Exactly the same for me. It takes some muscle, and my concern is that Whipper is driving his like a car with power steering!
Russ "62mph" P.
- Thread starter mikesufka
- Start date
Whipper, in the hardest places, mine is about 30lbs+ to turn left. On the trailer, it turns just as free as you like.
whipper
Well-Known Member
Haha ya dont know what to say. Its pretty easy maybe its more like 30 i don't know how to measure that way. You can see im not taking much effort to steer. mines maybe on the loose side? i have nothing to measure from. Finger tips most of the time but there is the odd time wear it gets stiffer but not many times.
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I need to generally lock my thumb in the steering wheel. Yeah, I know thats bad, but I would rather break a thumb than lose control of the boat.
whipper
Well-Known Member
I would say mines turn about the same in the water as on the trailer Jon. No lie. Thats why Im a little perplexed I thought all hydraulic steering setups were like that? There is ZERO steering torque. Watch how relaxed my fingers are on the wheel my trim hand {right} mostly. I open my hands and re grip lots at 7000 rpm. I could drive with finger tips if i wanted to. I only make sure my hands are around the wheel in case I blow out. I want to be quick on gripping the wheel to keep me in the boat. its whats saved me a few times when over trimming. So as i get to that max trim area you will see me keep a little closer hand position to make a grab if need be. Its become habit. That last bump to get to 7000 rpm Im really making sure Im ready for anything. I know i could have went to 7200 but that would have been pushing it to much with no helmet by my self for the little promax. Mind you having a blow out on film from in the cock pit might be good for a million hits!!
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Got the boat out sunday, but had time for about two calm runs until the wake boats lit the lake up. Feeling way better getting up and on the pad and going for it. But won't lie, i still walk the hell out of it slowing down! that's my hesitation, I can get to speed pretty well now, and could easily get more, but getting down, though i try to be gradual as i can, starts walking bad. suggestions or thoughts to try? Thanks all!
whipper
Well-Known Member
Just do it slow like you are. Ease off on the gas slow then start bumping it back down slow also. Let of gas a little first then very little on the trim at first. Same thing in reveres. Once your at 65-60 you can get more aggressive on the slow down part. You will have some wiggle coming of still have to counter till 60 same as up. When you get more comfortable coming of speed and you have good water try and see at what speed you can chop the gas from and be safe. If your straight when you chop the gas you should come of straight also providing balanced good. 70 should be realistic to be able to do this from as long as your straight. Its a good thing to practice in case of the need for an {emergency stop.} One thing to remember is when your slowing down rather fast is your trim was trimmed high as you were coming of a speed run. So if you chop the gas at 70 and your down around 50 and the bow starts digging in hit the gas a little and trim down a little. Some times the gearcase will ratchet on a fast slow down below 60 and it will feel like your bow is going down. Touching the gas puts it back in positive rotation and instantly will get you normal. When this happens you have no steering until you hit the gas. At 50 you can turn on a dime with some gas trimmed down to neutral or not trimmed up like wot runs. You never need to have the motor tucked in at all.
Thats a great safety maneuver also on busy lakes. Ive had to do it a few times. If your going to crank the wheel hard right hang on and give it a little gas at the same time. You can spin around like a circle track boat!! Ive had to do this to avoid hitting a boat a warf and a person in the water. When you come of speed you glide pretty far. Some times farther than you can believe! Thats when its good to know you have the hard turn as a back up to steer away. It takes some practice to get it though.
In the clip above at one min I start slowing down. Watch the tach. Youll see its at 7000 then when it starts to drop from 7000 im letting of the gas a little. Then i trim down a little after the tach has dropped some first. At the end you see the the tach just drop. i would have chopped it there but im only going to turn around and go the other way so I maintain plaining speed. Im still counter steering for the first bit. Your always counter steering always. You counter steer when ever you have to to stay flat at what ever speed that is. Slow in the rough fast on the calm. it will just come natural to you eventually.
The only time I ever feel if I ever do any more uncomfortable coming of speed is if i hit some rough water I didn't see. You have a few choices and its your call at that point with no garantees. None are going to be very comfortable. You can stay in it and hope for the best or back off and hope for the best. haha Thats why you pick and chose the straights ya want to open her up in. The size of the waves will dictate what you should do. That will just come with experience. ive jumped 40 feet in the air at 85 mph with no ill effects. Actually was so smooth it was very awesome!! Didnt mean to that was the scary part at first. i had so much hang time in the air i had time to tell my son to hang on!! When we landed I gave her some gas and i pinned it like nothing happened! haha i will never try that on porpoise ever, but it happened. I got lucky is all. Hit a wake boat wave i didnt see at wot with no time to slow down at all.
