Minn Kota Riptide Instinct QUEST 90/115 Saltwater 72" Bow-Mount

The Minn Kota Riptide Instinct QUEST 90/115 with 72-inch shaft is the standard-shaft variant of the top-tier Minn Kota saltwater bow-mount trolling motor lineup. Same Riptide saltwater build, same Instinct auto stow & deploy mechanism, same QUEST brushless dual-voltage motor as the longer 87-inch variant - but with the 72-inch shaft sized for boats with the typical bay-boat freeboard rather than the high-freeboard offshore-class boats that need the longer 87-inch shaft. For most serious bay-boat, sportfish, and big-water inshore anglers, the 72-inch shaft is the right pick.

What "Riptide Instinct QUEST" means. Three Minn Kota technologies layered together. "Riptide" is the saltwater designation: stainless and saltwater-resistant hardware, Maximizer-electronics sealed for the salt environment, and the engineering choices that let the motor handle years of saltwater service that would corrode a freshwater motor. "Instinct" is the auto stow & deploy mechanism: push a button on the wireless remote, foot pedal, mobile app, or a connected HELIX-series fish finder, and the motor deploys from its stowed position over the bow into the water (or stows back up) automatically - you're no longer manually lifting and dropping a heavy trolling motor. "QUEST" is the brushless dual-voltage motor design: the same physical motor runs at 24V (delivering 90 lbs of thrust) or 36V (delivering 115 lbs of thrust), and you'll find the brushless drive meaningfully more efficient and durable than the brushed motors of the prior Riptide generation.

Brushless dual-voltage 24/36V drive. The QUEST motor accepts 24V battery configurations (two 12V batteries in series, 90 lbs thrust output) or 36V battery configurations (three 12V batteries in series, 115 lbs thrust output). The brushless design eliminates the brush wear that limits the lifespan of conventional trolling motor drives. The motor runs cooler, draws less amperage at a given thrust output, and runs quieter than the brushed alternative - the quietness matters for inshore fishing where a noisy motor spooks fish.

72-inch shaft length. The 72-inch composite shaft is the right length for typical bay boats and inshore-class boats with normal freeboard. Long enough to keep the prop deep when the boat is rocking in chop, short enough not to extend dramatically below the boat's typical waterline. For boats with higher freeboard (offshore sportfish, large bay boats with elevated bow casting decks), the 87-inch shaft variant is the right call. For boats with lower freeboard (smaller bay boats, flats boats), shorter shaft variants are also available. The 72-inch is the volume-shipping configuration in the Riptide Instinct QUEST 90/115 line.

Composite shaft - lifetime guaranteed. The shaft material is the proprietary indestructible composite that Minn Kota has used for decades. It flexes under impact (hitting a submerged log, oyster bar, or rock) without breaking, where an aluminum or steel shaft would dent or snap. The composite is guaranteed for life - if the shaft ever fails under normal use, the company will replace it.

Spot-Lock with Jog (5-foot nudge). Spot-Lock is the GPS feature that holds the boat in a fixed position regardless of wind or current. Push the Spot-Lock button, the motor takes over steering and thrust to keep the boat directly over the saved GPS location. The "Jog" addition (built-in heading sensor) lets you nudge the Spot-Lock position 5 feet in any cardinal direction (forward / back / left / right) without breaking lock - useful for re-positioning over a slightly different patch of structure without losing the lock and re-locking.

Drift Mode. Sets a heading and speed and the motor maintains that heading and speed regardless of wind / current pushing on the boat. The motor adjusts steering and thrust automatically to compensate. Useful for drifting a depth contour or a current edge at a specific speed without manual corrections, and meaningfully better than drifting under just wind / current alone (which doesn't track a contour).

Power Trim. Trim the motor up or down at the push of a button - on the wireless remote, foot pedal, mobile app, or fish finder. Lets you adjust prop depth as you move from deep open water to shallow flats, or change to a deeper draft to handle chop without reaching down to manually adjust the trolling motor.

Digital Maximizer variable speed. Provides up to 5 times longer runtime on a single battery charge versus a fixed-speed trolling motor of the same thrust class. The Digital Maximizer lets you dial in your exact speed (not just the 5 fixed speeds of older trolling motors), and only delivers the amperage needed for that speed - which conserves battery dramatically. Combined with the brushless QUEST motor's efficiency, the Riptide Instinct QUEST runs longer per battery charge than any prior Riptide generation.

Real-time battery monitoring with Eco-mode prompt. The motor tracks battery state in real time and displays "time until empty" on the wireless remote and connected app. When battery state drops to 20%, the motor prompts the operator to enter Eco mode - a reduced-current setting that conserves remaining battery for the trip back. The Eco-mode prompt is the difference between getting back to the dock under power and getting stuck out on the water with a dead trolling motor.

One-Boat Network app integration. The motor connects via the One-Boat Network mobile app (Apple iOS or Android). The app handles speed, steering, Spot-Lock, AutoPilot, and software updates - so the trolling motor's firmware can be updated over-the-air rather than requiring a service appointment. The app is free. the motor's app integration is included.

HELIX-series fish finder integration. The motor includes the HELIX adapter cable and 30-foot Ethernet cable for direct integration with select HELIX fish finders. Once connected, the fish finder display shows trolling motor functions (Spot-Lock, autopilot, speed) directly on the fish finder screen - so the angler doesn't have to switch between the trolling motor remote and the fish finder display. The integration is plug-and-play out of the box.

Wireless remote control. The included wireless remote has an LCD screen with battery state, current speed, GPS heading, and active-mode display. Buttons cover Spot-Lock, AutoPilot, speed up / down, steering, Power Trim, and auto stow / deploy. The remote operates from anywhere on the boat (no line-of-sight required) and runs on a single CR123A battery for typical season-long battery life.

What's in the box. Instinct 90/115 lb 72-inch trolling motor, wireless remote with lanyard, MKP-40 Power Prop (already installed), 30-foot Ethernet cable, HELIX-series fish finder adapter cable, mounting hardware kit. Foot pedal sold separately (the heel-toe electric pedal is the typical companion accessory for full-feature deployment).

Install. Bolt-on bow mount to a flat bow surface or to a Minn Kota MKA bow accessory plate. Wire the motor's positive lead to the trolling motor battery bank's positive terminal through a fuse or breaker (60-amp max draw at 36V), wire the negative lead to the battery bank's negative. Pair the wireless remote and the One-Boat Network app per the included instructions. Total install time is typically 4-6 hours for a competent boat owner with reasonable mechanical and electrical skills.

Two-year motor limited warranty. Lifetime warranty on the composite shaft. Order before 3 PM ET for same-day shipping on in-stock units. Note: this is a heavy-freight item and may require freight shipping rather than standard parcel delivery. MAP-enforced - the listed price is the manufacturer minimum advertised price.