How to Care and Maintain Your Vibe X-Drive

The Vibe X Drive has been on the market for a little over two years. This guide is for owners to understand that this is a mechanical piece of equipment with many moving parts. This being stated there are certain key components that need to be maintained for optimum performance.

First and foremost you should do a visual inspection of the entire unit. Look for obvious signs of damage, dirt or debris, missing or broken parts. Keeping the unit clean and free of debris will prevent wear and tear on the moving parts. A clean damp cloth is an excellent way to remove grime. Take special note of any abrasive elements such as sand in the chain assembly or idler pulley areas. If sand or grit are found in these areas a solid stream of water from a hose should be able to rinse the area clear. Also for our users that are in saltwater, a full rinse with help prolong the life of anything exposed to salt.

There are several nuts and bolts on the unit that should be checked for tightness. These include the pedal shaft to drum, idler cables to drum, the thumbscrew in the notch on the fin. The clevis pin should also be checked to ensure the fin doesn’t separate from the mast rod. The mast rod should be straight. This rod runs the through the leading edge of each fin. The fin should be inspected for any signs of wear, cracking, or other damage. The pedal adjustment latch is spring loaded. Press the latch to ensure that there is no hidden debris or sand.

Lubricants that can be used should be environmentally friendly for in the water use. This includes Hobie Multi-Lube or some of the products from PlanetSafe Lubricants. WD 40 and other light oils are highly discouraged as they either break down quickly in the water, have a residue that in some cases will hold grit and grime or are “NOT environmentally friendly”. After applying lubricants work the drive by hand.

The Idler cable is key for keeping the drive chains in the teeth of the chain assembly. If your chain becomes too loose the chain will skip off the teeth. This can be adjusted by adjusting the tension on the cables attached to the drum. These cables work as a pair and the same amount of tension needs to be applied to each cable. The idler cable as it passes over the idler pulley should have a little flex in it.

I hope this basic care and maintenance guide will help our users enjoy many hours and miles using the Vibe X Drive. An ounce of prevention will prevent a pound of headaches.