Torqeedo 403A, 403AC, 1103AC Review, Usage, & Mounting Guide

Torqeedo 403A, 403AC, 1103AC Review, Usage, and Mounting Guide
Version 20221005

Note: This is the first section of this Review, Usage, & Mounting Guide, for the second section below, please go here:
Torqeedo 1103 AC Comprehensive Review and Comparison

Disclaimer
The information herein is provided free of charge and is for informational and educational purposes only. No representations or warranties of any kind are expressed or implied about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, safety, or performance of any information herein. You assume any and all risks of using this information in any way for your own purposes.

Intro
This is a comprehensive guide for installing and using the Torqeedo Ultralight 403 A, 403 AC, and 1103 AC motors, collectively called the Ultralight A-Series motors, with the Hobie Tandem Island (TI), Hobie Adventure Island (AI), and other ruddered kayaks. It includes detailed instructions on how to build a proven and easily replicable mounting interface for all three motors on the Hobie TI/AI as well as many other kayaks that use rudders. The mounting interface included herein was tested and proven to work with an 1103 AC and a 2015 Hobie Tandem Island. Its use with other motors and kayaks is speculative, however, any minor differences in the mounts, motors, and kayaks should be able to be compensated for. You should take measurements for your application before you proceed and adapt the instructions to your specific application.

In addition to the Torqeedo motors, the mount interface may also likely work for the Newport Vessels NK180 which appears to use a mount almost identical to Torqeedo’s. Again, this is speculation as I currently have no access to this motor, but it could likely work with some minor modifications.

First, my qualifications. I’ve worked for over 45 years as a design engineer for IBM, rising to the senior levels. I’ve designed, developed, tested, and installed the electronics, electromechanical systems, and software for custom multi-million dollar semiconductor test equipment. I’ve also been an avid boater for over 37 years and have owned many sailboats, motorboats, kayaks, PWC’s, and marine motors both gas and electric. I’ve designed and built many marine and automotive accessories. I believe I am well qualified to develop this mount interface guide for your benefit.

In 2016, I developed a similar comprehensive guide for the original Torqeedo 402/403 Series motors for use with the TI/AI. This guide has since become surprisingly popular in the kayak community, even beyond Hobie’s, and one of the first to show up on related Google searches. It’s a big deal when anything shows up very high on a Google search, so I’m taking this publication very seriously as it may likely become a go-to guide as did the first.

Since 2016, much has happened. In 2018, Torqeedo released the 403 A-Series motors which use a completely redesigned and updated mounting system called the A-Mount. While this new mount is a considerable upgrade from the original, with many useful and innovative features, it was not designed for direct use on rudder-equipped kayaks such as the TI, AI and many others. The original mount allowed motor installation behind the rudder whereas the new A-Mount does not appear to account for a rudder at all. This effectively prevents its usage on the TI/AI and many other ruddered kayaks without some sort of additional mounting interface.

In 2019, Torqeedo introduced the 1103 AC motor that finally brought a powerful 3HP option to the Ultralight lineup. This was welcome news to the kayak world, but it also used a very similar version of the A-Mount, so it was still a problem for ruddered kayaks. The 1103 AC uses a more robust A-Mount than the 403 motors to account for the extra weight, but this mount interface should work for both since they use the same standard kayak four bolt pattern measuring 3.75” X 4.75”. If I learn of any installation issues between the two A-Mount designs, I’ll update this document.

A-Series Mount Interface
It’s necessary to resolve this mounting issue before the Torqeedo A-Series motors can be used on ruddered kayaks, so let’s begin with that.

The original Torqeedo 402/403 mount allowed for ruddered kayaks by using a pole to mount the motor behind the rudder. While this was an effective mounting solution for both ruddered and non-ruddered kayaks, it wasn’t an ideal mount. It awkwardly hung the motor well in the back of the boat and was rather unwieldy to install, adjust, and operate. It also sometimes slipped out of adjustment. It’s no wonder Torqeedo decided to revise and completely upgrade it.





The A-Series mount is a superb upgrade. It’s considerably more stable, stronger, easier to install, adjust, and operate, and unlike the original, allows the user to easily quick-disconnect the motor from the mount.



To provide these upgrades, Torqeedo apparently made the concession to drop compatibility with ruddered kayaks. They likely felt that the kayak community would probably come up with a solution, and they were right.

Ruddered Kayak Mount Interface
An ideal motor mount should be: easy to fabricate, easy to replicate, constructed with readily available components, inexpensive, very strong, properly able to distribute the load evenly to the hull, highly failure resistant, simple in design, corrosion proof, adjustable, easily removable, and not in any way detrimental to the design or the value of the boat. This is the exact same criteria I used when I first developed a TI side-mount for gasoline outboards back in 2017. That mount design proved to be very successful and has since been replicated and modified by many kayak owners. So, I’m using essentially the same criteria and materials as I did back then.

Rear vs Side-Mounting
When the A-Series motors were introduced, I thought about finding a way to mount them behind the rudder as the original mount did. However, with the release of the much larger and heavier 3HP 1103 AC, it became quite clear that this was no longer the correct approach. It’s simply too much weight to cantilever that far out for a typical plastic kayak hull. The obvious solution was to side-mount it as had already been successfully accomplished years earlier with relatively heavy gasoline outboards on TI’s, including the outboard motor mount I previously designed. This approach was reinforced when @CaptnChaos prototyped a side-mount for his 1103 AC. As far as I know, he was the first to attempt this, and his contributions are greatly appreciated and acknowledged for the advancement of a successful, replicable TI/A-Series mount interface. He and I think alike, and our 1103 AC mounts are both based upon existing TI side-mounts developed for gasoline outboards. These types of mounts are already well proven to work with powerful motors on the TI and AI. I would also like to thank everyone in the forum who has contributed over the years to the development of these TI/AI mounts for the benefit of us all. It's great that we can all build upon each other's work to develop better and better mounts.

By far, the best mount designs incorporate the use of metal. Nothing, other than exotic, expensive materials can equal the strength to weight characteristics of metal. Metal is readily available at low cost. However, many metals, such as untreated steel, corrode quickly in a marine environment. This leaves stainless steel, galvanized steel, and aluminum as the best choices. Stainless steel is expensive and galvanized steel leaves untreated areas when cut. Both are quite heavy compared to aluminum. Aluminum is inexpensive, readily available, lightweight, strong, and corrosion-resistant. This is why many boats, boat parts, and even airplanes are constructed of aluminum. So, aluminum is the obvious choice.

Hull Attachment
When I first developed a TI side-mount for gasoline outboards back in 2017, I didn’t care for the existing approach of attaching the mount directly to the hull of the boat. This required drilling multiple large holes in the hull. If the mount was later removed or had to be changed, the holes were permanent. If the boat was later put up for sale, these holes could be a major liability. So, as with my outboard mount, I again went with my original idea of using a YakAttack GearTrac GT90 12 Inch Aluminum Mounting Track to provide the mount interface to the TI's hull.



The YakAttack GearTrac system is well appreciated in the kayak community. The installation of a GearTrac is widely considered an excellent asset to any boat as it permits the easy installation of many useful accessories. So, if you ever decide to remove/change the mount or sell the boat, you’re left with a great-looking, highly useful, and versatile YakAttack GearTrac rather than a hull full of holes. YakAttack components can be a bit pricey, but they also preserve the value of your boat which makes up for it. To further increase the GearTrac’s mounting strength and ease of assembly, I also used the optional YakAttack GT90 12 Inch Backing Plate.



This results in a bond to the hull stronger than the plastic hull itself. This has been proven to be more than enough strength to handle the load. I’ve used this with up to 3.5 HP outboard motors weighing 47 lbs. You could easily lift the entire boat with this bracket alone.

The GearTrac GT90 system optionally provides stainless steel track nuts that slide into the track. This makes attaching almost anything required to the GearTrac very easy.



Unfortunately for me, Amazon lost my order for these nuts and I had a time constraint to get this mount finished. So, I had to make my own GearTrac attachment out of 1/2" wide by 3/16" thick by 12" long stainless steel flat bar stock. This method uses the full length of the track rather than just a few inches of it for superior strength. However, it requires precision drilling and tapping six holes for 1/4-20 screws which in turn requires some machinist skills. If you have these skills, this is an alternative to using the GearTrac nuts, but it takes considerable extra time and patience. Do not use aluminum for this, it's not strong enough at this thickness for tapping for this particular purpose. Most people should simply stick with the Track Nuts.

Here is a photo showing the GearTrac interface (from my original outboard mount). This will now be reused here showing the versatility and continuing usefulness of the GearTrac system.



Mount Body
Once the hull attachment has been established, the mount body can be designed. As with my outboard mount design, I again went with square aluminum tubing. Structurally, square tubing is hard to beat, it’s incredibly strong when used correctly. On my original mount, I used very thick-walled aluminum. This was massive overkill, expensive, and difficult to source. This time around I decided to use 16 gauge 1” square 6063-T5 aluminum alloy tubing which can be readily and inexpensively sourced from many local hardware and home improvement stores. This is still strong enough to easily handle all the static and dynamic loads this specific application will ever see. When you experience it fully built, you’ll quickly see this for yourself. It’s far stronger than the plastic hull itself. The mount simply consists of three sections of 1” aluminum square tubing attached by screws to the GearTrac. The Torqeedo A-Series mount attaches to this tubing to complete the assembly. The design was specifically engineered to be as simple as possible to replicate and construct, and very lightweight, using as few materials and components as necessary. Also included is an optional top tray to hold any of the existing Torqeedo Ultralight batteries. While the tray adds to the strength of the mount, it is not required and can be left out.

Photo Gallery
The following photos display the A-Series mount interface from various angles.

















A-Series Mount Interface Bill Of Materials (BOM)
If you wish to replicate this mount interface, you’ll require the following materials. Many can be sourced locally at hardware or home improvement stores (links provided). Others can be ordered online (links provided). All should be readily available and relatively inexpensive. Do not make substitutions for the screw sizes, otherwise critical fitment issues may occur. Be sure to use stainless steel fasteners that are suitable for marine usage. Note: Total actual required quantity for each component is shown, links may contain multiple components packs. Links are suggested readily available sources only, you can procure equivalent parts wherever convenient. BOMs for optional features are included elsewhere in this document.

- 2 YakAttack GearTrac GT90
- 2 YakAttack GT90 12 Inch Backing Plate
- 6 YakAttack TN-1420-6 1/4-20 Track Nut, 6 Pack
- 1 16 gauge 1-inch x 8-foot square aluminum 6063-T5 alloy tubing
- 6 5/16-18 x 1¾ inch Allen-Drive Cap Stainless Steel Screw
- 4 5/16 x 1½ inch Stainless Steel Standard Fender Washer
- 8 5/16 inch Stainless Steel Standard Flat Washer
- 6 5/16 inch Standard Stainless Steel Split Lock Washer
- 6 5/16-18 Stainless Steel Hex Nut
- 3 ¼-20 x 1½ inch Stainless Steel Socket Head Allen-Drive Cap Screw - 2-Pack
- 6 ¼ inch Stainless Steel Standard Split Lock Washer - 12 Pack
- 6 ¼ x 1 inch Stainless Steel Fender Washer - 6 Pack
- 6 1” Plastic End Cap - 2 Pack
- 1 Blue Loctite 242

Build and Assembly Instructions
To replicate this mount, please follow the following instructions carefully. Read and understand the instructions in full before starting. These instructions are for the easiest, if not the most efficient possible method. No special tools are required other than a power drill, and some basic tools. A drill press is preferred to ensure precise and square alignments, but a power drill can be used with some care. No special skills are needed other than basic DIY skills, but precise work is required for satisfactory results and to ensure safe and effective construction.

The photos show the 1103 AC motor. If you are installing the 403 A or 403 AC, or other such motor, the installation should be very similar, but you may need to make some minor adjustments. The photos also show installation on a 2015 Hobie Tandem Island. If you are installing this mount on another kayak, make any changes necessary and carefully assess for cross-compatibility.

1). Install the two YakAttack GearTracs to the boat hull using the GearTrac and the FullBack components. Follow the instructions provided by YakAttack. Note the proper positioning in the photo below for the TI, slightly aft of the pole holders. Keep them as far forward as possible because you’ll need approximately 7” of clearance from the fore end of the GearTrac to the aft to fit the mount interface assembly later, and there’s no room to spare. This is critical. The underneath of the hull is the limiting factor to positioning them more forward, but use all the space available. Ensure that both the port and starboard GearTracs are equidistant fore and aft.

If you’re installing the GearTracs on the AI or other kayak, carefully position them similar to the TI if possible. You'll need approximately 7” of clearance in the aft of the boat to fit the finished mount interface assembly. The assembly must not interfere with any critical component of the boat. Always check for proper positioning both outside and inside of the hull before you drill any holes. Be sure to seal all holes with a marine-grade sealant.



2). Cut the 8-foot section of 1-inch square aluminum tubing into three equal 32” sections. These will be cut to their final size later which is 26” nominally. Note: The extra length of each section acts as a buffer in case you need to correct a cut. Cutting aluminum is easy. If you don’t have a metal cutting power saw, simply use a hacksaw. Ensure your cuts are reasonably square. After cutting, grind or file off any burrs and sharp edges remaining.

