Close Up Look Hobie's Click N Go System

Just how does this new Drive locking system work? Deceptively simple and typically brilliant, each side has only two moving parts -- a lever and a spring. The Drive simply drops in and locks automatically. To remove, just rotate the levers back and lift the Drive out.

When the Drive is inserted, the levers start in the forward position. An axle shaft without the Drive is shown here for clarity.


As the Drive drops in place, the levers momentarily rotate back, admitting the axle shaft. Once the shaft is clear, the over-center springs snap the levers forward again locking the shaft in place.


Here's a side view showing the locked in drum shaft


Here's another view of the open/locked position. Notice the robust pivot pin:


To release, pull the levers back. They will stay in that position while the Drive is lifted straight out. As it exits, it resets the levers for the next insertion. Here is the release position:


Looking inside the hull, gone are the old cam columns. Brass inserts are molded in and the mounting surface has been redesigned. Unfortunately this new system is not compatible with the existing locking cam system.


The all-stainless system feels very rigid, locks the Drive in snugly and can operate in sandy or muddy environments. The spring is designed to be replaced if necessary, without disassembly.

No more pre-positioning of the old locking cam, twisting to lock, cam column issues or accidentally unscrewing the right cam with your heel. Simple, quick and effective -- I love it!

Great post.

You don´t happen to have any inside hull pictures of the (redesigned?) front drivewell area?

This shows the front of the '09 Revolution drivewell. At the nose there is a brass plug hidden in the plastic extension that internally reinforces the front notch of the drivewell.


The plastic "drip" seen on the side is one of four that contains additional brass inserts to secure the new C & G housings. It looks like the depth of the cam lock pockets has been increased to accomodate the taller C & G units. Additional plastic is concentrated in this area to enhance rigidity.

The new Revolution feels very solid -- I can't detect any flexing. The close side-to-side Drive tolerances allow virtually no lateral movement with the drums (unlike the old system). IMO, this combination slightly improves the thrust efficiency in a manner similar to the more rigid bicycle frames in cycling. Minimizing lateral play in combination with the nylon axle pockets should also put an end to drumshaft creep that occasionally manifests itself with the cam lock system.

These are examples of some more subtle improvements besides the more obvious ones. The attention to detail and precision with this system are noteworthy. Hobie is always looking for new ways to improve their products and this is a significant one. After about 11 years with the cam lock system, this change ushers in a new generation of Mirage kayaks.

That´s exactly what I was curious about. Thank´s for posting it.

I really like the new click and go system on my '09 Outback. If you have the drive unit lined-up properly it just falls right in place and clicks itself into position It's a one-handed operation. Much easier to install and remove the drive than with the cam wheels. Nice improvement.

I've yet to find an convenient way to attach Mirage Drives to my home-made hull. It's not surprising that Hobie has come out with a brilliantly simple device.

Will Hobie sell these clever brackets separately?

Cheers,
Mack in Melbourne

The click-n-go assemblies are left/port - right/starboard.

81611101 CLICK-N-GO ASSY LEFT/PORT $40.00
81611201 CLICK-N-GO ASSY RIGHT/STBD $40.00

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

Thanks Matt for this and the i-Comfort part numbers.

Now that the Click-N-Go is standard for all 09 Kayaks.

How well are they working?

Roadrunner, have you done turbo-sprints, wave riding on these yet?

I see each Click-N-Go mount appears to be held in with 2 bolts.
Is there any adjustability of the mount in respect to the 2 bolts, or are the mounts positions dictated by the hull molding and brass insert placement. ?

I ask, because one had to adjust the depth of the bolt holding the old cam locks for the cam to swivil and lock properly.

Are the click-n-go mounts easily removed, say for cleaning or replacement?

Are they quiet? The old cam setup had the main drum shaft tightened against all plastic. The click-n-go has the the drum shaft held in by Stainless Steel, so any play would create rattle.

Thanks for letting my get down into the dirty details, but this upgrade is one that requires springing for a new boat. Want to make sure this improvement doesn't have trade-offs.

Maybe a whole new Island

TIA

Thanks for posting. Looks like I picked a great time to get Into the Hobies..
Was there anything else new for 09 for any models?

_________________
2010 Hibiscus Adventure Island

Youbetcha! I got to play with an '09 Revolution and put about 150 miles on it pedaling. I sprinted with it, pounded the pedals with alternating feet staccato style, operated it one footed (to make the Drive rock fore and aft) and have taken dozens of wake rides. Here are a couple of pics:



I did everything I could think of to foul it up. The local dealer would probably be horrified to know this, but hopefully he doesn't watch the forum that much.

The only way I could get the system to misbehave was to pedal it unlocked, which I had to do on purpose. The only other way I could possibly think might foul it up is to take an old Drive with a loose drumshaft that rotates while pedaling. Conceivably this could allow the Drive to walk itself out. I've never heard if it happening though on these new C&Gs. Besides, all the newer Drives have splined drumshafts so it wouldn't be an issue. I only mention this because I know you have and use some older Drives with your newer boats.

Having done a little cam column repair work in the past, I paid very close attention to any signs of flexing on the C&Gs or their mounting areas. I also looked carefully at the drumshaft clearances for any signs of binding or rattling (looseness). In my demo boat, everything fit like a glove and there was no flexing anywhere. Once the Drive was locked in, it felt like it was in a vault. Operation was quiet.

Each unit is attached by two Allenhead screws to premolded brass inserts. The placement is precise and not adjustable. Access to the Allenheads is through two small holes in the top of main covers. The covers exist only to protect the small spring and prevent any metal edges from accidentally scraping the skin. The larger covers cannot be removed without first removing the entire unit since they are attached by screws from the bottom.

I think (but am not sure) the spring can be replaced without removing the units. There is nothing really to clean or lube inside so normally the units would not be removed. If they are however, they must be Locktited back on.

After spending some time with the C&G units, I really missed them when returning to my cam lock system. I would trade the old system for these without blinking twice and am tentatively planning to upgrade two of my boats within the next 6 months just to get the C&Gs!

Yes -- the Oasis has a new generation hull bottom. I'm surprised that nobody else has mentioned it. In these pictures, the '09 is the darker boat:



As far as I know, all basic dimensions and specs. are the same. The cockpit layout remains the same. Dual seat scuppers have replaced the old single scupper. Side grips amidship are added in addition to the Click & Go Drive lock system.

The new bottom removes some of the rocker, extending the waterline length a bit. Although overall stability is unchanged, initial stability is noticeably improved.

Well, thanks for the update. The info on the precise placment is kinda what I figured. I know in the hull molding process that different cooling rates have caused minor hull variations. Causing drive wells to have slight size differences, which is why there is a little rocking fore and aft of the drive and a pretty generous tolerance allowed. I don't see the precise placement as a detractor as long as Hobie's quality control checks each hull with drive placement before shipping.

I do see the click-n-go as a huge improvement over the cam columns, and I can't think of any real advantage of the cam locks over the click-n-go.

Heck, the click-n-go could allow the backyard engineer to mount the mirage drive to any frame for use in some boat design.



Yup, thats what is running thru my brain right now