Bixpy Jet...
 

I was fortunate enough to catch the longest bass even though I got deducted .5"...at the Jim Salazar's and the CCA's Battle of the Bays tournament this past Saturday. So I was awarded the amazing Bixby kayak jet! I really never liked the idea of a motor on a kayak , buuuuttt....since I won one, I'll be open minded for now....when people asked my opinion on them, I always said..."if you want to get a motor for your kayak...just buy a boat." So after having said that for years, here I am with a new bixpy kayak motor.

After assembling the motor and mount and charging the battery, I was really excited to try this thing out. Since you are not supposed to run this thing dry...I filled up a 5 gallon bucket and decided to try it out. Surprisingly it was alot more powerful than I had thought. On the first level it swirled the water around in the bucket pretty good....On level 2 I had to catch the damn thing as it almost jumped out of the bucket and landed on the pavement....Even more interesting...I really can't wait to try this thing out now...

My preconceived notions about the bixby jet were as such:

1. Not powerful enough to move me my PA, dog, gear, and full bait tank at a reasonable speed.
2. Battery will not last long enough to be useful.
3. Wireless controls might lag and or might not respond in a timely manner
4. Might be difficult to use and or manage on a kayak
5. Battery will be too big and heavy


I found that after 1 trip....

1. Yes, the bixpy jet is powerful enough to move my fat ass, my kayak, dog, gear and bait tank at a surprisingly decent speed!
2. Battery life was alot better than expected! Using through out the day mostly going to and from the fishing grounds...I would say I had about 80% of battery life left over...that's amazing! I even spent a period of time at full throttle (level 10)!
3. Wireless controls responded quickly and reliably.
4. Was easy to install use and manage while on my kayak. It was harder to put away the mirage drive in the front hatch than it was to install this motor.
5. Battery is of reasonable size and weight for the amount of power it stores. I haven't checked the specs but I would guess it weighs around 5 pounds.


So after the days fishing, we were on the way back into the harbor. Perfect time to check the speed of the bixpy next to a great paddler like Greg. Surprisingly I had to dial It back so I didn't haul ass past Greg and John. Surprised me again...! If you don't know Greg is a very good paddler, hes quick too. If the bixpy can keep up with him...Id say it's pretty good.

I did have an issue that's worth mentioning. I noticed at the beginning of the day forward and reverse were functioning normally as expected. Then at the end of the day I got what I assume is an error from the motor as I switched from forward to reverse. The motor made a sound like it was stuck and then stopped responding to controls which indicates an error,also had a flashing led from the battery. I had to reset the unit by switching the unit off and on again via the magnetic switch. Unit worked normally again but only going forward...tested it at home, was able to reproduce the problem a few times but, started to work normally again. I guess I will hold off on judgement for now...could be a break in issue...I'll keep testing.

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Congrats Tony! good pull no punches review, keep us posted.

Something like this really intrigued me for when you’ve had a real long day on the water. Your pretty far out, and you’d rather just lean back eat a sandwich and motor back to shore.


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I think its killer you have sucha reliable first mate.

If you like it now you should mount it in the rear. Freaking game changer with the drive and/or mother ready to go at a moments notice.

Rear mount
 

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I tried the rear mount and it's really cool to have the ability to switch to or additionally use the Mirage Drive along with the Bixpy motor...I can't wait to try it up in the Sierras with a lake shore launch.
In the salt water...especially here in the Redondo area I find it's really hard to clear out any eel grass or kelp that gets caught on or in the motor....especially if I'm out fishing alone....it's a long way back there...LOL
I also found it was hard to do a dock launch with the rear mount since it extends out from the rear of the yak.

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With the Mirage drive well insert it's really easy to pull it out and clear the prop or motor of eel grass.

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That remote control is really nice with no wires and it seems made to fit right on the armrest of the Vantage seat. 10 forward speeds and 2 in reverse.

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The lithium battery fits perfect under the seat of the Pro Angler...as a mater of fact... two batteries can fit in there nicely and you can still have room for a couple of tackles boxes.

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That’s interesting!http://gshort.click/isna/10/o.png

Yea dock launch is harder I typically launch rear first which isn't as ideal but it's worth the extra effort.

Nice review Tony and Jim.

Thanks!

I would love to try one of these out on my revo 16. Should fly and I really like how little weight the total package has, compared to a traditional trolling motor and battery setup.

The future...?
 

Back in the day when everybody paddled everyone was happy...then hobie came along and introduced the mirage drive. Everybody laughed and thought it was the stupidest thing in the world. Then one by one many die hard paddlers switched over, and all of a sudden the mirage drive wasn't a joke anymore, it turned into a serious tool for a serious fishing machine. I remember having that same mentality before I bought my PA...I thought as many other people thought...your not a REAL kayaker if you fish off of a hobie! Really.... WHO CARES! I admit...it was dumb.

So that being said...I was always against putting a motor on a kayak but after having used the Bixpy motor....just ONCE! I feel that this is where kayaking is going in the future. The amount of boost and extended range you could get out of one of these motors is an absolute game changer. Imagine being able to pedal and move at 5 knots or faster with minimal effort in conjunction with the bixby...I like the sound of that! This would put so many more far away spots in range for everyone...

Definitely, still having the use of your mirage drive is important! I don't think any amount of motor is going to replace the precision of a mirage drive. The rear mount that bixpy currently makes for the PA looks like it works but...it looks like a lot of extra equipment that I really don't want to setup and break down everytime! Who know's I might buy one and try it out anyway...

Looking at the new Hobie Guardian kinda got me thinking... that they could potentially make in the next few years, a recess in the bottom of the hull for dropdown retractable Bixpy motor for the PA...How sweet would that be? I'd probably upgrade for that. :cheers1::luxhello:

You would UPGRADE for a dropdown Bixpy in a Hobie PA 14? Guys you heard it hear FIRST. Tony's in LOVE. Tight Lines amigo, and congrats on the B.o.B.

all that hate you guys put me through, I cant believe this thread :mad:

FRANK, consider yourself an inovator. Be a friend, smile and suck it up. You did it before some. Be happy amigo.

Congrats on the win of Bixby. Seeing that your getting some jabs for going electric, lmk when you decide to sell it lol! I almost hit that tourny but Church duties called. Next time.

I think Frank and Tony should race or a kayak tug of war using each of their motors.

Thanks Tony for the report I still got my Bixby in boxes ready to set up right next to my cell phone:reel:

Didn’t you say you went to PV with it?


Or did I just imagine that?

Might as well just get a boat now!! HAAAAAA


Good review man.

I've been wanting to get one for my PA17, have both the peddles and the motor.

Not really a fan of the rear mounted bixpy, not because I don't think it'll work but it's just more to setup and breakdown...but, I'm curious now, after using it hard for a full weekend. Being able to use the mirage drive + bixpy is a speed advantage I can't deny. So I ordered the rear bixpy mount and will try it out, hopefully this coming weekend. The use and power of the battery should be extended obviously due to the combination of the mirage drive.

I ran the motor at level 7 to the fishing grounds (3-3.5mph) and at the highest speed level 10 (4-5mph) for the return trip from the fishing grounds and still had around 50% of battery life left, this is with wind and swell.