3). Only two of the existing four Torqeedo A-Series bracket mounting holes can be used due to the positioning required for this application. Four more holes need to be drilled in the A-Series mounting bracket. When working on the bracket in the following steps, remove the black plastic motor mounting pivot assembly, for now, to get it out of your way.



4). Drill four new 5/16” holes in the exact positions as shown below. Please measure very carefully and ensure that your measurements are correct before you begin drilling.

Note the vertical alignment in the diagram shown below. The four new holes are spaced 3” on-center to the left and right of the existing center holes.

Horizontally, the new holes must be in line with the four existing holes, use a square to mark the alignment. This will be easier for you than supplying measurements because the bracket corners are filleted which makes precise offset measuring difficult and imprecise.

The lower holes are spaced exactly the same as the upper ones, simply duplicate the measurements. They must align both horizontally and vertically as shown below.

Use a center punch to ensure your drill starts properly. Unless you have annular cutters, please drill the holes in several steps to ensure precise and well-cut holes. Start off with smaller diameter drills and carefully work up to 5/16” in 3-4 steps. The first cut is the most critical, so be very accurate for the best results. You can use a properly sized step drill, but only after you first drill a pilot hole with a conventional drill bit. If you don’t have a drill press, please use care to ensure that your holes are square to the surface of the mounting plate. Good precision here will help later on in the build, however, if your holes end up being slightly off, it’s ok to enlarge them a little. A new Torqeedo bracket is expensive, so use care to do this correctly the first time.

1103 AC A-Series Bracket Hole Diagram:


5). Lay out the three square tubes and A-Series mount bracket on a flat surface (not on the boat yet). The bracket sits on top of the square tubes. Line up the ends of the square tubes with the outer port end of the A-Series mount (see photos below). Keep in mind that the motor will be mounted on the port (left) side. Center the square tubes with each of the three sets of holes in the bracket, the existing set in the center and the two new sets you drilled in step 4. Please keep the square tubes equidistant to each other and square on both ends. End to end they should measure 7” with the middle bar exactly in the center. Take your time and lay it out accurately. Now carefully mark the six mounting hole positions of the A-Series mount onto the three square tubes. Use a center punch to carefully mark the center of each.

Note: The battery tray shown in the center of the assembly in the photos below is optional and not required. Ignore it for now. Instructions for the optional tray are included below if you wish to include it.

Assembly Layout (side view):


Assembly Layout (top view):


6). Drill a 5/16” hole for all six locations, two per tube. Again, drill in steps to ensure accurate and clean holes. If you’re not using a drill press, please use care to ensure your holes are drilled as square as possible through the tubing. This is vital. Care and precision will greatly help your holes to line up properly. If you’re off a little, it’s ok to enlarge the holes a bit if necessary.

7). Realign each tube under the A-Series bracket. Place a 5/16-18 x 1¾” Allen-Drive Cap Stainless Steel Screw and a 5/16 x 1½” Stainless Steel Fender Washer on the top of the middle and aft holes. Use a 5/16” Stainless Steel Standard Flat Washer on the fore holes as shown above. These washers help distribute the load on the aluminum A-Series bracket for greater strength. You may need to grind or file the aft fender washers a bit to get them to fit.

8). On the bottom of each screw, first install a 5/16” Stainless Steel Standard Flat Washer and then a 5/16” Standard Stainless Steel Split Lock Washer followed by a 5/16”-18 Stainless Steel Hex Nut. I also recommend the use of Blue Loctite 242 during the final assembly (which will not occur until the very end of the build).

9). Ensure the square tubing is equidistant and square on both ends and then tighten all the nuts. Do not use Loctite yet, this assembly will need to be taken apart before the final build.

10). Place the assembly onto the YakAttack GearTrac previously mounted on the boat and position it carefully. It is essential that it does not prevent the rear hatch in the TI from opening, so place it as far forward as the GearTrac allows on both the starboard and port sides. If you had properly installed both GearTracs to be in the exact same hull location, this will also ensure that the mount is reasonably square to the hull. Test slide a YakAttack Track Nut into place in each front location to ensure there is enough room for each nut to fully engage in the track. If you are installing this mount on any other kayak, ensure that it does not obstruct anything critical when in the position you want.

Fore/Aft Alignment of the Assembly on the GearTracs:


11). Now, further align the assembly so the A-Series bracket and motor’s vertical shaft will be fairly close to the hull but never touching it, as shown below. This position is not highly critical, just ensure the bracket and the motor shaft never contact the hull with the motor in any position. You want the motor as close to the hull as practical to lessen any induced steering torque, but a couple of inches won’t matter much.

I positioned mine approximately 3.75” from the outermost part of the hull to the center of the vertical motor shaft. This is the minimum allowable measurement before the bracket will contact the hull. If you would like this approximate same motor position for your TI application, then the port end of the A-Series bracket should be approximately 7” from the port side of the GearTrac where the square tubing contacts it aftmost (see photo). This is approximate only, but again, the exact position is not critical. Just ensure neither the A-Series bracket nor the motor shaft can never contact the hull and you should be fine.

Port/Starboard Alignment of the Assembly on the GearTracs:


Port/Starboard Alignment of the Assembly on the GearTracs:


12). Once the mount assembly is carefully and properly aligned, place a heavy flat object on all three lengths of the square tubing and/or clamp them to hold them in place. After this is done, check again to ensure that the rear hatch opens without obstruction and that the assembly is exactly where you want it fore and aft and port and starboard. Make any final fine alignments now. Take your time and get it right.

13). Mark the position of each of the three lengths of square tubing as "Fore", "Middle", and "Aft", and note the port and starboard sides as well as the top and bottom. The tubing must be reassembled later in these exact positions and each will have different hole locations.

14). Now, carefully mark exactly where each length of square tubing aligns on each Gear Trac. This is critical for the final alignment. Mark both sides so that you can restore these exact locations during the final assembly.

Location Marking:


15). Now mark the trim locations of the starboard ends of the square tubing. Ensure again that the tubing is in the exact location you want and is equidistant and square. Set a square across all three lengths of the tubing and mark the line where you want it to be cut. This line is not critical, you can leave the tubing as long or as short as you want. The ones shown here are 26”.

Starboard Side End Trimming:


16). Ensuring again that the mount is in the exact location required, very carefully and accurately mark the location of all six positions where the square tubing aligns with the YakAttack GearTracs’ center channel. Do this for both sides of the square tubing at all six locations. Take your time and do this very precisely or else you may have alignment problems afterward. This procedure is what aligns the holes to be drilled in the square tubing to the GearTrac and there is little room for error.

GearTrac Location Marking:


17). Now remove and disassemble the entire assembly to allow the square tubing to be easily marked, drilled, and trimmed.

18). On the bottom of each square tubing, carefully draw a line connecting the marks on each side of the square tubing at both ends. The YakAttack GearTracs are mounted at an angle on the hull, so the lines will also be at an angle to the tubing. Now, carefully mark the exact center of these marks in both directions on the tubing and center punch it. These six hole locations will be the mounting points that align to the YakAttack GearTracs, so be precise.

19). Carefully drill a ¼” hole in the square tubing at each of the six locations you marked. Drill in several steps to ensure a precise and clean hole. If you are not using a drill press, please ensure that your holes are as square to the tubing as possible. This is vital. Again, precision here will assure a good fit. If you experience any alignment issues, it’s ok to enlarge the holes a bit.

20). Trim all three sections of the square tubing to the trim line you made above. If you do not have a powered metal saw, simply use a hacksaw. Ensure your cuts are square. After cutting, file off any burrs and sharp edges remaining.

21). If you want better aesthetics, you can burnish the aluminum tubes at this point. For a decent brushed finish, use very fine grit sandpaper and a random orbital sander. You can also powder coat, paint, or clearcoat the aluminum if you know the proper procedures. This is for looks only, the bare aluminum will hold up to the elements well enough for many years.

22). Remove any metal filings from inside the square tubing and place a 1” Plastic End Cap on each end of the tubing. Use a rubber hammer to force them into place.

23). Slide all six YakAttack 1/4-20 Track Nuts into the GearTrac into their approximate positions as indicated by the marks in each location.

24). Now set each of the three individual, unassembled pieces of square tubing onto its proper location on the GearTracs. Ensure the pieces are aligned exactly as you marked them fore to aft, port to starboard, and top to bottom. This is critical for proper alignment and each piece is different, even top to bottom. If you don’t position them properly, they will not realign.

25). Using a ¼-20 x 1½” Stainless Steel Socket Head Allen-Drive Cap Screw, a ¼” Stainless Steel Standard Split Lock Washer, and a ¼ x 1” Stainless Steel Fender Washer, properly align the aft tube’s starboard side to the Track Nut in the GearTrac and carefully insert the screw ensuring that it is not cross-threaded (it should screw in easily) and fully engaged in the Track Nut. The use of Blue Loctite is recommended. Do not tighten at this point to allow for proper alignment. You may notice that the GearTrac is at a slight angle on the boat. This is unavoidable because the hull where the GearTrac attaches is at the same angle. This will cause a slight bit of difficulty when inserting the screws on each side but it can be overcome with some manipulation. Align the tubing now to the mark in the GearTrac location you made earlier.

26). Now, place the aft tube into place on the port side and properly align it with the GearTrac location you marked earlier. Again, the GearTrac will be at a slight angle, but you can press it into position. Using the same hardware as above, carefully align the screw with the Track Nut in the GearTrac. If you have any difficulties doing this due to the angle of the GearTracs, you may enlarge the hole(s) in the square tubing until you get a working alignment. Due to the offset angle of the GearTracs on each side, this can be a bit tricky, but it is doable with some manipulation. Always ensure that you do not cross thread the threads and that the screw fully engages the Track Nut.

27). Once the screws in both the port and starboard are in place, hand screw them down but do not tighten them at this point.

28). Repeat this procedure for the middle and fore square tubes. Ensure the proper alignment of each bar to the marks you made earlier on the Gear Trac. Again, do not tighten any of the screws.

29). Once all three square tubes are in position, reassemble the A-Series mount to the bars as described in steps 7 and 8 above. The use of Blue Loctite is recommended. With all the tube screws loose, you should have enough play to fit all six 5/16” screws into position. This is where your hole alignment precision helps. If you can’t fit the screws, you may enlarge the holes in the A-Series mount and/or the tubes a bit as necessary. You should not need to enlarge them much. Never enlarge them to the point where they can significantly reduce the strength of the assembly.

30). Once the square tubes are attached to the GearTracs and the A-Series mount is attached to the square tubes, check the final alignment. The tubes should be square and equidistant. Make any final adjustments and then tighten all 12 screws. Ensure all nuts are properly tightened thoroughly but do not overtighten any enough to distort the square tubes. If any of the tubing screws do not fully engage with the Track Nuts, you may need to use a longer screw. If the screw bottoms out on the GearTrac and cannot be properly tightened, simply add another flat washer. I did not have to do any of this, but each assembly may vary due to material tolerances. Do a final check to ensure the rear hatch door is not obstructed.

31). This completes the mount assembly. You should notice at this point that the entire assembly is very strong and highly rigid. If not, check each screw for proper tightness and engagement.

32). Using the instructions supplied by Torqeedo, mount the motor to the A-Series mount. Recheck everything for proper fitment and ensure all connections are tight and secure. Always recheck the security of the mount assembly and motor before trailering and/or using the boat.

Final Assembly:


Motor Height
The Torqeedo motor clamps allow for easy adjustment of the motor height. The motor height should be adjusted until the prop is well below the water surface and does not cavitate in operation. You can make fine adjustments at any time to get the height you desire. I had no issues obtaining an excellent motor height with this mounting setup with plenty of adjustment remaining in both directions. If you wish, you can start with an approximate motor height as shown in the photos above, then make any final adjustment based on your specific application.

Tiller
The A-Series motors can be rigged to steer a kayak. This can be done with this mount, but because the motor is forward of the TI’s rudder control triangle, direct rigging would impede raising the motor. It can be done with indirect reverse rigging, but that would be rather complex and difficult. It’s really not necessary because the TI’s rudder is more than capable of steering the boat all on its own. So currently, I simply have the motor locked into the straight back position with the provided locking mechanism. I did make one small modification. Torqeedo only provides a rudimentary cotter pin for locking the motor. A properly fitted solid pin would be better. I didn't feel the cotter pin was adequate because it could possibly work its way out in rough conditions and there is still some slight movement in the mechanism when locked because the cotter pin is not secure enough. This constant dynamic back and forth movement might be hard on the plastic steering mount and it may eventually cause it to fail, although that’s just speculation. To mitigate that, I simply tapped the existing hole and inserted a stainless steel screw rather than using the cotter pin. It seems to work well. I just used a tap that was slightly larger than the existing hole so I didn’t even have to drill it. The screw locks the tiller solidly with no extraneous movement and it will never fall out as a loosely fitted cotter pin might.

