It's going to be a wee bit more refined / smoother flying and jump a wee bit higher.kitesurfer007 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 29, 2021 5:05 am10M XR6 vs 10M XR7, would it be a noticeable replacement?
It's going to be a wee bit more refined / smoother flying and jump a wee bit higher.kitesurfer007 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 29, 2021 5:05 am10M XR6 vs 10M XR7, would it be a noticeable replacement?
Coming off my GTS4's I was curious about bar pressure. Having ridden both my 9 and 12 XR7's bar pressure in my view is slightly more on default settings. Not even worth mentioning in my view.alford wrote: ↑Thu Dec 30, 2021 7:40 pmSeveral years ago I demoed a 13.5m XR5. I thought the bar pressure was light to medium compared to my Rally. Several here have mentioned the high bar pressure on the XR7. Was my impression of the XR5 wrong or has the b.p. increased over the subsequent iterations? I know it's a somewhat subjective question but I'd love to hear some opinions. Thanks
You have to compare apples to apples. By that I mean the XR is a big-boosting, higher aspect, delta bow shaped kite. Most manufactures have a kite like this in their lineup, so the XR should be compared to those kites. As far as big air kites go, the XR has medium to light bar pressure (depending on how you set it on the wingtip) and is quite fast turning for this style kite.alford wrote: ↑Thu Dec 30, 2021 7:40 pmSeveral years ago I demoed a 13.5m XR5. I thought the bar pressure was light to medium compared to my Rally. Several here have mentioned the high bar pressure on the XR7. Was my impression of the XR5 wrong or has the b.p. increased over the subsequent iterations? I know it's a somewhat subjective question but I'd love to hear some opinions. Thanks
I'm a little heavier than you at 70kg but have kited in similar conditions (according to the weather station it was gusting 50 but on the water it felt more like high 30s). I like the 7m XR6. Its slow enough that it doesn't feel like a buzzy wasp (I kited one day on a 10m foil kite and then the next on the 7m and it didn't feel like it took me long to get in tune with it).lizards wrote: ↑Mon Jan 10, 2022 11:32 pmI’ve had 2 sessions on my 7m xr6 now and am not completely loving it. I am 65 kilos, the first session was in 30 kts gusting 50, which is the maximum conditions I will go out in, the second time started at 20kts so I would say the minimum needed for me on a 7m but it picked up to 25 so really ideal for my weight at this size.
Both of these sessions were gustier than average but my number one complaint is that the xr does not seems to eat gusts like my switchblades do and instead get transmitted right through to me. I’m not a heavy guy so expected to get knocked around when overpowered still felt like I was getting unusually knocked around even when I was properly powered and even underpowered.
I think this has to do with the kites exceptional jumping and how gusts really make it surge forward. I’ve never before had the feeling of accelerating even faster through the second half of your jump ascension than you did the first half since a gust hit you on the way up.
My old 7m was an old cabrinha velocity which is also high aspect. I never loved that kite either because it was so quick I felt like it was easy to make mistakes, especially in terms of keeping it perfectly positioned above you on bigger jumps (for me over 20ft/7m but rarely 30ft/10m). I have these same too-quick problems with the new xr as I did With the old velocity.
This leaves me having to kite more conservatively because I’m not as comfortable with it as I am with the switchblades. I fully appreciate this has to do with my own skill shortcomings and not the kite’s.
When I can jump so high with so little effort it leaves me in a place where I feel like I’m not working on my technique at all and also it’s a challenge to keep such a small kite positioned perfectly above you through the entire duration of the jump and I have a lot more hot and imperfect landings than normal.
There is a good chance I will never find a 7m kite I will like because they will always feel too quick to me, however I went with the xr because I felt like 5 struts and high aspect would be the slowest option.
That being said I would still consider getting a different 7m that’s eats the gusts a bit better, just thought the xr was supposed to have that reputation. Maybe I’m better off with a jumping oriented all arounder like the switchblades or the other Evo I have. Interested to hear others thoughts.
I have a quiver of XR's and a quiver of Switchblades, and I have to agree with you that the Switchblades eat up the gusts better, although the XR is no slouch in this area. It's hard to beat the Switchblade's stability in the sky - which is one reason that kite is so very good for beginner kiters.lizards wrote: ↑Mon Jan 10, 2022 11:32 pmI’ve had 2 sessions on my 7m xr6 now and am not completely loving it. I am 65 kilos, the first session was in 30 kts gusting 50, which is the maximum conditions I will go out in, the second time started at 20kts so I would say the minimum needed for me on a 7m but it picked up to 25 so really ideal for my weight at this size.
Both of these sessions were gustier than average but my number one complaint is that the xr does not seems to eat gusts like my switchblades do and instead get transmitted right through to me. I’m not a heavy guy so expected to get knocked around when overpowered still felt like I was getting unusually knocked around even when I was properly powered and even underpowered.
you probably flow XR with maximum depower at your weight and this kite flies shit when depower to max (probably like every other kite) steering lines are slack, kite has problem to maintain its shape.