Re: For Those Who Always Wanted a Kicker on Their Pontoon....
I hope these pictures come out right.
I just finished testing a prototype of a new product that PowrTran in Minnesota is bringing out to mount a kicker on a pontoon. This thing is hell for stout, will handle either two-stroke or four-stroke kickers, and is designed to fit 99-percent of the pontoons out there. These pictures are of the prototype, but they have since gone into full production and are now bringing out a good-looking, powder-coated final version.
As you can see from the blue photo, the side arms are fully adjustable for both width and the angle needed to attach to either the struts or the deck structure. They will work with anyone's motor bracket. I went with the PowrTran motor bracket because it allows me to raise and lower by just cranking a handle. But this bracket will work equally well with the Garelick or MarineTech or anybody's motor bracket.
I did the testing with a 9.9 Nissan and it worked beautifully, but I've since switched to a fully remote-controlled 9.9 Yamaha with power tilt and trim. This thing will troll all day long, just sipping gas, and is more than adequate to control a 20-foot pontoon even with wind and chop. Having the motor mounted to the side of the boat makes steering interesting - no problem - but it turns one way much faster than the other. The peace of mind of having a second motor available if the main motor ever dies is huge.
I tied my two motors together with an EZ-Steer, which was really simple to install, so now I control the kicker with the main steering wheel.
I'm not sure what the final retail price will be, probably a couple hundred bucks, but well worth the money. You might check with PowrTran - I don't think it's up on the website yet, but they plan to be shipping units within the month. Just a head's up. If you're looking to install a kicker on a pontoon - this is definitely a very strong class act and definitely the way to go.
