itiming wrote:
I much appreciate your posts. Your well documented/=extensive experience with TI motors is very useful/helpful.
My motor mount design goals are different than yours. i.e., no holes, no attachments, portable between different TI's and a few seconds to install/uninstall. My motor mount does what I ask from it. That said, I do not believe that any motor/mount, other than Hobie's, is certified for use, with the tag noting a 400 watt maximum. Based on the tag, adding a 2.5 hp gas motor to the TI is not sanctioned by Hobie.
Perhaps it is understood that posts of TI motor mounts, which support gas engines, assume a disclaimer that adding such power is beyond the Hobie TI design specs.
I think this forum is a terrific way to gain insight into the TI versatility. I enjoy seeing different approaches and am also interested in avoiding/uncovering failures. -- esp, if the failure cause is known.
It's completely up to you what motor mount you decide to use on your own boat. It's your boat and your safety.
That said, suggesting on a forum to use a PVC based motor mount secured only to the rod holders is not advisable. It's bad enough if you experience a failure on your own boat due to your own design, but when you suggest to others a mount based upon questionable engineering, you then assume some responsibility if others take your advice and experience a failure which could, for many reasons, be very dangerous.
You're correct, no gasoline-powered outboard motor is certified for use with the TI and anyone doing so is assuming a risk. I stated this very clearly in my post on motor mounts. That's because mounting a relatively heavy, powerful motor to a lightweight plastic boat not designed for such a motor is very tricky. To make it work reasonably safely, sound engineering and high-quality materials of sufficient strength must be used, and they must be
very securely mounted. Mounting an outboard motor using brittle plastic designed only for plumbing, and then using an unsecured mount point is highly questionable engineering, and certainly not something to responsibly suggest to others.
I repeat, no one should be using a PVC outboard motor mount on a TI. Even the use of a sturdy metal mount securely fastened entails some risk. These boats were not designed to use motors producing over 400 watts. If you wish to mount a 2.5HP outboard motor which produces 1,864 Watts, do so only with sound engineering using quality metal components of sufficient strength mounted as securely as possible.