New Torqeedo - Ultralight 1103

Can anyone compare this new 1103 to a Suzuki 2.5hp? Power, speed, range, etc.?

I’m planning to use my TI along the coast of Maine including some overnight camps on the Island Trail. We have big tides up here.


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I don't think anyone has yet installed the new 1103 onto a TI yet, so this is speculation.

The 1103AC is rated for 3HP and the Suzuki is 2.5 HP, so the power should be similar. So should be the top speed. Depending on the props each use, figure 7-9mph or so. I know I can get 5-6 mph out of my 1 HP 403 with the right conditions, so I have to believe that with three times the power, the 1103 should be able to do around 7-9 mph. We won't know for sure until someone tests it with the TI.

The range is tricker. The Suzuki should be able to operate for about an hour on a liter of gas at full speed, so its range per tank is around 7-25 miles or so depending on the speed. You'll get the maximum range at the most efficient speed. Range on the Suzuki is only limited as to how much extra gasoline you wish to carry on board.

According to Torqeedo, the range on the 1103AC with the 915 wh battery should be around 6.5-33 miles, again depending upon the speed. I've found their specified range with the 403 to be reasonably accurate with the TI. Range on the Torqeedo is only limited as to how many batteries you wish to buy, but they're very expensive so I don't see many people buying more than perhaps one spare. I have one 320 wh battery which came with the 403 and I purchased a spare 500 wh battery.

The Suzuki costs a lot less than the 1103AC, especially if you'll need another battery. Unless you really want the advantages of an electric motor such as quietness, no fumes, no gasoline on board, ease of maintenance, weight, etc, and are willing to spend the extra money, the Suzuki is probably what most people would select.

I've recently read pro10is excellent guide to mounting a 403, what intrigued me there is the ability to steer with Hobie's rudder controls, and the ease of tilting up and down.

Would Hobie rudder steering be possible with a bigger 1103 motor, along with the tilt up feature for beaching? At least theoretically...

Yes, it should be possible for both the steering and tilt features. Sooner or later someone will be the first to attach the new 3HP Ultralight 1103 AC to the TI. That will take some sort of mounting plate to attach it beyond the rear of the TI's rudder like the Torqeedo 401. It shouldn't be too difficult for someone with a little mechanical know-how. I'm certain I could do it, but I already own a 401 and the 1103 AC is expensive.

However, through experience, I've found that there is really no need to attach the steering mechanism. Simply locking the motor straight back and steering as normal with the rudder works nearly as well and is much easier to install and maintain.

In the rare event of a full rudder failure, you can still use the motor to steer the boat back to shore by simply removing the motor steering lock and attaching two lines to the motor's steering mechanism and manipulating them by hand. I carry such lines in my safety gear for just such a purpose.

Thanks for the reply. I genuinely appreciate the information I can get from this forum from users like you.

I'm still making my decision for the 1103, 403, and evolve...time will tell, but the 1103 looks fantastic.

I have installed the 1103ac on my Pro Angler 14 using the rudder for steering. The motor is heavy and about the 2/3 to 3/4 the size of a football. It is very quiet and powerful and as long as you don't run full throttle you get better range at speed then the 1 HP model. I bought the power cable extension so I can fit the battery under the seat.

Steering: Steering using the stock rudder is very slow, I added the larger rudder and it is a little better but turning to Port is still very slow. It is usable but you may want to go with foot pedal steering, I am still on the fence on switching over to pedal steering.

You can leave the pedal drive mounted as it does not seem to affect speed much, still testing it out as this crazy weather has made it hard to do proper tests.

Mounting: You will want to use the Innovative Sportsman PA mounting plate which is made out of 1/4" aluminum plate as i would not trust the plastic Hobie Micro Power Pole adapter to stand up to the torque the motor creates over time.

Overall I am very happy with the motor but I am not sure about mounting it on anything smaller the a PA 12. I will be putting out some videos on You Tube with in a month or so as I learn to create videos so if interested let me know here.

I would be very interested in the video.

I have the 1103C Torqeedo on my TI and it is fantastic! The C and AC versions are the same price but in my opinion the 1103c is the way to go. It can be removed just like any other outboard and put on another boat or sold to someone other than a TI owner! Speed wise I have squeezed 8kts in perfect conditions, but can get 7kt in almost anything else. Steering can be accomplished with the motor itself or the stock steering works as well. No more worries about the wind changing direction on you and not getting back to your truck! The lack of sound is also something to be appreciated, you have to listen to hear it. Range is good for what I use it for, at 4 to 5 lets the motor reports 40plus km of range. It has saved my bacon once already in very rough conditions, it pushed me through some crazy swells and currents I had no business being in! If you are thinking about buying one just do it, you won’t regret it. If I knew how to post a pic I would.

That is very interesting, JMT. How did you mount it on the TI, if I may ask? If I am not mistaken, you went for the Travel Torqeedo, rather than the Ultralight 1103, right? That's interesting. Unless the 2021 Tandem Island has a new hull that can accommodate the power-pole type of mount, maybe it does make sense to go for the Travel...

Chess, I had to make an outboard mount for the travel 1103c. I used stainless square tube, not necessary to use stainless but I wanted to have threads that would not shear away with heavy use,still overkill anyhow! I also wanted to be able to be able to keep my island somewhat stock, the mount sits on geartraks and is easily removable so if I were to sell it the motor and mount would be an option, another plus to the travel is you can use it on other boats easily. I am very new to this forum and can’t post an image but if anyone wants to see the mount send me your email and I will send some pictures.

To post a photo, simply upload the photo to any free online photo hosting service such as Imgur and then copy the photo's link. Then, in the body of your post here, click on the Img button in the editor and then paste the link between the two img markups that appear.

Example:
{img}https://imgur.com/op5Rz5k{/img} (curly braces substituted for actual square brackets) would appear as:

Thank you very much, JMT. I hadn't seriously considered the option of the Travel, but considering that the Tandem Island doesn't have a suitable mounting option for the Ultralight 1103, that the Travel only weighs 2 kg more than the Ultralight with battery, and that they cost about the same, it's starting to look interesting...