I was all set on getting a BS12 KRP from SOSA (when they had plenty) but was put off once I saw the BP was 297 +/-2mm. It sounds like it's just a BS-LYD painted to look like a BS12? I have a BSLYD which I find a little too head heavy for my liking, so was hoping the BS12KRP would be a stiffer version of the BS12, which it isn't. Still, if it plays as well as you guys say it does, I might still be tempted to get one... that's if they are still available. Where can I buy one from these days? I sent a PM to Ben (UK Victor retailer) to see if he can get them but was ignored.
The famous one with the black stock grip you mean? http://www.victorsport.com/product_detail_1083.html Yes I saw that one, but it is just a pic of the numbers. Meant some overall snaps of the racket and the other side of the cone, BKA logo's side by side maybe with the BS12N Extremely doubtful he can get them as he is restricted to Victor International based in Germany. Thought I saw one user saying it is pretty darn close to the LYD ... Didn't see any BS12 KRP at the SOSA Yahoo auction so perhaps in Korea but those are impossible to get without some help and probably cost quite a lot more than what SOSA was asking for which is quite reasonable .
It's an interesting topic. There are a couple of questions which should be answered to clear this up. 1) Are the KRP versions manufactured with different specs or selected from the normal BS12 factory line? 2) Why aren't these specs readily available?
Production is aimed towards the 'common' target specs, and most pros use a severely off-spec version. Assuming a bell curve for the specs, those kinda specs are probably less than 3% of rackets produced. Going by just how many rackets International players have, they use up a big part of those (I assume Ko/Lee will travel with 10-12 rackets each, to have 5-8 strung for matches.....and break a couple every month. TBH was reported to break 1 Ti-10 per week in training, for example). As to why the racket isn't produced that way on purpose - then it'd be a blue/black BS LYD, basically They're just using the pros to promote it (Bs12), and tbh, for roughly 60-70% of players it's the better racket because of the difference in stiffness. Imop you don't need a racket that's stiffer than the Bs12 if you string with less than 25-26lbs (depending on the string, more with the thick ones). You're giving away so much control by using those soft strings that a stiff shaft won't help you much.
If they break a couple every month then why is the blue bs12 still available...since victor has already stop prodiction for the blue ones..
As far as I'm aware, no blue BS12 are in production anymore. Only what's left of the old stock and KR codes.
I think it might be the other way around. With rackets that can take 30+lbs without problem, you do not need a racket that is as stiff.
SOSA has just listed 2 KRP BS12. Current price was about £350 each. Well out of my price bracket. I won't be buying a normal BS12 so back to the drawing board! Interesting spec and details part though. Here are some of the more interesting bits which should answer some of your questions! Balance: 297 +/-2 Max warranty tension: 35lbs Ive pasted the links to the auction sites that SOSA put up on its facebook page so you can see more. http://goods.ruten.com.tw/item/show?21306259797056 http://tw.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/b93672668
Wow looks like they realized how popular these are and decided to jack the prices. The original posting on their yahoo auctions page was NTD and it was about $150 USD and it was listed in NTD.
Those "details" were known all along. Heck it even says already in the BS12KRP thread in the market place section. But I have not seen any pic so far showing it actually says 35lbs on the racket (with the BS10 it also mentions 35lbs yet on the racket 30lbs is engraved). It was so wildly different according to the threadstarter who measured his own BS12 at only 288mm but in this thread we have already seen regular codes within the 297 +/- 2mm bp region ... The only reason to not go for the LYD instead is that it's an ugly stick compared to this and the new LYD ... Didn't notice the prices were in Yuan before, assumed it was TWD but yeah this is a little bit on the high side (4200 for the BS10??? But I think it said everything was included in that price including shipping; perhaps locally) (on a sidenote I noticed the SW35 has the same BKA logo as the KRP version, so not wildly different as mentioned earlier by me; did think a while back I noticed some differences between the logos printed on the KRP versions but not really seeing it anymore) -------------------- YEAH BABY!!!
Looking at the other auctions, those prices can never be Yuan: 7200 for a NR800??? That sounds more like the RRP for a TW code in $TWD
Isn't the meaning of the 'yuan' in chinese means dollar??it doesn't make sense if it is the 'yuan' in RMB.
Not saying you're wrong, but I do find that hard to believe. If the pros are indeed using these BS12 KRP racquets, judging by how much power some of them can generate with it, I'd say it would need to be a lot stiffer than an ordinary commercial BS12. And if it needs to be that much stiffer than the normal "medium flex" BS12, then I think it would be beyond just a variation in racquets manufactured. I agree there will always be some variation, but I find it difficult to believe that the amount of variation is such that it can make, what is intended to be, a medium flex racquet to a very stiff one (unless Victor's QC is really that bad). I'm sure by the same token, if some of these racquets can come out much stiffer, some of them can also come out much more flexible than the normal medium stiff BS12? I know Victor's QC has been questioned before in terms of their weight grades, but surely can the stiffness really vary by that much?
