BOATS
38 JANUARY 2018FISH TRIALS + NEW BOATS + ELECTRONICS + BETTER BOATINGCONTROL ISSUES
CONSIDER AN UPGRADE TO DRIVE-BY-WIRE CONTROLS
BY JIM HENDRICKSI have electronic throttle
and shift controls on my
boat, and I never wish to
return to the good ol’ days of
cable controls for my single
outboard.
That said, the previous
system served me well for
three decades. Given that
cable systems still offer
more-than- satisfactory
performance, is an upgrade
to electronic — or drive-by-
wire — controls really worth
it? Here are factors to help
you decide.
TIMING IT
Making the switch from
cable to electronic controls
usually coincides with the
purchase of a new boat or
outboard. That’s because
choice between mechanical
and electronic engine con-
trols on a number of models,
including the popular F200
four-cylinder and the F225,
F250 and F300 V-6 engines.COST FACTORS
A new engine with drive-
by-wire controls costs more
than one with conven-
tional throttle and shift.
Yamaha’s F200 with elec-
tronic controls, for example,
costs around 6 percent
more than the mechanical
version. What’s more, the
drive-by-wire price does
not include some rigging
elements needed for elec-
tronic controls, including a
binnacle and instrumenta-
tion. Unless you performyou can’t just add electronic
controls to an older
outboard. The engine must
be designed and built with
drive-by-wire capabilities.
While nearly all new
multi-outboard boats now
come equipped with drive-by-
wire controls, a fair number
of new single- outboard boats
feature cables.
If you’re ordering a new
boat — either through a
dealer or factory direct
— you will likely have the
opportunity to specify
the type of controls.
When re-powering an
older boat, you can choose to
stay with cables or upgrade
to drive-by-wire, which will
dictate what type of engine
you buy. Outboard brands
such as Yamaha offer a JIM HENDRICKS (TOP, OPPOSITE)MERCURY
Mercury Marine’s DTS
(Digital Throttle and Shift)
system can handle up to
four outboards from as
many as two stations.MMMMMMMMMMMMMMERCURYERCURYERCURYERCURYERCURYERCURYERCURYERCURYERCURYERCURYERCURYERCURYERCURYERCURYEVINRUDE
The Evinrude Icon II
binnacle is designed for
smooth electronic throttle
and shift functions with
the E-Tec G2 outboards.YAMAHA
The Yamaha Marine Helm
Master electronic binnacle
offers a wide range of
functionality, including
joystick integration.Suzuki’s Precision
Control electronic
binnacle alerts you
to gear shifts with
an audible beep
and a signal on the
engine display.YAMYAMYAMYAMYAMYAMYAMYAMYAMYAMYAMYAMYAMAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAAHA