The Suggestion Box - Post All Product Improvement Ideas Here

[patrick.israel]

Do you know when the release date for the new Spark is?

and if you're the same brian that I always call to have forward me to Lia, I'll probably talk to you tomorrow and have you transfer me to whoever handles replacement parts. haha

[scottywhitehaven]

I don't know what the new kites are like (maybe you have thought about this already)?
But one cheap & easy improvement:

Put a dump valve at the end of the leading edge not just in the middle.

My mate has a North Rebel, when we get caught by the typical British Weather & need to pack away quickly, he puts his board on one end of the kite, rolls it from the other & is packed away in about 30 seconds. Where as I am left in the rain, trying to roll up from both ends, while the wind blows the end I'm not rolling, then I have to switch ends, and the end I've just rolled up gets unrolled by the wind, then I get the other end rolled into the middle & start on the other end again, then the rolled end starts to roll out with the wind, then I have to start again....... (you get the idea)

Its sounds like I'm being a drama queen, but for the sake of one valve, I think this is an easy fix.

[gianni75]

this QR is dangerous, too easy to popping off, it need a spring, please improve this piece,
look at my pic attached thankyou

New spark coming out, stiffer between the feet already. As for th equick release, because certain countries have regulations on the amount of pressure it will releject at we have made it as stiff as we could. If yours relaeses too much accidentally contact the shop you purchased it at and they can get you a repalcement cuff. Perhaps yours has an issue. Kahoona with ABC, probably not as they are designed with optimum turning speed arteady for a 4 strut design and already sit back in the wind window which is really what ABC does.

[Rider1]

2010 QR Mod
How about an adjustable detent manufactured into the exsisting QR housing underneath the Cuff . Simon made the comment on using a zip-ty to increase the resistance of the cuff from releasing to easily. I like this idea because I can adjust the amount of tension that I feel it should be for my ablity and confendence level . This was my second idea . The first one being to mod the cuff , then I thought why ? The cuff is doing it's job , it just does'nt have enough pressure from the inside to support it to what some riders want or think it should be . I think that the internal workings of the new QR are a done deal . So my question is would it be easier and cost effective to introduce an adjustable detent into the exsisting 010 internal housing than to maybe have tighter cuffs made that could wear over time from dirt and sand anyway ? I'm thinking that having something like this under the cuff , something small would be protected by the cuff and make it possible to have the ability to adjust over time as the system will wear from the elements and tolerances will increase . I was thinking along the lines of were the cuff has the little ball and dish detent on either side to maybe start there. maybe incorperate a wedge type slider or stainless ball bearing pressured by an adjustable spring to increase or decrease load on the cuff.I'm talking super small because it does'nt really need that much pressure to do it's job . Thankyou Best for the opportunity you give your customer's to express there opinions here . It's pretty cool to see how far you've come in just the three year's that I got into the sport ! Proud to be a Best rider !grin:

[stacey]

OFFICIAL STATEMENT REGARDING CUFF:

We have designed the QR for maximum safety, and it is tuned accordingly. Some riders with particularly active riding styles may consider the QR cuff mechanism to be too sensitive. For riders in this category, we have designed modified cuffs which require greater force to activate, but which remain well within industry safety standards. We are happy to provide customers with these modified cuffs free of charge.

Just contact your dealer... and they'll replace your cuff free of charge.

[Flyingblueberry]

Absolutly need to do a 3,5 Kahoona for kids learning. My daughter is 7. She want a real inflatable kite like dad. Not the usual trainer.

And if you do it, do it pink. Do it funky-girly-punky look. Your gonna sell tons of it all over the planet.

I'm ready to buy your 1rst prototype anytime.
but of course, I need it for christmas

[patrick.israel]

For the RPB:

1: Bring the center line split back down to the top of the depower strap and remove those super long leaders. I don't claim to be a kite (or bar) designer, but I don't see why the Red Line has to be THAT long. It should still work fine if it's shortened down to the top of the depower strap right?

