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The short answer. Riptide Ulterra 80 is a 24 V motor (56 A max draw), the 112 is 36 V (52 A). Both take a 60 A breaker. The 2019 saltwater manual’s wire table is lighter than Minn Kota’s newer 3% tables, so if in doubt go a size heavier. Lithium is allowed with the caveat Minn Kota puts on every brushed motor: designed for lead-acid, prolonged speeds over 85% could cause permanent damage.
Why the Ulterra cares about voltage more than most
Three lines from the manual:
- If the green System Ready light doesn’t stay on after power-up, that “is an indicator of insufficient voltage/power”.
- If the motor sees a current overload for more than 20 seconds, it disables the prop.
- Stowed and idle for 1.5 hours, it switches itself off, and Minn Kota still says to turn the power off when you’re not using it, so the motor doesn’t drain the bank.
An auto-stow motor on a tired bank can strand itself half-deployed. The troubleshooting page gives the fix order: check each battery’s voltage, then the series total, then the voltage at the motor’s B+ and B- wires to find a drop in the run. Check the breaker too; reversed polarity is on the same list.
The manual’s table (5% drop)
| Motor | Volts | Max draw | Breaker | 5 ft | 10 ft | 15 ft | 20 ft | 25 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 lb | 24 | 56 A | 60 A, 24 VDC | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 AWG |
| 112 lb | 36 | 52 A | 60 A, 36 VDC | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 AWG |
Minn Kota’s 2024 freshwater Ulterra manual (2207121, p15) prints a 3% table for the same motors: 8/6/6/4/2 for the 80 and 8/8/8/6/4 for the 112. We’d wire to the heavier one. Factory leads are 10 AWG, and the 112 has a factory extension part. Minn Kota’s breaker is the MKR-19; we don’t list a breaker yet.
Battery
Lead-acid: 105 Ah or more, per Minn Kota. Lithium, in the manual’s words (typos and all): the motor “can run on Lithium Ion batteries” but is “specifically designed to run on traditional lead acid batteries”, and speeds above 85% “for a prolonged peiod could cause permanent damage to the motor.” No lithium size is given.
Our fit, voltage plus continuous rating over the max draw:
| Motor | Pack | Continuous |
|---|---|---|
| 80 (24 V, 56 A) | Pro-Guide 24VM90 24V 90Ah lithium | 90 A |
| 80 (24 V, 56 A) | Pro-Guide 24VM115 24V 115Ah lithium | 100 A |
| 112 (36 V, 52 A) | Pro-Guide 36VM60 36V 60Ah lithium | 60 A |
| 112 (36 V, 52 A) | Pro-Guide 36VM75 36V 75Ah lithium | 75 A |
Or 12 V batteries in series, two for the 80 and three for the 112: Trolling motor battery: 12V, 24V or 36V, wired right.
Run time (example)
Run time calculator math, trolling mode: amp hours x 80% over the amps, warm day.
- 24VM90 on the 80: 1 h 17 min at 56 A, 2 h 34 min at 28 A.
- 24VM115 on the 80: 1 h 39 min, 3 h 17 min.
- 36VM60 on the 112: 55 min at 52 A, 1 h 51 min at 26 A.
- 36VM75 on the 112: 1 h 09 min, 2 h 18 min.
Salt and the wiring
Freshwater rinse and silicone spray from the maintenance page, and from the troubleshooting list: “Make sure terminals and wires are clean and corrosion free.” A corroded lug is a voltage drop, and this motor reads voltage drop as a fault. No anode is named for the Riptide Ulterra in the manual we read.
The warranty lines
The bonding wire inside carries a 3 A fuse. Alternator or DC charging that connects the trolling-battery negatives to the crank battery’s negative “can damage” the motor’s electrics, “voiding your warranty”. An exclusive bank for the motor; sonar and radios off it; accessory negatives on the Low Side battery only; motor disconnected while charging. Pro-Guide packs charge to 28.8 V (24 V) or 43.2 V (36 V); we have no charger at those voltages yet.
Quick answers
What breaker for a Riptide Ulterra 112? 60 A manual reset, rated 36 VDC. The 80 takes 60 A at 24 VDC.
My Riptide Ulterra’s green light goes out. Battery? Minn Kota says a System Ready light that doesn’t stay on means insufficient voltage. Check each battery, the series total, then the voltage at the motor’s B+ and B-.
Can the Riptide Ulterra use lithium? Minn Kota says it can run on lithium but is designed for lead-acid; prolonged speeds over 85% could cause permanent damage.
Which wire table, 5% or 3%? The Riptide manual prints 5%; the newer freshwater Ulterra manual prints 3% and heavier. Use the heavier.
Sources
- Minn Kota Riptide Ulterra owner’s manual 2207112rk (2019), pages 5, 18-20, 23-24, 41-45, 53, 63
- Minn Kota Riptide Ulterra product page: https://minnkota.johnsonoutdoors.com/us/shop/saltwater-trolling-motors/riptide-ulterra
- Minn Kota Ulterra owner’s manual 2207121 (2024), page 15, for the 3% table
- Pro-Guide brochures and product pages
- Trolling motor battery: 12V, 24V or 36V, wired right, Run time calculator, Wire gauge calculator
