Yonex RDX 500 MP: How to tell if it is a fake?

[andyaycw]

I need assistance from the pros on this one: when you purchase a tennis racket from another individual, what do you or can you look for to tell if the racket is a fake?

Some time ago, I bought two Yonex RDX 500's from Tennis Warehouse. Unfortunately, I eventually cracked the frame on one of them when the racket slipped out of my hand while serving. I went on for some time with just the remaining one racket, but eventually decided to purchase a second one about two years ago from another individual. I would have purchased another from Tennis Warehouse, but I believe they had already discontinued the racket by that time.

Unfortunately, I never really had the chance to play with my newly purchased RDX 500 racket that much until just recently. I've noticed the racket seems slightly lighter, and the feel of the racket just feels different when compared to my other RDX 500, the one which I know is real which was purchased from Tennis Warehouse.

The serial numbers have been engraved, and looking at the rackets everything looks virtually identical. I haven't weighed the rackets, but just holding them in my hands, it feels lighter, and hitting with them, they feel different even when strung with the same string at same tension.

I'm positive this is a fake - and I have to say, this is one very convincing fake. Pictures will come, but in the meantime, thoughts?

 

[mad dog1]

fakes are created for super popular racquets such as the Head, Babolat and Wilson racquets. i don't think i've ever seen a fake Yonex before because they're not popular enough, but hey, i guess there's a first time for everything.

 

[MAXXply]

Can we lobby the mods to kill all the tiresome threads about fake rackets, especially those relatively inconsequential frames that have long passed into unloved obsolescence? Noobs with more money than common sense won't ever understand that only the most lemmingly-popular brands and frames are the focus of counterfeiters. It's just a racket for heaven's sake.

Or should we just have some fun and tell them about the dedicated Yonex Fakes factory/village in China, the one that churns out RDX-500s by the truckload to unsuspecting buyers.

 

[14OuncesStrung]

There is no such thing as a fake Yonex.
PERIOD.

 

[mad dog1]

Can we lobby the mods to kill all the tiresome threads about fake rackets, especially those relatively inconsequential frames that have long passed into unloved obsolescence? Noobs with more money than common sense won't ever understand that only the most lemmingly-popular brands and frames are the focus of counterfeiters. It's just a racket for heaven's sake.

Or should we just have some fun and tell them about the dedicated Yonex Fakes factory/village in China, the one that churns out RDX-500s by the truckload to unsuspecting buyers.

now you've spoiled the fun. :twisted:

 

[uk_skippy]

fakes are created for super popular racquets such as the Head, Babolat and Wilson racquets. i don't think i've ever seen a fake Yonex before because they're not popular enough, but hey, i guess there's a first time for everything.

While I agree that I've never seen a fake Yonex tennis rqt, there are plenty of fake Yonex badminton rqts around.

Regards

Paul

 

[mad dog1]

While I agree that I've never seen a fake Yonex tennis rqt, there are plenty of fake Yonex badminton rqts around.

Regards

Paul

very true...i saw a ton of them when i was in china 15 yrs ago. in fact, i've got a fake yonex badminton racquet still. yonexes are the equivalent of babolats in the badminton world.

now if OP was inquirying about fake yonnie baddy racquets, i would have replied, yeah, it's most likely a fake.

 

[PrinceMoron]

what do you or can you look for to tell if the racket is a fake?

Pictures will come, but in the meantime, thoughts?

The end of the world can't come soon enough.

 

[Automatix]

There was a time Yonex did inform about counterfeit tennis racquets providing photos of fakes.

However that was a long time ago and since Yonex isn't as popular in tennis there currently are no counterfeits or there are rare enough that getting a fake is unlikely.

 

[Love50]

Just throwing out a possibility... Did the RDX 500 come in different weight classes? E.g. SL/UL etc. Is it possible you have frames from different weight classes?

 

[14OuncesStrung]

Just throwing out a possibility... Did the RDX 500 come in different weight classes? E.g. SL/UL etc. Is it possible you have frames from different weight classes?

NO. There were only 3 RDX500 models...
The mid, the midplus and a midplus with a 18x20 string pattern.

 

[Swedish9]

Yes, i would like to know the answer as well?... Does the RDX 500 MP come in a UL / SL versions ???

 

[14OuncesStrung]

Yes, i would like to know the answer as well?... Does the RDX 500 MP come in a UL / SL versions ???

Can't you bloody read?
I said...
NO.

 

[lefty001]

Yes, i would like to know the answer as well?... Does the RDX 500 MP come in a UL / SL versions ???

no UL/SL version.

 

[mctennis]

Weight it up like the heavier one you have and problem solved. You can't get your money back from the seller. So just make it feel as close you can to the TW version one and play some tennis.
I , and others on this site as well, have said if you aren't buying tennis racquets ( and other things as well) from an authorized seller you take the risk of not getting the real deal. Flea bay is full of questionable items like this. Just go to any big flea market and look all the "Designer" clothing there at super cheap prices. Then people are shocked when they find out they are knockoffs. Really?
Perhaps your racquet is not a fake. Only the Yonex company or a true Yonex dealer would probably know for sure. Take it to a dealer that has been in business for a while and ask them. Pictures posted here are, at times, not a very good source to show up very well. Unless something was way obvious then only a trained eye could tell you for sure.

 

[cork_screw]

I think a lot of people, maybe too many create these fake racquet threads because they think their racquets are fake when in fact they're comparing a recently purchased racquet to a racquet that they used but may have different playing specs to strings and tension. Realize that after playing strings the tension is being altered and even though you put the same strings on, they may still play differently because the ones used have fluctuated in tension. In your case I don't know why anyone would go through the effort of creating an artificial fake racquet for a racquet that's over 7 years old. Why would you fake a racquet that you could buy for 40-60 USD? You really think someone is going to build plates and molds and go through the auto cad and program the template to create a racquet that isn't in a 1% demand on the market for the market share of racquets being sold? Also, I don't think they created this as a fake during when it was selling well as most fakes were produced by the aeropro drive and the k90, pure drive racquets. Many of the big ticket racquets are produced fake, but you probably won't see too many KPS88's just because they don't sell in volume like the aeropros and the blx/k90's. The people who do this for a living want to get the most for their efforts and they are looking to capitalize on what sells, it makes no sense to counterfeit an item that will sell less of something else, when you're using the same exact resources creating that when you could be utilizing those resources devoted to something more productive. Please ask yourself that. To me it seems soooo self explanatory, I can't see why people don't use a second to play some rationale before asking questions that could be answered by themselves.

 

[goldenyama]

Most Yonex racquets of that era came in different weights - SL/UL and even changed depending on the grip size. I know for a fact that the difference between an L4 and SL2 RD-7 can be as much as 25g. I'm guessing it's just a lighter spec genuine RDX-500.

 

[Virtua Tennis]

Yonex weighed their racquets according to grip size if you use a 1/8 it's a UXL
1/4, 3/8 is SL
1/2, 5/8 is L

Not sure if they still do that now but they did in the past.

 

[AC Tennis]

Another possibility

If you live in a humid area, it could be that your regular racket simply picked up weight due to moisture in the air over time. I live in Hawaii where it is often humid and I've noticed over the years that when I get a new racket and then play with it, it gains weight. I've even bought two identical rackets, strung one and left the other in my closet and the one I play with gains weight over time. Not sure the reason for this, but perhaps that is your situation. If so, you new one may catch up to the old one in time. If not, just use some lead tape as others have suggested.