Power Kite Forum

Buggy Harness----good idea or bad idea?

Randy - 25-1-2023 at 05:57 AM

What's the verdict?


jantie - 25-1-2023 at 07:52 AM

Hmmm.. I prefer on me and not my buggy.
But I don't want to get airtime and he probably does...
What do you want Randy?

kteguru - 25-1-2023 at 08:44 AM

Was there a link that didn't show up?

I've been using a hotwire for the last 20 years, kiting for 28. I wouldn't kite any other way and my back really appreciates it. So much more comfortable. That being said it's generally not a good idea for people just learning. Just my .02

Ok, link showed up down below. Yes, wired directly to the buggy. I prefer it over a harness. Mine is a fixed point not sliding as in the video. In my opinion hotwiring allows you more control since you aren't being pulled out of the buggy. However, there are downsides. The two most obvious are the buggy is going with you so you need to adjust/adapt accordingly and be able to control the situation under all circumstances,,,, also on light wind days it can be a pain because you can't just jump up out of the buggy when the wind dies to keep your kite in the air.

For anyone wanting to try it out I generally suggest trying it on a day when there is about 10-14mph winds. Lighter winds might be a pain to learn in and stronger winds might be a bit risky if you're not comfortable yet since you are commited. 10-14mph is enough to enjoy but won't be so much as to kill you in the event of a crash.
I'll post pics of my setup if you want.
Cheers :)

Randy - 25-1-2023 at 10:59 AM

Thanks for the comments guys! For sure I'm not wanting to do any jumping. I do end up with a back ache from time to time when I kite buggy so that interesting. I hadn't thought about getting in an out of the buggy in fickle (which is the norm at my fairgrounds location.) Depending on the surface I'm riding on I sometimes use a harness and other times don't use it. Might give it a try on the beach at my lake spot though.

Windstruck - 25-1-2023 at 11:08 AM

I've long had mixed feelings about harnessing vs hotwiring. I clearly see the comfort value of the Hotwire setup. The video shows a nice simple setup and nice quick release mechanism. No doubt this is a satisfactory solution for this fine chap. Over the years I've gotten comfortable with harnessing with the additional of an auto release if I start getting lifted into an OBE. At least for me this seems best because when I need it the most is exactly when I'm least likely to be able to manually release.

Two times I can immediately think of was once when I was cruising along in my own dream world on the Ivanpah playa and Utah Tami suddenly passed me like I was standing still. For those that know Tami you know that will happen a lot if you ride with her. I was so startled that I let my little kite get behind me in spasmatic pilot error and was a millisecond from OBE-ing. The thought never crossed my mind to manually pop the release.

The second time was when I was crossing diagonally through a swarm of Blokart racers (also on the playa) and almost crashed into one of them. Both of us swerved and came within about 5 yards of each other which seemed pretty darn close at 50+ mph. Again, almost OBE-ed and never once thought about pulling the release.

The point I'm making is at least for me I want an auto release and NEVER a Hotwire setup because when I need to release I won't do it in the moment of (sudden, unexpected) truth. Power to those that can; it's just not me.

kteguru - 25-1-2023 at 12:19 PM

Back when the forums were filled with activity in the 90's and 2000's this used to be a hot topic of debate.
At the end of the day everyone needs to go in the direction that works best for them. There really isn't one right way. Whatever is most comfortable and works best for you is generally a good path to take:thumbup:
Here's a few pics of mine if that helps any. Cheers!


Randy - 26-1-2023 at 06:24 AM

When I first joined PKF I do recall discussion of "hot wiring" which I didn't really pay much attention to. I didn't connect the dots until you mentioned that kteguru. Now after all these years I know what they were talking about. :)

jantie - 26-1-2023 at 07:27 AM

toptip: in a Crabbuggy you don't need to hotwire for comfort due to the different riders-position..:D:D

Randy - 26-1-2023 at 07:31 AM

BTW - I had a reason for wondering if this was a hair brained idea or not. Here is a video of another one of this guy's ideas. It appears from this discussion here "hot wiring" is a much more mainstream idea.....

kteguru - 26-1-2023 at 08:02 AM

LOL. Well in this context, hotwiring is totally safe. Strapping engine to your back and jumping in the water, probably not so much :)

RedSky - 27-1-2023 at 01:28 AM

Like kteguru, Plummet over on Kiteforum is also a hotwire guy, or as he calls it, hardwire.

Quote:
Plummet

Personally, I think the hardwire is less dangerous than a harness. You can hold way more power and don't get pulled out of the buggy, you don't get your ribs broken with a tone of side loading and you have an extra 50kg of weight to overcome before you get lofted......

I launch in the harness then swap to the hardwire while riding. I cant wait to unhook from the hardness and really chunk in some power.


That last part about using a regular harness to climb into the buggy and then swapping to the hotwire never occurred to me when I tried it. Seems obvious now.
I used to lay out the kite and run back to the buggy as fast as I could before the kite took off. Once seated, then I repeatedly try to self-launch (tube kite), only for it to turn its back on me. :duh:
Exhausting work.

I quickly learned that your hotwire needs to be tight against you. It's no good having the wire some inches away lessening your depower throw.






ssayre - 30-1-2023 at 07:30 AM

Hey Randy, I liked my "Hotwire" set up. I'll text you some pictures of my set up or just ship it to you. I haven't been kiting in a long while

Randy - 30-1-2023 at 10:13 AM

Hey Sean - great to hear from you!! Love to see the pictures.

ssayre - 31-1-2023 at 07:23 AM

Quote: Originally posted by RedSky  
Like kteguru, Plummet over on Kiteforum is also a hotwire guy, or as he calls it, hardwire.

Quote:
Plummet

Personally, I think the hardwire is less dangerous than a harness. You can hold way more power and don't get pulled out of the buggy, you don't get your ribs broken with a tone of side loading and you have an extra 50kg of weight to overcome before you get lofted......

I launch in the harness then swap to the hardwire while riding. I cant wait to unhook from the hardness and really chunk in some power.



I quickly learned that your hotwire needs to be tight against you. It's no good having the wire some inches away lessening your depower throw.








Exactly. The first set up I made had that problem. My latest doesn't move. My chicken loop stays centered. I wouldn't like it hanging over the rail like that first video shows.

Demoknight - 31-1-2023 at 08:23 AM

I hotwired once and it scared the hell out of me. I know it's a personal preference, but I hated that I couldn't feel the kite when I hotwired. I had little to no feedback from the kite and it gave me the urge to never take my eyes off the kite for more than a second. I also don't like the idea that a single mistake with the kite or buggy can flip a 100+ lbs buggy on top of you while a powered up kite could be dragging you upside-down trapped under your buggy.