Victor Hornet Series Review – Bumblebee 01 and Bumblebee 02

Bumblebee 01 – Power

Extra Stiff

4U G5

Head Heavy – approx. 298mm

Zymax 70 at 25lbs

First Impressions:

The racket looks great. That is what I have to say upon picking it up. I know many people will not be too thrilled by the colour scheme but I really like it. The paint quality is quite top-notch although there was an area where it wasn’t as smooth. Certain positions around the frame have nice hologram-like honey comb accents. The racket felt sturdy and of a nice weight. 

Warm Ups:

POWER. The BB01 has lots of power. Most of my clears were sailing out pretty effortlessly so I had to really sky some of them. It definitely didn’t feel like a defensive racket as it did feel kind of slow despite being a 4U but this was all during warm-ups so we’ll see. 

Game Time: 

Again, POWER. Smashes were amazing with this racket although I must say, the sweet spot is extremely small. When you time yourself right, your shots will be amazing. When you don’t, your shots will be begging to be killed. Drives were decent but like I said before, rather slow. Defence kind of suffers a bit with this racket even though it’s the 4U version. Maybe it was just me but I felt a lag when I used this racket.

Clears again were effortless but drop shots from the back took more effort to execute. The sweet spot on the BB01 is really quite small so it will take some time to adjust for most people. In terms of comparisons to other rackets, the BB01 felt most like the 4U AT900 Power by Yonex, although I must say the AT900P was much easier to use. 

Net shots and net kills were pretty good. The racket feels very solid when hitting the bird so I found net play to be quite nice. Although brushes and kills were rather powerful, it did tire my wrist a bit after a while. This racket was definitely interesting to play with although my arm got kind of sore after playing with it for a few hours. 

Conclusion:

The BB01 is an interesting racket to try if you’re an all-out attacking player. Defence should not be on your mind when you use this racket, especially if you plan to use the 3U version. 

Ratings:

Power – 9.5/10

Defence – 7.5/10

Feel – 9/10        

Control – 8/10

These ratings are rather subjective and could be a bit biased. I myself am more of a control and defensive-minded individual so if you’re an attacking player, this racket might suit you quite well and be easy to adapt to.

Bumblebee 02 – Control

Medium-stiff to Stiff

3U G5

Slightly Head Heavy – approx. 290mm

Zymax 67 at 25lbs

First Impressions:

The racket looks better than the “Tonka Toy Truck” or the BB01. Now don’t get me wrong, I actually like very eccentric colours so the BB01 is in my opinion, one of the better looking rackets for me XD. But when I picked the BB02 up, it just looked amazing. Props to Victor for doing a very fine job on the paint and design of the racket. Whereas the BB01 was the grunt or strong guy of the family, the BB02 is the princess being protected by the grunt.

Warm Ups:

This racket definitely felt more at home to me compared to the BB01. Maybe it was because of the balance or the stiffness, but it just felt right. Clears were once again effortless, and most of all, the sweet spot is much larger than the BB01. Drives were quick and easy although this racket did feel much heavier than the BB01 so I decided to play a game with my normal 3U racket first and then switched back to this one for the test.

Game Time:

The racket is as its name implies, very easy to control. All my shots were going exactly where I wanted them to although I still found this racket quite heavy and sluggish compared to my go-to rackets (NS9900 and RKEP AT800p). The racket felt really solid and unlike the princess it seemed to have been, this thing can really hold its own in terms of power, relatively speaking.

Clears were simple to execute and easily controllable, drives were flat and crisp, net shots were great but what I found most interesting was the fact that forehand and backhand drops with this racket were extremely simple to do. Maybe it was just because I’m more used to this type of racket or whatever but it was definitely quite pleasant. Serves were right to the “T” and flick serves were right to the corner.

In terms of defence, this racket is not bad, but it is in no way the best. Like I said before, it felt quite sluggish and that carried through even after using some heavier rackets. It will get the job done in most cases but I wouldn’t exactly count on it to close out the game in the bottom of the ninth during Game 7 of the World Series if you know what I mean.

