THE BEST WATERCRAFT DRIVE SYSTEM JUST GOT BETTER.
Meet the Jackson Kayak Flex Drive Mark IV, the latest innovation in the Flex Drive evolution. The only drive system on the market to offer a shallow water auto-retracting lower unit, a 3-position dagger board to accommodate a variety of depths, and a sealed above-water pedal system with intuitive forward and reverse operation – all wrapped up with Jackson Kayak’s industry leading warranty and customer service.
Faster, smoother, quieter, and more durable than ever before, the Flex Drive Mark IV gives you the power to get closer to the action.
So, how did we take something great and make it even better?
FASTER. The power to get you there. And back – quickly.
Jackson Kayak's latest upgrades have made the drive more efficient and that has allowed us to use a more aggressive prop. Specifically, the Flex Drive Mark IV is powered by a 3:1 pedal drive input fed into a 4:1 spiral bevel gear pair. The result? You get more speed from every rotation of the pedals. And we get to deliver a drive that’s smooth as silk, and faster than ever.
SMOOTHER & QUIETER. Because stealth matters.
The upgraded the bearings, increased the diameter on the flex drive cable and reversed the rotation of the drive all in an effort to make sure what is under the water is whisper quiet. On the upper, we completely revamped the drive, and with the new belt driven system it’s quieter and smoother than all past versions of the FD.
MORE DURABLE. The Mark IV can handle anything you throw at it.
We wanted to figure out the best way to make our pedal system even more durable. So, what did we do? We looked to an industry that has been testing pedal technology, in all kinds of conditions, for well over a century – the bicycle. We started with ‘off the shelf’ bicycle parts and then put them in a closed, maintenance-free housing in a sealed oil bath. We then moved over to a serpentine belt system so that the entire system is stronger overall, and far more forgiving.
Just to make sure this system is as good as we think it is, we subjected it to hundreds of hours of freshwater and saltwater testing. Every box has been checked and double-checked. This gives us the confidence to offer a 2-year manufacturer warranty on the Mark IV, just like our previous Flex Drives.
UPPER UNIT
The upper unit has been completely redesigned. It now features a serpentine belt-driven system and uses ‘off the shelf’ bike parts that have been in use for decades. By moving this direction, we were able to increase speed and durability, all while using parts that have been industry-tested to perform in the worst conditions possible.
The new Mark IV Drive is maintenance-free and ready to use immediately. The sealed oil bath surrounding the internal gearing on the drive eliminates the need for maintenance, and because the crank arms are factory-installed to the proper torque rating, you’re ready to start pedaling!
The Flex Drive Mark IV gear ratio is a 1:12 system, and the propeller has been fine-tuned specifically for this system. The upper unit is still a sealed system, which means no gears or moving parts are below the waterline.
The Mark IV unit is not backward-compatible. The upper and lower units work in tandem. The updates to the lower include a larger diameter, reversed shaft and prop specific to the Mark IV system.
LOWER UNIT
In the Flex Drive 3D, we tightened the tolerances on the lower unit’s flexible shaft. This resulted in reduced vibration, and a dramatic reduction in noise on the water. We have continued the Flex Drive evolution with the Mark IV, adding a thicker, more durable drive shaft and reversing the rotation of the prop to work with the newly designed upper unit.
Since the lower unit is not a sealed system, the water is able to drain easily.
You can view the user manual here: https://hub.jacksonkayak.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/334_Belt-Drive-Manual-BV8.pdf
Made in the USA
71812 Kit; Upgrade Mark IV Upper, Lower & Prop
At Outdoor New England, we are not attempting to make money on the shipment of your products. Our goal is to keep it as affordable as possible. With the complexities of shipment types, companies, packaging and weight, often we ship items that cost us more to help you save.
Regularly Sized Packaging
For orders that aren't oversized and total more than $99, we ship for free through USPS, FedEx or UPS.
If you'd like to expedite the package, a small fee is added to enable 2 day shipping options.
Freight Shipments
To ship kayaks and canoes, we use Less Than a Truckload (LTL) freight shipping companies. The boats will ship to a freight terminal or in some cases a business address close to the customer's home. Once the shipment has arrived at the terminal (or business) the customer will receive a call from us or the shipper to schedule the pickup.
