Hobie torqeedo User manual

Owner’s Manual

2
• Indicates a danger or a procedure that may cause injury and
property damage.
• Indicates a danger or a procedure that may cause property
damage.
Contents
1. Introductions.....................................................................4
2. Important Safety and Operating Instructions....................6
3. Kit Breakdown...................................................................8
4. Thru Hull Fitting Installation............................................10
5. Hobie evolve Mirage Well Operation..............................14
6. Hobie Mirage evolve Disassembly.................................16
7. Hobie evolve Twist-N-Stow Rudder Conversion............17
8. Time to Hit the Water......................................................20
9. Operating Elements........................................................22
10. Troubleshooting and Care Instructions..........................28
11. Warranty..........................................................................30
12. Contact Information...........................................Back Page
This operating manual will help you use your Hobie evolve safely
and efciently. All information is given according to our latest
knowledge. Content is subject to technical changes.

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Introductions
Dear Customer,
Thank you for choosing the Hobie evolve. As a
member of the Hobie family, you are now on the road to
pure adventure in electric boating. This owner’s manual is
designed to help you get maximum enjoyment from your
new Hobie evolve. But more important, it is designed to
help you use it safely.
We are delighted that you have chosen our motor.
Your Hobie evolve is powered by the Torqeedo 403 motor
and is state-of-the-art in terms of motor, battery, and propel-
ler technology. It has been designed and manufactured with
the utmost care and with a special focus on comfort, user-
friendliness, and safety, and has been extensively tested
before delivery.
We hope you will enjoy this product.
Sincerely,

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Important Safety and Operating Instructions
Important safety instructions
Torqeedo motors are designed to operate safely and reliably as long
as they are used according to the operating manual. Please read this
manual carefully before you start the motor. Ignoring the instructions in
this operating manual can cause damage or personal injury. Hobie Cat
Company and Torqeedo accept no liability for any damage caused by ac-
tions that contradict this operating manual.
To ensure safe operation of the motor:
• Familiarize yourself with all the motor controls. For instance, you should
be able to stop the motor quickly if necessary.
• Only allow adults who have been instructed on how to operate the motor
or have read the operating instructions to run it.
• Never operate the motor if someone is in the water close to the boat.
Stop the motor immediately if someone goes overboard.
• Always have a paddle and/or MirageDrive® on board for another source
of propulsion.
• Check the status and function of the device before each tour.
• Note that the on-board computer does not include changes to currents
and wind conditions in the range calculation. If you are moving with the
wind or current the remaining range is calculated assuming you continue
going with the wind or current. If you change direction or if wind/current
change, your remaining range may be signicantly lower. Therefore you
should note the effects that the wind and current have on your range.
• Never use the motor as an attachment point for your kayak; never use
the motor as a handle for lifting, carrying or tieing to.
• Do not open the battery casing; protect the battery pack from mechani-
cal damage.
• Do not short circuit the battery pack.
• Avoid submerging the battery pack and remote throttle for long periods
of time.
• If the error code E46 is shown in the display or if you changed the fuse
of the battery, the battery charge status in the display is not accurate. After
a complete charge of the battery, the battery charger status displayed will
be reliable again.
• The battery of your Torqeedo 403 motor has been declared a hazardous
item in UN Class 9. Private transportation is not critical, but if shipped by
a transport company the relevant statutory provisions must be observed.
• Keep the supplied magnetic key at least 50 cm / 20 inches away from
pacemakers.
• Keep the supplied magnetic key away from magnetic information media
(e.g. debit/credit cards, music cassettes, magnetic tapes etc.). The mag-
net integrated in the key has enough strength to render the saved data
unusable.

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Important operating instructions
The following is a selection of the most important instructions for han-
dling Torqeedo motors. In addition to these instructions, please observe
the complete operating instructions to prevent damage to your motor.
• Only run the motor when the propeller is under water. If it is run in the
air for longer periods, the shaft sealant rings that seal the motor to the
drive shaft may become damaged. If the motor is run in air for long peri-
ods, the motor itself can overheat.
• The Hobie evolve product range, the associated remote throttle, battery
pack, and all electric plug-in connections are protected against dirt and
water in line with protection type IP68.
• The Torqeedo 403 has an integrated protective device that switches the
motor off when it reaches a particular slope of 90°. This prevents the
propeller from turning if the boat capsizes or tilts.
• After use, always take the motor out of the water.
• After operation in salty or brackish water, wash all components in fresh
water.
• Occasionally use contact spray to care for all cable connections. If you
use the motor in salt or brackish water, we recommend applying contact
spray once a month.
•You will extend the life of your battery if you do not expose it for longer
than necessary to a very hot environment. In order to guarantee that the
life of the battery is as long as possible, the battery should be stored for
longer period of time (e.g. over the winter) at around 50 % charge and
between 0 °C and +15 °C / +32 °F and +60 °F.
• Only charge the battery at environmental temperatures between 0 °C
and +45 °C / +32 °F and +113 °F.
• If the motor malfunctions an error code is shown on the display. After
resolving the error the motor can be restarted out of the stop position
again. In rare cases it may be necessary to switch the motor off using the
“on/off” button. You will find descriptions and details in Section 9.3.
• Do not disconnect the cable connections when the propeller is turning.
• If you have a problem with your motor, please follow the instructions in
this operating manual for handling warranty claims.