2: The updated cuff works fine for easy release. Now just sand down that HUGE lip on the cuff and we're set. It's just too big, and is easily caught on crap. I've sanded mine down and is so much easier

[sq225917]

Patrick , you have to be able to offset the lines the width of your largest kite, so yeh, it needs to be that long.

[KiwiMike]

The sheathing on the sewn loops of my front lines always wears out and looks dodgy when the lines themselves have plenty of life in them. This only happens where Larks heads are used and only on the front line where the load is greatest. It doesn’t happen where the extensions are attached loop through loop. Would it be viable to supply mini extensions that could be replaced rather than the lines or full extensions? This happens worst on the loop but also happens on the knotted part that it attaches to. They would only need to be a small sewn double loop for the line end and a loop and knot for the kite (the kite end is already a small replicable part on the VP2 bridle) and could be made of another line if it was more suitable. This would be the other way round for the kook proof connection that’s used on the new bar.

I haven’t ridden with the new bar yet but like the idea. It’s the first system I’ve seen that should be easy to assemble in the water. If it really is so easy to release this would be a problem. Though quick releases are a very important feature I’d rather it be hard to release than have one release when I don’t expect it. Having a naïve reliance on the donkey willie and the de-power of my first bow kites (not Best) resulted in two scary experiences when my kite unhooked on the beach with one hand on the bar and one on my board. One slapped face on the sand and one kite streaming from the top of a Norfolk Pine! The design seems a really good direction to move in but perhaps the suggestions to make it less trigger-happy are good ones. A QR that lets go when you don’t want it to is definitely not “tuned for maximum safety”.

I for one liked the large Velcro loop linking the depower handle and the depower line that was introduced in 08. This has shrunk again, was it not popular?

[troubleshooter]

Patrick , you have to be able to offset the lines the width of your largest kite, so yeh, it needs to be that long.

Problem with that long Y setup........if some Gilligan flips your kite the wrong way on landing and you go to launch 10 minutes later and your lines are flipped in....you cant reach the split part of the Y to flip your bar in and untangle. Thats a big issue seeing that I tend to kite on Gilligans Island.

[sq225917]

Yeh I hear that, narrow beaches, what you gonna do, be safe or be easy?

[sq225917]

Swiftie, the Quick release is there for a reason so don't attach him directly to the bar, ever...

If you are using the 2010 Redline Performance bar, then there is a shorter version of the chickenloop in existence, we (Stacey or I) might even have a really short, sample version to spare.

PM Stacey, if she hasn't got one I do, but I'm in the UK so try her first.

If you are using an 09 bar or earlier then there aren't any shorter chickenloops for those bars.

let me know if she can find one for you.

Simon

[KiwiMike]

I think it should be a design feature that the kite will continue to fly but on the end of the leash (suicide style) when the bar is dropped performing unhooked tricks. But flag or at least depower extremely when the QR is activated. I think this can be achieved by clipping the leash to the mini 5th and the CL at the same time.

Perhaps something to make this more effective could be designed onto any future CL updates. For example, something to keep the carabiner from moving to a position that could interfere with hooking back in.

[NKA]

I think it should be a design feature that the kite will continue to fly but on the end of the leash (suicide style) when the bar is dropped performing unhooked tricks. But flag or at least depower extremely when the QR is activated. I think this can be achieved by clipping the leash to the mini 5th and the CL at the same time.

Perhaps something to make this more effective could be designed onto any future CL updates. For example, something to keep the carabiner from moving to a position that could interfere with hooking back in.

My redline bar all ready has this feature

If you look at the mini 5th line there is a ring that goes strait on to the chicken loop and a second point to attach the leash. IF you end up in trouble with this setup the kite does depower a lot when you let go of the bar then yo can climb up your leash to activate the QR to get a bit more depower or grab a OS handle.

[jumarcil]

You know what would be great is to have the Redline bar adjustable just like the Smart Bar from Airush. I tried it by the way and it works perfectly.

The rpb is a great bar but at 400$ it is a bummer to have to buy 2 bar when one bar could do the job. I would rather change my line more often...