Power Kite Forum

11.5 flexifoil sabre

domr2f - 30-4-2006 at 03:21 AM

The best kite I have flown has got to be flexi`s sabre range- it is awsome, huge wind range, loads of lift, fast and responsive. It takes some time to get used to how she works best but when you do......whooooooa!!
The only kite close to this range is the "frenzy" but my money will always be on the sabre as the best option. The 3 sizes (7.5, 9.5 and 11.5) cover every wind range. my 7.5 trims down to a 3m and can be flown in 28mph, 11.5 has a wind range of upto 18mph and will trim down to the 7m...go on buy one!!!you know you want to.

Scoopy - 30-4-2006 at 07:05 PM

Dont buy one. This kite is having some serious quality issues. I love flexi's stuff, but this kite has some issues. After several hours the wing/bridles starts to stretch, and starts to get tip curl. I have heard of many people having this trouble. The Frenzy is made out of much better materials, the safety is 10 times better. For the best money option go for HQ's Montana. Super kite for the money. I sell all 3, have flown all 3, and now I fly Montana personally. This should say something.

Scoop

!(*)! - 1-5-2006 at 09:07 AM

I am with Scoop on this. The Sabre has proven to be a very disappointing product from Flexifoil. The bridle stretch/tip curl is just one of the major problems with this kite. Another major problem with this kite is the rigging for the crossover and depower pulley. This line abraids something awful,awfully fast. In my buddy's sabre this happened in 3 months of three day a week flying. When this line fails if you are in the air you are in trouble because you will lose all control of your kite.

So around 150 hours you have to Tigthen up the crossover and related bridling and change out the pulley crossover line.

Basically the crossover does this kite in. There was no need for it. All the other kites on the market. Frenzy, Montana, Cool turn just fine without the extra rigging.

This kite is great out of the bag but falls to poor performance and a dangerous chance of failure way too soon in its life.

Truly in my opinion one of the worse product releases in the last couple years.

/////saftey in numbers\\\\\\

WolfWolfee - 25-1-2009 at 10:25 AM

Well as a Sabre owner I'd say your out to lunch on this one.
Yes there was some issues, which I myself scrapped it out with Flexi over. A couple of simple mods and it is a different kite. The cross over riggings only problem was with a knot pulling thru a pulley and hanging up the wing tip. A simple stopper ball added cured this and a simple short extension on a bridle line and the 9.5M Sabre hauls a**.
Interesting you fly the Montana and speak of quality issues, and reviews I've read on Montana 1's state there almost as good as a Sabre...lol
Well there definitely not, the Sabre leaves them standing in the dust. I have flown mine against a 7 and a 9.5M and they are good kites but not up with what the Sabre can do. The lift on the Sabre comes on gently you can feel it building and the down wind speed is definitely superior.
Sure OK, I'm biased but IMHO I would buy another Sabre and I guess that's the bottom line.

dgkid78 - 25-1-2009 at 04:41 PM

Sure the Montana 1 has it's issues, but there is a Montana 4 right? :smilegrin: So they must be doing something right. Flexi don't make Sabre's No more, i think right?


LOL I just realized this post is 3 friggin years old. Who the heck dug this up?:piggy:

kitedog - 25-1-2009 at 04:49 PM

The Sabre Mk 1 rocks except for the slight problems well described above. And this problem only occurs in gusty conditions when the kite collapses momentarily. I'm glad there is a fix. I would have used had I known about it before selling mine not two weeks ago.

In my opinion, the Sabre was highly underated and flew in the shadow of the Frenzy and the Blade. I flew mine for two seasons and it was a stout kite that showed little signs of wear. I had a hard time parting with it.

WolfWolfee - 1-2-2009 at 08:26 AM

I did find the modification information on the Sabre's. I can pass it along to anyone who needs it. It definitely fixes up the tip issue and the stopper balls end the pulley issue. Pm me if you need the specs for mods.

