Well the engineering nerd got the better of me and I watched all those vids.

There is some serious R and D been put into that baby for sure. It is easy to see why it costs so much.


I can't help think that this bar is designed to be bought, kept and replacement parts used when needed. It's a long term purchase.

Then again I'm still running 2011/2012 north bars so that seems pretty long term lol.


Another thought that crossed my mind was...I am wondering how easy it will be (or as easy) to service/replace those parts...given the screws and mechanisms involved once sand, water, wear and tear and has been a factor. It's not going to be as easy as Tom shows I'd suspect.

But like anything mechanical, good regular maintenance and care would help and it all seems pretty straight forward.



...on a side note Dan on the KF talks about the fifth line usage on a rebel in particular...in that the bar flags to the front lines. He had trouble relaunching in 50 knots on a 8m rebel...this is my biggest downer so far. I like the fact that no matter how crazy nuked I get on my rebel, I can always hit the safety and the kite will have ZERO power in it, float to the water and be ready to relaunch. I am a big fan of fifth line safety and have never got along with single front line safety...(in conditions where it really counts, anything works well enough in the right wind range)...so thumbs down for me on this aspect of the bar.

I'm confused, is the marketing team for North the same as for Cabrinha...they are both stating that their new product is "The Game Changer".

Surely there can be only one winner/game changer.

Latest Microsoft or apple product? They all promote their own BS, that's how it works.

It's not a game changer we all know this. A kite built and run by ultralight nanorobots that covers 10 to 40 knots, which can morph its canopy shape and angle of attack from your augmented reality in built viser would be a game changer....

More like 'Game options' rather than 'changer'

Next year they will have the motorised version with 2 buttons in and out.

Select to expand quote

Saffer said..

Chris_M said..
I think it looks nice and stuff, but I've been out a couple of crazy nuking gusty sessions over winter and I want my depower strap to be able to be yanked hard occasionally. If I lived somewhere super consistent then it looks like a good option, but I think I'd be smeared across the dunes trying to depower using this mechanism in some of my squally sessions lately.

Edit: What's it like changing the lines on this thing AND how much it gonna sting me?

Not sure i agree. From what I can see, you have more depower on the stretch for the bar itself because you don't need a cleat so that would probably eliminate this issue.

Wouldn't that depend where you set your stopper to?

Certainly possible Adoy, a bit like Shimano and their group sets on bikes going electric.

Select to expand quote

Couple of interesting points worth mulling over, I've picked up from reading Dans replies on KF....


<div>2. In the US the Click bar will retail for 690. If you can find a brand new bar for 230 I think that would be a great deal, however consider that the Click bar will give you Quad 22m and 24m bars in one package. For an extra $59 you can add a 5th line, which adds 5th Element 22 and 24, plus the ability to run the low "Y" means it will allow use like the Wakestyle bar. With the reversible pigtails the bar is then compatible with Naish, Cabrinha, pretty much any kite on the market that uses a single-frontline release. Yes the bar is not cheap, but I think it offers a lot for the price.

<div>And from a wave riding perspective..

<div>

One of the main design aims was to make trimming more simple than existing above-the-bar and below-the-bar front line adjustments. You can power and depower while riding. Many of our pros have reported that after using the bar they find it so much easier to adjust the trim they are using it far more often than they used to with the result that their riding has improved

In particular when I expressed some hesitancy about the whole concept, Patri, our wave rider from Hawaii, told me that he often finds himself on a wave and overpowered. In the past he either would get pulled off the wave or be forced to ride hunched over with the bar out, or contort himself mid-wave to reach out and pull the depower. Now he says that he can drop into a wave fully powered and quickly and easily tap the bar end as necessary to maintain correct trim.

Who will be first to bring out a bar with a decent coffee cup holder.

Select to expand quote

shi thouse said..
Certainly possible Adoy, a bit like Shimano and their group sets on bikes going electric.

I am thinking more like SRAM and the 11 speed system with no front derailleur. You have more technical cog design but the overall system is much simpler.

A similar cycling analogy would be disk brakes on bikes. At first it looks all complicated and too hard, but once you embrace the new componentry you find it works so much better and you wonder why we wasted so much time with the old stuff.

So maybe the next step would be to have the trim system built into bar where one can shift gears so to speak. Or little paddles underneath the bar like the STI gear system...lol

Select to expand quote

shi thouse said..
Certainly possible Adoy, a bit like Shimano and their group sets on bikes going electric.

Had a few mates cycle home stuck in the same gear cos their u beaut electric changer stopped working

It seems the North mantra should be "over engineered products at overblown prices". Ever heard of less is more?

