Takoon Reflex 7m 2012
Reviews / Kites
7,177
At A Glance
Takoon have been in the kitesurfing game longer than most, having shed the ownership of Bic Sport they are now under the umbrella of P&J Design. 2012 sees them come to the table sporting a new range that looks set to do very well. 2 kites make up the line up, the Reflex2 and the new version of the Furia. The Reflex is the freeride do it all model aimed at the rider looking for an easy to fly responsive kite with great relaunch. Getting the kite out of the bag it was surprising to see the amount of work that has gone into it. The quality is really second to none with detailing and features that you often just don’t see on kites. The Reflex utilises a 4-strut design with no centre strut, a design they have heralded for a few years now. The airframe is very solid and the reinforcement on the wingtips is excellent.
The Bar
Clean and functional is the trend here; a centre line safety system sits at the core of the set up. The chicken loop uses a very simple Velcro release system that has been tried and tested for many years now. Depower is looked after above the bar with a clam cleat system and the rear lines can be trimmed under the floats. The depower line is protected in a PVC tube to ensure long life.
In The Air
The Reflex is a fast and dynamic kite, it moves around the wind window with purpose and vigour and impressed just about everyone in the test team. We liked the way the kite handled at the bar, it responded really fast to input from the rider. The depower was also good, a trait that Takoon have long been famous for, the Reflex offers plenty of control at your fingertips in gusty conditions. Bar pressure was moderate, not too heavy and giving the rider great feedback. It definitely has a C kite feel to it. Wind range was good, the top end was never reached but it packs quite a punch for a 7m kite. Coupled with a wave board you could be out on the 7m when others are on bigger kites. The relaunch was excellent; the sculpted shape the leading edge meaning it hardly sticks to the water at all. Jumping was fantastic; the speed at which you can move the kite developing plenty of power to get you airborne and the shape of the kite offered a good amount of float too. In the waves the responsive behaviour shone through too. Unhooked it needed a little bit of trimming to get comfortable but once tuned it flew really well.
For
Great build quality, amazing attention to detail, quality feel. Great handling, fast turning speeds, develops a good amount of power and has plenty of control.
Against
No real negatives, suited to the more intermediate to expert riders out there, the speed could easily catch beginners off-guard.
Overall
A great kite from Takoon and it is fantastic to see the brand still going and still pushing the boundaries of quality. Perfect for freeriders looking for something a little more aggressive to add excitement to their ride.
Videos
This review was in Issue 33 of IKSURFMAG.
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By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!