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Kit Breakdown
1. Hobie evolve Mirage Well Assembly
2. Prop Alignment Tool
3. Hobie Twist and Stow Rudder Mount and Hardware
(The Hardware is assembled to the aluminum piece and include the cover plate slide, sister screw,
10-32 Flat head screw to match the sister screw, three 10-32 x 1/4” Truss head screws and three
10-32x 7/8” Truss head screws with self locking nuts)
4. Magnetic Key
5. Throttle
6. Battery
7. Misc. Small Parts:
a. Power Cable Thru-Hull Fitting w/ Backing Plate
b. Hole Cover Plate w/ Backing Plate
c. Throttle Cable Mounting Backing Plate
d. Gasket Pack (3 Pieces)
e. Ram® Mounting Arm
f. Ram Backing Plate w/ Hardware
g. Screws for Thru Hull Fittings (QTY 6 #10 Sheet Metal Screws)
h. Assorted Caps for Connectors
i. Throttle Cable Extension
j. Power Cable Extension
k. 9/64” Allen Key (Not shown here)
l. Small tube of thread Loctite® (Not shown here)
m. Charger (Not shown here)
Tools Required:
Phillips Head Screwdriver
Flat Head Screwdriver
Electric Drill
1/8” Drill Bit
3/4” Drill Bit
1-3/4” Hole Saw
6/64” Allen Key (included with this kit)

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Mounting hardware included,
but not shown here
1
6
2
4
5
7a 7b 7c
7d
7e 7f 7g
3
Items not illustrated to scale
7h
7i 7j

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Thru Hull Fitting Installation
Components included with this kit give you the option of having a
majority of the wires in the kit be run inside your kayak. Using these
ttings will make the deck of your kayak less cluttered, but will require
that you do some drilling and part installation. Here are the instructions
for installing these parts. If you do not want to run the wires internally,
you can keep everything on the deck and organize the wires to your
liking.
Throttle Cable Thru Hull Installation
1. Choose a location for mounting your throttle.
The location of the thru-hull tting will change
from boat to boat. The closer you can mount
the tting to where you would like the throttle to
be, the less cable you will have to feed. When
choosing your location, also consider that you
will need to be able to reach inside to attach the
backing ring. Be sure to evaluate and test t
a couple different locations prior to drilling any
holes.
2. After choosing your location, drill a 3/4” hole.
3. Place the small diamond shaped gasket
(provided with this kit) centered over the hole
you just drilled and use the two smaller holes in
the gasket as a guide to drill two 1/8” holes.
4. Place the small diamond shaped gasket over
the holes you just drilled. Now feed the throttle
cable through the gasket and hole in the kayak
until the throttle cable mounting plate butts up
against the gasket.
5. Thru bolt the mounting plate to the kayak
using the provided backing plate and sheet
metal screws.

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Throttle Cable Gland Function
You will notice that there is a taller hex nut-
shaped part mounted to the throttle cable
mounting plate. This part is called a “cable
gland”. This allows you to easily change
your cable length that is available to attach
the throttle.
1. For more cable, turn the cable gland
counterclockwise enough so that it loosens
its grip on the cable and you can pull out
more length.
2. Once you have the desired length, turn
the cable gland clockwise to hold the cable
and to provide a seal around the cable to
prevent water leaks.
3. If you are not using the motor and don’t
want cable lying around the deck, you can
follow the same gland operation and feed
the cable into the hull all the way to the end
plug.
Ram Mount Installation
To mount your throttle to the hull, you will be
using the provided Ram mounting system.
This mount allows you to easily remove and
adjust the position of your throttle to the hull
with almost innite adjustability.
1. Choose a location for the mount. Keep
in mind that you will need to be able to
reach inside to attach the backing plate.
We recommend that you install the deck
mounted ball somewhere near the throttle
cable.
2. Use the available ball mount as a guide
to pre-drill the two 1/8” mounting holes.
3. Use the provided bagged mounting
hardware to attach the ball to the hull. The
nuts will t into the hex prole of the backing
plate to keep them from spinning as you
tighten everything.

