrospectively limiting the use of the kite) kind of statement.
If someone goes for a backloop kiteloop and the kite hits the water hard, is that improper use?