Nearly every major kayak company has designed a fishing kayak that can take an electric motor. Torqeedo has designed a motor that will fit almost any kayak. The famous German maker of electric motors has been in the kayak fishing game for years, giving them time to develop the ultimate small power package.
After working with Kayak Bass Fishing’s Chad Hoover and the design gurus at Yak Attack, they’ve completed a system that makes it easier to install their powerful Ultralight 403 motor on almost any kayak.
We caught up with Hoover at Paddlingsports Retailer’s Demo Day to show off a prototype of the new Advanced Integrated Mount.
Starting in the stern, they’ve redesigned the mounting plate to make it easier to attach the motor to any kayak that is PowerPole ready. The plate and connecting arms make it easier to align the motor for optimal performance.
Our favorite feature of the Torqeedo system is turning the kayak is accomplished by turning the propeller like an outboard instead of using a separate rudder to turn the kayak. This makes it easier to make sharp turns at speed in forward and reverse. It also makes it possible to make small adjustments in direction.
Direction is controlled with foot pegs and the motor is raised and lowered with another cable. Torqeedo has designed a track-mounted, off center cleat to secure the cable that lifts the motor. Another track-mounted cleat controls the reverse lock out. The control cables run through a flexible housing that keeps them from snagging or kinking.
Torqeedo even redesigned the lithium ion battery to provide more power with a longer life. They even added USB chargers to power electronics or charge a phone.
Hoover showed off the redesigned system installed on Wilderness Systems’ Radar. Wait, you say, the Radar is already rigged to accept the Helix motor system. The Torqeedo is a great choice if you have more than one kayak or you’re looking for more control in a more powerful system.