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MirageDrive Well Option Power Plug Location:
If you use the Mirage well location for the motor,
we recommend that you install the power port
somewhere on the bulkhead in front of the foot
well. This is a convenient location to reach for
motor connection.
Twist and Stow Option Power Plug Location:
If you are going to use the stern mounted
motor option, you will be installing the plug port
somewhere near the back of the kayak. Be sure
to place the port on the right side of the kayak
and not the left. This will help keep the power
wire from entangling when putting the motor up
and down. Also be sure to make sure that the
port is located in a spot where the cable doesn’t
have to stretch too much when the motor moves
up and down.
Thru Hull Fitting Installation
Power Cable Thru Hull Installation
Before making any holes in your boat, first take a look at how your
kayak is set up and how you would like to configure your Hobie evolve
drive system. This kit comes with two installation options for the motor:
through the MirageDrive well and off a Twist and Stow rudder. The chart
below will help you choose the best option for you.
Suggested Installation Guideline
Feature Mirage Mounted
evolve
Twist and Stow
Mounted evolve
Hybrid Option (MirageDrive and motor operation
at the same time) •
Easily reachable motor •
Good for weedy areas for easy prop clearing •
Ability to easily remove motor from kayak for storage •
Kayak is NOT equipped with a Twist-N-Stow Rudder •
Kayak is NOT equipped with T-handle up/down
rudder control •
Easier beaching •

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Power Cable Thru Hull Installation
1. Before creating the hole, be sure to test the location to make sure that
you can get the backing ring to the location that is needed and that the
power cable has room to t without being bent too severely. Also make sure
that the cable coming from the motor will reach the location of the port.
2. When you have chosen the location of the
power cable, drill a 1-3/4” hole in the hull. We
recommend using a hole saw, but other cutting
methods can be used if care is exercised.
3. Using the power plug mounting plate, use
the hole locations to drill two 1/8” holes for the
screws to pass through.
4. Place the gasket on the outside of the
hull and put the assembly together using the
provided screws and with the backing plate on
the inside of the kayak. Also, place one of the
cable caps underneath the top plate so that
a screw passes through the hole on the lanyard.
5. Now take the power cable extension and
insert the end with the “at” on one side of the
cable end through the thru-hull tting. Make
sure that the at is lined up and the cable end
is all the way in. Use the nut to tighten the
assembly together.
6. Now you can run the cable on the inside of
the hull to the location you are planning to place
your battery.
7. If you decide for some reason to remove the
thru hull tting, the included cover plate and the
additional gasket can be used to cover the hole.

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Hobie evolve Mirage Well Operation
Drive Installation
1. Before installing the drive, make sure that the
power cable is disconnected and/or the safety
key is not on the throttle pad.
2. If the prop is turned sideways, manually turn
it so that the blades are straight up and down.
3. Drop the motor into the Mirage well. Please
note that there is a close variance in t on each
boat, so some installations may require that you
rock the motor back a little to get it to drop into
place.
4. Once the motor passes through the boat,
lower the spine into the locking system in the
boat. Make sure that it is dropping in straight
and not going in crooked.
5. Now lock the drive into the kayak using the
Click and Go or cam knobs. Once locked into
place, try to rock it back and forth a little to make
sure it is secure in place. A small amount of
rocking is normal.
Correct Incorrect

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Drive Removal
1. Before handling the motor, make sure that
the power is disconnected and/or the safety key
is not on the throttle pad.
2. Slide the Prop Alignment Tool through the top
slot on the drive and allow it to go all the way
down. This tool will turn the propeller into the
up/down conguration for removal.
3. Remove the Prop Alignment Tool from the
drive and unclick the Click and Go or loosen the
cam knobs.
4. Pull the motor up and rock it back slightly to
allow the motor pylon to slip through the well.

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To convert your Twist and Stow rudder to the Hobie eVolve motor, you
will have to disassemble the MirageDrive mount and assembly the Twist
and Stow mount using the following instructions.
Mirage evolve Disassembly
1. Unbolt the two cover plates at the top of the
spine using the provided 9/64” Allen hex key
wrench.
2. Loosen the two batten retainer straps at the
top of the spine.
3. Unscrew the wire retaining strap and remove
from the wire.
4. Pull the motor and batten assembly out
through the bottom of the spine and take off the
rubber fairing.
5. Unbolt all of the screws that are holding the
motor and batten clamp together.With all of
these steps completed, you should have just a
pylon assembly. Be sure to keep all of the nuts
and bolts in a safe place as you will need them
if you decide to put the Mirage eVolve back
together again.
Hobie Mirage evolve Disassembly

