Johndango Posted March 24, 2007 Report Posted March 24, 2007 OK so I have read that they are out now... does anyone have any experience on them? I'm not worried about build quality / bag stuff - I know flexi build quality is top! I'm more interested in flying in 5 lines and 4 lines. Does the kite work well out the bag in both modes or does it have to be tuned to death first. How is the low end? and what sort of wind speeds would it get a 70 kilo intermediate rider, 130 / 40 board going in on the 12.5? Also is the production run bigger than last year? I won't be back in the UK till summer and would like to get hold of a 12.5 and 8.5. But if they are going to sell out before then I would have to look at putting a deposit down. But would like to try first any info welcome, cheers Quote
kiteingcolin Posted March 24, 2007 Report Posted March 24, 2007 i have got one being delivered today on demo, 10.5mtr, so i will report on it when we get a bit of wind, the kite is as i say a demo kite and i will have it for a few weeks, anyone can grab a go, if you can get a £10 ryan air flight over i will let you have it for the day, Quote
endorphin Posted March 24, 2007 Report Posted March 24, 2007 Hopefully, anyone in the whole Internet may give us a good wide detailed review concerning the Ion2... This kite is out, to some dealers, since weeks and nobody was able to write any longer detailed reviews... What is the mystic problem of keeping all informations concerning reviews of that kite so secret? There are some very small reviews on http://www.air-head.com, one on overdosekiteboarding.com, a few infos on kiteforum.com and a few infos here. Hope to get my 12,5m Samba-colored Ion2 as soon as possible (estimated to receive the kite in the end of April) and I promise to give you a review as detailed as I can describe it. cheers Tom Quote
Johndango Posted March 24, 2007 Author Report Posted March 24, 2007 i have got one being delivered today on demo, 10.5mtr, so i will report on it when we get a bit of wind, the kite is as i say a demo kite and i will have it for a few weeks, anyone can grab a go, if you can get a £10 ryan air flight over i will let you have it for the day, Great, I'll wait for the reports... I don't fancy the 8 hour stop over in Kabul for the £10 flights back to the UK I have a slingshot link at the moment, and while it is very good in stronger winds, its not so hot in lighter ones and still takes a fair amount of wind to fly in 5 line mode. which is a pity as I have a skim board and the wind needed to fly the link is the same that I can be having fun on my fusion. I did try the fusion and a skimboard, but the wind only had to pick up a knot or two and I was very over powered with a 18.5m kite and a skim so I am looking forward to hearing about the ion Quote
Charles01 Posted March 24, 2007 Report Posted March 24, 2007 i agree with tom, i find that there is a lack of reviews on the internet, it would be good to see more. Quote
Breezer Posted March 24, 2007 Report Posted March 24, 2007 I have got a Ion 2 10.5 but havent been able to fly it yet due to the weather. As soon as I can get out flying with it I will write a post or thread about what I think. Breezer Quote
Airhead Posted March 25, 2007 Report Posted March 25, 2007 Hi Folks, Airhead have a demo 10.5 Ion 2 if anyone would like to come and give it ago just drop us an email or a call...... details at http://www.air-head.com Quote
STONKER Posted March 25, 2007 Report Posted March 25, 2007 Got an 8.5m Ion 2 coming on Tuesday .. Bring on the wind!! Will let you know my thoughts.. Quote
Flexigirl Posted March 26, 2007 Report Posted March 26, 2007 I have ridden the 10.5m ION2 a few times now. I will start by saying that I am the Australian importer for Flexifoil water kites. My new favourite kite is the 10.5m ION2. I'm probably 130kg (20st+) when wet and riding the Flexifoil 130x40 pro board. Been kiting a long time but not really a trick monkey (prefer the speed). Last Saturday was about 20 - 30 knots (gusty) at a flatwater spot. I went out with the 10.5m when the windmeter was showing gusts to just over 30knots. The kite was about 3/4 depowered. I found the kite to be very responsive to bar input. I had to adjust my jump timings from the Atom as the kite popped earlier. After a few yankings off the water i got the timing sorted and found the kite to have good lift and hang (I got some of my biggest jumps ever) the feedback on the bar is really good. I think the bar pressure may be a little bit more than the Atom but not much. The thing i like about the kite is the speed it flys through the air and the amount of power it generates with the apparant wind. It also allows you to scream upwind. The kite loops really powerfully, but the loops are different between 4 and 5 line mode. the 5 line seems to drive the loop more. I think the turn speed is pretty fast (but due to my size, i am used to flying big kites so they all seem fast at this size). The 4 line bridles give a good amount of depower (maybe a little less than the Atom) on the bar action. I have not ridden the 5-line setup as i have only had very gusty conditions to try in. The people who have demoed the kite did like it and all the feedback was extremely positive. Some people prefered the 5-line others the 4-line so it really is down to your personal preferences, style and conditions as to the setup that suits you. I am changing my Atoms for Ion2's. I hope you guys can get out there and test one. If you do then write a review as there is a drastic shortage of independant reviews out there Don't know about relaunch as I didn't get the kite wet. I expect it to be similar to the atom as the guys using it in WA for the launch had no problems in getting the kite up. Quote