Little wakes you can sometimes bounce over OK sometimes not. Speared a wave going slow cought in a storm a mile off shore on a Huge lake. The wave broke my sunglasses it hit me in the face so hard and filled up the boat with water. not good feeling!
You will become one with your Allison grasshopper. Fly her straight at all times best ya can is all ya can do. She will treat you right if you treat her right.
Thats a great safety maneuver also on busy lakes. Ive had to do it a few times. If your going to crank the wheel hard right hang on and give it a little gas at the same time. You can spin around like a circle track boat!! Ive had to do this to avoid hitting a boat a warf and a person in the water. When you come of speed you glide pretty far. Some times farther than you can believe! Thats when its good to know you have the hard turn as a back up to steer away. It takes some practice to get it though.
In the clip above at one min I start slowing down. Watch the tach. Youll see its at 7000 then when it starts to drop from 7000 im letting of the gas a little. Then i trim down a little after the tach has dropped some first. At the end you see the the tach just drop. i would have chopped it there but im only going to turn around and go the other way so I maintain plaining speed. Im still counter steering for the first bit. Your always counter steering always. You counter steer when ever you have to to stay flat at what ever speed that is. Slow in the rough fast on the calm. it will just come natural to you eventually.
The only time I ever feel if I ever do any more uncomfortable coming of speed is if i hit some rough water I didn't see. You have a few choices and its your call at that point with no garantees. None are going to be very comfortable. You can stay in it and hope for the best or back off and hope for the best. haha Thats why you pick and chose the straights ya want to open her up in. The size of the waves will dictate what you should do. That will just come with experience. ive jumped 40 feet in the air at 85 mph with no ill effects. Actually was so smooth it was very awesome!! Didnt mean to that was the scary part at first. i had so much hang time in the air i had time to tell my son to hang on!! When we landed I gave her some gas and i pinned it like nothing happened! haha i will never try that on porpoise ever, but it happened. I got lucky is all. Hit a wake boat wave i didnt see at wot with no time to slow down at all.
Little wakes you can sometimes bounce over OK sometimes not. Speared a wave going slow cought in a storm a mile off shore on a Huge lake. The wave broke my sunglasses it hit me in the face so hard and filled up the boat with water. not good feeling!
You will become one with your Allison grasshopper.
Fly her straight at all times best ya can is all ya can do. She will treat you right if you treat her right.
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no training wheels for me, mr sufka ;-)
i like that approach jeff. . . . when you coming to MN to show sufka how to drive that talon?
i'd throw in a case of beer to see that one happen!
whipper
Well-Known Member
I let off a little first then trim down and then gas / trim back and forth as needed. Im not so sure about trimming down and bumping at the same time from lets say over 85. I guess it would depend on how much gas you let off and how many bumps at the same time. i never hold the trim down only bump untill im in the safe zone like 65 or less. Even then no real need to accually hold it. Just bump more and some times faster depending on desired result. Below that its no big deal but above that i would let off some gas then start bumping down at the same time. The most important thing is you just want to let the bow drop super hard. just let her down nice and easy is all. Its really no big deal unless you slam the bow in deep above 70.
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Update: hopefully wednesday i'll try few of these things. I ran a little this weekend, but there was a bass tournament on the lake and boat traffic sucked! Thanks everyone, i'll keep the board posted as I learn to drive her!
whipper
Well-Known Member
Always put in gunnel's not the very back were the battery is. Beside the back seat is as far back as counter should go. If you put to much weight at the very back the bow can get flighty at speed. We had this discussion on Ziemers thread 107 mph. I never want weight at the very back compartment and pretty sure not to many would. Im 230 45-50 lbs was good in the gunnel. If ya need to bring extra to try stoe it in the center seat compartment so its neutral and not effecting anything.
FlatOutAlly
Well-Known Member
That's good advice. I find that 12 ounce increments works about perfect.
whipper
Well-Known Member
haha maybe? haha
Update: Took the GS out last night, with mr. 'Big Mike" Sufka as my coach. Yes, he was sporting the old school STV jacket for our rides. Worked on some stuff (hugely on slowing down, i was chopping the throttle way too much!), but things got better, smoother, and after a few 74 mph runs, got a 76! Then 'Big Mike' goes and lays down a 90 with us both on board, but that's just to prove he hasn't gotten soft from all his tunnel boats. So it's coming along! It was also my first time driving with the 26 chopper from Jeff, I have a laser II, but since most say it will blow out, was afraid to run it. It will stay as my backup. More soon!
