Well, this is not my first review, I have made a lot in my spanish yoyo blog, but it´s the first time I translate it to english and want to know what you think about it. English is not my mother tongue, so it´s hard to express everything as well as in spanish, but I tried. Please, honest opinions, I can live with them O0
Introduction
Everytime the alarm clock rings in the morning and I switch on my tv to watch the news, the word “crisis” is the most repeated. Same happens at work, talking with friends, in the newspapers… Under these conditions, selling a yoyo for over 100$ is getting harder, however good it is.
That’s what Chris Kayatz must have thought when he decided to launch the HSpin Core Series: a try to combine the high quality and performance of the swiss brand with a much more affordable price. It’s an intelligent movement, following the lines of One Drop with M1, Caribou with Campfire or Yoyofactory with FundaMetal series.
So back from EYYC I brought a Beysick in my suitcase, the debut yoyo of the Core Series, to satisfy my curiosity. During the last two weeks, it’s been my main throw, so let’s see what’s the outcome.
First impressions
When you buy HSpin, you are used to open the box, put the response system and axle in, assemble the two halves… Everything is different in the Beysick. The yoyo doesn’t come in the typical stylish box, but in a much simpler bundle: a pair of socks. I don’t know if it will be sold that way, but that’s how it was in Prague. And for sure, if it’s done to cut costs, the idea seems to be more than brilliant. Besides it protects the yoyo well enough, an extra pair of socks is always welcome.
In those socks you will find another clue for the lower final price, as you can read: “designed in Switzerland, precision made in India”. So the swiss design is safe, and the machining and probably anodizing are done in India, where production costs and manpower must be much cheaper.
The last piece of the puzzle is the bearing. If you open the yoyo you won’t find the same hybrid metal/plastic ball bearing used in the Cut or NVx, but a stainless steel one. Mine was pretty clean and unresponsive, with nice spinning times, so it’s not a problem.
Obviously, to lower cost you have to make some concessions, but knowing the HSpin quality control, don’t expect a bad result. On the other hand, Beysick will surprise you from the first throw becouse of it’s great playability.
Look/Aesthetics
Beysick sounds quite similar to “basic”, and maybe it was made to look that way: shiny black or golden anodized and laser engraved with HSpin Core Series in one side and Beysick in the other. The alluminium colour in the engravings stands out a lot in the black version, making it look great. Thats’s why I chose the darkest one.
HSpin is known for having one of the best anodization around, silky smooth, with bright colours and unusual grinding capability. The Beysick anodization is not exactly same, but it’s flawless and colour is bright and uniform. Laser engravings are also quite well done and give the yoyo a serious and cool finish.
The spikes are same that you will find in any other product from this brand, a kind of hallmark identifying HSpin for all these years. Without a doubt they add the final touch to a very beautiful design.
Tech
With a 52mm. diameter, the Beysick is closer to undersized throws than to full sized, but probably it will feel comfortable to a wide range of potential players.
The V shaped profile combines perfectly curves with sharp angles. The rims are rounded in the upper side, but cut in a straigh angle in the outside. The transition from the inner walls to the rims also ends in a hard edge, smoothened up so it doesn’t feel uncomfortable. In fact, the yoyo fits perfectly in my big hands, holding it with my index and ring fingers on the rims while the middle finger lays inside the gap zone.
Rounded shapes are back in the inner rims, where a thick IGR lip adds loads of rim weight, making stability and spinning times excellent and thumb grinds quite easy.
The Axle & Response 2.0 system is the same than the last HSpin models, with a thin recess that fits pads, but deep enough to admit flowable silicone without problems. The bearing seat is perfectly mechanized, and the bearing floats over it, so you will not need pliers to take it out. The traditional size D bearing came deshielded and cleaned, allowing an unresponsive play from the first throw.
Let’s see the specs:
Diameter: 52 mm.
Width: 41,5 mm.
Weight: 65 gr.
Bearing: stainless steel size D (5×11x5 mm.)
Response System: silicone stickers (admits flowable silicone)
On a throw
If we have to define how the Beysick plays in only two words, it would be easy to choose them: light and fast. First time I threw it I wouldn’t have said that this is a 65 grams yoyo. I know it’s not a heavy weight, but while spining it feels lighter, so it moves extremely fast.
I have been also surprised by stability. The bulbous lip hidden in the inner rims makes it very balanced and long spinning. The gap size (I would say about 4 mm.) is not extreme, but wide enough to admit many strings before a noticeable decrease of speed.
Otherwise, it plays like wild horse but easy to ride, reacting fast to direction changes and feeling solid in the hand. The wide profile makes eli hops and slacks a pleasure and so easy to hit the string in any trick.
Response is so tight from the first throw, even with the clean bearing. It’s strange how with a thin response surface you get such a lot of grip, but I’ve learnt that those new silicone pads need some time to break in. After a couple hours of play you will only find response when you want, with great binds even at low rpm.
The glossy anodization is not best choice for finger or palm grinds, but it gets the job done. In the other side, thumb grinds are a dream, with that thick IRG that catches your thumb like a jealous girlfriend.
Talking about vibe, you have to know I’m obssesed with it. Anyway, I found the Beysick quite smooth, with a tiny bit of vibe in the string and grinds, but not affecting play at all. I have to say it’s only noticed if you are looking for it, so be happy and don’t do it.
Final Thouhgts
This Beysick is honestly a good yoyo. It doesnt have the superb anodization we are used to find in HSpin, nor the silent and long spinning hybrid bearing, and it doesn’t comes in the stylish package as their other products, but you have to pay some tolls if you want a product that can be sold almost for half the price we are used to.
In my opinion, the HSpin Core series debut couldn´t have been better. If you wanted a light and fast yoyo, wich flyes in the string with a great balance, you have found it. Obviously, don’t expect to be like the Cut, Gorylla or NVx, becouse price differences are always somewhere, but if you are looking to have fun with a great yoyo paying far less, then Beysick is your choice.
The good
• Weight distribution gives long spinning times and a great stability.
• Thumb grinds are a dream.
• Value for money.
The evil
• Glossy anodization is not the best finish for finger grinds.
• You lose some “magic” without the assembly process.
• It’s not a NVx.