zimboflyman Posted March 27, 2007 Report Posted March 27, 2007 I have a kondor07 from Advance kites and it looks almost the same as the ion2 right down to the little arrows of reinforcing on the trailing edge - the concept looks the same as the Ion2 with the 2 diff tunning settings. I've only ridden it once - but here's my review for what it's worth (Kondor not Ion2) http://www.kiteboarder.co.uk/kitesurfing/viewtopic.php?t=17039&highlight=kondor Quote
HelldogBE Posted April 3, 2007 Report Posted April 3, 2007 I currently fly 3 best waroos and got to test the kites last weekend. Wind: 25-30knots, was very powered up on my 9m waroo (only 60kg's and the waroo has rly good lowend, not so good highend) So I thought it was a good time to put the highend to the test: 10.5m Ion2 in Bridled mode. Had to use full depower on the beach, but could hold it half powered in the water. In bridled mode it flew pretty much exactly like my 9m waroo, with the exception that it was 10.5m so while it had same turning speed. It boosted me higher and had more hangtime. Also it was very stable all the time. I a few times going from full power to depower and letting my bar shoot out while the kite zoomed across the window in an attempt to get it inverted or loose its stability. I failed!! Also I have to note that it lacked a bit of drive through turns (like my waroo), wich was really wonderfull as I can send it agressively while waveriding. It's not that it doesn't pull at all, but most of the power only comes when it builds up airspeed in a straight line again. If u tested a bow before u will know what I mean Next up: the 8.5 Ion2 on 5lines, same conditions. Not used to flying 5line Ckites anymore. As far as depower goes, I pulled the depower strap a little as to not oversheet it but I could fly it nearly full power (on the water, had it depowered well on land too). The best comparison to 5line Ion2 would probably be a North Vegas or similar hidepower Ckite. It has really good depower abilities, it definitely doesn't fly like the typical Ckite of 2 years back! T he only thing I had to adapt to was the way the kite jumped. In bow mode u only gotta send it up and its like an elevator, in 5lines u gotta send it back (but it rewards u with a big yank), then up (for hangtime). Turning: god, this is why I wanted to switch back to Ckites for!!! The moment u turn it u get that instant drive, as if it turns on rails Kiteloops:Well I had to try it... and I have to say, the kite that mr. Hadlow loops in the Ion2 vid is no Fusion in disguise!! This kite yanks hard on 5lines. I came in real hot but steady, chickened out at the last second and threw my board behind me instead of keeping it in front of me!! Conclusion: this is the REAL hybrid! wanna fly Ckite with lots of depower? Wanna fly a bowkite because u like to waveride, ride skim or big waveboards, got gusty conditions?? AND always have very good safety! I can't comment on how easy it is to install the 5th line or remove the bridles as I just had to unwind a different bar and hook the kite up. I think having 2 bars would be ideal Negatives: -wow these new lines are really, really TINY!!! seems u could get a knot in them really easily if u don't watch out when packing them up. Not really a negative but it gave me a harder time getting them unwrapped. -No stopperball, could imagine missing this in summertime -Odd sizing, I just can't pick 3 sizes out of these!! I want the 6 and 12.5 so I don't know if I could do without the 10.5!! -Extensions are a bit of a pain, but I guess because its so easy to go on short lines the positive outweighs the negative. -The price... its flexi so it doesn't come cheap I know all the negatives are really small things, more like nittpicking but I just want to let the people that can't test them beforehand know some things that came to my attention! Hope u like my review eventhough I seem a bit stoked. I don't have budget to purchase new kites at the time but sooner or later I will get me some of these Quote
kiteingcolin Posted April 3, 2007 Report Posted April 3, 2007 i have tried out the ion 2 10.5 today, back to back with 9mtr and 11mtr 07 warroo's and i am impressed at the above post but at the same time rather confused as many of the comments fly right in the face of what i was going to say, some i agree with and others would be a big argument down the pub stuff, i dont know who helldog is, and feel confused, the big wow! thats not right!! was the comment about hangtime, before i say anything more and start a big forum fight, i will stay away untill more report back, i might be the odd one out not helldog, Quote
HelldogBE Posted April 5, 2007 Report Posted April 5, 2007 i have tried out the ion 2 10.5 today, back to back with 9mtr and 11mtr 07 warroo's and i am impressed at the above post but at the same time rather confused as many of the comments fly right in the face of what i was going to say, some i agree with and others would be a big argument down the pub stuff, i dont know who helldog is, and feel confused, the big wow! thats not right!! was the comment about hangtime, before i say anything more and start a big forum fight, i will stay away untill more report back, i might be the odd one out not helldog, Hangtime is just as with any bow-shaped kite. Nothing exceptional. But I was mostly impressed by the handling of the kite on 5lines aswell as stability in bow-mode. Did u have a different experience then?? (and what kites are u coming from) I'm also interested in the lowend as I'm looking at going from a 14 waroo to a 12.5 ion as biggest kite. I dislike the big sizes that don't offer much lift and are rather slow to fly. Lets say I really only use the 14 in summer winds and whenever there's around 16knots I will be found on my 9m and surfboard! Quote
endorphin Posted April 7, 2007 Report Posted April 7, 2007 Thanks for the detailed reviews. 'would be also interested in the review of kiteingcollin. All reviews are welcome. Quote
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