Locking Pin Modification:


When I first informed Torqeedo about testing an 1103 AC motor on a ruddered kayak with the motor tiller locked, they were quite concerned that the high power of the 3HP motor would overwhelm a kayak’s rudder. They even mention this in their FAQ documentation. This may be true for some kayaks with very small rudders, but the TI/AI rudder is quite substantial. Since I once used a 3.5 HP gasoline motor on the TI, this wasn’t a concern for me. I can inform you now that this has proved not to be an issue whatsoever because the TI turns superbly with its own rudder and a locked-back 1103 AC. I was quite happy with the helm response in both directions at working speeds from 2-7 mph.

There is one interesting inadvertent benefit of the side mount. If the TI rudder should ever become inoperative for any reason, you could probably steer the boat back to shore with the 1103 AC’s tiller. You would simply remove the locking pin and steer it by hand. The steering triangle is close enough to reach. I haven't actually tried this yet but I will. You could also probably rig a steering handle or lines to it. It’s always great to have a failsafe backup to the rudder because a broken rudder can leave you stranded and drifting.

Update: I have since tested steering the TI using only the 1103 AC’s tiller. For this test, I removed the locking pin and raised the TI's rudder out of the water. I then attempted to steer the boat by manually moving the 1103 AC’s tiller by hand while the motor was in operation. I could easily reach it from the seated position. The results were better than I expected. I was able to maneuver the boat in any direction I wished almost as well as using the TI's rudder. This will provide an excellent backup if the TI's rudder were to become completely disabled. You will have no problem getting safely back to shore.

Another great feature of the side mount is that you can reach the motor’s prop from the back seat when it’s raised. This allows you to easily clear any weeds or other debris. You couldn’t do that with the rear-mounted 403 as the prop was way too far back. I used to have to bring the boat to shore to clear the 403’s prop.

Optional Features

Safety Tether
Like @CaptnChaos, I strongly recommend attaching a motor tether. This is always a good idea and I always attach one when I mount any outboard on any boat. If the motor should somehow come loose, the tether will prevent you from losing it. This is especially important with the Torqeedo A-Series mount because the motor is held in place only with the top clamp. If it ever fails, the motor could be lost or the motor cable might be damaged. The safety tether should prevent both.

Motor Safety Tether:


Battery Tray
If you wish to build the optional battery tray shown in the photos, follow the instructions below.

1). Cut a 45-degree angle on one end of a piece of ½ inch W x ½ inch Aluminum Solid Angle Bracket. Then cut the other end at a 90-degree angle to fit the length of the fore to aft square tubing of the mount assembly (see photo below). This should be 7”, but be sure to measure.

2). Repeat this cut for the other side.

3). Cut a length of the bracket at 45-degree angles to match the width of your battery (see photo below). For the Torqeedo 915 Wh battery, this would be 8”, but be sure to measure your battery before making this cut.

4). Attach the bracket onto the mount assembly using nine #8-32 x ½ inch Stainless Steel Phillips-Drive Machine Screws with a countersunk head, three per bracket. Align the holes to match each square tubing. Countersink each hole in the bracket.

5). Before drilling, lay out the parts and fit the battery. Ensure that the battery fits securely and that it does not obstruct the rear hatch or any other critical boat component. If it does, reposition either the tray location or battery within the tray. I used a simple rubber spacer on the back of my battery to move it forward just enough to clear the rear hatch. Getting everything to fit in the relatively small space in back of a TI takes planning, but it all worked out. A lot of people mount their Torqeedo batteries vertically. I didn’t want to do that because the GPS antenna is on the top of the battery.

6). To secure the brackets, you may either tap the holes or use through screws with nuts, depending on your skill level. If you use through-screws, use #8-32 x 1½ inch Stainless Steel Phillips-Drive Machine Screws. Use Blue Loctite on either.

Battery Tray Assembly:


7). Secure the battery to the tray any way you wish. I used 2 1” Lashing straps. Whatever method you use, ensure the battery is tight and secure and use a fail-safe if one should fail. Always recheck the security of the battery before trailering and/or using the boat.

Battery Secured in the Battery Tray:



Motor Lift and Reverse Lock Options
Torqeedo supplies rudimentary universal hardware for lifting the motor and engaging the reverse lock mechanism. These work well enough, however, the 1103 AC is considerably heavier than the 403 and may be difficult to lift for many. This option allows you to lift the motor by pulling forward with your body weight rather than backward with just your arm. This allows both the 403 and the 1103 to be lifted with ease.

If you would like to improve the motor lift operation, follow the instructions below for the optional method. Note: Installing these components requires precision hole location and tapping. If you have these DIY skills, then proceed. If not, have someone with the right skills perform these operations or use the original hardware that Torqeedo supplies.

You can use the same excellent hardware that Hobie uses for the mainsheet to raise the motor and lock it into reverse. This provides a very smooth and easy lift operation and an excellent lock.

Improved Motor Lift and Reverse Lock Controls:


If you wish to proceed, you’ll first need to purchase the following parts which are available at Hobie dealers, local marine stores, and/or online.

BOM - Improved Motor Lift and Reverse Lock Controls

- 2 Harken H233 Cheek Blocks
- 2 Hobie 79531111 Main Cleat Wedges
- 2 Harken H471 Micro Cam Cleats
- 2 Harken H424B Micro Fairleads
- 4 Hobie 8031481 Screws
- 2 Hobie 81408101 Handles
- 1 Hobie 81408101 “UP” Handle Cap

Hobie and Harken Parts Required:


Instructions:
The instructions show the mechanisms being installed for control from the Hobie Tandem Island’s rear seat. This can alternatively be done for control from the front seat as per your preference. For kayaks other than the Hobie Tandem Island, you can adapt this method for your specific usage.

1). Install the 2 Harken Cheek Blocks to the hull as shown. The 2 lines (supplied by Torqeedo) will go back along the hull to the A-Series mount. You can then use the hardware included with the motor to secure the lines to the hull and attach it to the motor as instructed by the Torqeedo owner’s manual.

2). Remove the aka bar as per the Hobie TI/AI owner’s manual. You do not want to inadvertently drill into it.

3). Install the 2 Hobie Main Cleat Wedges, the 2 Harken Micro Cam Cleats, and the 2 Harken Micro Fairleads to the Aka bar as shown below using 4 Hobie 8031481 screws. If you can’t find these screws, substitute 8-32 X 1-¼” Phillips-Drive Stainless Steel Machine Screws (do not use any other size screw for this purpose or else it may interfere with the aka bar operation). You will need to precisely drill and tap holes for this. Use precise locations and drilling with an 8-32 NC tap and #29 drill bit. This is not that difficult but do not attempt it if you lack the necessary tools and skills. Again, be sure to remove the aka bar before drilling, or else you may damage it.

Motor Lift and Reverse Lock Control Component Locations:




4). Install the Hobie 81408101 Handles on the ends of the lines. Differentiate the motor raising line from the motor reverse lock line with the Hobie 81408101 “UP” Handle Cap.

5). Replace the aka bar as per the Hobie owner’s manual. Ensure that the installation does not interfere in any way with its normal operation. Ensure the aka bar still securely locks into place as before without any interference. This is very important. The aka bar must never come loose during boat operations.

6). Check for proper operation of both lines and adjust as necessary.


Throttle Mount
Mounting the Torqeedo remote throttle is easy and there are several options including mounts from RAM Mounts and YakAttack. The RAM Mount RAM-B-138U shown below attaches perfectly to the TI’s hull, but it comes with a second round mount on the other end that you can’t effectively use. So, you need to buy another diamond-shaped ball mount, the RAM-B-238U which attaches perfectly to the Torqeedo throttle’s mounting plate. The RAP-S-KNOB3-G security knob shown is expensive and is easily defeated so I don’t necessarily recommend it, but it does supply some minor security to the mount over the knob that comes with it. The mount is strong, secure, and highly adjustable. I don’t have any experience with the YakAttack TQM-1001 mount but it also looks capable. Choose whichever you like best. You can mount the throttle for the front or rear seat. If you chose the front seat you’ll probably need the Torqeedo Throttle Extension Cable.

BOM - RAM Option

- 1 RAM Mount RAM-B-138U
- 1 RAM Mount RAM-B-238U
- 1 RAM Mount RAP-S-KNOB3-G (Optional)
- Assorted Stainless Steel Mounting Screws

BOM - YakAttack Option

- 1 YakAttack TQM-1001
- Assorted Stainless Steel Mounting Screws

Ram Mount Option:


YakAttack Option:


Innovative Sportsman Utility Rock Guard
One final option Torqeedo 1103 AC owners should seriously consider is the Innovative Sportsman 1103 Utility Rock Guard. When you own a very expensive motor, you should do what you can to protect it. The Rock Guard provides considerable extra protection to the motor and prop. This is a great product idea and is even endorsed by Torqeedo.




Mount Performance
To date, I’ve thoroughly tested this mount with the 1103 AC on my TI for over 43 hours and around 172 miles.

I can tell you this so far, everything has exceeded my expectations. This setup is without question the best motor I’ve ever used on the TI and I’ve tried many, both gas and electric.

Look below in this thread for a complete critical review of the 1103 AC motor for the Hobie Tandem Island.

Thank you so much for all the effort you put into this design, build, and especially the excellent write-up It will be a fantastic reference for forum users for many years to come. It is unlikely Hobie will satisfy my most desired TI change (below) before I buy one so this just might be my starting point and I am grateful to have this reference.



Or I might just go with a simpler basic outboard motor mount (like you had previously and many others have) so I can easily move the motor between various craft or swap different outboards. Undecided.

Peter

_________________
2016 Hobie Oasis with Evolve v2 rudder mount, Sidekick ama kit, Mirage sail kit, Garmin echoMAP CHIRP 42dv, bilge pump
2007 Hobie Outfitter x 2 with Mirage sail kits, large rudder blades

Thanks for taking the time to produce this excellent write up. The detail you go through to document how you fabricated the motor attachment is amazing so hopefully others will take the plunge and add an 1103AC to their TI's. It may look difficult to install, but if you're handy it's really not too bad fabricating the pieces and modifying the existing bracket that comes with the 1103AC. Especially with your specific instructions. The only real modification to a TI is adding the Gear Track rails.

I feel this motor is the best upgrade you can do for your TI. There's peace of mind when you're up against strong current and wind trying to get home. Or when wind completely dies, which over the last 15 years of owning Hobie Islands is something I've often experienced. If you're a front seat sailor like myself, it's the perfect motor. My wife in the back seat appreciates how quiet it is when running the motor. And unlike the 403, you now have the ability to completely remove the motor from the TI in under a minute. Super easy.

The only real difference in our designs is my battery is mounted on a slight angle up against the starboard gear track bolts. This is so I can eventually squeeze in a second battery back there for longer trips. With them side by side it would be easy to switch batteries when one runs down. Your battery tray centered looks nicer for sure.

Jim

Please see the second section of this Review in this thread below:
Torqeedo 1103 AC Comprehensive Review and Comparison

Take your time deciding, don't be like me and go through four motors before you find the one you want . If you don't mind the extra cost, the 1103 AC is by far the best motor for the TI right now. It combines all the advantages of an electric with the power of a gas outboard. It costs more but it was so worth it. I'll cover all of this in my review.

I wanted to make this design as simple as possible with as few parts as possible to make it as easy and inexpensive as possible to replicate. You're right, it may look a bit difficult to build and install from the instructions, but it's really quite easy. I had to go into a lot of detail with the instructions to be certain that almost anyone could replicate it which may make it seem more complicated, but it's actually easy to build, and with a little care drilling the holes, it's almost failproof. Some people can replicate something just by looking at a few photos whereas others prefer detailed step-by-step instructions. This covers both. I wanted to be sure that anyone who wanted to install the 1103 AC on their TI had the opportunity.

I have two batteries. I tried fitting them side by side on top of the mount but they wouldn't fit because one of the batteries was actually meant for a Torqeedo Travel outboard (all I could get at the time) and it's too large, so I put one on top and the other in front right below it.



I don't use that area for anything else and this is where I put my batteries for many years without any issues. The TI's rear storage area has two large drains in it and never accumulates water so it really is a good place for a battery. Anyone can modify the battery tray to suit their own requirements.

Hopefully, people will take both your and my designs and then add further features, refinements, and improvements that we all can benefit from. That's why this forum is so useful and valuable. I learn a lot from ideas, techniques, and discussions here which is the primary reason I took the time to document this mount. I wanted to pay it forward.

The motor and two batteries adds a lot of weight way aft. Do you notice any impact from this in how low the back sits and how the TI handles swells and seas? Especially if solo and not using the motor (raised)?

On my Oasis I have an Evolve on the rudder and located the battery (larger 915wh) in the front hatch with the power and controller lines run internally. I gave up some front hatch storage in an attempt to better distribute and balance weight load. Perhaps this is not really necessary on the TI?

Peter

_________________
2016 Hobie Oasis with Evolve v2 rudder mount, Sidekick ama kit, Mirage sail kit, Garmin echoMAP CHIRP 42dv, bilge pump
2007 Hobie Outfitter x 2 with Mirage sail kits, large rudder blades

The TI handles rear weight quite well. I weigh 175 lbs and always sit in the rear seat, usually solo. At one point I had a 47 lb 3.5HP gas outboard motor along with the original far rear-mounted Torqeedo 403 and two batteries all in the back. I also store an anchor in the rear hatch. All of this caused no issues.

