I think it's time to make a new thread about RKEP rackets. Review of RKEP's XP-80 vs Victor's MX-60 coming soon.
RKEP XP-80 vs Victor MX-60 I tried RKEP's previous racket model similar to Victor's Bravesword (PRO6000?) and I was not too impressed. The racket was fast. But somehow it lacked feeling upon striking shuttles and that was pretty much a deal breaker for me. This time I decided to try the XP-80 which was supposed to be similar to the MX-60 with medium stiffness, slight headheaviness at 295mm and a weight of 86g (about 96-97 after grip and string). The Head To my surprise the head is not entirely octo-frame. The frame begins to look triangular (like the bravesword series) at about 3 and 9 o'clock. At the top of the frame it also extends upward like the traditional oval head. Some of you may wonder why the oval head? Myself isn't exactly an oval fan but I find it nothing but advantageous to my play. The oval head doesn't affect my swing. It makes me want to hit the shuttle slightly higher. In my games today I did create more angle than usual (of course, all these might be just psychological). The XP-80 definitely has a larger stringbed area, making it more forgiving than the MX-60. But then again, the MX series already has a good amount of surface area. So the addition is kind of a moo point. Anyhow, I think the head perhaps contributes the most to the overall feeling of the racket. It feels fast just like a bravesword. But something is different. The racket feels more stable... The "T" Now this is where it gets interesting. From 3 and 9 o'clock downward, the racket follows strictly in the octo-frame design. I think this is where the stable feeling is produced. In combination with the triangular top head, it feels fast yet stable. I must say, I am impressed. The octo-frame produces a very distinct feel in your swing. It is the exact same feeling on the MX series. The Shaft Judging by eyes, the XP has the same 7.0mm thickness. I'm certainly glad the XP does not come with a crazy thick shaft. In terms of bounciness, personally I believe nobody makes a bouncier shaft than Yonex. But the shaft of the XP-80 seems to be good enough, whippy and responsive. Note that this may due to the medium stiffness. I cannot guarantee the stiffer versions would feel the same (the XP60 and XP70). As much as I think this is an excellent racket. I'm tired of typing. To sum it up, the XP-80 is a very excellent mix of designs, this plays out very well, far beyond my expectation. Some additional things you might care (I personally do not, because they are easy fixes): I ordered four of these rackets in total; one was missing the joint grommets, two had white glue blocking a few grommets. I imagine this could be very annoying to some people. One of the racket made a cracking noise during my initial bending by hand test, a small part of the cosmetic seems to have cracked. This seems to be only surface. The crack on the cosmetic does not seem to get worse after tonight's 3 hour game session. It certainly scared me at first.
you're tired of typing after only a few paragraphs? certainly this is an excellent series from rkep. i have the xp70 and have compared it to my mx70 in the pro6000/9000 thread i looove the frame design, hybrid of bs and mx series giving it the stability of the mx with the speed of the bs. the pinched in frame at 10 and 2 o'clock and sharp edge design is characteristic of the bs series, helping to give it speed. and the octagonal cross section from 4 to 8 o'clock gives it the stability shaft stiffnes of the xp70 is in between the mx70 and mx60, so i would expect that the xp80 would be even flexier than mx60 and the xp60 would be between mx80 and mx70 i can't wait for eric to bring out the 3u frames!
did you mean they are the same thickness as the MX60? MX60 has got the 7.2mm shaft which is not quite slim by today's standard...
just to add, i have actually contact Eric to confirm the shaft thickness and he said to me he doesn't know exactly whether it's 7.0mm or 7.2mm.
not completely true. all else being equal, the thicker the shaft, the stiffer. but then, all else is not always equal, so it is just one of many variables involved.
Yes, correct. I meant if you don't know what carbon and additive is in the shaft between two different rackets, then the measure of shaft diameter has absolutely no bearing on stiffness. Compare mx70 and mx80 for example, they have exactly the same shaft diameter but different stiffness.
RKEP XP Racket Review Links Gathered up the RKEP XP* reviews from the other forum thread: RKEP XP-60 Review RKEP XP-70 Review RKEP XP-70 Review Followup RKEP XP-80 Review #1 RKEP XP-80 Review #2 XP60/70/80 Specs
I think you are about right on the stiffness. I played with my MX70 today and it was closer to the XP60 then the XP70j however, using my hand to bend those shafts I cannot tell whether the XP60 or 70 is stiffer. Also I got to tell you, the G16 grip is a winner, I cannot stand my old G08 grips after I have tried the G16. Double the number, double the effectiveness! The XP60 can be a singles racket due to the stiffness and quick weight transfer, but the XP 70 at 295 is just too headlight for a flexier racket. If Eric can make 3Us with 305mm bp then it would be a winner for singles play.
^^ i modded it with around 0.7g of tape at the top of the xp70 frame, and that has transformed it beautifully into a more powerful racket hence, i'm impatiently waiting for the 3u frames to come out!
exactly. i didn't like the mx60's shaft (7.2mm a bit numb) but i didl like the bs09's shaft (7.0mm bouncier than mx60)
Again, what you are saying is not what you mean. To say 'shaft thickness has absolutely no bearing on shaft flex' is just a factually wrong statement. There are no two ways about it. What you are explaining is that shaft thickness cannot be taken to be the sole indicator of shaft flex/stiffness.