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R1 V4 vs VMG2. Who's used both?

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tkaraszewski
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R1 V4 vs VMG2. Who's used both?

Postby tkaraszewski » Sun Mar 21, 2021 5:23 pm

Is the R1 actually much easier to fly? Does the VMG2 have an upwind advantage? Which is more of a pain, the concertina folding or the fiberglass battens?

Anyone used both kites and have thoughts they want to share?

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Pedro Marcos
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Re: R1 V4 vs VMG2. Who's used both?

Postby Pedro Marcos » Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:35 am

Yes the R1 its easier to fly, Yes the vmg2 have upwind advantage (and downwind disavantage) concertina folding in recomended in all kite brands

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SparD
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Re: R1 V4 vs VMG2. Who's used both?

Postby SparD » Mon Mar 22, 2021 10:55 am

Pedro Marcos wrote:
Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:35 am
Yes the R1 its easier to fly, Yes the vmg2 have upwind advantage (and downwind disavantage) concertina folding in recomended in all kite brands
Come on Pedro, I'm sure you can tell us more about this topic :)

I've not flown both kites yet but I have good friends who have (including Pedro ;) )

Biggest difference IMO is windrange, R1v4 have more power than VMG2 on the same sizes but you can hold the VMG2 in much more wind than R1v4.

I have a quiver of R1v3 and tried R1v4, you feel there's more power and the v4 is more rigid but you get overpowered sooner.

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Re: R1 V4 vs VMG2. Who's used both?

Postby evan » Mon Mar 22, 2021 11:49 am

Yes, windrange is indeed the biggest difference. VMG2 has very little base pressure/grunt so it can be forced through powerfull gusts a lot easier and is less physically demanding overall (good if you have a weak back...)

Other big difference is the lack of a brake line on the VMG compared to all other race kites. Meaning you can't pull in the bar to stop the forward motion of the kite which needs some time to get used to and can lead you to drop the kite in the water or other mistakes that you normally can correct by stalling the kite.

Performance wise the differences are a lot smaller, more dependend on how much time a rider has put into that specific kite than the performance of the kite itself. Ozone a slight advantage downwind, FS upwind.
R1V4 is more of a brute force, sheet in and go kite while the VMG2 requires more finesse and feeling on the bar and more focus on speed through the tacks and gybes.

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Pedro Marcos
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Re: R1 V4 vs VMG2. Who's used both?

Postby Pedro Marcos » Mon Mar 22, 2021 1:17 pm

SparD wrote:
Mon Mar 22, 2021 10:55 am
Pedro Marcos wrote:
Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:35 am
Yes the R1 its easier to fly, Yes the vmg2 have upwind advantage (and downwind disavantage) concertina folding in recomended in all kite brands
Come on Pedro, I'm sure you can tell us more about this topic :)

I've not flown both kites yet but I have good friends who have (including Pedro ;) )

Biggest difference IMO is windrange, R1v4 have more power than VMG2 on the same sizes but you can hold the VMG2 in much more wind than R1v4.

I have a quiver of R1v3 and tried R1v4, you feel there's more power and the v4 is more rigid but you get overpowered sooner.
Yes much more but i was answering the questions asked :)

Indeed the biggest difference is the wind range and the amount of power that is transfered to your harness, which is alot less on the VMG2. Vmg2 likes to be used from medium to top range and R1 on low to medium range, being the upper range very physical now on the V4.

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tkaraszewski
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Re: R1 V4 vs VMG2. Who's used both?

Postby tkaraszewski » Mon Mar 22, 2021 4:13 pm

I’m riding a Mike’s lab bullet 3 and Flysurfer Sonic 3s right now and plan to do my first regattas this summer. After the summer, I may upgrade to dedicated race kites. I’m trying to get the best information I can on the popular models before I make any choices. If you were a relatively beginner racer moving up from the Sonic 3, what would you ride?

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Pedro Marcos
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Re: R1 V4 vs VMG2. Who's used both?

Postby Pedro Marcos » Mon Mar 22, 2021 10:03 pm

I would say keep the sonics until you are pretty confident with your tacks and jibes in every conditions. Then if you like the Flysurfer soft feel try the vmg2.


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