quote:
Originally posted by finx
i found the link 12 was nice to fly but it didnt have much boost for big jumps.....is there a way 2 change the kite.
also as the kite was powered up the tips on the kite looked really weird, is that a design fault?
It is very unfortunate that this kite does not perform particularly well straight "out of the bag" but requires a certain amount of tuning. Not at all good from a newby's point of view...
I have a 9m that I very quickly converted to 5 line and after some relatively simple tweaking of line lengths I am very happy with it. It has gone from virtually no pop/lift to now having a very good amount of lift and hang time in jumps (similar to my old 10m Airush Lift). The bar pressure has also increased from absolutely nothing to something I'm more comfortable with, without being heavy, and the active stopper is just brilliant as I'm used to riding against the knot on my old "C" kites.
In the 5 line configuration the kite is very fast and stable and I have managed to kite in winds around the 15-16 knot mark on a 130cm twin tip (my weight 75kgs) by working the kite and generating apparent wind. In fact it is the only kite I have flown since buying it 3 weeks ago.
Kite construction cannot be questioned it is the highest quality that I have seen and as it is my first one-pump I now realise what all the SS riders have been raving about.
Slingshots R&D team are currently working on a mod for the 4 line bridle setup
http://www.sskiteboarding.com/marqui/News_Releases/news10150601.aspx I did email them and they replied, to their credit almost immediately!, with the following:
Hello from the Gorge!
Yes, we have had problems regarding the Link and how it over fly's its self and as of this moment the R&D team is in the finishing end of making a new 4-line bridle kit. The new kit will fix the over flying, jelly fishing and will help in reverse launching. Also, it will set the kite back in the window instead of so far in front, adds in decreasing maple leafing "falling out of the sky". Basically every thing you told me will be fixed; it will turn your Link into the Link it was suppose to be. The only problem is that the kits won't be in for another couple weeks but they are on full speed ahead at the factory.I suggest you convert it to 5 line and make use of the supplied line extensions (4 grey ones each about 8-10cm long) to adjust your line lengths.
For the 9m I ended up adding a single extension to each of the front lines and also to the 5th line. I connect the rear lines one knot higher than the front lines and adjust the tension on the 5th so that it has just a very slight amount of slack when the bar is fully sheeted.
justin_hannan
> 9 months ago, 9 Aug 2006
