www.kauper-xt.com/bar

Trying to find a nice bar and lines set for a racing / light wind use and I stumbled across this thing. Less than 0.5 Kg with lines, has a huge throw, different kind of way to depower. Still has the front line flagging depower system.

What do guys think? you won't be doing handle passes with it... but looks great for travel?

The bottom shackle piece you could replace with something else pretty easily.

Still not sure how that front line safety works.... If the line is threaded through that PU sheath, it looks good but how do you re-thread it.... or does the sheath fly up the front line leaving 1 line attached?

Very cool

Go to any sup shop.
Ask them for a carbon paddle offcut

Drill holes in it

Put lines in


...

I remember when flexifoil was making hadlows kites and they came with carbon bars. People were snapping the carbon bars in half when doing handlepasses and getting ridiculously painfull long strands of carbon splinters and just sliceing theyre hands up..... So much blood... And just god damn painful.

Couldnt pay me to hold a bar that was made from glass or carbon fiber

Now... The right piece of hardwood on other hand maybe something reliable like a wooden baseball bat or cricket bat could be a pretty hilarious addition to the kit bag. No wind? Just start wacking cars and throwing people out of them and drive until its windy again

Really smart depower system. Im building some bars at the moment and I might pinch that rear line depower idea.

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Still not sure how that front line safety works.... If the line is threaded through that PU sheath, it looks good but how do you re-thread it.... or does the sheath fly up the front line leaving 1 line attached?

Looks like the cabrinha design. If so, the main centre / trim rope will disconnect allowing the bar, pvc tube and 3 lines to slide up while one thin line stays connected to you.

The cabrinha pvc tube is pretty unique, it is divided down the centre into two hollow sections. On one side is 5mm rope and on the other side is 1.3mm flagging line. That way there is no risk that the two get wrapped up and stop the release working.

If anyone knows where to source cabrinhas pvc tube in long lengths let me know!

So how do you re_engage it once engaged ... is it possible ?

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dachopper said..
So how do you re_engage it once engaged ... is it possible ?

Yeah you just slide the bar and pvc tube back down the flagging line until you have reached the stainless ring that was connected to you and your harness i.e. resetting it again. Not difficult, at least on cabrinha and I'd say this would be the same.

Google some pictures of the cabrinha trim lite bar safety release and you'll see what I mean

Does it float?

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Macster said..

Still not sure how that front line safety works.... If the line is threaded through that PU sheath, it looks good but how do you re-thread it.... or does the sheath fly up the front line leaving 1 line attached?

Looks like the cabrinha design. If so, the main centre / trim rope will disconnect allowing the bar, pvc tube and 3 lines to slide up while one thin line stays connected to you.

The cabrinha pvc tube is pretty unique, it is divided down the centre into two hollow sections. On one side is 5mm rope and on the other side is 1.3mm flagging line. That way there is no risk that the two get wrapped up and stop the release working.

If anyone knows where to source cabrinhas pvc tube in long lengths let me know!

Bunnings

Anybody know exactly how the back line trimming system works?

There's a vid on the website. Wondering if you get some sideways load on the bar say after a crash it could inadvertently change the back line trim setting ? Looks nice and simple that's for sure.

Probably works on a little cleat. Looks like a nice simple idea.

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Macster said..
...
Yeah you just slide the bar and pvc tube back down the flagging line until you have reached the stainless ring that was connected to you and your harness i.e. resetting it again. Not difficult, at least on cabrinha and I'd say this would be the same.

The current crop of bars that have enclosed depower and safety lines have a two chambered PU tube. (Cabrinha, Liquid Force, RRD I think). I can't find anywhere to buy that, except to buy a depower system as a spare part. A few years ago there were some bars that had both lines down a single tube. I assume that would work fine ... until it didn't.

The videos of this bar are clear enough to see a clear plastic tube and at least one thick line in the middle. I cannot see a second safety line in any of the pictures or videos.

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crakas said..
Probably works on a little cleat. Looks like a nice simple idea.

The knots lock into a slot in the end of the bar. That's fairly obvious.

What happens inside the bar? How do you get both sides to move in and out equally? The knots go into the bar but they don't come straight out again and the line with the knots is thicker.

There has to be a little black magic happening in the centre of the bar. I can think of a couple of options. I wonder what it actually is.

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eppo said..
There's a vid on the website. Wondering if you get some sideways load on the bar say after a crash it could inadvertently change the back line trim setting ? Looks nice and simple that's for sure.

If the knots slip it's just going to let the back lines out and depower the kite. That would be annoying but not much of a disaster (unless you're trying to water start and ride away from an approaching wave).

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Gorgo said..
Anybody know exactly how the back line trimming system works?

the chicken rope
the vert rope thru the bar

the trim rope
the horiz rope thru the bar

these two ropes touch at the hole in the bar
wear on the hardware
bad bad bar

I've asked the maker how all this stuff works (including a question about the hole through the bar) but he hasn't replied yet.

I like the simplicity and innovation of the system. I like the apparent quantity of information available on the web site. I am a bit concerned that all that information doesn't actually say very much useful.