With me, the 1103 AC, two batteries, an anchor, and some gear in the back, I have no problems whatsoever. I don't have much weight in the front, only a couple of dry bags with some clothes and gear, some basic tools, and a small, very lightweight lithium battery. Often, I don't even have the sail mounted. Still no issues. The TI is designed very well. The weight of the hull is properly distributed to offset someone relatively heavy riding solo in the back with additional weight of gear, an anchor, etc. If someone weighed well over 200 lbs, it might be an issue, but you could then possibly put some ballast in the front to counterbalance. You have 600 lbs of weight capacity to work with on the TI.

Torqeedo 1103 AC Comprehensive Review and Comparison
Updated Version 2023/03/11

As promised, I am providing a comprehensive review of the Torqeedo 1103 AC Ultralight motor based on its use with a Hobie Tandem Island along with a comparison of the 1103 AC to other comparable motors. This is the second section of this Torqeedo 403A, 403AC, 1103AC Review, Usage, & Mounting Guide thread. For a detailed description of how to create and install a 403, 403 AC, and 1103 AC mount for the Hobie Tandem Island, please read the first section here.

This is a long review, you won’t likely find this much information about the 1103 AC in a single source anywhere else. I’ve tried to cover everything I feel you might be interested in. Due to its length, I’ve titled each section if you wish to read only the sections that interest you. If you’re thinking of purchasing the 1103 AC or a comparable motor, you should probably read the entire review.

TI Motor Testing Background
I purchased a Torqeedo 403 Ultralight Motor (original ball-mount design) in 2016 and mounted it to my 2015 Hobie Tandem Island. I extensively tested both the motor and the TI installation in actual use for hundreds of hours since that time. I used it for six years and it performed superbly. For a comprehensive review and installation guide for this motor, please read my Torqeedo 403 Ultralight Motor / Hobie TI Application Guide. I’m now expanding on that guide by including the latest Torqeedo Ultralight motor here.

In 2017-2018, I also purchased and tested two gasoline outboard motors and compared them with the Torqeedo 403. For this review, as well as a detailed guide for mounting gasoline outboards to the Hobie TI, please see my Outboard Motor / Hobie TI Application Guide & 403 Comparison.

In 2022, I purchased a Torqeedo 1103 AC. As of the date of this review, I’ve tested it on my 2015 Hobie TI for a total of 47 hours in all kinds of conditions varying from calm waters to rough seas of around 17 knots and 4-5 foot waves. I will continue to test this motor and mount but I feel I now have enough data to offer a comprehensive review. If anything new should occur, I will update this document. Please note the dated version number listed above for the latest updates. Also, please see my qualifications posted in the first post of this thread if you are wondering if I’m qualified to write an expert review.

Why Motorize a Kayak?:
After sailing my TI for an entire season back in 2015 when I first purchased it, I decided that its usefulness might be significantly enhanced with the addition of a motor and that the cost would be justified. Actually, I considerably underestimated the motor’s usefulness, and in retrospect, I don’t know how I managed without one. A motorized TI offers many advantages including:

-- Greatly Enhanced Range
Without the motor, a typical day’s sail for me would cover no more than 10 miles. What limited this range was being conservative on how far I could sail out and still get back before dark. The TI is a lot of fun, but it’s not an ideal sailboat. With only a mainsail, and a relatively small one at that, it requires more favorable wind conditions than most sailboats. If I sailed downwind, I needed to account for the greater time it would take to return sailing upwind. If I sailed out far and then the winds died down, which was often the case, I need to account for the extra time and energy it would take to pedal back. If there were no decent winds at all, I would only pedal out as far as I felt I had enough time and energy left to pedal back. With a motor, however, I can easily cover 20 miles or more and still reliably be back well before dark, effectively doubling my range. If I sail downwind, I can use the motor to sail or cruise back upwind much faster. If the winds die down I can use the motor to get back easily and quickly from almost any distance. There are many reasons why most modern sailboats have a motor, and the TI benefits equally as well.

-- Better Maneuverability
Maneuvering a rather awkward 18.5’ sailboat/kayak was always a challenge. However, with the motor along with the existing rudder, I can now maneuver the TI much easier in and around boat launches, docks, hazards, etc. than I could with only the sail or MirageDrive. This comes in very handy especially when quick maneuverability is essential such as in bad weather conditions and in close proximity and tight quarters with other vessels, docks, and hazards. The motor also generates far more thrust and speed than pedaling alone so you have much better rudder control in conditions that would normally slow the boat such as running against winds, tides, and currents. As all TI owners know, once you drop under 1.5 knots or so, rudder control suffers and you can lose control of the boat quickly in adverse conditions. The motor ensures a steady speed and excellent maneuverability at all times, especially when you need it most.

-- Increased Versatility
Adding a motor gives you a whole new option to power the TI. You can use it alone or in conjunction with the sail and/or pedals. As you’ve probably experienced, adding even a slight amount of thrust can make sailing in marginal conditions much better. With just a slight boost from the motor, I can now sail in winds that were too weak to effectively move the boat on wind power alone. If you’re using the TI by yourself, using the motor while pedaling is like having an Olympic athlete pedaling with you in the other seat. If there are two of you pedaling and you add the motor, you can really move. If you’re too hot or tired to pedal and there’s no wind, or you want to go in a direction the wind won’t take you, then you can use the motor alone. You get the idea. More versatility is always great. You can make your TI a tri-powered boat. As the years progressed, I now sometimes use my TI only with the motor and completely without the sail, especially on days where the winds are too light, which where I live, is all too often. Having this option has doubled the use and enjoyment of my TI. If using the motor alone, the TI can be launched and retrieved considerably faster without needing to rig/remove the sail at the boat ramp. If the ramp is busy, I really appreciate that.

-- Increased Safety, Confidence, and Enjoyment
I can now do things I would never do before such as sail confidently downwind without worrying about getting back to the boat ramp upwind. It used to take many hours to sail back upwind and sometimes I would underestimate the time and get back really late, sometimes after dark. Many times the winds would change direction or intensity and I had to really struggle to sail and/or pedal back. With a motor, all of that has changed and I can now sail out with much more confidence knowing I have a motor to help me get back if necessary. Then there are times when an unexpected change of weather can create dangerous winds, waves, and/or currents. The motor provides a significant extra margin of safety in those critical conditions and ensures a safe return to port. I’ve experienced several instances where dangerous weather came up unexpectedly and made it hazardous or impossible to safely sail or even pedal. A motor can really help in such dire circumstances.

The end result is greater confidence, safety, and enjoyment of the boat. After many years of using a motor, I would never be without one again.

Torqeedo Ultralight Specifications:
Below is a collected comprehensive summary of as many of the Torqeedo Ultralight specifications from as many reliable sources as I could find, primarily the Torqeedo website, Torqeedo brochures, and Torqeedo owner manuals. Here, you can compare the 1103 AC to the 403 series. You can also use this data to compare the Ultralight to other electric marine motors you may be considering.

-- Marine Motor HP Ratings
However, before you look at the specs, it’s important to first discuss the elephant in the room about marine electric motor horsepower ratings. Electric motors in this size range are typically given convenient 1, 2, and 3 HP ratings. If you look at the Torqeedo and the ePropulsion 3HP rated motors, for instance, while they’re both rated at “3 HP”, their actual maximum power rating is only around 1000 watts. Mathematically, it takes around 2237 watts of power to equal 3 HP using conventional scientific measurements. So, what’s up with a 1000 Watt motor being rated at 3 HP? Are we being conned? Let’s find out.

In the International System of Units, a “watt” is a scientific, mathematically derived unit of power in a system. This is a reliable, definable, measurable, and comparable universal definition of power, a single unit being equal to 1 joule per second; the power dissipated by a current of 1 ampere flowing across a resistance of 1 ohm. If a device has a specific watt rating, it can be scientifically proven.

By contrast, “Horsepower” is a non-metric unit of power with various definitions, for different applications. The most common of them is probably the mechanical horsepower, approximately equivalent to 735.5 to 745.7 watts depending on various definitions globally. So, the use of HP as a rating is already not a universally well-defined, easily proven unit of rated power.

Still, by any measure, 1000 watts does not equal 3 HP, it's not even close. So how can it possibly be rated as such? The answer is simple. The HP power ratings for many marine electric motors were instead derived from a propulsive power equivalent to marine combustion-powered motors. Allow me to explain.

We’ve all seen how much more and consistent torque electric motors can achieve on cars compared to gasoline motors. Some Teslas can outrun combustion-powered supercars. The same is true for marine motors. Electric marine motors can achieve the same propulsive power as marine combustion engines with significantly lower shaft power. Additionally, the torque curve of a combustion engine features a prominent peak, with maximum torque being available only over a limited engine speed range, while electric motors feature a much flatter torque curve with ample torque available at any engine speed.

So obviously, electric marine motor manufacturers did not feel it was fair to rate their motors using actual mathematically calculated HP ratings. In understandable fairness, they chose to rate them roughly equivalent to their combustion counterparts since they knew the general public is likely not aware of the technical details involved but rather has a much better understanding of what propulsive power a typical 1 to 3 HP marine combustion engine can deliver. It’s kind of like buying a LED light bulb. For example, we’re all used to what a conventional 60-watt incandescent bulb puts out for light, so an LED bulb is often rated as the equivalent of a 60-watt bulb even though it only uses around 9 watts or so. You would never buy a 9-watt light bulb for use as a 60-watt bulb if you only equated it to its incandescent counterpart’s light output.

So you can understand the dilemma of marine electric motor manufacturers. If they rated electric motors by the actual HP they produce, they would unfairly seem much less powerful than combustion motors, which simply isn’t the case. The thrust of a 3 HP rated electric motor is indeed comparable to a 3HP combustion motor even though it actually generates only around 1.34 actual HP, especially when you consider the fact that the electric motor will have a much better and flatter torque curve over all throttle positions.

Many electric marine motor manufacturers do provide static thrust ratings though, which is a bit more comparable to combustion motors. For example, the Torqeedo 1103 AC has a static thrust rating of 70 lbs whereas the Suzuki 2.5 HP motor has a Bollard pull thrust rating of 83 lbs. At first glance, it may appear that the Suzuki has the advantage. However since the 1103 AC electric motor has a much flatter torque curve, it has the advantage over the Suzuki at far more throttle positions. In fact, Torqeedo claims it would take a 4 HP combustion motor to equal the overall available thrust of the 1103 AC.

So, take the electric motor power ratings in whatever way you wish, but in general, you can expect similar power from a 3 HP rated electric marine motor as you would get from a 3 HP rated marine combustion motor. My 1103 AC does outperform my Suzuki 2.5 HP motor overall.

-- Torqeedo 1103 AC and 403 A/AC Specifications



1103 AC vs Other Choices:
When I first started boating with the TI in 2015, the choices to motorize it at that time included the original Torqeedo 403, its cousin the Hobie Evolve, other electric marine motors such as trolling motors, and small gas-powered outboards such as the venerable Suzuki 2.5HP. Since then, several more excellent motor options are now available. In 2018, Torqeedo released the 403 A-Series motors (403 A & 403 AC) which use a completely redesigned and updated mounting system called the A-Mount replacing the original ball mount. In 2019, Torqeedo introduced the 1103 AC motor that finally brought a powerful 3HP option to the Ultralight lineup. You can even use the Torqeedo Travel motors with a suitable gasoline outboard style mount. Bixby also introduced a series of kayak motors as did ePropulsion, THRUSTME, PacMotor, and Newport Vessels. There may be others out there as well, and the option to use a typical trolling motor is still viable.

So which motor to choose? For me, this wasn’t an easy question, the 1103 AC is now the fifth motor I’ve mounted to my TI. I started off with a trolling motor, I then used the original 403, then two different gasoline outboards, a 3.5 HP Tohatsu and the 2.5 HP Suzuki, and finally the 1103 AC. I think I may have set a record for the number of motors used on a TI. However, after all this folly, I now have a perspective on this subject that few others probably share.

So, here is my perspective on some of the choices available. This is just my opinion and I don't expect everyone to agree, which is fine, but as I said, I have a lot of experience with motorizing a TI. So if you’re serious about buying the best motor for your requirements, you should read on since all of this information takes a lot of time and effort to collect elsewhere. This review may seem lengthy but it will save you many hours of research on your own.

-- Trolling Motors
Trolling motors are great for what they were designed for - trolling. Most are not designed or optimized for long-term propulsion as is an electric outboard. If your primary use for the motor is trolling, then by all means get a trolling motor. However, if your primary use is continuous general propulsion, then you're probably using the product beyond its design parameters which might cause performance and reliability issues. That’s always risky and there are better choices. My attempt at using a trolling motor on the TI was so worthless that, to this day, I won’t even publish the results. Others have had more success, especially since the advent of lithium batteries which provide around twice the power over a similar-sized lead acid battery at half the weight. I don’t wish to completely discourage using a trolling motor as a potentially low-cost option to power the TI/AI, but I can’t recommend them either. Electric outboard motors were specifically designed and optimized for long-term propulsion and will usually always be better for that than most trolling motors. Conversely, if you’re a fisherman and buying a motor for your TI/AI primarily for trolling, electric outboards are not nearly as good at this as a trolling motor. Get the right motor you need based on your primary requirements.