Flexible Deliveries via the ONE Logistics Team
In this post-covid era, freight shipments have been harder to schedule and cost more, while products have never been sought after more. In an effort to save customer's money and get them what they need, we have implemented a grass roots shipping program.
Our Outdoor New England Logistics Team are transient folks that go paddling all over the country. We've tried to catalog those trips to ensure we can help them with their gas money and help you get the boat you want, quite a bit cheaper.
If you are interested in joining the Logistics Team fill this out.
For most industries, shipping is fairly consistent and affordable. In this day and age, often times shipping can be free to get a sale. However, this industry isn't.
Since the first day you could purchase a kayak online, shipping kayaks has been expensive. In an effort to save money, both for the customer and for us (FYI - most kayak companies subsidize the shipping of boats around the country), we've come up with a kayak delivery program.
Our ONE Logistics Team will personally delivery your boat!
We believe that this will help, build relationships and make costly shipments more affordable for everyone.
Kayak deliveries are based off preselected routes, destinations and schedules. Our crew will build the routes around paying customers, hence, first come first serve. However, we will do our best to be flexible and help as many people as we can. All kayak deliveries will depart from our home in Franklin, New Hampshire and we will deliver on our way to each final destination, and back, if applicable.
UPCOMING DELIVERY SCHEDULE
End of June 2024
- Headed to American Whitewater's Deerfield River Festival. Leaving New Hampshire headed to Massachusetts. Delivering on our way there and back.
September 2024
- Headed to American Whitewater's Gauley Fest. Leaving New Hampshire headed to West Virginia. Delivering on our way there and back.
- Headed to Beaver River Rendezvous. Leaving New Hampshire headed to New York. Delivering on our way there and back.
Email or call for accurate pricing for each trip.
Want to join the ONE Logistics Team?
In this post-covid era, freight shipments have been harder to schedule and cost more, while products have never been sought after more. In an effort to save customer's money and get them what they need, we have implemented a grass roots shipping program.
Our Outdoor New England Logistics Team are transient folks that go paddling all over the country. We've tried to catalog those trips to ensure we can help them with their gas money and help you get the boat you want, quite a bit cheaper.
If you are interested in joining the Logistics Team fill this out.
THE BEST WATERCRAFT DRIVE SYSTEM JUST GOT BETTER.
Meet the Jackson Kayak Flex Drive Mark IV, the latest innovation in the Flex Drive evolution. The only drive system on the market to offer a shallow water auto-retracting lower unit, a 3-position dagger board to accommodate a variety of depths, and a sealed above-water pedal system with intuitive forward and reverse operation – all wrapped up with Jackson Kayak’s industry leading warranty and customer service.
Faster, smoother, quieter, and more durable than ever before, the Flex Drive Mark IV gives you the power to get closer to the action.
So, how did we take something great and make it even better?
FASTER. The power to get you there. And back – quickly.
Jackson Kayak's latest upgrades have made the drive more efficient and that has allowed us to use a more aggressive prop. Specifically, the Flex Drive Mark IV is powered by a 3:1 pedal drive input fed into a 4:1 spiral bevel gear pair. The result? You get more speed from every rotation of the pedals. And we get to deliver a drive that’s smooth as silk, and faster than ever.
SMOOTHER & QUIETER. Because stealth matters.
The upgraded the bearings, increased the diameter on the flex drive cable and reversed the rotation of the drive all in an effort to make sure what is under the water is whisper quiet. On the upper, we completely revamped the drive, and with the new belt driven system it’s quieter and smoother than all past versions of the FD.
MORE DURABLE. The Mark IV can handle anything you throw at it.
We wanted to figure out the best way to make our pedal system even more durable. So, what did we do? We looked to an industry that has been testing pedal technology, in all kinds of conditions, for well over a century – the bicycle. We started with ‘off the shelf’ bicycle parts and then put them in a closed, maintenance-free housing in a sealed oil bath. We then moved over to a serpentine belt system so that the entire system is stronger overall, and far more forgiving.
Just to make sure this system is as good as we think it is, we subjected it to hundreds of hours of freshwater and saltwater testing. Every box has been checked and double-checked. This gives us the confidence to offer a 2-year manufacturer warranty on the Mark IV, just like our previous Flex Drives.
