Q. How fast does the motor go? How long does it last? A. You can refer to our handy reference chart below to get an idea. Note that the Jackson Kayak that we used for testing was the Coosa FD, and the Blue Sky model we used was the Angler 360º. Note that ranges are based on calm conditions, 200lb operator and 50lb gear. Range is reduced by wind, current and additional factors. Q. Do I have to use your batteries? A. No. We have built our 24V 9.6Ah and 24V 22Ah K2 Lithium Battery Kits because they offer several valuable benefits. You are welcome to use your own deep cycle battery or lithium battery, but you will need to make sure to use the correct prop based on your battery voltage. 12V battery systems function best with our 10 x 10 prop and 24V systems are best with our 9 x 5 prop. Anything battery below 16V is a “12V Mode” and requires the 10 x 10 prop. Anything above 20 volts is considered “24V Mode“ and requires the 9 x 5 prop. Background: When running in 24V mode, the motor shuts off when the voltage drops to 20 volts to protect the battery from over-discharge damage. In order to make sure that the motor never recognizes a 24v battery as a 12v battery, the system has a “dead zone” from 20 volts down to 16V which is just above the highest possible actual voltage for a 12V battery. Q. What voltage and amperage should my batteries be? A. Your amperage is entirely up to you. Our motor pulls 15A using a fully charged12v battery and 10A using a fully-charged 24V battery. To figure out how long your battery will power your Flex Drive E, divide your Ah by either the 15A or 10A. This will give you runtime under ideal conditions. For example, a 20Ah battery divided by the motor pull of 10Ah means your battery will power your device for two hours at full throttle. If you are running batteries ranging from12-15V, use our 10 x 10 prop for optimal output. If you are running batteries from 20-24V, use our 9 x 5 prop for best performance. Batteries from 16-19V will not work with our drive. Q. How long does it take to charge the batteries? A. This depends on the amount your battery has been discharged. If you are charging a fully discharged battery, expect a 9.6Ah lithium battery to take up to eight hours to charge. The 22Ah lithium battery could take up to 18 hours for a full charge. Thinking of purchasing our Flex Drive E but have a few questions…? Check out our list of Frequently Asked Questions below. Q. What’s in my Flex Drive E box? Is it everything I need to get on the water? A. The Flex Drive E box comes with the motor unit, two keys, Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin (required if you need to register your boat – check your local regulations), Owner’s Manual, Specification Stickers, battery connector cable, two 3/8” and 1/4“ heat shrink ring terminals. You will need to provide your own battery. For maximium efficiency, use the two-bladed, 10” x 10 Pitch 12V Prop on your Flex Drive unit. If you do not have one, pick one up here. If you are using a 24V system, optimal performance will be with our 9“ x 5 Pitch 24V Prop. If you need one, you can find them here. You will also need a Flex Drive-equipped Jackson Kayak or Blue Sky Boatworks model. Q. What does ‘prop pitch’ mean? A. The pitch of a propeller is the distance the propeller moves forward in one revolution; our 10 x 10 prop moves 10” per revolution while our 9 x 5 prop moves 5” per revolution. Lowering the pitch increases the RPMs and maximizes efficiency, which is why we recommend our 9 x 5 prop prop for use with 24V lithium batteries and 10 x 10 prop for manual pedaling and use with 12V deep cycle batteries, which generate lower RPM than the lithium option. High Pitch (10 x 10 Prop) Reduced RPMs Better speed while pedaling or with 12V batteries Similar to low bike gears that are harderto pedal at first but eventually achievehigher speeds Low Pitch (9 x 5 Prop) Increased RPMs Faster acceleration Similar to high bike gears that are easierto pedal at first but won’t achieve highspeeds Q. What gauge are the wires in the battery cables? A. The gauge of the wires in the battery cables is 10 American Wire Gauge (AWG). Note that we include two different sizes of heat shrink ring terminals with your Flex Drive E Motor Kit, 3/8” and 1/4”, which accomodate standard deep cycle batteries and also our K2 lithium battery options. Q. What brand are the batteries you’re offering on the site? A. We are offering a trusted brand in lithium batteries, K2 Energy. This company is based out of Henderson, Nevada and all products are researched and developed in the USA. K2 Energy offers customers the advantages of K2|Lithium Ion™ energy storage solutions. Their products provide the benefits of high power, high energy, safety, lighter weight and extensive cycle life. K2|Lithium Ion™ has a field proven record as being safer and more abuse tolerant than traditional oxide-based lithium batteries, and are the Lithium ion energy storage provider of choice for the US military and medical industries due to their batteries’ unique safety profile. Q. What is the warranty on the drive? A. The Flex Drive E is manufactured by PropEle Electric Boat Motors, Inc., based out of North Bend Washington. For problems with any motor head components, contact their customer service team at 425.502.5232 9a – 5p Pacific Time Zone. PropEle guarantees the original purchaser that the motor head is free from material and manufacturing faults for two years from the date of purchase. Q. Can I purchase a kayak with just the Flex Drive E? A. We are not offering that configuration at this time.
