A steering apparatus for an outboard motor includes a steering mechanism including a guide arranged forward relative to and parallel or substantially parallel to a tilt shaft, a moving body that is rotatably coupled to an arm through a first pivot shaft parallel or substantially parallel to the tilt shaft and movable along the guide, and a support bracket that supports the guide such that the guide rotates about a second pivot shaft parallel or substantially parallel to the tilt shaft and offset relative to the tilt shaft.

A method of controlling steering loads on a marine propulsion system of a marine vessel is provided. The marine vessel has at least two sets of marine drives, each set having at least an inner marine drive and an outer marine drive, and a steer-by-wire steering actuator is associated with each set of marine drives. The method includes determining a maximum required actuator pressure on each steer-by-wire steering actuator, and determining a pressure reduction amount based on the maximum required actuator pressure. A link toe angle has been determined based on the pressure reduction amount. A mechanical link connecting each inner marine drive to the respective outer marine drive is adjusted to achieve the link toe angle.

A method of controlling steering loads on a marine propulsion system of a marine vessel is provided. The marine vessel has at least two sets of marine drives, each set having at least an inner marine drive and an outer marine drive, and a steer-by-wire steering actuator is associated with each set of marine drives. The method includes determining a maximum required actuator pressure on each steer-by-wire steering actuator, and determining a pressure reduction amount based on the maximum required actuator pressure. A link toe angle has been determined based on the pressure reduction amount. A mechanical link connecting each inner marine drive to the respective outer marine drive is adjusted to achieve the link toe angle.

Combination of marine vessel and outboard motor, wherein at least one outboard motor is attached in a predetermined position to the transom of the marine vessel, the motor being mounted so as to translate according to a path with at least one motion component having an orientation parallel to the direction of the transverse axis of the hull and/or parallel to the transom of said hull and alternatively towards one or the other side of the hull.

Combination of marine vessel and outboard motor, wherein at least one outboard motor is attached in a predetermined position to the transom of the marine vessel, the motor being mounted so as to translate according to a path with at least one motion component having an orientation parallel to the direction of the transverse axis of the hull and/or parallel to the transom of said hull and alternatively towards one or the other side of the hull.

Techniques are disclosed to enable a system for controlling the propulsion and steering of a boat by a boat operator. The boat has at least one propulsion and steering motor assembly connected to the boat with a propeller, and a propulsion motor. It also has left and right pivoting pedals to provide a signal that controls the angle of the propeller so that if the left pedal is pivoted in a first pivot direction by a first percentage and the right pedal is pivoted in a second pivot direction by a second percentage, the boat executes a turn, moves forward, or moves in reverse.

In an outboard motor equipped with a V-type four-cycle engine provided with a left bank extending leftward and obliquely rearward and a right bank extending rightward and obliquely rearward, a drive shaft is perpendicularly disposed in the outboard motor body so as to transmit a driving force from the engine to a propeller disposed below the engine, and center positions of the left side exhaust passage and the right side exhaust passage are positioned forward than the drive shaft in a front-and-rear direction in an advancing direction of the outboard motor.

In an outboard motor equipped with a V-type four-cycle engine provided with a left bank extending leftward and obliquely rearward and a right bank extending rightward and obliquely rearward, a drive shaft is perpendicularly disposed in the outboard motor body so as to transmit a driving force from the engine to a propeller disposed below the engine, and center positions of the left side exhaust passage and the right side exhaust passage are positioned forward than the drive shaft in a front-and-rear direction in an advancing direction of the outboard motor.

A method for positioning two or more trimmable marine propulsion devices coupled to a transom of a marine vessel includes identifying two propulsion devices located one on each of a port side and a starboard side of a centerline of the transom and spaced symmetrically with respect to the centerline. The two propulsion devices are defined as a first set and are associated with a first target trim position. The method also includes defining a second set of propulsion devices and associating the second set with a second target trim position. When in auto-trim mode, each propulsion device in a set of propulsion devices is actuated to its target trim position only if the actual trim positions of all propulsion devices in the set differ from the target trim position by at least a given amount. The propulsion devices may be actuated individually in response to a user sync command.

A tiller is for an outboard motor. The tiller comprises a tiller body that is elongated along a tiller axis between a fixed end and a free end. A throttle grip is disposed on the free end. The throttle grip is rotatable through a first (left handed) range of motion from an idle position in which the outboard motor is controlled at idle speed to first (left handed) wide open throttle position in which the outboard motor is controlled at wide open throttle speed and alternately through a second (right handed) range of motion from the idle position to a second (right handed) wide open throttle position in which the outboard motor is controlled at wide open throttle speed.