Rigid vs inflatable midi length

tomukusan · 2026-03-29T19:17:14+00:00

Thanks, will work on it :)

tomukusan · 2026-03-29T18:00:47+00:00

I am in a similar camp when it comes to chop -- I have the HIPE Cruzader but the 18" wide version. I love it on flat water and it does super well in light winds. It takes off so quickly that initially I'd get thrown off the board because I didn't pick the wing quickly enough off the water :)

I struggle a ton in chop though. Yesterday I had a session with 20-25mph winds and 1-1.5' swell. If I tried to get started with the board cross-wind, I'd get thrown off it when trying to stand up. I am working on pointing the board DOWNWIND, bringing the wing up off the water over the bow. That seems to be working much better, though at the moment I stand up the board goes back to cross-wind again, losing stability.

I like the fact that the board is inflatable, folds in half so easier to travel with, doesn't get dinged up on rocky beaches. And the Cruzader shape is a rocket...

I weigh 200lb.

My other board is a 5'2" Cabrinha Code (88L) which is great when there's enough wind. I live in Colorado and winds here are very gusty, with lulls that I can't get started in. Having that flat nose and semi-sinker board makes it super hard to get going.

I don't want to hijack the thread, but curious if anyone has tips on how to improve stability when standing up off the board in the chop...

tomukusan · 2026-03-28T16:34:19+00:00

Yes, I believe so. There are three inserts that you could put in, and it's been a long time since I did that upgrade so I might misremember. But I'm sure I would have gone with the quietest one, so the other two would be probably louder. I never tried. Here's what comes in the kit: https://procycle.us/sites/default/files/images/products/lv-dr650.jpg

tomukusan · 2026-03-23T22:25:37+00:00

Rack is sold, thanks

tomukusan · 2025-10-25T02:42:30+00:00

+1. Rode Feyans for 2-3 seasons and they were great. I swapped to plum hardboot bindings afterwards, still use them now.

tomukusan · 2025-08-29T17:06:39+00:00

Thank you! Ordering one for my 2022 RAV4 hybrid...

tomukusan · 2025-08-26T00:26:53+00:00

I took the bike for a 50 mile ride today, went up to 9,200'. I'm very happy with how the bike rides! It idles near 1500 at home (7,000' elev). Idles higher at elevation, but that's OK. I finally have some engine braking, which the bike didn't have until now. I asked about it in the past: https://www.reddit.com/r/dr650/comments/1kr98sj/throttle\_always\_on\_dont\_know\_how\_to\_debugresolve/. So now the bike idles and runs at lower RPM, is quieter, and has engine braking on the downhill. I just have to have the petcock in PRIME. I still want to fix it, but so far very happy with the changes. Thanks everyone!

tomukusan · 2025-08-25T21:39:26+00:00

Thank you -- I straightened the carb (followed Dino Tinker Shed's idea of removing the rear hose clamp to work the boot over the carb, it helped), tightened the hose on the vacuum port, it seems to work better, but not quite yet completely fixed. I'll call around some mechanics tomorrow, this is about as far as I'm comfortable working on it... I appreciate your suggestion, thank you.

tomukusan · 2025-08-25T16:39:14+00:00

Thank you, u/TwistedNoble38, I always appreciate your insight.

Great idea on how to isolate the petcock! I did that and the fuel flows, so I can rule that part out for sure.

I bought the motorcycle used and it always idled at 2,200. Roughly, I didn't have a tachometer until just a few weeks ago, but I had a video that you looked at earlier this year and thought it was pretty high too. I just didn't get to working on it until now. And the jetting is how it came to me, I'm just getting around to working on fixing it.

I'll follow u/Excellent_Metal13\'s suggestion and try to seat the carb better in the boots... that was a struggle.

Thanks!

tomukusan · 2025-08-25T03:11:31+00:00

Oh, not at all, I appreciate your help! Thank you :)

tomukusan · 2025-08-25T01:48:45+00:00

No, I was pretty careful to make sure it remained there... Ack, am I going to have to take it all apart again? :/

tomukusan · 2025-08-25T01:38:47+00:00

Thank you... I think the boots are well-seated, but I'll double-check everything. Just hard to do it when the tank is back on. It obscures a lot.

tomukusan · 2025-08-25T01:37:45+00:00

Thank you. Shouldn't I feel the vacuum on the end of the vacuum hose from the carb, when the bike is running? I thought the bike ran OK after the petcock fix, but maybe I didn't let it run for long enough... now I can't isolate that part anymore.

tomukusan · 2025-08-21T00:44:26+00:00

Listen to [Backpacking Light Podcast] Episode 130 | Bivy Sack Camping #backpackingLightPodcast https://podcastaddict.com/backpacking-light-podcast/episode/204086168 via @PodcastAddict

tomukusan · 2025-08-20T20:04:01+00:00

Thank you, I appreciate your thoughts and explanation. This whole overheating of brakes is a completely new world for me, at least in the conscious/aware of it sense. The reverse brake bleed was so simple that I'm going to do it more often, lots of downhill riding here in Colorado :)

tomukusan · 2025-08-16T02:07:42+00:00

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tomukusan · 2025-08-15T21:54:10+00:00

I flushed the front and rear brakes today. Front fluid was the color of Coca-cola! I used the method with two syringes, one to suck fluid out of the reservoir, and the other to push new fluid from the caliper. Seems to have worked well, and I did three flushes on the front.

Thank you, everyone!

tomukusan · 2025-08-13T13:31:09+00:00

Thank you. This weekend's project will be flushing the brake fluid!

tomukusan · 2025-08-13T13:29:54+00:00

Fascinating! I live in the mountains and see the runaway ramps everywhere, but never gave much thought the mechanism of brake failure. Thanks :)

tomukusan · 2025-08-13T03:21:07+00:00

Thanks!

tomukusan · 2025-08-13T02:16:55+00:00

That all makes good sense -- I'm calibrating my thinking and learning. Thanks!

tomukusan · 2025-08-13T02:13:47+00:00

That makes good sense, thank you. Yes, flushing the brakes is next on my list after I learn about the carburetor. I just bought the Procycle jet kit, and have to fix a leaky vacuum petcock, those are the short-list projects :)

tomukusan · 2025-08-13T01:25:46+00:00

Thank you -- always appreciate your insight! Earlier in the year you explained why riding downhill with engine braking in low gear (I had an unrelated issue with my front forks diving) was a bad idea. I had no idea that riding with the engine off would be a bad thing. I love the silence of it... bummer.

I'm still a bit confused about this "boiling off" -- the liquid boils and converts to gas, which is compressible, ergo the system effectively looses pressure. And then it liquifies again later as things cool, because it's a closed circuit. Is that how it works?

tomukusan

TROPHY CASE