Impressive performance in the freestyle department for the Bandit 17m
The 17 meter BANDIT Being at the top of ours with its awesome 3 strut design. Super stable and extremely maneuverable for a 17m kite makes this an awesome freestyle weapon.
TheKiteboarder.com has just released The 2015 Light Wind Gear Reviews and F-One had a few products on the list! The 17 meter BANDIT Being at the top of ours with its awesome 3 strut design. Super stable and extremely maneuverable for a 17m kite makes this an awesome freestyle weapon. Read more below and find out what The Kiteboarder has to say!
Tkb LW Review: 2015 F-ONE Bandit
in 2015 Reviews, Gear Reviews, Kite Reviews, Kiteboarding June 24, 2015
F-One Says:
The 2015 Bandit has undergone a complete redesign in terms of fabric usage, layout, while improvements in the canopy profile and a brand new 4-point bridle offer greater stability, a clean and direct bar feeling with more forward traction and less lateral pull. In its lower range the new Bandit builds constant power without stalling making underpowered riding easier.
In the high range, the 2015 Bandit can be depowered with no parasitic movement and with its more forward pull in on the edge of the window the kite provides comfort and full confidence while riding. In a current market where most kites are getting more and more specific, the Bandit really stands out by providing excellence across all disciplines of kiting.
Our Testers Say:
“Solid well made kite for all around freeriding, doesn’t sit super far forward in the window, but doesn’t give you trouble going upwind either. I really enjoyed the grunt power you can generate in just a quick turn of the kite, which becomes very helpful if your board speed stalls in onshore surf. The Bandit has super fun hangtime when popping off waves,” says Marko Bartscherer.
TKB Says:
This is the first year the Bandit is offered in the 17m super size and testers noted the Bandit’s fairly quick turning speed and good upwind ability. The Bandit in this size didn’t necessarily offer the most low-end grunt of our test, but it’s quick turning and faster across the window speed made it possible to generate plenty of power while offering impressive performance in the freestyle department. Like most sizes in the Bandit line, the bar feels relatively short for the kite size, yet this kite has no trouble responding with a quick and direct feel to bar inputs.
The Bandit comes with the Monolith, a fixed length bar (45 and 52cm) that is machined out of a single piece of aluminum block and comes with a new push away quick release with a travel guard, molded loop and finger lock, double center-line depower safety system, plastic coated sheeting/throw line, above the bar cam cleat with an above the bar swivel with a high V while the outside lines are tunable under the floats at the bar ends. This year the bar received stronger color coding with red on the left and riders liked the firm density of the grip and praised the bar’s overall simplicity and functional features.
