Secret agent reports on Slingshot

The minnow · Since 26 Jan 2009 395 Posts argentina Obsessed

After a long and debaited reviews, of most companies kites. I have came to buy two new kites for memorial day week end.
Am sure you will all be happy two know the reasons my choice.
.... 1- Slingshots 800lbs lines no other company comes even close to this quality. Attension to detail most notable the pig tails, this is so important.!!! These lines are so much easier to manage, and last longer, which makes safer riding. The stoper ball on ss is the better working unit, others are too stiff,
....2-Great backpack.< What happened to the stash your bar pocket,and dont forget .>
...3- Choice of sizes and modles & thier all good!! soon SS will offer 5 differant kites?
...4- Customer service, sling shot is not a back of the van deal. They are very family orientated, just listen when you call them, thier all a big family. There all thier mother, father, son, brother. That really makes me think, these people are helping each other work to achieve higher quality!!
...5-Little things go a long way( pump gauge)? So see you this year, on my rpm. or octane, and of corse i do demos just ask or see you in Santa Barbara,califofnia.

Lurk · Since 04 Apr 2009 355 Posts Obsessed

Just to set the record, I own an RPM and have had many SS kites going back to thier C kites. In all that time my main complaint is the bar.

1. A depower line below the bar using a cleat blows. Always has always will. Requires too much effort to reset on the water, Cleats stick. Its how they work. A strap is much easier and quicker.

2. The donkey dick needs to be on the side of the chicken loop. This allows the rider to disengage the dick when unhooking without it getting back in the way after the trick is done.

3. Make the dick itself a smaller diameter for easier insertion. My wife wishes the same thing.

4. Stop sending screrws that are to small to work on on the surfboards. Its annoying.

Many other kite companies have made these changes. SS needs to step up if they are going to charge $1899 for a new kite. Premium price means attention to detail.

On the positive side, the new swivel works better than anything on the market.

Pete · Since 29 Oct 2007 843 Posts Opinionated

I love the SS bars, the one thing that I don't like about them, is that when you depower the kite, it also shortens the throw of the bar, so your effective depower does not get greater.

Okay, two things, I wish they had some little bungees on the ends to keep the lines from coming off the bar when they are wrapped.

pdxmonkeyboy · Thu Jun 03, 10 10:49 am

ok, since we are going to diss on SS technology. My FAVORITE thing about the SS bars (besides the donkey dick being in the way) is that little red safety release fucker. I have three SS bars and they all have the same issue. You look at that thing wrong and it pops open. I don't know how many times I've unhooked and then when hooking back in....SPROOING "hey WTF!!" my chicken loop is open.

I have really been thinking about just gluing the damn thing shut.

shymac · Since 20 Jul 2005 919 Posts Home Valley, Wa. Bigfoot

Diss all you want but most things can be fixed. As with this issue...

Since the bar was hand made in a rice field in Asia, most can be tune up a bit more. Especially the Direct Drive bars. The workers can only put so much load on the parts so as you start to kite, stuff can stretch out.

1. Huge Gap, gonna release any sec...
2. Unscrew and slide plastic o ring up as far as possible. Put some tension on the CL.
3. Screw back. New spot.

As with this case. Follow the 3 step photo process and your "Red Pull knob" will be much more secure and cut the "hey WTF my CL is open" by 95%...

next.

shymac · Since 20 Jul 2005 919 Posts Home Valley, Wa. Bigfoot

pdxmonkeyboy · Thu Jun 03, 10 2:14 pm

shy.. so your saying that I should move the sleeve up towards the release mech? Wouldn't that in effect make the chicken loop shorter inside there, making it easier to release?

I dunno, just feeling dense today. I tried wrapping the red knob in electric tape to make it a little harder to pull but it (predictably) got all gummed up.

shymac · Since 20 Jul 2005 919 Posts Home Valley, Wa. Bigfoot

shymac · Since 20 Jul 2005 919 Posts Home Valley, Wa. Bigfoot

FlyDunes · Since 09 Oct 2007 1034 Posts Aloha XTreme Poster

Pete · Since 29 Oct 2007 843 Posts Opinionated

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3753 Posts Los Angeles, CA Videographer

What Shy said for the release works great on the '07-09 bars. The CL core stretches a good 0.25" over time and makes the release ultra-sensitive, when unloaded (which is the time you're probably reaching down to hook back in).

And as far as the depower goes, that is in place so that you can't depower the kite beyond the point where it wants to invert. Not a big issue on the newer kites, but it did make sense with the first gen TDs. If you need more depower, get a smaller kite or edge harder. Wink

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

I'd say add a small ball between the depower sheeting handle and the cleat as many modders have already done. It keeps the depower sheeting handle from getting sucked all the way in to "boner mode" and it would give you a little more leverage in pulling on the rope. Even on the 2010 bar the depower sheet cleat is still too difficult IMO.

Moto · Since 03 Sep 2006 2698 Posts Still a gojo pimp! Moto Mouth

pdxmonkeyboy · Thu Jun 03, 10 4:41 pm

moto. The half hitch is money in a self rescue situation. It comes done very easily. I always half hitch my lines.

kitezilla · Since 22 Jun 2006 453 Posts gorge Obsessed

Throwing some half-hitch knots around your bar, every time you wind up your lines gives you an opportunity to practice one important element of a self-rescue. Practice makes perfect. Here is a link to a thread on KF, where I go to great lengths to illustrate a technique that has worked well for me for about 8 years. The key point of the technique involves holding the bar with your KNEES, while you position your one hand, grasp the lines, rotate that hand and assist with the other hand to "funnel" your lines over the end of the bar. A series of pictures shows the sequence involving the two hands, while the bar is held between the legs. I do the technique in the water and on dry land exactly the same way. It allows you the best control of the multiple lines, by giving you control over the tension of the lines...like a weaver needs to have in order to successfully work on a loom.

http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2347460&start=0

kitebot · Since 20 Feb 2007 251 Posts Obsessed