Select to expand quote

Gorgo said..

shi thouse said..
Certainly possible Adoy, a bit like Shimano and their group sets on bikes going electric.

I am thinking more like SRAM and the 11 speed system with no front derailleur. You have more technical cog design but the overall system is much simpler.

A similar cycling analogy would be disk brakes on bikes. At first it looks all complicated and too hard, but once you embrace the new componentry you find it works so much better and you wonder why we wasted so much time with the old stuff.

Looking forward to picking up my Tarmac Pro UDi2 with hydro discs. no more cables. ever. woot.

As for battery running out, yes it does need charging from time to time, maybe once a month to be on the safe side? Damn those pesky LED lights gotta charge them up too!! And the phone. And the garmin. Oh yeah gotta fill the car with petrol too. and keep the wife happy.

Oh but a derailleur cable never breaks does it at the worst possible unexpected moment?

Select to expand quote

eppo said..
Well the engineering nerd got the better of me and I watched all those vids.

There is some serious R and D been put into that baby for sure. It is easy to see why it costs so much.


I can't help think that this bar is designed to be bought, kept and replacement parts used when needed. It's a long term purchase.

That was my immediate thought when I saw they had released a whole series of vids regarding servicing of all of the components at pretty much the same time they launched the bar - pitching it as a long-term use, one-bar-for-all is clearly part of the marketing strategy, and also helps hose down some of the immediate queries and concerns by technically minded kiting nerds :D

Isn't North famous for the grip tape falling off their bars...?

Select to expand quote

shano82 said..

eppo said..
Well the engineering nerd got the better of me and I watched all those vids.

There is some serious R and D been put into that baby for sure. It is easy to see why it costs so much.


I can't help think that this bar is designed to be bought, kept and replacement parts used when needed. It's a long term purchase.

kiting nerds :D

funny....who yas got as the nerds on seabreeze?

Nice work North, maybe not everyone's cup of tea but still a solid looking new product.
So much effort would have gone into this product.

Select to expand quote

pro merc said..
Nice work North, maybe not everyone's cup of tea but still a solid looking new product.
So much effort would have gone into this product.

Yeh that's about my final position to at the moment after pouring through the vids and all the questions answered here and on KF.

All north jokes aside, and of course just the whining bitches that exist, a lot of very specific parts have had to be specifically engineered to what seems on the surface (that is until you use it yourself over time) quite an impressive product. Does it solve any particular problems?...debatable. Maybe....depends on how you see things I suppose.

Do I need it myself...nah? would I like it?...yeh. Can i afford it?...nah.

Select to expand quote

shano82 said..
For those with maintenance queries, it looks like a whole series of videos have just been released on YouTube:

How to change leader lines:

How to replace the Winder:

How to replace the Push Button:

How to replace the Metal Plate and Pin Screws:

How to change the Sliding Stopper:

How to replace the left Stoppergear:

How to replace the right Cover:

How to change the centre Depower Line:

How to change the Split Spool:

How to replace the Chicken Loop and Chicken Dig:

How to clean:

Why would NORTH release these vids to the public, well before the product hits the shops ?

It makes no sense.

These vids only serve to spook folks and scare the horses.

Like I was going to buy a CLICK bar <yeah right> ...

but I just got thru watching a whole hour of maintenance tutorials and it totally freaked me out.

lol.

It's like going into a car dealership with the intention of buying a particular motor vehicle ... and the salesman says :

"Sir, before you purchase this vehicle, we would like you to sit down at this desk and watch something."

"These following vids will show you how to do your own repairs on things that will breakdown on your car."

WTF , not likely.

The dealership wants you to book your car in to be repaired by their own workshop.

If I owned a kitestore that sold NORTH (that did repairs as well) ...I'd be a little pissed off by these vids.

Why wouldn't NORTH just send a disc or something to its stores to keep the trade secrets in house ?

Totally over-thinking the marketing. lol.

Something important to think about, is the end of the bar resistant to hard bumps, I have seen at least 3 plastic bar ends smash (from other brands) when accidently bumped against the side of a boat from a self boat launch, or a rock in the snow, or hard on a race board.

Im sure the north bar would be rock solid, but would the click bit handle a few good bumps? Would that be covered under warranty?

The bar looks great, and the many features on the 1 bar are excellent.

Select to expand quote

waveslave said..

shano82 said..
For those with maintenance queries, it looks like a whole series of videos have just been released on YouTube:

How to change leader lines:

How to replace the Winder:

How to replace the Push Button:

How to replace the Metal Plate and Pin Screws:

How to change the Sliding Stopper:

How to replace the left Stoppergear:

How to replace the right Cover:

How to change the centre Depower Line:

How to change the Split Spool:

How to replace the Chicken Loop and Chicken Dig:

How to clean:

Why would NORTH release these vids to the public, well before the product hits the shops ?

