View Full Version : kicker motor question
What side of the big motor do you prefer the kicker to be?
Shawn
03-27-2002, 06:21 AM
Opposite the driver. I have kids and prefer to have them come out of the water where I can see them the best. We do some tubing in the summer and the main motor would block the vision...
>What side of the big motor do you prefer the kicker to be?
Schnauzer
03-27-2002, 09:26 AM
I think the majority of kickers are placed on the port (left - opposite the driver) side of the boat. I think most people prefer it that way but I see a fair number of kickers on the driver's side as well. The only potential downfall of this (port side) arrangement is the following: Depending on the boat and HP of the main motor, the added weight of the kicker can cause a list to the port side when underway at higher speeds. I've got a small case of this on my boat. For me it isn't worth moving the kicker - it only happens at certain speeds, with certain amounts of fuel in the main tank. Plus, the list under those specific conditions is slight enough that I'm the only one who has noticed it. The majority of the time there isn't a list at all. That problem may be non-existant, better, or worse on your boat. Just keep it in mind.
Fish_on
03-27-2002, 09:58 AM
Weight of the kicker is one concern. The 9.9 and 15 four-strokes are quite heavy. I have heard that some people like to put it opposite the driver, but most of the time I have a passenger too. Plus the weight of a kicker couldn't possibly make my Ranger list enough to notice. The handle on a kicker will point towards the middle of the boat when the motor is mounted on the driver's side, which makes it a little easier to operate without constantly banging the handle into the inside of the boat when you want to turn right. I use the Panther Electro-Steer; so it doesn't really matter which side the kicker is on.
Hope this helps.