Main improvements I'm looking for are
1. More C-Kite like turning => more frontward pull in kite loops
2. Less bar pressure => especially the bigger sizes 11m2 and 13m2 had a tick too much for my taste
3. Shorter depower (I was riding all my 2008 Bandits with the shorter loop, which has some impact on the depower in the upper wind range of the kites)
My F-One history
2006: Tribal 1 15, 11 and 9m2
2007: Tribal 2 13, 11 and 9m2
2008: Bandit 11, 9 and 7.5 m2
Testing conditions
Wind: Day 1 => 8-10 ms, Day 2 (flat => behind sandbank) => 9-12ms (Onshore => waves)
Boards: Day 1 => F-One Trax 135x41 2008, Day 2 => F-One Skate 135x36 2007
My weight: 75kg
Riding hours: approx. 5
Windrange
As you can see from my wind data (measured with wind meter), the kite indeed has a very good lowend (probably somewhere at 8ms for a 75kg rider). Some heavier riders had the impression, that the old Bandit 9 2008 has clearly more pull than the Bandit Dos 2008 (they tested both kites within 10 minutes, so the wind theoretically should be pretty same). I also tested both kites and have to confirm. So the 1m2 difference might be an important thing for heavier riders. For a 75kg average guy, it will be compensatable by the improved kite speed (more about that later). Highend could not be tested. I will replace my Bandit 9m2 with a Bandit Dos 8m2.
Depower
Seems that the kite has similar depower capability than the 2008 model. But I wouldn't like to comment before I tested the upper windrange which I estimate somewhere at 14-15ms. One thing which I knew before I tested is that fact that F-One shortened the depower rope. As I told earlier, I was riding my this years Bandits with the short loop mainly because I couldn't reach the depower strap. Another reason was the fact that I share the kites with my wife. For her it was kind of impossible to reach the depower strap without almost dislocating her sholder.
Bar pressure
As the bar pressure was only a problem on the bigger sizes, I will try to get my hands on a 10 or bigger size, before I comment. But it at least didn't feel more than the current 9m2 or 7.5m2
Unhooked feel
I would like to mention that I'm still rather a beginner when it comes to unhooked riding. For me one of the most disturbing things on the current Bandits was the fact that you had to adjust the depower strap, when riding the kite unhooked. Finding the sweet spot is, at least for me, quite difficult. In case of too much backline tension (oversheeting), the kite tended to slow down and if really oversheeted (it is possible with the factory setting), even backstall. So, how does the Bandit Dos do in this section. Actually really well => YOU DO NOT NEED TO ADJUST ANYTHING....HURRA. I was doing all my unhooked moves, which are actually limited to railys and some kind of S-Bend (at least that's how it will look at one point). The kite is cleary more smooth than the current version. Much less tension on the backlines and still very responsive.
Kiteloops
It seems that they have developped the kite to the right direction. It cleary has more pull through the loops. But since I have not been riding C-Kites for some time, I would like to get some opinion from a C-Kite rider. I will have to test the North Vegas 2008 and compare it to the new Bandit. Will write more after that.
The kite really impressed me
Hopefully more testing at a later point. Unfortunately, the kite has to go back to Matti...sniff...sniff