-- Hobie Evolve
The Hobie Evolve was a first decent attempt to offer an electric power option for the Hobie MirageDrive kayaks. It’s essentially a Torqeedo 403 fitted to be compatible with the MirageDrive slot. On some hobbies, it can also be fitted to the rudder. However, it’s now dated, a bit underpowered and, in my opinion, has a severe design flaw. All boat motors should have a kick-up feature, or at least a way to quickly raise it out of harm’s way when in shallow water, otherwise you can severely damage the prop or even the motor striking rocks and other underwater hazards. The MirageDive mount has neither. The Evolve is very expensive at around $2,400. If I’m going to spend that much money on a motor, you can be sure I’d want a way to keep it out of harm’s way. Just be well-advised that while this is one of the easiest motors to install, it is not the easiest or most practical to use. You'll constantly need to deal with inserting and removing it just as you would a MirageDrive but unlike the MirageDrive there is no quick way to quickly protect it in shallow water. Because of this design flaw, I can’t recommend it. I’ve experienced many instances where unexpected shallow water could have caused expensive damage to an unprotected motor. Avoiding shallow water all the time is almost impossible, sooner or later you’re likely to find yourself unexpectedly in it.



-- Original Torqeedo 403 with the Ball Mount
I’ve used this motor with my TI for six years. You can find my detailed review of it here. It remains a viable choice if you can still find one. Except for the mount, it’s essentially the same as the Torqeedo 403 A and 403 AC. The ball mount allows for easy direct mounting to the TI and AI whereas the 403 A and 403 AC require a mounting interface as I have designed and described above in this guide. Unlike the Hobie Evolve, the ball-mounted 403 has the ability to automatically kick-up if it hits an underwater hazard. It also has provisions for the user to quickly raise and lower it as needed. This makes it a much better choice than the Evolve at less cost with the same battery.

It’s considerably less expensive than the $2,900 1103 AC but its main drawback is power. At 1HP and 33 lbs of thrust, it has enough power to adequately propel the TI except potentially in rough conditions. While it may sometimes work well enough in bad conditions, it never gave me full confidence during times when a motor is most needed for safety. It never failed me but it simply may lack enough reliable power to confidently overcome very heavy winds, currents, and/or waves. At best it can propel the TI up to 4.5 to 5 MPH, but in really bad conditions the speed was sometimes reduced to around 2 MPH which I feel is the minimum speed to maintain control of the TI. This lack of confidence led me to use a gasoline outboard in conjunction with the 403, something most people would not consider due to the cost and complexity of having two motors on a kayak. I still highly recommend the 403, but with a clear caveat that it might not provide quite enough power for the TI in the worst conditions that you may encounter. You’ll need to decide for yourself if this is critical where you sail.



-- Torqeedo 403 A and 403 AC
Again, these motors are essentially the same as the original 403, except with the much improved A-Series mount. The new side-mounted mount interface described above in this guide now gives you the option of using them with the TI, AI, or many other ruddered kayaks. As with the original 403, the new A-Series mount has the ability to automatically kick-up if it hits an underwater hazard and has provisions for the user to quickly raise and lower it as necessary. The new mount is considerably stronger and more stable than the original ball mount and allows the motor to be relatively quickly removed from the boat, which is an excellent feature when trailering or for security.

At $1,999, the 403 A comes with a 320 Wh battery whereas the $2,499 403 AC comes with the 915 Wh battery. I’ve included power and range charts in my original 403 guide as well as below to help you understand what kind of power and range you can expect with these motors and batteries. Again, I still highly recommend the 403 series, but with the caveat that it might not provide quite enough power in the worst conditions that you may encounter. If that’s a concern for you, then the extra $400 for a 3HP 1103 AC is probably well worth it.



-- Torqeedo Travel 603 and 1103 CS
In addition to the Ultralight series, Torqeedo also offers the $2,248 Travel series including the 2HP 603 with a 500 Wh battery and the $2,948 3HP 1103CS with a 915 Wh battery. The primary difference is that the Travel series uses a conventional outboard-style mount rather than the ball and A-Series Ultralight mounts. The motors and batteries are comparable as is the performance. Either Travel motor can be used with the TI using the conventional outboard-style mount interface as described in my Outboard Motor / Hobie TI Application Guide. These are both viable choices for the TI, although I feel that the A-Series mount is more suited and compact for the TI. You would also need to purchase the Torqeedo Remote Throttle at an extra $299 if you wanted to control these motors remotely rather than using the outboard-style throttle. This is especially important for those wishing to control the motor from the Hobie’s front seat. That’s an expensive disadvantage since the remote throttle is included with the Ultralights. Both motors have a kick-up and tilt-up feature although the tilt-up is only available from the rear seat, unlike the 403 and 1103 AC where you can remotely raise the motor.

I feel that the 1103 CS is the better choice between the two. For $700 more you get a more powerful motor and twice the battery power, but the 2HP 603 remains a lower cost option if cost is the primary factor, and with 2 HP and 44 lbs of static thrust, it provides more power than the 1 HP 403 Ultralight series.



-- Bixby J-2
I never owned a Bixby motor but in my opinion, they're not as competitive as the Torqeedo offerings for a TI. Some argue that they’re less expensive, but from what I see, the Bixby J-2 costs $1,200 for a 1HP, 33 lbs thrust motor and a 378 Wh battery. Add a TI mount and another battery for decent range and you're up to $1,947. The Bixby TI mount goes in the MirageDrive hole which doesn't permit kick-up or tilting, so you'd better include another prop or two (and you may even need a replacement motor if you hit something). Now you're in the price range of a Torqeedo. The Bixpy's rather strange wrist-mounted remote control is not in the same league as Torqeedo's, and the Torqeedo has kick-up/tilt-up built-in which I personally consider essential for any prop-driven motor. Trust me when I tell you this is required for most bodies of water. You should never rigidly mount a prop motor underneath any boat used for any shallow waters. The motor's life span may be very short and at $1200-$2,000, that's not something you want to replace often. If you get a Bixby, you’ll need to find a safer way to mount it. You’ll be on your own to design and build one. I strongly recommend that you do not use their MirageDrive mount unless you can afford to replace the prop and even the motor often. Such damage will not be covered by their warranty. Given all these issues, I personally would not choose this motor option for the TI, but again, this is only my opinion. Others have used it on the TI.



-- ePropulsion
The ePropulsion line looks interesting and I’d really like to see someone test one with the TI. As with Torqeedo, they sell outboard-style motors which can be mounted to the TI using an existing gasoline motor mount as I designed and detailed here. They also offer pod-drive models, but, like the Bixpy, these would need to be adapted to the TI with some sort of kick-up/tilt-up mechanism. This would be quite a challenge to design, build, and mount. They appear to be as expensive as Torqeedo, so don’t expect them to be a low-cost option. They have some innovative features such as hydrogeneration which allows charging of the battery when sailing. Like the Torqeedo 1103 AC, they use brushless, direct drive motors for quiet, efficient operation and offer 3 HP options. Their remote throttle looks as good as Torqeedo’s, although it does not appear to have critical automatic GPS range calculation as do the Torqeedos, or remote raising/lowering. Being an outboard-style mount, it at least has the ability to kick-up. It has a very powerful 1276 Wh capacity battery. I don’t know what their dealer offerings or repair options are. I would need to know more about them, but I might recommend them solely on speculation. They definitely appear worth considering.



-- THRUSTME
Very little is yet known about the THRUSTME line of electric motors manufactured in Norway. They appear to have only one dealer so far in the US but several in Europe. They have a Facebook page with some info there. They offer a strap-on mount, an outboard-style mount, and what appears to be a thruster or pod-mount. Their outboard-style motor has about 35 lbs thrust which would put it in the 1HP category such as the Evolve, Bixby or 403’s. They come with a 259 Wh lithium battery which is a bit underpowered compared to the competition, but I assume they may offer larger batteries. Until more is known about THRUSTME and their products, I couldn’t recommend them at this point.



-- PACMOTOR
PACMOTOR is another mystery at this point, at least to me. They offer a strap-on dual motor option that looks interesting. The dual motors would allow you to steer the boat using thrust-vectoring, that’s kind of cool, although not needed on the TI with its large rudder. They offer a 39 Ah battery which is not included with the motor. It’s compatible with any regular 12V lead acid marine battery or 12V-20V Li-ion battery packs, which provides plenty of battery options unlike Bixpy, ePropulsion, or Torqeedo which require proprietary batteries. The motor cost around $900, expect to pay another $800-$1,000 for a high-capacity battery.

The PACMOTOR is hard to recommend at this point knowing so little, but someone willing to experiment may be interested in it based on their preferences and requirements.



-- Newport Vessels NK180
This is a very interesting offering. The Newport Vessels Kayak Motor NK180 at first appears to be a rather shameless Chinese clone of the Torqeedo 403 A series. It’s so close in looks and functionality, I’m very surprised Torqeedo hasn't raised patent issues with them (or maybe they have). There are some key differences however, the NK180 is rated at 1.8HP (no thrust rating) and unlike the 403 A series, which use 1 HP gear-driven motors, they use a brushless, direct-drive motor like the 3HP 1103 AC for quiet, efficient operation. So it appears to be something of a 403 A/1103 AC hybrid clone. In any case, with an excellent Torqeedo-style mount, a decent dealer network, a 2-year warranty, and very good reviews, it appears to be a viable option. There are many YouTube videos on it and it appears popular with kayak owners. I’d love to get my hands on one to test it. Mounting it to a TI would require a mounting interface very similar to the Torqeedo. The one detailed in this guide would probably work quite nicely since the NK180 mount is a nearly identical Torqeedo A-Series mount clone.

The price is $999 which at first seems tempting, but unfortunately, that does not include a battery. They offer a Bioenno 24V, 50Ah, 1200 Wh LiFePo4 Battery for it at $939 bringing the total price to $1,938, putting it roughly in the Torqeedo 403 A price category, so It’s not really that much of a low-cost panacea, although you do get more motor power and a bigger battery. Additionally, unlike most other motors which use a proprietary battery, the NK 180 is able to use any Lithium, Flooded, Gel, or AGM deep-cycle batteries that can supply 24 volts and 30Ah or above with a minimum continuous output rating of 30 amps. This allows you to select from a very wide range of third-party battery options at highly competitive prices. That’s a great feature since proprietary batteries tend to be expensive.



-- Newport Vessels NK300
The new NK300 is the latest offering from Newport Vessels that increases the HP rating to 3HP. This offering is obviously aimed to directly compete with the 1103AC. The price is $1299 but that does not include a battery. A suitable battery will cost ~$700-$1000. So, at a final price of around $2100, it can be purchased for ~$800 less than the 1103AC making it an excellent bargain if the performance is comparable. It does not have the GPS-enabled real-time range calculator, but other than that, it is essentially a 1103AC clone. The 1103AC TI mount I designed should work fine with it as well. It should be available in early 2023 so there is currently no user feedback on this motor, but if it performs as well as the NK180, it could be a viable choice for the TI at considerably less cost than the 1103AC. I will update this review when more is known about this motor.



-- Newport Vessels NT300
The new NT300 is a 3HP outboard style electric motor comparable to the Torqeedo Travel 1103 CS. However, rather than mounting the battery on the motor, the battery remains detached. I prefer this arrangement because it allows better weight distribution and gives you the choice of a wide range of non-proprietary batteries to chose from. Unlike the 1103 CS, the NT300 does not offer a real-time GPS-enabled range calculator nor does it yet offer a remote throttle. Still, at only $999 for the motor alone, it is a less expensive viable option for the TI. A suitable battery will cost ~$700-$1000 bring the total to ~$1,700-$2000. It should be available in early 2023 so there is currently no user feedback on this motor. I will update this review when more is known about this motor.



-- Gasoline Outboards
I’ve owned and used two gasoline outboards with my TI, a 3.5HP Tohatsu, and the 2.5 HP Suzuki. The Tohatsu was a dismal failure and I had to return it. Its design was ill-suited for kayak usage. You can read why in my report about it here. The Suzuki on the other hand was excellent and the one I would recommend above all others. I go into great detail comparing gasoline outboards with the Torqeedo in my Outboard Motor / Hobie TI Application Guide & 403 Comparison which is required reading if you are considering a gasoline motor.

Gasoline motors are big, bulky, very noisy, and smokey compared to electric motors but they are powerful, have a range limited only to how much fuel you wish to carry onboard, and are an outright bargain in comparison to electrics. The Suzuki 2.5 HP DF2.5L4 currently costs only around $855. If you can’t afford an electric motor, this is your best fallback option for powering your TI.



So Why Should You Choose the Torqeedo 1103 AC?
In my opinion, the 1103 AC is the best option for the TI, despite its $2,900 price tag. That’s a bold and seemingly presumptive statement, but let’s compare it to the other options to see exactly why this may be so. Again, this is my opinion. If you own one of these motors and don’t necessarily agree, that's fine. Hopefully, you can review and/or compare your motor choice as well. The more info the better.



-- 1103 AC vs Trolling Motors
The 1103 AC is designed for continuous propulsion, trolling motors are designed for trolling. Although there are now some powerful trolling motors capable of powering a TI, unless you’re a fisherman and require the special features of a trolling motor, the 1103 AC will be much better for general purpose propulsion with more features for that specific use. Using a trolling motor is a compromise. Get the right motor for what you require.