It makes no sense.

These vids only serve to spook folks and scare the horses.

Like I was going to buy a CLICK bar <yeah right> ...

but I just got thru watching a whole hour of maintenance tutorials and it totally freaked me out.

lol.

It's like going into a car dealership with the intention of buying a particular motor vehicle ... and the salesman says :

"Sir, before you purchase this vehicle, we would like you to sit down at this desk and watch something."

"These following vids will show you how to do your own repairs on things that will breakdown on your car."

WTF , not likely.

The dealership wants you to book your car in to be repaired by their own workshop.

If I owned a kitestore that sold NORTH (that did repairs as well) ...I'd be a little pissed off by these vids.

Why wouldn't NORTH just send a disc or something to its stores to keep the trade secrets in house ?

Totally over-thinking the marketing. lol.

... makes sense to me,,,,,,,show'em how it works and the mystery of it being complicated is gone. Now people who were sitting on the fence worried it was going to be a nightmare to either fix or maintain the bar can make a more informed decision now whether or not to buy one.

That's how I saw it anyway,

cheers,

Robbie :)

Select to expand quote

Puetz said..

waveslave said..

shano82 said..
For those with maintenance queries, it looks like a whole series of videos have just been released on YouTube:

How to change leader lines:

How to replace the Winder:

How to replace the Push Button:

How to replace the Metal Plate and Pin Screws:

How to change the Sliding Stopper:

How to replace the left Stoppergear:

How to replace the right Cover:

How to change the centre Depower Line:

How to change the Split Spool:

How to replace the Chicken Loop and Chicken Dig:

How to clean:

Why would NORTH release these vids to the public, well before the product hits the shops ?

It makes no sense.

These vids only serve to spook folks and scare the horses.

Like I was going to buy a CLICK bar <yeah right> ...

but I just got thru watching a whole hour of maintenance tutorials and it totally freaked me out.

lol.

It's like going into a car dealership with the intention of buying a particular motor vehicle ... and the salesman says :

"Sir, before you purchase this vehicle, we would like you to sit down at this desk and watch something."

"These following vids will show you how to do your own repairs on things that will breakdown on your car."

WTF , not likely.

The dealership wants you to book your car in to be repaired by their own workshop.

If I owned a kitestore that sold NORTH (that did repairs as well) ...I'd be a little pissed off by these vids.

Why wouldn't NORTH just send a disc or something to its stores to keep the trade secrets in house ?

Totally over-thinking the marketing. lol.

... makes sense to me,,,,,,,show'em how it works and the mystery of it being complicated is gone. Now people who were sitting on the fence worried it was going to be a nightmare to either fix or maintain the bar can make a more informed decision now whether or not to buy one.

That's how I saw it anyway,

cheers,

Robbie :)

Well Robbie,

I don't see many crew fixing their broken gear ....

even the simple stuff.

The divas run off to the nearest kitestore as soon as their plumbing fails.

lol.

Keep in mind that North has put all these videos so that potential customers realise that it is possible to replace any of the inside parts/lines.
Realistically, you won't have to do any of these manipulations before a good 2 years +
There is very minimal wear on the stainless steel parts and on the inside lines in comparison to a classic dyneema line & cleat.
Your primary way of keeping your bar clean, and weirdly they haven't mentioned it in any of the above videos, is to use the little rubber plugs located under the bar ends.
By simply pulling them open with your fingers (no tools required) you can give a complete flush of the inside mechanism and drain any small sand that might have found its way in. The whole operation takes 30 seconds and you don't even have to unwind your lines from the bar. Using a little hook, you can grab the inside line and pull it out for inspection. There again, without having to open anything or use any tool.
It's really not that bad to maintain guys ;)
At least give it a try before trying to find faults.
We have worked very hard to get it to where it is now and of course we have thought about all the issues you guys are bringing up.
We are fully confident that most kiters will see the advantages of the Click bar over the traditional cleat.
If you don't, then so be it, no one is forcing you to buy this bar.
Regarding the high price, for sure it would have been sweet if it weren't more expensive than a normal bar. I'm sure that all of you can imagine the amount of work, prototypes, custom moulds etc that go into such a technical bar. The increase in RRP is simply due to the higher manufacturing price. It's not like it costs the same and North just went, "let's make it more expensive just because we can!"
Feel free to ask me any question you might have.
Cheers,
Jérôme
(Inventor of the Click bar)

