Hi,

i have been flying a montana 12.5 for the winter months and am going to continue for land buggy.

My problem is this when i pull my bar i lose power and to take off if i pull the bar the kite just lays there i have to launch with the bar pushed forward is this normal. I have also adjusted the setting on the lines to the forward middle and rear knots. No change.

This is what I do and it works for me.


1st knot----Light winds.
Middle knot= What i consider my ideal condtions.

3rd knot (Closest to kite)--- Higher winds ( I feel I get a little more depower)


Check your Line Lengths . Should be all the same

Normal day example.

Middle knot. I pull trim strap in completly,,,some might say 3/4.....

Walk a 45 degree angle away from wind. Launch kite into the wind at a 45 degree angle to the wind..I usually have the bar at center and adjust from there as i feel the power come on. If the winds are light then you can just hot launch and pull on the center lines.

Once the kite is at its Zenith, I adjust trim strap..Usually till i feel comfortable with kite at Zenith and bar pushed completly out. most of the time the bar is a little bouncy when bar is at center. I adjust more when i am actually moving on the board and i have the kite at my ideal sweet spot in the sky. (I am constantly adjusting when condtions are ever changing)


If you are pulling in on your bar towards you, and you lose power, the kite is stalling and you need to adjust your trim strap. Let it out a little.


Does this make sense? It works for me.

thanks for the information. Yes it makes sense completely. I find now matter what knots i have the lines on i am stalling . And the kite has little or no power on the bar as you pull it towards you. it also will not laucnh if i am pulling the bar towards me i have to have it forward and keep it forward.

i will try playing with the strap.

bar should be out on launch.......................sounds like you have fundamental problems......................do you understand how depower works?..................................:duh::duh:

well I thought to depower you push the bar out and to power up you pull that bar in. Maybe it is more complicated than i thought

Are your lines all the same length the break lines don't get much pressure where the front lines do and they tend to get longer with use and it totally messes up the de-power as when the bar is in it over sheets the kite and it backstalls.

to launch you want the bar in the out position (away from you). Then just give the center lines a tug or two and it should be off the ground fairly easily. Pulling the bar in actually is like putting the brakes on a fixed bridle; it makes it hard for it to leave the ground.

Pulling the bar in causes the kite to start to stall and does produce a greater amount of power. Letting the bar out lessens the power of the kite, and speeds the kite up.

In a nutshell:
Bar out: faster kite, less power, easier to fly in light winds
Bar in: slower kite, more power, keeps kite from overflying zenith or getting outside the wind window

Just to double check because I didn't see reference in your post. Make sure your depower strap is set all the way in so that your front lines are at their shortest length for launch. If your strap is fully extended (longest setting) then you are trying to launch and fly the kite fully powered and unless the winds are ripping, the kite just won't be capable of reaching flying speed during launch and it will just sit there. Also, the kite will feel like it is totally stalled out all the time when you pull the bar (again, unless the wind is ripping then you will be getting yanked all over the place). If your depower strap has been set properly for the current winds, then do the following.

First, I would double check all the settings on your bar and the re-ride system and all the safety's to make sure nothing is wrong or could possibly be changing your line lengths. Make sure your safety is connected properly.

Next I would check your line settings. First take all lines off the kite & bar and check to see they are the same length. If not, adjust all lines to the shortest length so they are the same. Next, check your brake lines to make sure they are not to tight (sounds like this is your problem). If you have different attachment points for the brake lines, check them and if possible then set them looser than what they are now....I don't recall the Montana having any type of rear line adjustments so you may just need to make sure you are hooked up to the right spot. That should fix your problem.....unless your leaders have stretch or you have changed your chicken loop from the factory length.

If all looks ok and the kite still doesn't perform right, I would suggest adding in some short pigtails (about 6 inches) on the brake lines and check to see if that makes the kite fly and perform better. If so, play with some different settings to get the kite adjusted in to your preferred way of flying. An easy way to see if your rear lines are too tight is that when you pull the bar and the kite stalls and starts to fly backwards or tries to land, your rear lines are too tight. Extending them with the pigtails will fix this problem. The only way your rear lines could be to tight is that if you extended your center line (chicken line) and made it longer, or if your outside leader lines have somehow become shorter (added knots or for some reason cut them) or your front line(s) have stretched longer.

If none of that works, then let us know and we can trouble shoot further.

Thanks for all of your replies. I really appreciate your time and help. I am going to head out today and try adjusting the dpower strap and play with the brake lines

thanks again everyone

How are you putting the kite to work? Buggy, 'board, flying static? What confuses a lot of people with de-power kites at first is that in order to feel the benefit of de-power and the expected reaction to bar input, the kite really needs to be in motion. If flying static, you won't feel the effect much when it is overhead unless in stiff winds, otherwise you will observe some de-power effect only for a moment when flown through the middle of the window.

edit: just re-read your original post and see that you are headed for the buggy, doh! So once you get moving, all will be right with the world. Start with your strap all the way tight for launch and let it out as you go. I tune my kite so that as you pull in and the bar pressure builds, that's about when the back wheels break loose.

sounds like the kite is broken. :dunno: I'll buy it off you for $250 ;-)

It's not broke - it keeps going downward because he just accidentally bought the Australian model! :tumble:

Hey acampbell thanks a lot. I was flying the kite static and on my snowboard. so what you are saying makes total sense i think that i have it figured out.