-- 1103 AC vs 403 Series
You might be able to still find the original 403 with the ball mount, or you can still buy the ball mount separately as an option, although it will cost you an extra $299.



The A-Series mount is a lot better, so I see no advantage in the ball-mount 403 now that this guide gives you the ability to build your own A-Series mount interface for the TI/AI.



The 3HP 1103 AC has considerably more features and nearly three times more rated power than all the 403 series motors. Power is especially important on a large kayak such as the Hobie TI. The extra power will provide the confidence and safety you’ll want in rough conditions. It has approximately the same power of a gasoline outboard which is incredible for an electric offering small enough for a kayak. The 1103 AC gives me all the confidence I need for rough conditions. I never felt quite that way with my 403.



As bad as this photo looks, I’ve been in even worse conditions with my TI suddenly and unexpectedly. If this can happen to you where you sail, you’re going to want the extra power. The extra power will also give you a greater top speed of around 6.5 to 7 MPH with the TI compared to around 4.5 to 5 MPH for the 403 series. Numerically that might not sound like much, but it is a ~40% increase. The top speed is not really practical for either motor but you will still likely find yourself cruising a couple of MPH faster with the 1103 AC. Again, a couple MPH may not sound like much, but it certainly feels better going just that much faster. It feels like running as compared to walking, that’s the best way I can describe the visceral feeling between the two motors.



It’s also surprising how much further range you can cover at the same time just going a few MPH faster. For example, if you were cruising at a practical 3 MPH with the 403 for 3 hours you would travel 9 miles, if you were cruising at a practical 5 MPH with the 1103 AC for 3 hours you would travel 15 miles, a nearly 67% increase.

In addition to the extra speed and power, the brushless, direct drive motor of the 1103 AC is both quieter and more efficient than the reduction-geared motor on the 403 series. The 403 is relatively quiet, certainly compared with a gas outboard, but it does make a distinct whirring sound at all speeds due mostly to the gear train. Some might find this a bit distracting whereas others may not. The 1103 AC on the other hand is much quieter at all speeds than the 403. In fact, under 4 MPH it’s very difficult to even hear it at all. What you mostly hear is the water gurgling, the sound of the motor is very faint. It gets a bit louder over 4 MPH but is still surprisingly quiet overall. It has to be one of the most quiet electric motors of any type I’ve ever heard. It’s hard to believe it can produce so much power and yet be so quiet. If this is as important to you as it is to me, you’re definitely going to want the 1103 AC rather than the 403.

The Maximum Overall Efficiency of the 403 A/AC is specified to be 45% whereas the 1103 AC is rated at 49%. That extra efficiency was meaningful when I compared the power curves of both motors in relation to the speed and range. Read on for the results. Suffice to say that the 1103 AC performed considerably better than the 403 overall. The 1103 AC currently costs only $400 more than the 403 AC with the same 915 Wh battery. You get a lot for that $400. If you’re going to get a Torqeedo, I strongly recommend going the extra distance and getting the 1103 AC, you’ll be glad you did.

-- 1103 AC vs Hobie Evolve
Again, the Hobie Evolve is essentially a Torqeedo 403 with a MirageDrive mount. So, all the same considerations of the 1103 AC vs 403 series apply. Additionally, the Evolve has a very flawed mount which does not let it kick-up or tilt-up. Sooner or later you're going to damage the motor this way. At $2500 with only the 320 Wh battery, I can’t imagine why anyone would choose it over the 403 AC with the 915 Wh battery and a much better mount at the same price, especially now that you have an A-Series mount interface provided here.

-- 1103 AC vs the Torqeedo Travel Series
The Travel series remain a viable option for those who may prefer an outboard-style mount over the Ultralight Ball or A-Series mount. I feel that the A-series mount is considerably more suitable for the TI, however, the outboard-style mount allows for easy removal and use on another small boat making it a good choice for those who have more than one small boat that they wish to power. The extra $299 cost of the remote throttle must be considered if you want it, and you won’t be able to tilt-up the Travel motors from the TI’s front seat as you can with the Ultralights, a key consideration for those who prefer the front seat. Other than this, the Travel series is comparable to the Ultralight series in cost and performance and offers a lower-cost 2HP option not available with the Ultralights which currently only offers 1 or 3 HP options.

-- 1103 AC vs Bixby
The 1HP Bixby motors might be a viable choice for the TI if it weren't for the 3HP 1103 AC. The extra power is well worth the difference in price, and the large and heavy TI is just begging for a 3HP motor. You can save about 33% by buying a Bixby, but you’re getting an underpowered motor and an underpowered battery with a flawed mount. If cost is more important to you than overall performance, then you might consider the Bixby, but you’ll still be spending around $2,000 once you buy the TI mount and upgrade the battery to something practical enough for the range you will likely want. Again, if you decide on the Bixby, do yourself a big favor and find a better and safer way to mount it rather than using the MirageDirve mount option otherwise sooner or later your expensive Bixby motor may get damaged.

-- 1103 AC vs ePropulsion
I like the ePropulsion 3HP offerings and feel that they are currently the only comparable competitor to the Torqeedo 3HP offerings. The 1103 AC does have a considerably better remote throttle with the critical real-time GPS-based range calculation and also offers the A-Series mount which I feel is more suited to kayaks than the ePropulsion’s outboard-style mount. However, the ePropulsion offers a more powerful 1276 Wh battery and hydrogeneration. As with all these motors, the dealer network and serviceability must also be considered. I don’t know how this would affect ePropulsion motors, but I can tell you that having a Torqeedo serviced is comparable to having a typical gasoline outboard serviced time-wise, even if you need to have to send it to a remote dealer. Both can take up to 2-3 weeks. Torqeedo responds reasonably quickly to service inquiries no matter what you may have heard. If you email Torqeedo service ([email protected]), they will competently respond within 1-3 business days from my experience. You can rely on that. If you phone them you can likely talk to someone right away during business hours. I’ve contacted Torqeedo many times for many reasons. They’ve always been friendly, responsive, and helpful to me. Others may not have had the same great results, but before you decide to purchase any motor, always be sure to check into dealer and manufacturer serviceability.

-- 1103 AC vs THRUSTME and PACMOTOR
There are currently no offerings from these two companies for a 3HP motor comparable to the 1103 AC. They are more comparable to the 1HP offerings. Additionally, little information is currently available from either company. I would keep checking with these two companies, they seem innovative and may offer a competitive motor to the 1103 AC in the future.

-- 1103 AC vs Newport Vessels Kayak Motor NK180
The NK180 is a hybrid clone of both the 1103 AC and the 403 series. It offers a 1.8HP motor that is more powerful than the 403 but less powerful than the 1103 AC. It has a brushless, direct drive motor like the 1103 AC which should make it more efficient and quieter than the 403. However, it lacks the critical real-time GPS-based range calculation found on the Torqeedos. This is a significant deficiency. Range anxiety is real with electric boat motors and Torqeedo’s superb GPS-based range calculator goes a long way to mitigate that.

With a combined price of $1,938 for the motor and a Bioenno 24V 50Ah 1,200 Wh LiFePo4 battery, it is considerably less expensive than the $2,900 1103 AC and worth considering if you feel 1.8HP is enough for your purposes. Without one to test, I can’t directly compare its power or range to the 1103 AC. It purportedly has good manufacturer/dealer service and a viable 2-year warranty along with many good reviews, so it is a viable option. I would love to get my hands on one to test. Overall, however, except for the price, the 1103 AC still has it beat, make no mistake about that. That said, I believe the NK180 may be the best low-cost option for electric motors for price vs performance provided it ultimately proves to have good longevity. Chinese manufacturing is hard to beat price-wise but quality and longevity can be a concern with some Chinese products as we all know.

-- 1103 AC vs Newport Vessels Kayak Motor NK300
With a combined price of $2248 for the motor and a Newport 36V 40Ah extended range lithium battery, it is considerably less expensive than the $2,900 1103 AC and worth considering. With the same 3HP rating, performance should be comparable. It lacks the critical GPS-enabled real-time range calculator, but other than that, it has essentially the same features as the 1103AC. As long as dealer support and overall quality are acceptable, which is yet to be determined, it could be a viable alternative to the 1103AC at a lower cost. This is definitely one to watch. I really like the ability to choose from a much wider range of battery choices with the motor over the few available for the 1103AC. This gives you far more control to choose the battery of your choice at a competitive price.

-- 1103 AC vs Newport Vessels Kayak Motor NT300
If you prefer an outboard-style electric motor like the Torqeedo Travel series, the NT300 is a comparable option. With a combined price of only $1,948 for the motor and a Newport 36V 40Ah extended range lithium battery, it is considerably less expensive than the $2,900 1103 AC and one of the lowest cost 3HP electric motor options available. Performance should be comparable with the 1103 AC. It lacks the critical GPS-enabled real-time range calculator and a remote throttle, but it's hard to beat for the money being almost $1,000 less expensive than the 1103AC. You can also chose any compatible battery option you prefer giving you far more control to choose the battery of your choice at a competitive price. You can mount this motor to the TI using a conventional outboard-style mount interface such as the one detailed in my Outboard Motor / Hobie TI Application Guide. If cost is your primary factor, give this motor option some serious consideration.

-- 1103 AC vs Gasoline Outboards
The overall power of 2.5 to 3.5 HP gasoline outboards is comparable to the 1103 AC. From my experience with a 3.5HP Tohatsu and the venerable 2.5 HP Suzuki, I would say the power is very similar, although the 1103 AC has a considerably better torque response at all throttle positions. You can read my guide to TI outboard motors, but the bottom line is that I recommended the 2.5 HP Suzuki over all the other gas outboards because mine worked well with the TI, so I’ll compare the 1103 AC primarily to that.

The Suzuki is by far the less expensive choice at only around $855. No electric motor option can touch it price-wise. Its range is only limited by how much gasoline you’re willing to store onboard. While gas has gotten a lot more expensive lately, you can still buy over 200 gallons of gas for what it costs for a 915 Wh Torqeedo battery. That would power a tiny gasoline outboard for many, many years.

However, it is very noisy compared to the 1103 AC which is incredibly quiet. This was a major factor for me because I like to cruise all day long for hours on end but I could not take the droning of the outboard for much more than an hour or so. We all know what a small outboard motor sounds like, think of that right next to your head all day long. It may be fine for some people, but I just couldn't take it. It was the primary factor that I really disliked about the Suzuki and why I ultimately decided to replace it and the 403 with the 1103 AC. By comparison, the 1103 AC is total bliss cruising for hours all day long in near silence. It’s the closest thing to sailing but without the sail. I cannot emphasize enough how much better it is to cruise in near silence compared to the constant drone of a gasoline motor. For me at least, this totally justified the cost because it made my TI so much more enjoyable. You’ll need to justify the cost in whatever way works for you but boaters routinely spend small fortunes on their motors, some costing over $20,000. In comparison, the 1103 AC is not really all that expensive, especially if it gives you the peace and enjoyment you desire from boating. This is precious in our hectic lives. So, it’s all about perspective. I’ve spent a lot more money on far less worthy things.

The outboard is also much bulkier and harder on the TI’s hull having all its weight in one area whereas the 1103 AC’s weight is spread out nicely between the motor and battery. My Suzuki eventually caused a buckle in the TI’s plastic hull on the bottom which I’ve not yet been able to remove. It’s harmless, but it does show the stress of the outboard on the hull which was not designed for that much weight concentrated in one small place hanging over the side.

Additionally, the outboard is much harder to start, significantly harder to control, cannot be controlled from the front seat, has no practical reverse, requires storing gasoline on a flammable plastic boat, only operates for about an hour on a tank of gas, needs to be refueled constantly on the water every 7-15 miles or so (depending on speed), and is somewhat smokey (although the newer 4 cycles are much better than the old 2 cycles). It also requires much more maintenance than an electric which is almost maintenance-free. You really can’t appreciate all the advantages of an electric motor until you compare it directly with a gas outboard. Overall, I greatly prefer my 1103 AC to my Suzuki. Other than cost, it’s without question much better.

-- Motor Comparison Summary
So, these are your primary choices if you wish to motorize your TI/AI. Everyone needs to make their own decision based upon their own requirements and criteria. I hope I’ve summarized them for you to help with your choice. Keep in mind that any motor is far better than none.

Torqeedo 1103 AC Performance:
This now brings us to the critical comprehensive review of the performance and operation of the 1103 AC on the Hobie Tandem Island. Again, this is long and detailed to provide you with as much critical information as possible, so read whichever sections interest you.

-- Operation
The 1103 AC is an absolute pleasure to operate, especially when compared to a gasoline motor. Let’s begin at the beginning.