Regarding the question about the fifth line.
Remember that the front lines don't change length anymore.
This means that your fifth line doesn't need that stopper under the V split anymore. Your rebel will work exactly like how it used to because the fifth line will be in tension.
Now for people worried about the fact that the flagging happens through one of the front lines rather than the fifth line: just connect it differently on the kite. Use the fifth line which you have just added as one of the front lines and the red flagging line as your fifth line.
The only reason North didn't do that is because of the colour coding on the line... Once you know this trick though, you can have your Click bar behaving however you prefer: flagging on one front line or flagging on the fifth line ;)

Select to expand quote

Jerome said..
Regarding the question about the fifth line.
Remember that the front lines don't change length anymore.
This means that your fifth line doesn't need that stopper under the V split anymore. Your rebel will work exactly like how it used to because the fifth line will be in tension.
Now for people worried about the fact that the flagging happens through one of the front lines rather than the fifth line: just connect it differently on the kite. Use the fifth line which you have just added as one of the front lines and the red flagging line as your fifth line.
The only reason North didn't do that is because of the colour coding on the line... Once you know this trick though, you can have your Click bar behaving however you prefer: flagging on one front line or flagging on the fifth line ;)

sounds good, too expensive for me, but even If I had the money, what would be the warranty terms for the bar? I hear around that North Warranty its not the best?

Cheers.

As other people have pointed out before, this bar is expensive, but it is also the first and only truly universal bar on the market.
The ability to change the V split on the front lines + the ability to go from 4 to 5 lines + the line extensions mean that it could be replacing up to 4 different bars in someone's quiver.
When you look at it this way, all of a sudden this bar is a bargain ;)
I am pretty sure that the warranty will be the standard 1 year as with all their other products.

I like this.

Not necessarily the product presented here, never seen it to comment, but the idea of true separation of kite and controls.
Having bars and lines that are universal allows customers to choose the features they want from any other brand.

Would be nice if on top of the adjustable V and line connect options if the bar could be adjusted for length as well.

I found the videos reassuring. They show that the internals are nowhere near as complicated as we feared. Most of the repair tasks are very simple. It's a bit of a concern that most of the replacement parts are proprietary and you would have to buy them from a North dealer or the internet or something.

I have been replacing leaders and lines and depower lines for years. It would actually be easier to just drop in replacement parts from the manufacturer.

Most modern bars are universal. You can buy a perfectly adequate bar from Switch with single line, mini-5th, 6 line or whatever you want.

Warranty from North is not really an issue. Under Australian consumer law your contract is with the retailer you bought it from. You are entitled to gear that works, performs as claimed, and lasts a reasonable time. I have not found a shop yet that won't see reason when you point out these facts.

Select to expand quote

Jerome said..
Regarding the question about the fifth line.
Remember that the front lines don't change length anymore.
This means that your fifth line doesn't need that stopper under the V split anymore. Your rebel will work exactly like how it used to because the fifth line will be in tension.
Now for people worried about the fact that the flagging happens through one of the front lines rather than the fifth line: just connect it differently on the kite. Use the fifth line which you have just added as one of the front lines and the red flagging line as your fifth line.
The only reason North didn't do that is because of the colour coding on the line... Once you know this trick though, you can have your Click bar behaving however you prefer: flagging on one front line or flagging on the fifth line ;)

Don't fully understand what you are saying regarding setup to flag to the fifth line, but I will work it out.

But thanks, that is good news to me. Fifth safety for me all the way and back again. and good point about the rebel/vegas...front lines aren't changing anymore..true true

Videos were sweet. Personally I'd like to see far more technical information regarding your kites rather than some tiresome marketing Bullsh1t video shot in the carribean or something with Tom and he's most annoying voice (probably a top bloke just trying to funny cause he does have an annoying voice) telling most of us what we already bloody know.

I'd also like to see more vids on your design team in operation and more technical information on your kites...eg aspect ratio etc rather than just bloody wind ranges.

Jerome you have a very well informed audience now...it's not 2008 man.

and Jerome...well done mate, impressive dude.


oh eternalnoob, warranty is just fine man, but you do need to wait a bit.

So for the punters using the Clakker bar for the past however long...

Can you post your go pro videos of Nuclear storms on a 5,6 or 7m - borderline overpowered, grabbing the end of the bar and adjusting it !!!

Your also gonna sell this bar to Noobs who don't really understand kite control - and get them to concentrate on one end of the bar when the wind picks up...

It may just be that I'm on holidays kiting in France and thinking not drinking