Cheers

kitedog - 1-2-2009 at 10:17 AM

Hey WolfWolfee:

Send it to Frystak. He has my Sabre now. I'm sure he'll appreciate it.

Thanks for the info!

WolfWolfee - 1-2-2009 at 10:28 AM

already did, he U2U'd me

WolfWolfee - 2-2-2009 at 07:54 AM

anyone else need the modifications for the Sabre just let me know will pass it along.

Cheers

Superdog - 27-4-2009 at 10:31 AM

me please wolf wolf wolf wolf wolf.

Pjnjcj - 15-4-2014 at 01:38 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Superdog  
me please wolf wolf wolf wolf wolf.


Did any one manage to get these mods? I have just got a sabre and had one session with it - I did get some tip curl - and had an issue with depowering to land

B-Roc - 15-4-2014 at 02:47 PM

Whatever happened to Scoopy?

ride_wv - 16-4-2014 at 12:10 PM

Really good question B-Roc. I met Scoop many years ago before I knew anything about kiting and at the time he was very new to mountainboarding. We kept in contact for a while, but I damaged my phone and lost his info. I haven't crossed paths with him since, but it would be cool to catch up with him.

sabre mod

skyhilee - 29-5-2014 at 12:59 AM

Hi new to the forum. I've just picked up a sabre 9.5m mk1 which is brand new not even out of the bag (Until it stops raining) and knew about the problem from a friend I used to fly with a while back. Could you send me the details on the mod please. Im that used to kitesurfing and am coming back to land for a while and dont fancy any problems with the kite. Cheers

Sanaki - 4-2-2016 at 06:08 AM

Hi!

Im in the same boat, just got one 11.5m, brand new. Anyone have the mod?

indigo_wolf - 4-2-2016 at 07:45 AM

WolfWolfee hasn't been on the forum in more than 18 months, but this is the information that he sent me back in 2009.

Information hoarder? Me? I know not of what you speak. :o ;)


Quote:

I have been reliably informed that the mod to the Sabre one that was going about is a six inch or 15cm extension to the crossover and this could be done at the kite end or the line end after the crossover lines pass through the small rollers so should not be a problem to do this mod yourself a couple of feet of 135kg breaking strain line and your sorted no sending anything anywhere just an hour or so of your time and the wing tip tuck problem disappears so I am reliably informed not tried it yet myself but will do maybe this weekend


The stopper ball fix to keep the knots from jamming/locking in the pulleys that he mentions in the 7th post should be a bit more intuitive.



As always on the advice of feline counsel, no warranties are supplied with this information, expressed or implied.

ATB,
Sam

Feyd - 4-2-2016 at 08:37 AM

Don't drag the MK1 kites leading edge down. The mesh they used will snag and slowly restrict the size of the intakes. When it gets really bad you can actually cut the mesh out but it makes for ugly intakes. Otherwise great kites and a great job by Flexi for depower attempt. Still prefer the Sabre 1 over the 2 personally.

Sanaki - 5-2-2016 at 12:31 AM

Got a pm from WolfWolfee yesterday. He lost the info, unlike indigo ;)

Had a first launch yesterday, was weak wind around 3m/sec, but my 11.5 was struggling to pull me on skies. Guess it needs just a bit more wind. The wing tips do fold inwards on turning and it starts to fall, will try do the extension on the weekend. As WolfWolfee mentioned, my 11.5 will probably need a longer extension.

Did not have a jamming pulley. So I need to look for a tie on the crossover lines?
Is the crossover line really needed, just wondering)

At the end of the session decided to test the safety system... how the ... you put back together. :puzzled: Its not in the manual... Found it today in the Sabre II manual.

Sanaki - 10-2-2016 at 05:34 AM

Had a session at 8m/sec, was totally overpowered. And the hand brake sucks, it does land the kite, but it still pulls you really hard down the wind.

Can it be improved?
Ive seen the safety sys on ozones, shooting out the main lines. Maybe add something like this on the main lines?
http://deel.ru/shop.nsf/pages/art8252/$file/8252img.jpg