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-- Batteries and Charging
You first have to charge its batteries. This really couldn't be easier, you simply plug in the included charger and then connect it to the battery’s charge port. It takes around 10 hours or so to charge the 915 Wh battery from empty to 100%, so this is best done overnight. The battery will indicate when it’s charging and when it’s fully charged via an onboard LED. You can charge the battery either on or off of the boat, attached or detached from the motor/throttle. Torqeedo states that you can also charge the battery with any DC power source from 9.5 to 50 volts DC with a rated output of at least 4 amps. This means that you can solar charge the battery or charge it from another battery provided there is enough power to do so. The battery’s internal Battery Management System (BMS) takes care of the details, so you don’t need any special charger, just a clean, reliable source of DC power. I did find that you should try to supply at least 18 VDC if possible. If you charge it with anything less, the larger batteries may not charge fully. Power equals voltage times amps, so if your voltage and/or amperage is too low, the charge will take longer. For some reason, the BMS appears to halt the charging process after a period of time, I don’t know why. If I try to charge my older 533 Wh battery with less than 18 volts, it sometimes stops charging at around 90-95%. I don’t yet know if this is true with my new 915 Wh battery. Simply use the charger that came with the motor and you’ll be fine. If you want to charge it via solar or another source of DC power, be sure to experiment before you rely on any other charging source. Always check the charge status of the battery using the remote throttle’s readout before heading out. You don’t want to get on the water only to find your charge is inadequate. This happened to me several times, mostly due to my own fault.

Torqeedo states that using any of its batteries other than the 915 Wh battery will reduce the power of the 1103 AC down to 2HP. They don’t give a specific reason for this, but it’s probably because the 915 Wh battery, with all of its extra internal more powerful parallel cells, is capable of supplying the continuous output current over time required to generate the full 3HP potential of the motor. However, in actual use, I couldn’t corroborate this. Both my 915 Wh and 533 Wh batteries provided similar output power at the same speeds. In fact, the 533 Wh battery was capable of providing a bit more wattage and speed at full throttle. I don’t know what to make of this other than perhaps the 915 Wh battery is capable of providing more consistent power over longer time as the battery discharges. Still, it’s hard to see why Torqeedo felt it necessary to downgrade the 1103 AC’s power when not using a 915 Wh battery. In any case, I still get excellent performance out of my 1103 AC with my 533 Wh spare battery. The only time the full 3HP power is really required is at full or near-full throttle or in difficult conditions. At lower power, the motor does not draw enough current that the smaller battery can’t handle. So, this is not a big drawback if you have batteries other than the 915 Wh battery.



-- Battery Internals

-- 520 Wh Battery (1145-00)
A huge part of the cost of any electric motor is the battery, and overall performance is highly dependent upon the quality of the battery. The battery’s performance can make or break the motor's performance. So, let’s pause here and take just a few minutes to examine a couple of the compatible Torqeedo batteries available to see what’s going on inside. This usually tells a lot about the overall quality and worth. Let’s start with their 1145-00 520 Wh battery.

Torqeedo Ultralight and Travel batteries to date use venerable 18650 Li-on battery cells.



These are the same type of cells used in Laptops, Power Tools, Portable Power Banks, and even EVs such as early model Teslas, so they’re quite ubiquitous.



I’d eventually like to see Torqeedo replace them with a lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4) battery because of its superior technology and longevity, but that might be years off yet, if ever. We’ll see.

Individually, a typical 18650 Li-ion battery has a nominal voltage of 3.6 to 3.7 volts. Torqeedo lists its nominal battery voltage as 29.6 VDC. If you divide 29.6 by 3.7 you get 8. So, it’s obvious that Torqeedo is using the 18650 cells connected in series in banks of 8 (an “8S” configuration) yielding 29.6 VDC nominally. They then stack up these 8S banks in parallel to achieve whatever power capacity they want.

18650 cells come in a variety of mAh (milliampere/hour) ratings depending on their manufacturer, model, and intended usage. There are many 18650 manufacturers, some excellent, many not so good. In a sealed battery, who knows what you’re really getting? It could be some sketchy, cheap, no-name cells of poor quality. The best 18650 manufacturers are generally regarded as Panasonic, Sanyo, Samsung, and LG, so those are the ones to hope for. They’re also usually the most expensive. I’ve seen the inside of a discarded Torqeedo 1145-00 520 Wh battery. It used high-quality Panasonic CGR18650CG 3.7 Volt Li-ion 2250mAh 18650 cells arranged in an 8S8P configuration, that’s eight series connected cells to a bank with eight parallel connected banks for a total of 64 cells.



In this configuration, each series bank produces 29.6 VDC nominally (8 x 3.7V). The Panasonic CGR18650CG has a maximum continuous discharging current rating of 6 amps. With 8 parallel banks of these batteries, this could theoretically provide a potential maximum current of 48 amps (6 amps X 8 parallel banks). I’ve observed this battery providing 1140 watts of power at ~29.6 VDC at full throttle. That would mean the maximum operating current was ~38.5 amps (1140 watts / 29.6 volts). The 1103 AC is actually rated at 1100 watts. At 29.6 VDC it would require 37.2 amps at its full rated power. So, at 48 amps maximum continuous discharging current, this battery should be able to provide enough power for it, although it may stress the battery a bit. The voltage decreases as the battery discharges over time so more current would be needed to provide the same power (Power = Amps x Volts) over the discharge cycle. This is where the extra current rating would come in handy, otherwise the motor would lose power as the battery discharges. Still, this is probably why Torqeedo conservatively downgrades the power rating of the 1103 AC when not using the 915 Wh battery as that battery can provide much more continuous current, as you’ll see below.

Each of the series banks will have the rated 2250 mAh (2.25 Ah) rating since cells connected in series will increase the voltage but not the amperage capacity at the increased voltage. However, when you connect eight of these series banks in parallel to achieve the final 8S8P configuration, you will achieve an 18 Ah rating (8 x 2.25 Ah) since cells connected in parallel will increase the amperage capacity but not the voltage. If you take the 18 Ah rating and multiply it with the nominal voltage rating of 29.6 volts, you get a 532.8 Wh rating. I don’t know why Torqeedo rates the 1145-00 at only 520 Wh since the very similar 1147-00 is rated at exactly 532.8 Wh. Maybe they decided to use an empirically achieved rating, or decided to be conservative, but it’s close enough. Their newer mid-sized battery, the 1155-00 is rated at only 500 Wh. Maybe they're now using less powerful cells, but it’s still in the same general power category.



915 Wh Battery (1148-00)
I’ve also seen the inside of a damaged and discarded 1148-00 915 Wh battery. It used high-quality LG INR18650MJ1 3.7 Volt Li-ion 3500mAh 18650 cells arranged in an 8S9P configuration for a total of 72 cells. In this configuration, each series bank consisting of 8 cells each produces 29.6 VDC nominally (8 x 3.7V), the same as the 520 Wh battery. The LG INR18650MJ1 has a maximum continuous discharging current rating of 10 amps. With 9 parallel banks of these cells, this could theoretically provide a potential of 90 amps (10 amps X 9 parallel banks). I’ve observed this battery providing 1130 watts of power at ~29.6 VDC. That would mean the maximum operating current was ~38.2 amps (1130 watts / 29.6 V). The maximum rated current of the 1103 AC is around 37.2 amps at its full rated 1100 watts of power as shown above. So with a maximum continuous discharging current rating of 90 Amps, the 915 Wh battery should provide more than enough power to comfortably power the 1103 AC throughout the entire discharge cycle without stressing the battery. This is the best battery for this motor and really the only one you should consider buying as a spare, although the 500, 520, and 533 Wh batteries also have adequate power. So, if you already own one of these, you can still use them with this motor.

Nine of the 8S banks, each producing the rated 3500 mAh (3.5 Ah), are connected in parallel to achieve the final 8S9P configuration with a 31.5 Ah rating (9 x 3.5 Ah). At the nominal voltage rating of 29.6 volts, you get a 932.4 Wh rating (31.5Ah x 29.6 V). Torqeedo conservatively downrates this to a 31 Ah / 915 Wh rating, again perhaps to empirical rather than theoretically calculated ratings or maybe to ensure that they all remain in spec even if the individual cells are not quite as good as their rating, which does happen. Or, it could be due to efficiency losses. But again, it’s close enough.



As you can see, the 915 Wh battery is significantly different internally than its 520 Wh cousin even though they share the same basic external cases. This also represents a newer internal redesign of the BMS as well as the eight additional and significantly more powerful 18650 cells. The case also limits making a much higher-rated battery because you probably can’t fit any more 18650 cells in the basic existing case design which is shared between the Ultralight and Travel series (even though the Travel series includes attachment wings). To make a higher-rated battery, Torqeedo would probably need to increase their existing case size and/or use a different battery technology or at least find even more powerful 18650 cells, but they’re likely running into practical limitations with the existing case.

What I saw of the internal Battery Management Systems (BMS) and the internal wiring on both batteries looked solid with robust, well-made circuitry and excellent interconnections. Without the BMS specs, it’s hard to determine how well it manages the battery charging for cell longevity, but it has the required balancing leads and an internal thermistor for some degree of temperature management, probably high-temp. It may not have low-temp management because marine batteries are generally not charged in a freezing environment, but I could be wrong. In any case, never charge a lithium battery below freezing to be safe.

The main takeaway of all this is that Torqeedo apparently produces very high-quality batteries using some of the best Li-ion cells available and what appears to be a robust GPS-enhanced BMS in a well-made, rugged, water-resistant, safe, floatable case. You’re getting an excellent battery for your money. They should last 7-10 years or perhaps even longer in typical use if properly used and well maintained. My seven-year-old original 403 320 Wh battery is still going strong as is my six-year-old 533 Wh battery.

There are no user-serviceable parts inside. To keep the components safe and secure in a rather hostile and critical marine environment, Torqeedo potted the batteries in epoxy and sealed the case with an o-ring and a water-resistant safety valve. You can open the case but you won’t be able to replace the cells and you shouldn’t even try because it could be quite dangerous. Some have criticized Torqeedo for not making these batteries user-serviceable, but very few Lithium based batteries are. They made the right decision safety-wise. An improperly made or serviced powerful lithium battery could be highly dangerous in marine use. You’ve probably seen videos of intense lithium battery fires. Imagine one catching on fire in a plastic boat. Torqeedo ensured their batteries were well made and safe at the expense of sketchy user serviceability. Few boat owners are qualified to service lithium batteries anyway and qualified non-OEM lithium battery service is hard to find and likely expensive. Torqeedo does service their batteries if the need should arise. Many times a seemingly dead battery can be serviced back to life with the proper equipment and techniques. So never discard your Torqeedo battery without first contacting their service department ([email protected]). They will help you determine if it can or cannot be fixed.

-- Trailering
Torqeedo states that you must remove the 1103 AC from its mount before trailering, unlike the lighter and trailerable 403 A/AC. This is understandable. The heavy motor is held in place only by the top quick-release clamp. While this clamp appears well made and is unlikely to fail if set correctly, the motor will receive a lot harder jolting from trailering than it would in normal use on the water. This might cause the clamp to loosen or fail, thus causing the motor to fall off onto the road, likely destroying or losing it. Fortunately, Torqeedo provides a quick release mechanism for the 1103 AC, although it’s still a minor hassle to remove/install it and its wire cable every time you trailer it. However, if you strap the motor securely to the mount providing a fail-safe (see photo below), you should be able to trailer it safely enough. This is what I do. In addition to securing the motor in the lowered position, the strap should prevent the motor from falling if the top clamp should fail. You should also include a motor tether as another fail-safe (see my mounting instructions above in this thread). Also, engaging the reverse locking mechanism will help hold the motor in place. The 1103 AC is heavy, you must never try to trailer it while raised. It should be in the fully lowered position, locked, and very securely strapped into place and tethered. As long as you have adequate ground clearance on your trailer it shouldn’t hit anything while trailering. You assume all the risk if you decide to do this, but it’s a lot easier than mounting and dismounting the motor every time you want to trailer it. Don’t expect Torqeedo to warranty it if it does fall off on the road, they did warn you. Something to consider either way. Removing it for trailering will always be safer, more secure from damage and theft, and less likely to cause wear, but hassle-free boating is a very important factor for me and I do all I can to reduce prep time at the boat ramp. You can decide what you want to do for yourself as long as you consider all the pros and cons.



-- Launching
Simply raise the motor to its full raised position to ensure it’s safe and secure while launching. Once in the water, you can lower the motor to its running position. This is much the same as an outboard motor.

-- Remote Control
The remote is a joy to use. You simply attach the magnetic tether safety kill switch onto the throttle to enable the motor, then press the power button to activate the throttle electronics that control the motor. This takes just a few seconds and you’re ready to go. This couldn’t be easier and is so much better than trying to start a gas motor. The safety tether should always be attached to your PFD. This way, if you ever accidentally fall off the boat, the motor will stop immediately. If you don’t use the tether and then fall off of the boat, it may quickly run away from you if the throttle was still in the run position, so always use it properly. Torqeedo does not use a dead-man’s throttle like some outboards, so this is critical. Also, a spinning prop is always a hazard to anyone in the water nearby.

The stepless throttle control lever is simply moved up for forward motion and back for reverse (with the reverse mechanism locked). It couldn't be easier or more intuitive, and the near-instant throttle response is well appreciated to easily maneuver the boat either forward or reverse at a moment’s notice. This is a huge advantage of an electric motor over a gasoline motor. It’s so much easier to control, especially when you need control the most, such as when docking. Try doing that with a little outboard with no reverse gear where you have to spin it around for reverse.

