Blaster B1 UMI steering- pros & cons?

[Jpass]

Bud, this is the internet, people can say whatever they want, completely right, completely wrong, or anywhere in between. Take most of what you read here with a grain of salt, especially not knowing exactly where the complaints come from or why.

I have no connection to UMI, but I have their steering on a B1 here at the shop and plan on buying either UMI or Accusteer for my own personal B1.

Good parts cost good money to produce and generally why they cost good money to buy. This market is very niche, without big quantity runs and multiple dealers. You aren't buying cookie-cutter-crap, good alloys, several machining processes, outside suppliers like anno, bearings, seals and so on.

If you ALREADY have had a UMI setup for sometime and like it, why on earth would you think the quality would be any different on another unit? Because some guy on the internet said it wasn't any good?

Generally speaking, you only have to buy the good stuff once and if you ever have a problem, replacement parts are available and the company is too, for any help before, or years after, the sale.

Brian

Easy killer. I never questioned the quality of the part. I was questioning the bang for the buck of the mod. It doesn't seem to be a must have mod for the blaster, rather a cool upgrade if you come across a good deal. The B1 I just bought has a bunch of mods on it, but not the UMI set-up and being that a new UMI set-up is almost a third the price I paid for my ski, I was simply weighing the bennies of the set-up as opposed to stock. If I came across a good deal on a UMI, I'd probably pop for it, but not for the prices I've seen so far.

just my $0.02

 

[blaster800]

weird. I like a full tank much better. Although i like a full tank on my sj too. maybe its just riding style? (or i'm too tired by the time there are 3 gallons left)I wonder what the differences are since we are all quick to say "i need after market bars" or something for better control.

well Its almost a 7 gallon tank and if you take 28 lbs ''4 gallons '' off of the nose the ski just pops around much easier , rides much higher going up waves , and deff wont auger into the sand when you going down a face just playing around .... Those are the things I notice between the differences

 

[seatsR4toilets]

Wish I'd jumped in on this thread sooner, but I've been busy with, well...nevermind.



I've run stock, UMI, and Accusteer in my Blasters. I only ride surf.
I've broke off stock steering right at the head, 1/2 hour into a beautiful day of 4-6' swell. IMHO, stock sux.
I've run UMI alot. Yes, they get sloppy. And I'm not 100% sure that they have the metals issue figured out, as far as being compatable with salt. I am BIG on washing and cleaning after rides, and every fall, I have a hell of a time getting the bolts out without boogering the heads up. And yes, for me about 1-2 years and the bearings get sloppy.
And UMI customer service leaves a little to be desired.
I have nothing but good things to say about Accusteer.
By FAR, the best product for us.
Is it cheap? No.
But it's worth it, IMHO.
I'd run them all the time if money weren't an object.

That being said, I put together a different deal on my current Blaster build. I don't have any pix handy that I think show it, but what I have now is 1/2 B1 UMI on the bottom, 1/2 B2 UMI on the top.
Allows me much more leverage on the bars when barrel-rolling without the possiblity of bending the bars or breaking them. Yet running the bottom as standard B1, it fits in the spot it's supposed to.
THAT is the hot set up, IMO.
The ski's not here right now, and I'm not sure if I have pix showing it. I'll look and post if I do.

 

[seatsR4toilets]

I know it's hard to see, but you can kinda see just how big the stem and the actual clamp is.
This summer, I'm gonna pull it out and make a piece of stainless steel to fix exactly underneath as a backing plate for strength.

(was kinda waiting for tom21 to finish his carbon surf blaster hood first...lol...hope hope hope hope)

 

[CarFanatic]

is it hard to replace the bushings in the stock steering? I have up and down slop in mine, will this correct that?

where can I find info on the accusteer?

 

[ryan]

i snaped the stock sys also!!. i have many blasters that i ride only 2 of them have the umi on them. hate the bearing (someone post a link to the ss ones i need some of that) other then that i can deal with them. i would rather bust a stearing then a hood.