To an extent that "show lots but say nothing" thing is endemic in the kitesurfing industry.

maybe the interior of the bar is split in two longitudinally
with one cavity solely for the trim rope

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amirite said..
maybe the interior of the bar is split in two longitudinally
with one cavity solely for the trim rope

that makes zero sense to me

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amirite said..

amirite said..
maybe the interior of the bar is split in two longitudinally
with one cavity solely for the trim rope

that makes zero sense to me

that made me laugh. Good job

Two Amsteel/Dyneema lines running inside a single-core tube beside each other is a disaster waiting to happen.

Low-melting point means the lines will just rub through each other...

I think the trim system inside the bar would be similar to this patent from Best back in 2011 patents.google.com/patent/US8398030 . This might help you with your ideas dachopper and Macster.

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gesper said..
I think the trim system inside the bar would be similar to this patent from Best back in 2011 patents.google.com/patent/US8398030 . This might help you with your ideas dachopper and Macster.

Thanks, helpful.

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www.kauper-xt.com/bar

those cheap looking plastic bar-ends trip me out

Im telling you all... Hollow carbon tubes connected to something that can pull a yacht around really doesnt belong in your hands.

Youll really really really regret this i know from personal 1st hand experience.

Hi Dachopper,

i like minimalism for foiling and that bar does look sweet. I use a stripped down, customized, click bar. It's very clean, works well and is better than most bar systems I have seen.

ive been using it for a year now and have never washed it in anything other than salt water and it has behaved flawlessly.

I run Ozone race lines (13m) and removed the Centre depower plastic rectangular profile thing in favour of a 5mm spectra line with simple pigtails and short original leaders.



FWIW

DM

Nice! That fixes the primary issues I have with the click bar.

Out of interest why choose this and not just use a Shift bar (OR/BWS/Harlem). Is it just that you happened to have a click bar around?

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weebitbreezy said..
Nice! That fixes the primary issues I have with the click bar.

Out of interest why choose this and not just use a Shift bar (OR/BWS/Harlem). Is it just that you happened to have a click bar around?

Hey Bitbreezy,

Yes, I did have a click bar lying about. I do like the mechanism though and would have chosen it anyway, even if I didn't have one. It delivers precise measured increments of depower very quickly. As the depower is on the back lines, it's easy to power up or down. Front lines depowers are difficult, especially cranking upwind on a foil under load. Even my 4:1 FS Bar is hard to trim down when lit and most front line depower trims are 3:1.

DM

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ActionSportsWA said..
Hi Dachopper,

i like minimalism for foiling and that bar does look sweet. I use a stripped down, customized, click bar. It's very clean, works well and is better than most bar systems I have seen.

ive been using it for a year now and have never washed it in anything other than salt water and it has behaved flawlessly.

I run Ozone race lines (13m) and removed the Centre depower plastic rectangular profile thing in favour of a 5mm spectra line with simple pigtails and short original leaders.



FWIW

DM

can't see a flag line

Theyre all flag lines if you have 10m long arms or can pull in one line quickly

Also incase theres any non believers www.realwatersports.com/blogs/news/tech-shots-why-control-bars-are-not-made-of-carbon

Hi amirite,

Correct, there is no flagging line on that bar. Due to the bridles, and soft nature of the structure on a foil kite, a flagging line isn't as essential as on an LEI. Most racers remove the flagging line to decomplicate the bar and reduce wind drag. The problem with a flagging line on race foil kites is they flag to a front line which can still partially power the kite in a worst case scenario, and will definitely put it into a continuous loop of sorts. Race kites use very thin lines and very lightweight fabrics so flagging a race kite can stretch canopies and bridles, which most riders want to avoid this kind of issue because the kites are expensive and easily damaged.

The beauty of a race or foil kite is if you let the bar go, the kite collapses and loses power, usually falling harmlessly onto the water surface where it will twist and become benign. Unlike a tube kite which holds its shape ready to power up. You can use a flagging system in an emergency, but I always ask for a land and explain even to a member of the public how to catch the kite which is super simple.

Yesterday I had to land my 8m Soul in 20+ knots on my own on a small beach surrounded by trees in cross-onshore conditions. I simply eased it down the edge of the wind window, let it sit on the ground, unhooked and grabbed a couple of meters of steering line to flag it. It was a simple and safe landing. No tangles and was ready to relaunch moments later.

I do not recommend anyone fly any inflatable kite without a flag out system, I also recommend using a flag out system on most foil kites, especially if you are new to foil kites. Most racers are extremely experienced kiters and due to the fragile build and soft shapeless nature of the kites, you can get away without it, but it can come with some degree of risk.

I am actually about to build a new race bar which I will incorporate a simple flag out system, purely just so I stay with the kite if offshore a ways out.

DM

Whats your simple flag out system? I just splice a line in 15m up a steering line and then have it run down steering line and have it larks headed onto same attacent point as the steering line near the bar. I grab my rather thin flag line yank it in and it automatically grabs the steering line at the point its spliced 15m away. Works a charm. Took me about 5 minutes with a fid and a little super glue.

I dont even notice it when winding lines up etc and unlike everyone for some ridiculous reasson!
I disconnect my bar every time. I dont know who started this keep your bar connected nonsense takes half a second to clear your mixer and lines