Forums > Kitesurfing General

Bar safety

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Created by pilotpete > 9 months ago, 18 Apr 2015
pilotpete
WA, 147 posts
18 Apr 2015 5:35PM
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Check your Ozone bars, the only thing that holds the ends on are two stainless steel rivets and the wall thickness of the plastic ends which is 3.5 mm. This happened during a roll tack, you can only imagine what might occur during a big air or kite loop.
This is not a wear issue but a design issue and hopefully Ozone will address this before someone gets hurt.
I did post this on Ozones face book page but they wont show it!



Lambie
QLD, 738 posts
18 Apr 2015 7:44PM
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Or just get a better bar !! like an F-one post 2014 !

surfingboye
NSW, 2707 posts
18 Apr 2015 7:45PM
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Wow that looks nasty. Haven't seen that before.
How many seasons on the bar? Pink line looks pretty faded.

pilotpete
WA, 147 posts
18 Apr 2015 6:10PM
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First season

cauncy
WA, 8407 posts
18 Apr 2015 9:21PM
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I've been on ozones for years and Havnt had an issue with the bars, and they've had a flogging, I'd say Either had an impact ( run over by big boat or similar ) or a casting fault

Kamikuza
QLD, 6493 posts
19 Apr 2015 12:05AM
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Someone forgot the glue....

MaxVMGRacing
WA, 120 posts
19 Apr 2015 12:45AM
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As a fellow racer, I believe the root cause of this is very unique to foiling, more specifically while learning to race tack and gybes on a foil.Several of us have also snapped lines this season due to the same sequence of events while learning to tack/gybe on the foil.
I also don't believe this would be an issue in other circumstances as its not likely in in big air as you are not anchored down as much, resisting the stock load as during a failed tack.

If we miss a tack while learning, we typically falling back from a decent height considering we up on the foil, and against the pull of the kite into the water, with foil and board between you and kite. In some circumstances that would cause this, we end up with only one hand of the bar, its turned parallel to the flying lines lines and loops the kite through the power zone (as happened to you), this means the full static and shock load is now pulling 90 degrees to its intended direction against the bar end, the offset length of the bar end adding further leverage against the rivet. This situation can& have snapped 300kg and even 500kg front line through the static and shock load created. We tack a lot, and fail alot while learning and this is continually putting stresses on the bar ends that is very unique to our use. As a fellow racer id say yes this may need to be looked at as more racers without a formula board back ground take more time to learn to tack and push the bar ends beyond their intended design in such circumstances. While learning to tack a race-board I jack-hammered 2 kites splitting them from leading to training edge from the impacts, I didn't mean to do it, but it happened and the kite wasn't designed to take that sort of stress in such a manner.

The bar and line do have a few hours in the bag as the fade on the red line suggest, I cant on behalf of Ozone, but Max-VMG Racing supporting the local racers as best we can and as a new dealer for Ozone Race kit in Perth, have been in contact with you twice to see if we can assist, (Ozone have been advised we have been in contact), Max-VMG Racing are keen to see you back on the water & stoked, so give me a call and we'll hook you up and get this matter sorted. We'll also put a recommendation forward for future product develop for this consideration.

sandyscott
NSW, 67 posts
19 Apr 2015 4:44AM
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Same thing happened to me a few months back when kite powered up after back stalling in a lull. Funnily enough, Griffin used the same bar ends a few years ago, and I had one around. Drilled out the rivets, a bit of epoxy and 2 new Monel rivets......good as new.

Gilly3
QLD, 794 posts
19 Apr 2015 9:33AM
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Select to expand quote
pilotpete said..
First season


Should be no issues then. If you take it back to the reputable dealer you bought it from and ask about a warranty claim, the first thing they will do is look for signs of wear and tear or damage that may have caused the problem. If all the evidence points towards a manufacturing fault, then it will be replaced free of charge through the retailer. This has always been the case from my experience, regardless of the brand.

But in your case, the photos clearly indicate that there has been an extreme amount of force put on that bar end to cause it to separate like that, so a warranty claim would be questionable. That being said...
Select to expand quote
MaxVMGRacing said..

The bar and line do have a few hours in the bag as the fade on the red line suggest, I cant on behalf of Ozone, but Max-VMG Racing supporting the local racers as best we can and as a new dealer for Ozone Race kit in Perth, have been in contact with you twice to see if we can assist, (Ozone have been advised we have been in contact), Max-VMG Racing are keen to see you back on the water & stoked, so give me a call and we'll hook you up and get this matter sorted. We'll also put a recommendation forward for future product develop for this consideration.


It sounds like everything that can be done to help you, is being done.

Move on.....

BTW, that grass looks fake!



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"Bar safety" started by pilotpete