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North Click bar -update after 6 months usage-: Check your safety line near the split!

We have used the North Click bar now for 6 months (around 40 to 50 sessions) and want to share some results. The bar itself and the system on its own is phenomenal. For example we don’t see any wear out on the depower line. However there is one issue which can become a game breaker. The V-split causes damage to the line, which already shows. Obviously breaking a safety line is the last thing in the world you want to happen. Activating the safety in this case would mean loosing your kite!

Safety line damage North Click bar
Safety line damage North Click bar

North appears to have an issues now with the Click bar  which sounds very familiair to the one with early versions of the 2015 Quad bar. Again right at the safety line near the “V” split of the front lines. The damage occurs due to rubbing of the black plastic part (which keeps the front lines together) on the 2017 Click bar. After seeing a few other safety lines damaged on other Click bars we tried to find some information online. Nothing popped up so far, which was a bit of a surprise because other riders probably have used it more than we do (having had a really cold winter with very little riding). Our line will last probably another 6 months, but not much longer.

zoom damage safety line
Beginning of the damage on the safety line North Click bar

Known issue

Next thing we did is contacting North. And surprisingly we didn’t even need to show our damaged line, because it is a known issues. The damage is caused due to a slight roughness on  the black V-distribute part. North also added that It may well be newer versions haven’t got this problem.  We were told replacement kits will be available soon (probably April 2017). – See below an update from North about a replacement kit.

Advice

So far the North Click bar is still the best bar we have used and we still think the review made earlier is right as it should be. Mainly because of it’s lack of wear out and because of its auto rotating below the bar swivel which keeps everything very safe.

It is a good thing North is arranging warranty replacements, but they seem to be late with sending warning messages.

Update: 2 days after we made this post->North has contacted us from headquarters in Munich. Philipp Becker from North acknowledges there are some issues as described, but declines that there is already a plan on providing an upgrade kit. This is still under debate internally at North. Craig Cunningham (Team rider at North) mentioned that there is going to be a press release on this topic.

This wear out on the safety line in fact has very little to do with the new click system, but since it is a very dangerous place to have wear out. You should check you line as soon as possible and contact your local shop if it looks damaged.Â