UPPER UNIT
The upper unit has been completely redesigned. It now features a serpentine belt-driven system and uses ‘off the shelf’ bike parts that have been in use for decades. By moving this direction, we were able to increase speed and durability, all while using parts that have been industry-tested to perform in the worst conditions possible.
The new Mark IV Drive is maintenance-free and ready to use immediately. The sealed oil bath surrounding the internal gearing on the drive eliminates the need for maintenance, and because the crank arms are factory-installed to the proper torque rating, you’re ready to start pedaling!
The Flex Drive Mark IV gear ratio is a 1:12 system, and the propeller has been fine-tuned specifically for this system. The upper unit is still a sealed system, which means no gears or moving parts are below the waterline.
The Mark IV unit is not backward-compatible. The upper and lower units work in tandem. The updates to the lower include a larger diameter, reversed shaft and prop specific to the Mark IV system.
LOWER UNIT
In the Flex Drive 3D, we tightened the tolerances on the lower unit’s flexible shaft. This resulted in reduced vibration, and a dramatic reduction in noise on the water. We have continued the Flex Drive evolution with the Mark IV, adding a thicker, more durable drive shaft and reversing the rotation of the prop to work with the newly designed upper unit.
Since the lower unit is not a sealed system, the water is able to drain easily.
You can view the user manual here: https://hub.jacksonkayak.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/334_Belt-Drive-Manual-BV8.pdf
Made in the USA
71812 Kit; Upgrade Mark IV Upper, Lower & Prop
At Outdoor New England, we are not attempting to make money on the shipment of your products. Our goal is to keep it as affordable as possible. With the complexities of shipment types, companies, packaging and weight, often we ship items that cost us more to help you save.
Regularly Sized Packaging
For orders that aren't oversized and total more than $99, we ship for free through USPS, FedEx or UPS.
If you'd like to expedite the package, a small fee is added to enable 2 day shipping options.
Freight Shipments
To ship kayaks and canoes, we use Less Than a Truckload (LTL) freight shipping companies. The boats will ship to a freight terminal or in some cases a business address close to the customer's home. Once the shipment has arrived at the terminal (or business) the customer will receive a call from us or the shipper to schedule the pickup.
Flexible Deliveries via the ONE Logistics Team
In this post-covid era, freight shipments have been harder to schedule and cost more, while products have never been sought after more. In an effort to save customer's money and get them what they need, we have implemented a grass roots shipping program.
Our Outdoor New England Logistics Team are transient folks that go paddling all over the country. We've tried to catalog those trips to ensure we can help them with their gas money and help you get the boat you want, quite a bit cheaper.
If you are interested in joining the Logistics Team fill this out.
For most industries, shipping is fairly consistent and affordable. In this day and age, often times shipping can be free to get a sale. However, this industry isn't.
Since the first day you could purchase a kayak online, shipping kayaks has been expensive. In an effort to save money, both for the customer and for us (FYI - most kayak companies subsidize the shipping of boats around the country), we've come up with a kayak delivery program.
Our ONE Logistics Team will personally delivery your boat!
We believe that this will help, build relationships and make costly shipments more affordable for everyone.
Kayak deliveries are based off preselected routes, destinations and schedules. Our crew will build the routes around paying customers, hence, first come first serve. However, we will do our best to be flexible and help as many people as we can. All kayak deliveries will depart from our home in Franklin, New Hampshire and we will deliver on our way to each final destination, and back, if applicable.
UPCOMING DELIVERY SCHEDULE
End of June 2024
- Headed to American Whitewater's Deerfield River Festival. Leaving New Hampshire headed to Massachusetts. Delivering on our way there and back.
September 2024
- Headed to American Whitewater's Gauley Fest. Leaving New Hampshire headed to West Virginia. Delivering on our way there and back.
- Headed to Beaver River Rendezvous. Leaving New Hampshire headed to New York. Delivering on our way there and back.
Email or call for accurate pricing for each trip.
Want to join the ONE Logistics Team?
In this post-covid era, freight shipments have been harder to schedule and cost more, while products have never been sought after more. In an effort to save customer's money and get them what they need, we have implemented a grass roots shipping program.
Our Outdoor New England Logistics Team are transient folks that go paddling all over the country. We've tried to catalog those trips to ensure we can help them with their gas money and help you get the boat you want, quite a bit cheaper.
If you are interested in joining the Logistics Team fill this out.