Once you’re in the clear and no longer need reverse, you must release the reverse locking mechanism otherwise the kick-up feature won’t work if you hit an underwater object. You must always remember to release the locking mechanism when underway otherwise the motor can't protect itself from underwater collision damage. If you ever wish to use the reverse, simply relock the reverse mechanism, if you fail to do so, the motor will kick up. This is harmless but you won’t be able to move in reverse very well if it does. You’ll easily get the hang of it, but it does require your attention.

Out on the water, you can leave the throttle on all day, even when you stop. It will use negligible power when in “neutral”. Again, this is so much easier than stopping and restarting an outboard. The throttle will remain powered on if you remove the safety tether but if you accidentally move the throttle, the motor will not engage. Always remove the tether or turn off the motor power if leaving your seat.

After returning to the dock, raise the motor to keep it safe while retrieving the boat. Once it’s back on the trailer, safely lock it down for trailering or remove it from the mount as you wish.

That’s all it really takes to operate the motor.

GPS-Based Range Calculation
One of the best and most unique features of the Torqeedo motors is the real-time GPS-based range calculation. If you own an EV, you’ll know how important this superb feature is to mitigate electric motor range anxiety. Once the battery-integrated GPS system locks onto the GPS satellites which takes a minute or so, the throttle control display will always show you in real-time your remaining range in statute miles, nautical miles, or kilometers (your choice) at any throttle setting with any battery charge remaining. This gives you the information and confidence you require to manage your range. After many years of experience using this feature, I’ve found it to be surprisingly accurate. Whoever programmed it knew exactly what they were doing. If it says you have five miles remaining at a given power level, you can rely on it. Of course, it can’t predict the changing effects of headwinds, waves, and/or currents over time, but it updates constantly in real time and unless you completely ignore what it’s trying to tell you, you can properly and efficiently manage your remaining battery power to ensure that you have enough to reach your destinations and return to port. If you see that you’re running low, you can throttle back and watch your range increase. If you see that you have plenty of range to make it back, you can then hit the throttle and enjoy a high-speed return. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to manage the power of an electric outboard without this feature. As far as I know, most other electric motors only display the remaining power and leave the range calculations up to you. The real-time GPS-based range calculation is a fantastic feature and is a major reason to choose a Torqeedo.

The throttle display also conveniently displays your COG speed in MPH, KPH, or Knots. Additionally, it shows your remaining battery power in percent or volts as well as your current power usage in Watts. If anything goes wrong it will display an error code and warning lights for temperature and GPS status. Without a doubt, it’s the best throttle of any of the existing motor choices. Torqeedo outdid everyone else with their remote throttle.



Range
Just as with EVs, range is a vital factor no matter which kayak motor you choose. It must supply enough range for the boating you want to do. Range can, of course, be increased with an additional battery, but they’re very expensive and you may wish to avoid that if you can. So, let’s carefully empirically examine the range of the 1103 AC in actual conditions when used with a Hobie TI rather than solely with some theoretical numbers calculated from a formula and specs from the manufacturer which may not reflect the actual use on a TI.

Using the throttle’s display, I carefully measured the power usage at all practical speeds. I took a total of 20 measurements at all speeds over the course of several outings and then averaged the results. I chose days where the water was calm or nearly calm with little or no winds as a baseline. Taking measurements on days with high winds and heavy waves/currents would not give a proper baseline because it would skew the results. Winds, waves, and currents will either increase or decrease power consumption considerably depending on the direction you’re heading. These baseline measurements show the power levels you can expect with virtually no help or hindrance from the weather or water conditions, at least as much as practical. Additionally, I didn't unfurl the mast because I didn't want the sail to either help or hinder the power consumption. I weigh around 175 pound which is about average for a male adult and my TI was loaded only with normal gear anyone might typically bring. So, this is about as baseline as it practically gets. However, please keep in mind that calm winds and water with no waves and/or currents is not something you can ever count on. A relatively tiny 3HP motor is no match for nature. You may often require significantly more power in practical use than these charts show. Even moderate headwinds, waves and/or currents may consume significantly more power than in calm conditions. So, when you look at these graphs, please always keep that in mind. Allow up to 50% more power usage in practical usage when winds, waves, and currents may work against you. Also keep in mind that this data was taken from an 1103 AC used with a Hobie Tandem Island. If you own a different boat, your result may vary.

The readings were taken with two of my three batteries. I have a 320 Wh, a 533 Wh, and a 915 Wh battery. I used the latter two. I didn't notice any significant power consumption differences at any speeds with either of the two batteries, even up to full throttle, despite the fact that Torqeedo downgrades the power of the motor to 2HP without a 915 WH battery. No matter which battery you use, the power the motor uses appears to remain consistent. All of the batteries supply the same 29.6 volts DC the motor requires. However, at full or near full throttle, Torqeedo claims that only the 915 Wh battery can produce the full 3HP as I noted above. Again, I could not corroborate this, at least with my 533 Wh battery.

1103 AC Performance Statistics:

-- Power vs Speed
This first graph shows the all-important Watts vs Speed.



This baseline shows how much power the motor uses at any given speed and provides the vital data necessary to calculate the range with each size battery. The most important factor to note here is that the power curve is obviously exponential and decidedly non-linear. Using twice as much power can never double the speed. It takes more and more power to go only a little faster. That’s a fact about marine motors that some might not understand as some interesting and non-intuitive physics come into play. The reason for this is highly complex and something boat manufacturers and scientists have been pondering over for decades. It’s well beyond the scope of this review to show why, but you can dig into the science if you have the time and patience. If you would like detailed information on this, and you have a scientific mind, you can read about the Savitsky and CAHI methods for calculating marine power vs speed here, but be forewarned it is complex.

Notice that the faster you go requires exponentially more power. Notice how much more power is consumed at a significantly faster rate than the speed increase. This is why you need to keep your speed and range requirements realistic for very small motors and why there are practical physical limits. You can mount two 3HP 1103 AC’s on a TI but that might only get you a couple more MPH on the top end and not improve your range much if at all for a lot more expense and trouble. It probably wouldn't be worth it. Every boat, due to its size, weight, hull design, displacement, etc. will have practical limits where specific motors will reach optimum efficiency. You can add more and more power but that will not necessarily get you much more significant improvement. From my considerable experience with the TI, 2.5-3HP is about the sweet spot in terms of power vs speed and even for range which I’ll show you below. Less than that will not quite yield the power the TI requires, more will not buy you much more speed and the additional cost and weight begin to run up against the law of diminishing returns. This is why the 3HP 1103 AC is just about perfect for the TI. It provides just about the right amount of power for optimum performance without hitting the law of diminishing returns. The rest of the graphs here will go on to show that.

-- Speed vs Run Time
This next graph shows Speed vs Run Time and begins to show the exponential impact of greater speed on the range.



You can run the motor almost ten times longer at 3 MPH than at 6. So again, you need to be realistic about speed vs run time. The faster you want to go, the much shorter run time you’ll have. Never expect this to be linear. You can go 6 MPH with the 1103 AC, which is great, but you’ll pay a big price in run time and range.

-- Speed vs Range



This is better than Speed vs Run Time for showing you your range because it’s obviously easier to equate miles to range than only with run time. This is also why the Torqeedo GPS-enabled range calculator is such a great and convenient feature. Notice again the exponential curve as you’ve now come to expect. At any given speed you can go much further than 1.5 or 2.0X that speed. A bigger motor may buy you more speed, but physics will always limit your range. However, I’ll later show you why the 1103 AC will get you more range than the 403 at any speed, something you may not have expected.

Using this graph and the battery or batteries that you have, you can approximately plan a trip based on how fast and far you wish to go. Of course, wind, currents, and waves can either help or hinder you depending upon their directions and your course headings. This graph is only a baseline. If the wind, currents, or waves work against you, expect your range to be severely impacted by as much as 50% as the motor will need to supply considerably more power to overcome them. In the worst conditions, expect even less range as well as speed.

Always give yourself at least 20-50% more range than you need to compensate for adverse conditions. And failing that, compensate by reducing speed if necessary which will give you more range if you come up short at the speed you desired. Always consider the conditions. If you planned a long trip and you find the conditions that day are worse than you expected, which happens to me a lot, then you’ll need to make adjustments. This again is why the GPS-enabled range calculator is so vital and better than any static graph. It’ll always tell you in real-time your actual power consumption and expected remaining range. No static graph can do that.

1103 AC vs 403:

-- Power vs Speed
Now, let’s compare the 1103 AC to the 403. Here is the Watts vs Speed graph again, this time including the 403’s performance.



The first takeaway is that the 1103 AC is considerably faster than the 403, it can reach 6.5 to 7 MPH whereas the 403 can only reach 4.5 to 5 MPH top end. So, the 1103 AC is approximately 40% faster. It can consistently and sustainably reach 6.5 to 6.7 MPH and it can reach 6.8 to 7 MPH top end (in calm to near-calm conditions), but not as consistently and sustainably. Your results may vary depending on your TI’s configuration, condition, and gross weight, but this is probably what you should expect to see. Here’s proof that I hit 7.1 MPH with my TI/1103 AC (sorry for the photo quality), but don’t expect to see that reliably. This is why the graph ends at 6.7 MPH.



The next takeaway, which may be surprising to you, is that the 1103 AC uses significantly less power at speeds over 2 MPH. You may have intuitively thought that you didn’t want a 3 HP motor because it would use more power and get less range than a smaller motor. This is not necessarily the case with electric motors. If designed efficiently, they can actually use less power than smaller motors at equivalent speeds. This proved to be the case here. This is likely due to the fact that the 1103 AC’s direct drive motor is more efficient than the 403’s gear-reduction design. Torqeedo specs the 1103 AC as 4% more efficient than the 403 and that is apparently what is being reflected here, although there likely may be other factors as well such as differences in their props. A 4% improvement may not seem like much at first, but let's see how it helps to affect the range.

-- Speed vs Run Time & Speed vs Range
Here are the Speed vs Run Time and Speed vs Range charts comparing the 403 to 1103 AC.





Notice the significantly better results for the 1103 AC. Even a slight improvement in efficiency can have a considerable impact in overall performance. This is why automakers strive for even a few tenths of a percentage point improvement in engine redesigns, a 4% improvement is relatively big. Again, you get a lot more for your money with the 1103 AC which is the latest Ultralight motor design from Torqeedo.

Wrap Up
Well, if you made it this far you now probably know a lot more about the 1103 AC than most people. It’s one of the best motors you can purchase for your TI or any similar boat and my choice over all other motors gas or electric currently available. I highly recommend it.

I hope that this review serves to help you decide on if you want to motorize your Hobie and which motor you select.

I’m always continually testing and tweaking my TI/Motor setups. As an engineer, this is the kind of stuff I really enjoy. I will continue to test the 1103 AC on the TI and will update this thread as necessary, so check back from time to time. In the meantime, if you have any questions on anything I may have missed or was not clear about, please post to this thread. I’ll do my best to help.

What an amazing review. I can't imagine how many hours you spent on this. Hopefully it will provide TI Owners enough information to tempt them to upgrade their TI's with an 1103AC. It's a great option for your TI if you can afford it.

Thanks for taking the time to post this info.

Jim

Wonderful summary with up to date information on the rapidly expanding marine electric motor options for small craft such as the TI.

The Torqeedo 1103 3 HP class motor looks to be fully capable and well suited for the Hobie TI.

The improved efficiency, direct drive brushless motor, improved prop combined with the larger 915 Wh battery provide a solid offering for powering the Hobie TI.

When my 2.5 HP Suzuki finally wears out, an electric motor will be in my future.

Would like to see a video or two of the mount for the 1103AC on the TI along with a video of the trailering setup / launching setup.

I always dismount my Suzuki when trailering the TI due to the weigh on the stern of the kayak (too many potholes on the roads in PA

Again, excellent summary and resource for Hobie TI owners.

Still hoping Hobie will update the TI design to add support (mounts) for external power options.

_________________
Jim
Hobie TI 2022 - Offshore rig - Outboard - having fun!
Hobie TI 2021 - Offshore rig - Outboard - sold
Hobie TI 2016 - Offshore rig - Outboard - sold
Hobie Kona 2014
Hobie AI 2015 - sold
Hobie Rev 13 2014 - sold
Hobie Outback - 2008 - sold

Thank you Jim, your groundwork on the TI mount helped to make this possible.

Thank you for your kind words.

Your Suzuki might never get to the point where it wears out, it's an excellent motor and could last 10-20 years with care and maintenance.

I currently don't have the proper equipment nor the requisite videography and editing skills to produce a video that would meet my minimum expectations. This is why I spent so much time documenting and detailing the A-Series mount interface in this thread. I believe that with the instructions above, almost anyone should be able to build it.

I'm an avid user of YouTube and it's clear that video reviews are becoming more popular and often better than written ones, yet both still have their place. In the not too distant future, I'll likely be buying the proper equipment and learning all the skills required to produce a proper video, but this will have to do for me until then.

Update: For those looking to increase their range, Torqeedo occasionally sells used/refurbished batteries on their Facebook page. These batteries have been refurbished/checked by Torqeedo and despite having some cosmetic imperfections are in excellent working order. They often sell well below the cost of new ones.