Stopped mid-lake with the Access to help a friend sort out the Rage (his first snowkite experience). Parked the Access by yanking on the brake strap, talked to him and then carried on and the kite was ON FIRE! After the thrill wore off I noticed that the bar pressure was really stiff - almost like something was binding. Seems that somehow I had inadvertently wrapped the brake lines once around the bar while I was talking to him and took off that way.

Landed, unwrapped and carried on and it was the same old Access I knew before.

Why the major boost in performance but stiffer pressure? Is the Access downtuned or something? Quite curious. I'll check the lines sometime in the future to make sure I don't have a disproportionate stretch on the front lines but I don't think that's the case.

I would think it would do just the opposite :puzzled:

On the only chance I had to get a good fly in with an access I felt it gave some of the most dramatic power boost as I pulled in while traveling with the kite set low on the edge that I have felt.

Hanging back in the window would create that feel ? How do you normally set your strap? Try riding the access on full power ( strap wide open ) and see if it feels better ?

Having your rears wrapped once around the bar ought to be the same as letting your trim strap out about 3" Can't figure how it would be different than that.

krumly

The trim was right out (fully powered) already. Maybe the wind was just right to be super powered up? Who knows. I did determine that the bar pressure was because the wrap - rather the unwrapping force the kite wanted was twisting the bar against the depower line. Otherwise? She's a mystery and a memory.

sounds right to me... pull in the brakes=more power from the kite (until you reach the point of stall anyway).... the wrap simply pulled the brake lines in a bit... just like pulling the brake lines in when youre flyin on handles

Different wind conditions (lighter?) having the rears pulled in that much might have backstalled the kite. But not in your case...

Maybe you need more bar throw on that Access - like on your Arcs!

krumly

I think it's just like Dylan said - with foils on handles you can tweak more power by applying a bit of brake. Depending on the bar set up, in light wind you can pull a bar all the way in and easily stall and backdown a kite, in medium wind it might slow right down and almost stop, then in high wind it's powered. So it could have been just the right amount of extra braking for that wind condition. If you don't have any more adjustment and don't want to mess with lines try making short extensions for the front (same effect as shortening the back) to see what they do in different conditions.

OK it all makes scense now. What it did was cause a slight concave in the sail allowing it to hold more wind giving it more power. I was thinking to deep on it. Don't do that to much!

Glad both sides wrapped or that might have gotten ugly.

maybe too much trim ..let it out .

if you like being on fire of course.

My 2010 Access XT does the same thing when you adjust the back line straps. If you pull the straps towards you it makes the back lines shorter and makes the kite more responsive since the pressure is greater when the bar is pulled in. Let the straps out and the back lines are longer, thus making the turning slower and less responsive. I usually leave mine in the factory neutral position. The new Access XT does not have the center depower clamcleat though, since they claim there is enough depower in the throw of the bar.

I wonder - do the rear line adjusters have the same amount of adjustment as the center camcleat that the XC has?

If they're the same length as the rear adjusters on the manta/frenzy bar, then no, they don't.

I measured the back line trimmer straps on my Access XT bar and they have 5 inches of adjustment in either direction, with the neutral mark being almost in the middle. Maven, how much adjustability does your Manta 3 bar have?

I'll check when I get home tonight.

The Frenzy/Manta bar has 3" (total) of back line adjustment and default is all the way out (loose). There is 7" of adjustment in the clam cleat line.

I'll make sure I measure the amount of adjustment on the Access next time it's out. I just measure a Zero4 trim strap I have here and it gives 10 inches worth of adjustment.

Quote:

Originally posted by powerkiter82 I measured the back line trimmer straps on my Access XT bar and they have 5 inches of adjustment in either direction, with the neutral mark being almost in the middle.

When you say 5" in either direction. You mean that there's a total of 10" of adjustment and that the factory default position is in the middle, right? Just want to make sure I'm reading it right.

That sounds like there 10" total on the Access XT [-5 to +5] and 10" total on the Frenzy/Manta [-3 to +7]...

My mistake, it's actually 5 inches (total) adjustment. With neutral or default being in the middle.

I suppose that next we should check what the bar throw distance is...

My Access XT bar has exactly 12" of bar throw. Maven, what is the measurement on your Manta 3 bar?

The trim line on the Manta/Frenzy bar is 11.5" from the top of the CL to the bottom of the ball that covers the stopper knot.