Hi there,

Thus far ive been flying a flexifoil sting 3.3, which i love. Ive recently aquired a libre vmax bug and with a low wind weekend around the corner, its seems a bigger kite is going to have to be my next move. Im looking at a 2nd hand radail savage 2 5.5M, has anyone any experience with this kite? Money is most definately an object as the kiting bug cost is mounting up (only got into it 2 months ago!) Also, has anyone any general advise as to making the small-to-big move? While i dont want to sit at home on the low wind days, i still have a VERY healthy respect for the power of these things and the prospect of something 5-6 metres gives me a slight sense of *gulp*
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts...

Casmo

The Savages are meant to be used as freestyle kites on a board or buggy and for static jumping.

You might be happier and have less "Oh No!!!" moments with a kite that's skewed more towards grunt and less towards lift.

If cost is a consideration and you are limiting yourself to fixed bridle kites as a result, you might consider the larger sizes of:

Flexfoil Bullets, Rages, Blurrs
HQ Beamer
Ozone Flow, Method
Peter Lynn Hornet, Viper, Reactor
PKD Brooza

This is a video of the Radsails Evo (depower) and Savage being flown by Mark Everitt & Andy preston. The Evo is flown with a depower bar and the Savage is flown with control handles . Given the size of the jumps it's either a very windy day or a Savage 8m, but it should give you and idea of the Savages target audience.



ATB,
Sam

what kind of low wind are you talking about

the savage is a lifty kite, I used to have a full set.
Any of the old Broozas are good engines, along with the Centurys, and the Century Soulflys

reactor man.... buggy engine of the gods (second only to the vapor tho lol)

from what ive heard the 10.8 reactor II will get ya going in a gnats fart!

vipers are good for the money tho, my 5.3 does pretty well considering my terrain and my gut

Thanks for the advise guys, I didn't realise the savage was a lifter, going to have to pass on that one.. will keep my my eyes peeled for any of the kites mentioned above.. I've no specific wind range in mind, but for instance this weekend we're talking 5-10 mph

depending on your size and terrain the 10m reactor would be HOOJ in those winds (higher end anyway), maybe the 8m would give ya more range

I ended up with a 6.5m Method for my light wind kite. With 30m lines, I can get mobile in about 6knots and I'm struggling to hold the bug in a straight line over about 14 knots. Much easier to fly than the Century's, not particularly lifty. Very well behaved kite. Bigger kites are much slower (generally speaking), so while they do pull like a truck, they give you much more time to react. Here's a vid of the Method 6.5m starting in out in about 7 knots with 20m lines.

Ive been offered a blade 2 6.4M
Thoughts?

Awesome kite for jumping!

Itll go fast too, just gotta watch how fast it goes up in turnarounds

Not a beginner friendly kite... But still a good kite

Recommendation above are good ones. You might also include an HQ toxic in the possible lineup. Lightwind kites for you needs to be a progressive thing. You should step up 1 kite size at a time to build your skills. Adding a 5m or so kite is the next good move for you. Every time you add a larger kite, you will improve your wind range. You will reach a point where you can fly in almost no wind. There is a bargain on a 10.8m Reactor II in the for sale section but you should be 2-3 kites away from getting one of those. It can fly in 5 mph or so. To go lower, you would be looking at 12-16m fixed bridle kites and these get expensive.

And dangerous... One outta line gust, and you are obe!

Quote:

Originally posted by Drewculous from what ive heard the 10.8 reactor II will get ya going in a gnats fart!

Yeah, but then you have to put it away in a seagull fart. I can launch mine in 4, keep moving in 1-2 mph, but can't stay in the bug much past 7-8.

It's a fun kite but comes out of the bag just a few times a year.

The 5.5 Reactor is a really useful size with a large useable wind range. Keep in mind that the RII's require a practiced touch with the brakes to keep from choking it.


Edit: Viper 5.3m would a be a delightful and versatile buggy engine

Quote:

Originally posted by Casmo Money is most definately an object as the kiting bug cost is mounting up (only got into it 2 months ago!)

Once you have the equipment, wind is free. Many of us went through the cheap kite routine when we started. Much cheaper in the long run to buy a kite that you will keep than to switch up a number of times.
S

what do you consider low wind?

a 5m is mid range not low wind.

Quote:

Originally posted by ripsessionkites what do you consider low wind? a 5m is mid range not low wind.

If you only have a 3.3m sting, a 5m is low wind! One step at a time.

I have a 5.5 Reactor II that isn't seeing a lot of air time... Near new condition.

Ron

Cheers Guys,

Thanks for the advise. I take on board the idea of not getting ahead of myself size-wise, ill look for something in the 5m range. Incidently, ive also been flying a libre bora 4m.. i know, its a race kite and not for beginners but it was practically free and ive actually had some great results with it in the buggy in moderate-ish winds.
On a different note, pansh kites (5.5 legend in particualr): I heard wildly different opinions on them, from 'yes, they're great' to 'dont even think about it'.. Should i really wait until i can afford a more established brand (which will be some time) or are they at least decent enough to tide me over until ive got a bit more to spend?
P.S. Cheers for the offer Ron, i'm in ireland though, so postage is a bit of an issue as far as buying from the forum.

Thanks again