Smashes were pretty decent for what it was advertised as. They were by no means the best things in the world but they’ll get the job done. In terms of comparing it to a racket I have tried before, I must say it felt like the Armortec 500 or the Li-Ning N50 II. But of course, that is all subjective.

Conclusions:

This racket felt nice but at the end of the day, it did not suit me and my playing style enough for me to keep it in my collection. Both these rackets are technically limited edition rackets so maybe they’re more to collect than to play? But either way, the BB02 will definitely suit some people. It is more of an all-around racket as opposed to the grunt who only knows how to kill.

Ratings:

Power – 8.5/10

Defence – 9/10

Feel – 9/10

Control – 9.5/10

Once again, these are rather subjective ratings and may differ completely from person to person depending on skill and playing style. I am by no means a pro at badminton but this is a fun hobby of mine.

Wallace

RKEP AT800P Review

Weight: 86g unstrung

Balance: 290mm

Stiffness: Medium-Stiff to Stiff

Strings: Ashaway Zymax 67 at 25lbs

First Impressions: 

When I first opened up the package and took out the racket, it felt a little bit strange. For 86g, it definitely felt heavier but it also felt extremely solid. The paint job looks decent although there were some parts that weren’t done too well. A mixture of black, gold, white and red, asymmetrical like that of the Yonex Arcsaber Z. The head is the now standard isometric shape which should be no surprise here. The head of the frame seems slightly wide and the grommets don’t seem to be the best quality. But this is all merely superficial or easily fixed. Now how does this thing play?

On the Court: 

The AT800P might not look like much, but it can really play quite well. Right from the get go, I was able to use it with no problem. Like how it felt when I first held it, it is definitely a solid racket. All hits were crisp and with very little vibration (although this might be a little skewed by the overgrip I put on). I did however feel a bit of drag on my shots but that could be due to the fact that my current go-to rackets were a Yonex Arcsaber 8DX and a Victor Bravesword 09.

Control-wise, the AT800P was great. I was able to place the shuttle pretty much anywhere I wanted to which surprised even me, given that I’ve never used it before. Backhands, both clears and drops were easy to execute. Power-wise, the AT800P does lack that extra oomph to push it over the top but it was by no means a slouch. Smashes were flying compared to my Arc 8DX but not close to my Bravesword 09 or even Kimoni SP-99.

Defense was not bad, but at the same time not overly great. But for me, defending does tend to take longer to pick up with a racket when compared to offense so I won’t be too worried. Being a semi-light, semi-stiff racket, it was excellent when it came to returning smashes and drives were great as well. There were definitely some improvements from the time I warmed up with the racket to the 5^th doubles game.

What was the biggest surprise to me was the ease of use. Usually after 3 or 4 consecutive games with my Arc 8DX, my arm would be a bit tired so this is where the semi-stiff shaft helps.

How it Compares (which rackets are most similar in each category):

Stiffness - Yonex Nanospeed 9000 Type S

Balance - Victor Bravesword 09

Speed - Yonex Arcsaber 8DX

Effort Needed to Use - SOTX Woven 8

Conclusion:

The RKEP AT800P is definitely a great racket for anybody who is just beginning badminton, all the way up to advanced players. Power players may want to look into something more stiff but otherwise, this racket performs great in all categories. In short, it is the Jack of all trades, but the master of none. It is a great racket to use if you’re slowly coming back to the game or a little tired. For the price this racket is retailing for, the quality and solidity simply can’t be beaten. Although it will take a lot more for RKEP to compete with the bigger racket manufacturers, I can see it safely occupying a lower niche in the future. The quality is definitely there, but how well will people accept a new brand? 

Ratings:

Power – 8/10

Control – 9/10

Defense - 8.5/10

Feel – 9.5/10

Value – 10/10