Hobie mirage drive upgrade to reverse?

Hi, new member here!

Bought my dream kayak 2 days ago a 2011 mirage sport and am very excited to fish on this thing. Was researching the features on it prior to buying & was disappointed to find that the mirage drive on it does not have a reverse mode. It is a mirage drive with serial #157125 with "v2" stamped on the fins. I was wondering if I could upgrade my drive so it can reverse if that's even possible? If someone can point me to the correct items needed and also a reputable online vendor as I'm very new to kayaking. thanks in advance

Congratulations on your new Sport and welcome to the forum. Your V-2 Drive is an excellent unit, but the only way to get reverse is to mount it backwards. The Drive that has reverse is called the MD 180 and it is different from the ground up. The only interchangeable parts are pedals and drums -- nothing that reverses. If you decide to buy one, it will fit your boat just fine. In the mean time, practice reversing your V-2 the old fashioned way, and don't forget to keep it tethered to your boat (expensive to replace if it goes overboard)!

Thanks for the response. I just found this link and correct me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression that this upgrade kit would allow my drive to go in reverse?
https://www.austinkayak.com/products/23 ... ly-V2.html

Thanks. I was under the impression that an upgrade kit is available and all I need is to attach the md 180 spline to my drive?

Not sure but I would guess you would need that the fin kit and the pulls. So 400 ish plus your drive. Seems kinda spendy.. I never really use the 180 with smaller yaks but it does come in handy with the fully rigged TI.


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There is no upgrade kit for a GT to MD180. Most parts are different and it is not cost effective.

Different from the spine down. Only the cranks, drums and chains are similar.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Yeah his post from ACK had the spline for like 270 so add that the fins/mast kit (130) and the pulls and he has what he needs.

Personally I would just buy a new one.


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It is very likely that you will find that you never operate your Mirage Drive in reverse. The Mirage Drives didn't offer this "feature" for the first decade or more that they were in existence. It's not a big deal.

I really appreciate all the responses. You've got me thinking now maybe it really isn't worth the cost. Guess I'll just enjoy it now & deal with it when something fails on it. Thanks again

What's the difference with the GT? Is it really that much smoother?

IMHO, upgrading to the Turbo fins with masts is the best bang for your $$.

For a small improvement in "smoothness", spending the extra $$ on the "glide Bearings" upgrade would be next on my list.

You can make incremental changes as your pocketbook allows.

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

Imo it depends on your usage. For people who like fishing or photography it is important imo. I will use mine for photography and bought a 2018 because of the new md180 arc drive, vantage seat. For me reverse could make the difference between getting the picture or not.

I use my reverse several times a day when out fishing. If something comes up on the fishfinder I can pull the reverse cord and with a couple of strokes I am stopped dead, if my friend gets too close while fishing I can again just stick her into reverse and a couple of paddles and I`m a foot or two away, if the tide/wind drift drops then I can go any which way I like, if I want to cast into likely looking shallow areas near rocks or reefs with an onshore wind I can fish it no bother with the fins in reverse.
Lots of helpful options but not everyone will use them.

I am new and late to this thread, but has anyone actually ever got an current 180 drive with kick up fins to install and work in a pre 2012 Hobie (a 2010 Mirage Sport in my case) kayak? I keep hearing that after cutting off alignment pins and shaving the splash faring it may still not fit an/or the fins may not work properly.

***UPDATE*** Yesterday I went to the nearest Hobie dealer (Backyard Boats in Annapolis, MD). First they cut the alignment pins off of an old warranty return MD 180 with kick up chassis, and it fit my 2010 Mirage sport perfectly with no additional modifications. Then we did the same on a new MD180 with kick up and standard fins -- it works great and the fit is actually better that the original drive. The original had a little rocking front to back when installed, and the new MD180 fits in like a glove :-)

If anyone has the same concern about a new drive fitting in an older Hobie Kayak, and you live anywhere near Maryland, Backyard Boats has a drive chassis that's already cut to test. You could also come to my house in Columbia, MD and test fit my drive; just message me...