Mirage Drive Enhancement Request - Foldable Pedals

I have two Outfitters and 4 Mirage V1 drives. I just picked up a new and complete V2 drive. This is my first opportunity to examine the new and old drives side-by-side and i am quite impressed. Every part I had fail in my V1 drives has been upgraded or improved in the V2 drives with possibly the exception of one (the part of the spine where the sprocket shaft is held in place by the set screw - splines have split here in two of my drives). I am once again impressed with Hobie's continued refinements and improvements to take components from "good enough" to "wow!" based on customer feedback and field experience. Most product companies are quite content with good enough. The V2 drive I picked up includes the soft pedal pads, the clever strings to keep the pedals upright and at the ready, and the pre-attached drivewell splash guards, all for the same price they were previously charging for the V1 drives (though the replacement drives aren't cheap by any stretch).

The one area I'd still like to see improved has nothing to do with strength and reliability but with tansport and storage. When out of the kayak the drives are too freakin big! They are long and stacking or packing them together takes up a lot of volume due to the width at the pedal shafts and front-to-back depth of the fins. I use the drive carry bags and the four drives take up a huge amount of space since they do not stack neatly. This is probably not much of an issue for 2 drives but with two tandems and 4 drives, plus seats, paddles, life jackets, etc, you need a lot of space just for the kayak gear before you throw in the rest of your camping gear (we are usually using the kayaks from a campground home base).

If the pedals could be folded 90 degrees or the crank assemblies or fins/shafts easily removed, then they would pack a lot tighter. And the carry bag could be quite a bit smaller and have dedicated pouches for any parts that are removed. And they could better protect the ST Turbo fins which are quite cramped in the current bags on a fully assembled drive. I'd imagine the inflatable users especially would appreciate a more compact transport size for their drives.

Peace!

Peter

I hear your pain about taking up space. The one thing about the size is there are very few areas on the drive to fatigue or weaken and break... the more bendable or hinged places placed on the drive will in turn be a place that might break. BUT, if Hobie can manage the change and still give us a superior product then I am all for the change.

I too have trouble stowing a pair of drives; in the garage, in the car, and most of all in the RV. "Things" stick out in every direction and they don't nest either. But they certainly don't need new weak spots.

The first time I saw a drive up close I noticed the pin release at the base of the pedal shaft and assumed the shaft was removable. I quickly learned it is for adjustment only. It would seem a release of some sort to allow the shaft to slide out of the drive or separate in two could permit more compact storage without weakening.

I too worry about any changes that would introduce weak points in the drives. Given the robust improvement in the V2 drives and other clever Hobie engineering feats like the folding and removing mechanisms for the ama supports on the island and tandem island, I am quite confident Hobie can successfully engineer changes to improve storage size of the drives if enough folks requested it. Just being able to easily remove and install the masts and fins would greatly improve storage while also better protecting the fins when stored. I am glad to hear others would like a more compact solution and it is not just me. I do not recall this discussion in the past but must onfess I did not search the forums. There are some clever people in these forums. Maybe somebody else has come up with a solution or has found some spatial trick for storing 4 drives in the most compact space possible? Or perhaps I should swap my Jeep for a TARDIS?

Peter

Until Hobie comes up with the foldaway pedal you have some options.

With a 9/16" speed wrench you can remove a pair of pedals in 1 1/2 minutes and install them in 2 1/2 minutes -- probably less with practice. You can store them separately or reinsert them temporarily, twisted 90 degrees (shown) so the pedals do not stick out.


If one member of your group can assemble/disassemble the cranks/pedals while the others are loading/launching, this should result in little or no delay in getting on the water. Just remember to not install them backwards -- a little red and green tape or paint will make it easy.

Fins are not hard to remove, but the masts are a different matter. When all is said and done, the fins are probably better left on, especially since they lie flat. If you are not using the storage bags you can sleeve the fins for protection against warpage, insuring their best performance. I just use cardboard -- can't beat the price. Be sure to dry the fins before inserting them!

G'Day............read your concerns,and would like to know IF the little string things to hold the pedals in position are a Hobie item or home -made ?
Getting ready to remove the straps off the pedals,and this would be a great little addition for positioning the pedals.Thanks.

The new replacement drive I bought is a Hobie drive straight from the factory - 80013001 MIRAGE DRIVE ST TURBO. Oddly, this is the same part number as was used for the V1 drive as I would have expected the last digit to increment to 2. I don't recall discussion in the forum that the new drives include the pedal pads, the pedal retainer strings, and the drivewell splashguard but all were included on the new drive I purchased. If I get a chance later I'll post a picture of the pedal retainer string but it would not be hard to replicate yourself.

I originally bought the new drive with the intention of rebuilding my original V1 drives to V2 specs. Having now seen all that has changed between V1 and V2, I may just buy one more V2 drive, ebay two of the old V1 drives, and sell the other two V1 drives with one of my Outfitters when I replace it with a TI.

Peter

Matt: Has this topic come up with Engineering before?

Certainly...

We made a tool to make removal of the pedal shafts easier for the inflatable models. They have to fit in a rolling duffle to transport.

Easily removed hardware usually means some amount of slop to the fit, so its a tough one.

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

I took the straps off of the pedals and cemented a 2 ounce flat sinker onto the bottom of the pedal so the right side is always facing me. Works great.

Have been trying to find a way to store / transport 2 Hobie drives in a secure but easy way.

Tried a large nylon bag but one of the fins got damaged and not keen to have to do that again.

Found a large aluminium tool box dimensions 110 x 41 x 37 at the local big box hardware store in Sydney for $AU 240 yesterday and it solves a wider need to transport the dives and hold a lot of the other gear you would like to store together (life jackets, change clothes, centre boards, tools, straps etc). Box empty is light enough for one to pick up and move - even with 2 drives still ok to lift.

Photos attached - you will see my attempts at carpentry with the 2 U shaped wooden holders I made to locate the drives at their locking pins at the sides and one end - only prototypes as they will need packing around to stop them moving and rubbing in transit.

Question for Matt - is their a Hobie product that will hold the drives securely in such a box?

I am pretty sure the box is a Chinese import so is likely to appear elsewhere in the world or one like it so I thought it might be of interest to others.

best, Andrew

Great solution there Andrew!
It would be great if Hobie developed a plastic protective case that slipped over the fins (much like RR's cardboard sleeve) but clipped onto the MD axle.
That would make storage of the drives much easier. Stand them up, lie them down, stack them and not worry about fin damage. I'd buy six of them!