does anyone have a similar experience or an idea how the bearing holding the thick center line going through the chicken loop, could have broke through the top of the chicken loop plastic? This stuff is so thick and firm.

It happened after i got slightly lofted and kept rolling into the second spin (unintentionally), at which point the kite got too high and swung me underneath, then started dropping out of the sky and me realizing it's just about to power up like crazy in the power zone, i pulled the QR...(i have the 5th line)... i already landed when the kite powered up and pulled, but it happened very quick and i just heard a snap and the bar flew away from me and kite mostly depowered (mostly because the lines were twisted twice so i had to reach the bar and untwist so that it fully depowers). But then i saw the chicken loop still hooked into my harness, although with one side (QR) detached... so i'm thinking how the hell could this happen... i've been going over it in my head, and if i didn't react in time to pull QR and the force broke the chicken loop then that would make sense... but the chicken loop was unplugged from the QR after it all happend... unless the chicken loop got slightly jammed between the harness hook and the donkey dick... but that doesn't make much sense either...

this is what happens when your bearing ceases up.. the plastic bit that runs through the rope on mine snapped on the weekend and when i pulled it apart the bearing was rock solid.. i always wash my bar and lines but now i will be greasing that bearing to.. there is just to much load when the kite spins and something has got to give i guess.. SS replaced mine under warranty..

It's 07 model.

I did notice the bearing having some slight discolouration due to surface rust, but it was still spinning ok...

do you think the chicken loop rope attached to the bearing got stuck when i was rotating creating tension somehow and eventually popping it out... ?

Even if the bearing was siezed, rotation wouldn't cause that to break, your depower line would just twist. I'd say it's either just fatigue of the plastic after a couple of seasons work, or that the rusting bearing expanded and cracked the plastic.
Nasty anyway.
So, which spinning chickenloop is the best design so far?

not sure if its the same problem i had but when you get the bar brand new the bearing and chicken loop block are set firm but if you replace your chicken loop sometimes the block which sits under the bearing isn't in as firmly as it should be and when put under load can cause shock loading on the bearing thus causing shock loading on the plastic causing it to break but there is an easy solution call dave or andy at slingshot in newy and see if it can be replaced if not pm me and i'll send you a near as new one

Most guys end up modifying their gear. Each rider has a different preference. Looks more like the release didn't activate cause if it had, the chicken loop opening would have prevented the impact on the bearing area. Chicken loop releases (safety systems) need to be activated at least once a week to ensure it is in good working order. Best and most reliable results come from testing the release before every session (just activate it on the beach without the kite even in the air). Have seen many safety systems fail at times in just about every brand. If you don't clean and test them regularly (eg pack it full of sand and salty water over time) they will fail and murphy's law says it will be when you really need it.

Have Fun and stay safe, bummer about the broken gear though.

CU George

I'm sorry, but slingshot bars are crap now. The above is after 6 weeks of routine use, kiting about 3 or 4 times a week at most. My chicken loop quick release has come undone spontaneously 3 or 4 times in the last 6 months that I have been back riding ss. My pigtails look like ** with the ends going thru the splice fraying. The bearing is partially rusted, maybe surface rust, but wtf are they doing using something that even surface rusts? The lines aren't colour coded like any other decent bar. There are not elastic bits at the end of the bar to tie down your lines after you wind them up. These bars are over designed, over complex and junk. I rode fuels from '04 until '07 and the bars lasted with no maintenance at all, but this is outrageous. I now have a modified cabrinah bar that I use with my revs and even cabrinah bars are not that great but better than ss cr*p.

Yes, I have also used my lines a lot and they haven't broken. So what? That is not the test because of course they should last. I have changed one of my bars to flexifoil lines which are thinner, coloured and have the same breaking strain.

These bars should work out the box, bag or packet or whatever. They should not need to be modified and tweaked and that kind of unexpected breakage and equipment failure is unacceptable. It could cost a life.

ss need to up their game. The kite flies amazingly and I am very happy with it - no problem there, but I won't get another ss until they make better bars. When I demo-ed the kite and compared it against others of the same ilk, there was no comparison - it won hands down, but I have never ****ed around with a bar more than I have now with my current gen of ss kites (2009).

i have a 09 9m fuel,iv used it since nov. iv now got a seize bearing too, not happy!!

Had the same issue as Inout-Inout with a siezed bearing and damaged chicken loop rope with a 09 Rev2. SS backup was awesome, had new replacements within days of submitting warranty claim.
Register your gear and hit up your dealer. Yes sometimes stuff is not up to standard, but what matters is how it is resolved.

After the donkey dick breaking off yesterday I am now completely over the SS bar and set up. It broke under load as I jumped and then took off with a massive boost as the chicken loop came off harness - one hell of a "Oh ****e moment". My 2bobs worth - bars are hard on the hands, sore, blistered hands. Rode a North the day before, making my SS set up feel a poor second rate effort.

left out of my ealier post but reminded by sooo many others of other issues with SS bars _
ddick fell out of 2 of the 3 bars I have, (like others) after just a few weeks of riding
pigtails and line fraying always, pulleys **, swivels **; colour coded lines a simple safety benefit so why not