Just got my 9m RPM in bright green and orange (just what I asked for).
Super stoked and there is wind coming this week too

if anything, the RPM is a more versitile unhooked kite than a fuel, with enthralling pop, thats so controlled, in a much greater windrange.
i would suggest if your RPM is backstalling take a good look at the trim and setup as this will more then likely be the issue.
http://www.kiteitright.com/index.php?p= ... 71_673_808

above i have linked a small piece of information for those looking to change from a ckite/fuel onto the RPM, it make alot of sense!

Tom
kiteitright

I am interested in this topic as I to have been having trouble with my RPM stalling. I know it is not the kite, likely a bit of operator error and a bit of trimming.

To clarify I was just on Vacation in Aruba and had the opportunity to use my 10m RPM on a number of sessions. First session it stalled out repeatedly and often when trying to park it in neutral. All kinds of different stalls. I believe some of it was wind related as Palm Beach can be gusty and up and down.

Had a nice session at Boca Grande and had no stalling issues. But then the next day again back at Palm beach had the kite fall from the sky. Problem was the kite would fall and be lost it would stall and land close to me then the wind would roll it up and it would be inverted if not tangled. Session over or at least majorly messed up.

I feel this is all in how I am rigging this kite. Tell me how I can trim out the stalls when say the wind lulls and the kite is not powered as it should be. There was wind to ride in these sessions just in the lulls I would have lots of issues with the kite wanting to stall out. It would not be an issue but it stalls so dramatically falling forward and sideways that it wraps it's self up on it's lines.....

HELP what am I doing wrong, I hear so much good about the kite and when it flys well it is very fun. I just feel like I do not understand how to tune it properly.

Thanks!
RJ

Make your front lines as short as possible on the pigtails and back lines as long as possible on the pigtails or pull depower until the problem stops. These kites are designed to fly back in the window the problem is the bridle. I moved to Vapors because of this problem among others and I fly it with fifth line. There are three kites in this category to consider RPM C4 and Vapor. I tried them all and Vapor set up on five lines can not be beaten period.

sounds more like you are in dirty wind or wind is dropping to <8knots in lulls.
10 rpm has a good low end, but there are limits.... especially when a hotel or palm trees jumps in front of the wind.
This doesn't happen at the other end of the island with onshore winds.

But yes, you could have a bridle/pigtail issue -show it to someone else familiar with the rpm's at home or a shop....
One more thing that isn't clear, is whether you are sheeted in or not.
You may need to hold the bar down a little &/or use the stopper ball
If the wind is not stable, you have to hold the kite against the wind with a little sheeting pressure sometimes, and make lots of little adjustments -but trying to hold the kite in neutral overhead is never fun (or a great idea) in dirty wind.

Good luck!

RJ....Do you mean 12 (neutral). As a tip you should never park any kite at 12, even more so with no bar pressure. In flaky light wind your just asking for the kite to fall out the sky. It's a bad habit you need to remove from your riding.

All this 100% depower is just marketing bullshit.

Never stick the kite at 12, always put it 1 or two stops either side and a touch of bar pressure, when you need to sort shit out.

the vast number of accidents are with people dicking around with their kites on the beach or hogging space talking shit in the launch, land area trying to look cool, when in fact they're annoying the shit out of everyone. Next time your out clock the more experienced riders and I bet they don't fuck around on the beach, they know because they've been nailed a few times.

Launch, ride, come in, kite down. good luck

Thank you for the initial replies. Let me try to answer a few of the questions.

First I have been flying the kite fairly powered up, middle or knot closest to the kite on the outside or steering lines. And knot furthest from the kite on the middle lines. Have also been flying it on the wake setting as I like the idea of a bit more grunt from the kite. (per the manual)

One thing that is confusing to me is the RPM comes with pigtails for the wake and freestyle setting. I have the long pigs on the wake setting and the short on the freestyle setting...I am not sure if this is correct or not.

Believe me I have asked others and not gotten a ton of advice I have found super helpful. I also do not have a ton of time on the kite as I just purchased it last fall, before the winter set in so I am still trying to figure it out.

Am I super experienced....no, but I have flown my 13 crossbow, and 11 and 14 meter Slingshot Turbos and never had these stalling issue.

As for sheeting in, I have found when I rode the kite with the outside lines all the way in knot closest to the kite, you can sheet the power right out of the kite. Switching to the middle knot helped with this. I have a tendency to want to sheet for power rather then work the kite coming from a crossbow. I am becoming aware the RPM works more with apparent wind and not so much sheeting to gain power. This I can learn and adapt to without question and have already.

My problems with the RPM happen almost always when I have taken a fall. Have regained my board and am getting the board back on my feet, Difficult to do when there is power in the kite. It can just take a second, kite races to the zenith and then dies right out of the sky. I would be lying if I told you I know if it's a front stall or a back stall, don't really care, but while I will take some blame I also think I am doing something wrong with the rigging of the kite. Have flown enough kites in gusty conditions worse then Palm beach and not had the issues I had. Boca was perfect....the day it flew nice, far more holes on my local lakes here. No way I can expect that kind of good wind every time I ride it.

Problem is there are so many ways to set up this kite I could mix and match forever trying to figure out what is best. I was looking for advice on how to hopefully eliminate as much stalling out as possible via knots or settings on the kite. Or at least give me a solid place to start working from.

Thanks again

RJ

There is nothing wrong with you. This is a nice kite but it has it's short comings. Like I said shorten the front lines to the max using pigtails and lengthen the back lines to the max. You will loose that extra pop when you choke the kite that's all.

have only flown my 12m 2011 three times now. love it but found it pretty trim-sentitive when it comes to stalling. had it one knot closer on the steering-lines and it stalled if i didnt correct it with the depower-rope. now use same lenghth with all lines i.e. knots, and everything seemes to be fine.


on my kite it is definitely the other way round. short pigtails on the wake-setting. dont know it it has changed with the 2011 model?

in addition. as has been said bevore, kite at 12 is not always a good idea. if the wind is predictable i do it sometimes too but you have to be aware that lulls may make any kite stall in that position and that hard squalls may put you on top of the nearest building.

I flew my 2010 8m yesterday for the first time and it blew me away, such a quick turning kite ideal for the waves. I set it up with the lines the same lenght and that's the way I'll leave it unless it's getting close to the top end, then I'll move the front lines closer to the kite to alter the angle of attack and thus giving a bit more to sheet out at the bar.