With the launch of the latest two engines, Suzuki drive by wire is now available from 115 horsepower to 350. This is the largest range in the segment of outboard motors.
To completely drop the mechanical link between driving controls and engine: this is, in short, the meaning of the expression drive by wire. First it spread on airplanes, to control flaps and engines, then on cars (first the accelerator, then the power steering – no longer hydraulic but electric), and finally got, as it often happens, into the nautical sector.
Suzuki has always believed in drive by wire, and with the launch of the Suzuki DF115BG and Suzuki DF140BG it now boasts the most extensive range of outboards with this technology.
From 115 to 350 horsepower, Suzuki drive by wire is for (almost) everyone
The two latest Suzuki outboard engines were launched at the 60th Genoa Boat Show, and were the first to introduce drive by wire in their power range.
The most perceived advantage of this tech is in the feeling that it guarantees, in terms of power- and gear- management. The throttle partialization, or the transition from neutral to forward or reverse, takes place in a much smoother and more immediate way.
This is because with the by wire technology adopted by Suzuki (and their competitors) the inputs by the driver do not reach the engine through cables and levers, but are acquired by a sensor that converts them into a digital electronic signal. This, through a data network, is transmitted to an electromechanical drive unit connected directly to the motor. The controls travel inside an electric wire, eliminating the problems of the mechanical parts in terms of installation and wear.
The Suzuki drive by wire journey began years ago with the debut of electronic V6 engines, namely the Suzuki DF250AP, DF300AP, DF350A, DF300B. Then they scaled it down to the high performance 4 cylinders, with the DF200AP, which was the first outboard to offer by wire in the 200 hp segment, shared with the DF150AP and DF175AP. Finally, in the last October they had the launch of Suzuki DF115BG and DF140BG.
In a (technological) no-holds-barred struggle between competitors, Suzuki bank this record and keep faithful to the slogan “The ultimate outboard motor”. And we are sure that in the near future we will see drive by wire on ever smaller motors, to finally become affordable for everyone.
Meet the all-new Suzuki DF300B, outboard engine with dual propeller
