Dean Hannah Posted January 29, 2018 Share Posted January 29, 2018 Hi all just purchased a 2015 Nirvana Rodeo 125 EP (NR 615707) in top condition. It has a medium harness, update throttle control on it and a Total 27 hrs . I paid $9500. condition. The course I am doing in May in Laureton NSW Sydney is $1000 cheaper if you provide your own gear. So i guess I have really paid $8500. I will be doing my PPG course in early May this year in NSW Australia. Cannot wait! Just thought I would get some feedback on my Nirvana as a choice compared to other brands such as Scout (and the dreaded) Blackhawk. I decided against the Carbon Scout because of price and as a beginner I didnt want to potentially damage the 1 piece frame. Mine has a "medium" harness. What does this mean and how do the harness points affect flying characteristics? Cheers Dean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilmour Dickson Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Hi Dean, I am no expert but for what it is worth here is my 2 cents: Like you I bought a mint condition Rodeo 2nd hand. The only other machines I have flown have been Parajet Volution 3s so its not like I have a lot of experience of different machines. I got mine at a great price and a mate knew it's history from day one (about 5 hours). I bought it before training and with a wing that I subsequently have replaced. I went against all the advice (i.e. buying once you have completed training) and this was largely because I live in Zambia and motors are hard to come by... the price was a good deal. More than good in fact, so I decided to grab it before someone else did. Plus the only other pilots in Zambia all fly Nirvana and the dealer in SA is quite good. Looking back with 20/20 hindsight I should probably have held off, but I would never have got such a deal again and importing was going to be a headache but to be honest I am happy with the motor and have got to know it and now with a better wing I am happy with my choices. The wing is always going to be a far more important factor than the motor... Again with 20/20 hindsight I should have tried harder to get the seller to split the package and tried to get the motor only. Pros: - simple construction: frame brakes down very quickly and easily into 4 sections. - Powerful. No complaints about the simonini lacking power. Smooth too (especially with 3 blade prop). - Friendly and helpful people at Nirvana HQ! - I like how the harness is quickly detachable. I have an old PG harness for groundhandling but at times it is good to be able to kite in the harness you fly in. - Electric start. Having witnessed a motor go to full whack on start and a guy put his hand into the prop (very very lucky to walk away with bruised knuckles!), not to mention scary stories/pictures on here and FB I am a fan of electric start. It just makes it easier and therefore that bit safer as there is less temptation to fire it up on the ground to warm it. Cons: - Heavy. It is heavy. There is no getting away from that fact. It is now an old design and AirConception, Parajet Maverick etc etc etc are all a fair bit lighter with similar power. Having said that the Simonini engine while heavy does have a pretty good reputation for reliability. - High hangpoints means it is not as good at weightshift pilot inputs as lower hangpoints. Endless pros and cons type debate to all this. Bottom line is that everyone (including Nirvana finally) is moving or has moved to lower hangpoints. It does weightshift though. For me it is not an issue as I am low airtime and more into cruising than anything else at this stage. Apparently higher hang points are easier to launch, and where I live I will take every advantage when it comes to launching. What else... Always double check the plastic frame clips. If one is open the prop tips can catch it and that is not good for your prop tips! It is quite robust. I had a fairly big smash and totally destroyed the two bottom cage sections and a prop but everything else and myself was okay. The battery charges in flight and there is an XLR output socket so if you are into say long XCs then you could very easily rig a USB charger or run other gizmos. Not that I do. If you can source a Nicad battery pack with the same voltage from an older battery drill then it is a bonus! It is a strong machine. I have done power launches on it no problem (well for the rodeo at least!). The easy break down of the kit is a bonus. I am lucky that my site is 10mins from the house and I have a pickup, but if the pick up is off and I am using my troopy LC then I am very thankful about how easy it is to set up and take down. As regards harness size, take a look here. I assume yours (like mine) has a Dudek harness. While this is a newer version I am guessing the sizing is the same. I am not a big guy (80kgs and 5"9 maybe) and mine is labelled XL. It is totally fine. https://www.dudek.eu/en/products/powerseat-comfort-high.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Achmed Azizie Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 Hi Gilmour, I would like to know if is it possible to use different harness brand other than the one that comes standard. I am new to this and is still currently in training. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Achmed Azizie Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 also I purchased mine 2nd as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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