I did a Chat session with Austin Kayak. I was told pre-order price for new 180 Mirage Drive w/ reverse is $900.

Ouchh.. 

Lol ... get the old version and use the difference on a trolling motor with a lithium ion battery ....

That's almost 50% more than a non-reversible GT drive---seems excessive even by Hobie standards. I'm glad I don't need reverse.

With all of the other pedal drive yaks hitting the market, Hobie may just be pricing themselves out of the market.  With that kind of pricing, I will certainly take a good look at alternatives before I buy my next yak.  Pricing like that does nothing to help the buy American made goods effort.  I'm surprised we haven't seen "knock off" drives from China or Korea yet.  Probably not enough demand to justify the tooling required for production but let's not forget low price was the key issue for the Asian auto makers in the beginning.  I'm all for buying American but somewhere value has to be part of the equation.  I'll stick to my old V-2 Mirage drive as long as it remains usable.  A paddle works pretty good for reverse.

Wow.  I want the reverse features but that price tag is too steep.  I'll wait for the price to go down.  Thanks for the info Mel.

Picking this up for $1200 with reverse, I gotta say I have peddled a Hobie Revo and own a mariner propel. I like revers when I'm a foot or two away from the Tillamook jetty rockfishing and can easily hold position nose pointed at the rocks.

I know this is dated but I was quoted 650.00

Even the price is going in reverse!

Kevin Nakada from Hobie is sending us a 2017 Revo13 with the 180 drive for our 2016 AOTY Adam Koons!

Come to the AOTY/DOTY awards ceremony and check it out!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim