Video · Kayak Reviews
Riot Mako 10 and Mako 12 Pedal Kayaks: On the Water Test
I've used the Riot Mako 10 and Mako 12 for months, and here I test pedaling, steering and stability on both budget pedal kayaks.
What’s in this video
I’ve been using the Riot Mako 10 and Mako 12 for several months. The Mako 10 was $999 MSRP at the time, which made it the lowest priced pedal kayak on the market. The Mako 12 was $1,299. Both are straight from the factory, no custom work.
The Mako 10 pedals well in reverse, but the turning radius is a bit wide. I think that’s slack in the rudder control lines. The seat sits far back, which makes it easy to reach your gear, but there’s not much flotation behind you. I’m 6 foot 2 and 200 pounds, and the seat only adjusts about six inches. If you’re taller and heavier than me, that might bother you. Standing, it’s very stable for a 10 footer. I actually fell off before it flipped.
The Mako 12 has a longer stern, so there’s more hull behind the seat and my weight is spread out better. The bow doesn’t lift like it did on the 10, and it’s harder to flip. It picks up decent speed with very little pedaling effort, and its rudder lines were tighter, so it turned better. The drive moves side to side a little, which is normal, and it’s open to the water and water lubricated. I did see some surface rust on the screws that hold the pedals on.
Key moments
- 0:00 Introduction to Mako Series
- 1:13 Riot Mako 10 setup
- 2:00 Performance and stability
- 4:15 Standing and buoyancy test
- 5:49 Testing the Mako 12
- 7:35 Steering and drive system
- 8:32 Final thoughts and conclusion
Quick takeaways
- On the Mako 10, slack rudder control lines make the turn radius wide. Tightening them should help.
- The Mako 10 seat sits far back and only adjusts about six inches, so riders over 6'2" and 200 pounds may find it unbalanced.
- The Mako 12 has a longer stern with more flotation behind the seat, so it is more balanced and harder to flip.
- The drive is open to the water and water lubricated, but watch the pedal screws for surface rust.
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