Hello 2 all, lately ive been noticing quite a wide range of yonex rackets that don't seem to show up anywhere, well nowhere that ive been able to find. im talking about rackets like the following: isometric 830 muscle power 630 plus a massive range of other isometric (iso) models the yonex website seems to feature a very small selection of rackets. i know some of these iso models are old ones that are just resurfacing but the musclepower models seem to be new. is there anywhere that shows details of ALL yonex rackets, new old and discontinued?
you'll only find these racquets in asia. mainly lower to mid end racquets built for the particular market, hence you won't find many details on the website, if any at all. yonex.co.jp does have details of discontinued racquets.
I know Yonex put out some weird model numbers in the UK for retail partners. I've got a Muscle Power 723, which is a version of the MP23 that was exclusive to JJB Sports.
In Sweden you can find MP808 http://www.stadium.se/sport/racketsport/badminton/089007/yonex-mp-808 All rackets here are super ultra overpriced
aaahhhh, i see now. do you think they do this simply try to confuse us racket buyers. because, mp723 sounds a lot more impressive to me that a mp23, if anything it sounds like an improved and therefore more valuable model. i wonder if yonex actually ups the price of their 'mysterious' rackets and hope they sell on 'wow' factor!! many thanks for your responses & link. ill have a look at that link now and see what i find kind regards bf
How to Spot Counterfeit Yonex Rackets I have written a guide on how to spot yonex counterfeits, which I updated on regular basis. It may not be complete. So, if I miss anything which could be useful in helping the community, let me know. Guide: How to Spot Counterfeit Yonex Rackets Many people have fallen victim to counterfeit Yonex badminton rackets. To make sure you are not one of them, read this guide and realise that there are actually many ways to identify a counterfeit racket. 1. Observation 1.1. Price Many fake rackets are extremely cheap. However, what you get is a racket which is made of very cheap material. It is obvious that Yonex will not sell their rackets at such price as it will not cover even the production costs of the rackets. For example, it is not possible for Yonex to sell their latest product range, Arcsaber, at $50. Remember, what you pay is what you get. However, be aware that there are some fakes which are sold at the price of the original. For such rackets, further observation is required. 1.2. Serial Code There should be two serial numbers on every Yonex racket, one on the shaft and the other on the cone. The one on the shaft is the serial number which increases with every racket manufactured. The one of the cone represents when your racket is produced, in the format DDMMYXCC, with DD and MM respectively being the date and month of production. The most important information is the year of production Y. For example, if Y is 2, then the racket is produced in 2002. If you spot an Arcsaber with Y = 0, it is definitely fake since Arcsaber did not exist then. CC represents the country which it is distributed from. Serial code should also be laser engraved and not printed. However, the fake rackets are improving in the sense that the serial codes used are so real that it may not be possible to spot any flaw through mere inspection. In such case, you can always check your serial number with Yonex representatives or with badminton enthusiasts in forums such as Badminton Central and Badminton Forum. If a racket with 7 digit 1234567 is supposed to be distributed in UK but it has distribution code (CC) CH, it is definitely fake (can be verified by Yonex representatives) Some fake rackets have hologram stickers covering the serial number. 1.3. Additional Minor Details In many instances, the carry cases supplied with counterfeit rackets are of cheap quality. Carry cases should have internal thin paddings. Many Yonex rackets have CSC cones (above the handle) with a slightly curvature. However, this may not be true for all models (e.g. Nanospeed Series) Grommets are thicker and of higher quality Authentic rackets always come with tight plastic wrap around the handle with a bar code printed on 1 side. The tight plastic wrap around fakes do not give the "wet/drench look" like the originals. The orginial grips of some latest rackets (e.g. Arcsaber 10) have yonex logo pattern. Fakes have the plain red grip. Compare labels around the racket with a genuine one. (I have spotted a JP racket which was perfect in every aspect but had a "Elastic Ti" label on one side of the frame. Genuine rackets with other country codes should have this label but it is not true for JP rackets.) 2. Testing 2.1. String Tension If you buy the racket from a store, (pretend to) get the stringer to string 29 lbs. Genuine rackets without manufacture defect should be able to withstand string tension up to 31 without breaking upon stringing. Do not do this if you are buying over the net since they may claim that the racket broke during postage and blame you for your own decision. 2.2. Communicate with Seller Most of the time, fake rackets sellers use the words "Brand New" in their listings and do not dare to include the word "genuine" or "authentic" in their product descriptions, as buyers can always ask for refund as the "item is not as described". So, ask the seller regarding the authenticity of their rackets. Replies such as "What you see is what you get" or an evasive "This is made in Japan" should serve as a big red warning sign. 2.3. Weight If you have been in the field long enough, you should be able to know how genuine rackets feel with just a few swings and hits. In most cases, a counterfeit racket is lighter than the genuine version of the same model. 3. Miscellaneous 3.1. Distribution Codes Some distribution codes are more likely to be a victim of counterfeit products due to bigger market. Some of such distribution codes are TH, CH, and SP. The Australian code, AS, is definitely safe although who knows counterfeit rackets will adopt "safer" codes in the future to avoid detection. 3.2. Warranty Many Yonex rackets come with warranty. For example, AS coded rackets are covered by Yonex Australia warranty for 12 months. If your racket does not come with a warranty, it is time to do a racket "background check". Ultimately, the most obvious feature of a counterfeit racket is its price tag. Always remember, what you pay is what you get. If you want to get cheaper rackets, you may want to settle for other brands, which would have much better quality than counterfeit Yonex rackets of the same price. I hope this helps some-body out there .. I got a little paronoid about my racket I bought from a dealer because I couldn't find any information about the racket on the net .. ( I EVEN TRIED YONEX ) But after finding this guide I checked the racket and everything was OK .. I hope this will give peice of mind to other people. (I bought a Yonex isometric 830 DF)