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Hobie evolve Twis and Stow Assembly
1. Insert the cable into the track on the rudder
attachment extrusion.
2. Slide the tongue and groove plate to cover
the track that you installed the cable into.
Please note that there is semi-circular cutaway
on one end of the cover plate which should be
pointing up when installed on the boat.
3. Slide the pylon assembly into the aluminum
extrusion. The prop should be on the side of
the extrusion that has the sharper corner.
4. Once the pylon tube is inserted inside the
aluminum prole, you will notice that there is
a hole on both sides of the outer aluminum
piece in addition to the pylon tube. Slide a
screwdriver through the entire assembly to get
everything aligned and also to push the cable
out of the way.
5. Place the end of the sister screw that has
the blind hole over the tip of the screwdriver
and push the screwdriver out using the sister
screw. This will keep the cable out of the way
while installing the sister screw. Look in the
hole and make sure it is all the way in.
5. With the sister screw pressed all the way
in, thread the small at head screw into the
sister screw and tighten. Place a couple
drops of Blue Loctite (provided in this kit)
onto the screw that goes into the sister screw
to prevent it from backing out from motor
vibration. To tighten the assembly, you will
need to have a at head screwdriver on one
side and a Phillips head screwdriver on the
other to hold the screws in place as you
tighten them up.
Hobie evolve Twist and Stow Rudder Conversion
Sister Screw

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6. Remove all six screws that are attaching the
rudder blade to the rudder housing and take the
rudder blade off. Keep this rudder in a safe
location so you can find it again if you wish to
convert your rudder back to a blade instead of a
motor. Steering and Up/Down control lines will
not need to be changed.
7. Line up the assembled Hobie evolve Rudder
Attachment to the rudder mount on the kayak
and install with the provided Truss head machine
screws. Note that the top three screws are
longer and are bolted with a nut and the bottom
three are threading into the aluminum. Place
a couple drops of Loctite on the lower three
shorter screws that are going into the aluminum.
It helps to install the bottom three screws first as
the alignment is easier at this stage. DO NOT
USE A POWER SCREWDRIVER TO INSTALL
THE LOWER SCREWS. INSTALL BY HAND SO
THAT THEY ARE JUST SNUG.
8. Finished assembly is shown to the right.
Hobie evolve Twist and Stow Rudder Conversion

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Hobie evolve Twist And Stow Operation With
the motor installed on the Twist-N-Stow rudder,
there are some operating instructions you should
be aware of.
Hybrid Feature
There is an unique feature that the MirageDrive
and evolve motor can provide together. If you
pedal with the motor going, you can watch
your power consumption decrease and your
range increase. The combination of human
and electric power acts as a hydrid and can
signicantly extend your range.
Up/Down Control
The motor mounted in the stern conguration
can ONLY be raised in boats that have the
T-Handle System which became standard on
all 2009 to current model Hobie Mirage kayaks.
Earlier kayaks have an up/down handle which
will hold the rudder down in light reverse
operation. Check with you dealer on a T-Handle
conversion kit.
One way to help control how softly the motor
sets down on the deck is by using both up and
down T-handles. Simply pull the motor up with
the up handle and control how quickly the motor
rests on the kayak deck with the down handle.
Propeller Awareness
Having the propeller mounted off the back
versus the Mirage setup leaves the propeller
in a more vulnerable position. PLEASE BE
AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS WHEN
OPERATING THE MOTOR IN THE STERN
MOUNTED POSITION. CARELESSNESS
COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR MOTOR
DAMAGE.

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Time to Hit the Water
These steps will help guide you through the
setup that is needed to get you going on the
water.
Before Heading Out
1. Make sure that the magnetic key is not on the
throttle pad.
2. Place your battery in the kayak and attach
the power cord extension. To attach the
connector, mate the cord tting to the battery
and twist lock the connections together. You
will not be able to twist the connections together
until the plugs are oriented and seated together
correctly. When the battery is resting, make
sure that the top is facing up to ensure that
the GPS gets a good signal. Do not cover the
battery with metallic objects or those containing
metal.
3. Connect your throttle cable extension to
the battery. There is a guide in the connector
which only allows it to connect in a certain
orientation. MAKE SURE THAT THE THREADS
ARE GOING TOGETHER CORRECTLY TO
PREVENT THEM FROM CROSS-THREADING.
If it isn’t going together, make sure that the
threads are lined up properly and are free of any
debris.
4. Attach your throttle to the ball mount on the
kayak using the RAM attachment arm. Once
you have the throttle at the desired adjustment,
tighten up the side knob.
5. Connect the cable coming out from the
throttle to the throttle extension cable.
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