Yamaha's XTO Offshore outboards were introduced just last year, and PropTalk recently had the opportunity to test out these outboards, along with Yamaha's Helm Master system, on a variety of boats on the Miles River in St. Michaels, MD.
The new V8 XTO Offshore outboard is designed to take Yamaha’s premium quality brand position to a higher level with extreme power and thrust, toughness and reliability, system integration, control, convenience, and customer care. Yamaha has achieved many of these extremes by rethinking the outboard and its related systems, and through the application of technologies new to the industry.
“This is an integrated outboard system, designed to push the heaviest offshore boats and yachts,” said Ben Speciale, Yamaha Marine Group president. “The new Yamaha V8 XTO Offshore has 5.6-liters tremendous thrust and 425 horsepower. The V8 XTO Offshore provides extreme performance for the biggest boats. Combine it with the latest generation of Helm Master and Yamaha’s CL7 Display, and you have benefits offered nowhere else.”
Power
Pushing the heaviest offshore boats and yachts requires driving extreme, large propellers, a massive, rugged gearcase, and an extreme powerhead. As the first four-stroke powerhead in the outboard industry to use Direct Injection, the V8 XTO Offshore is already a legend, spraying fuel at high pressure directly into the combustion chamber, rather than the intake track, just before the intake valve. This greatly improves atomization and increases the effectiveness of the fuel burn for maximum power and efficiency.
Yamaha’s V8 XTO Offshore also boasts the highest compression ratio in an outboard - 12.2:1. This means more “bang” from every spark, as well as better efficiency and power.
The new XTO OS propellers for boats and yachts are made to complement the torque potential of the Yamaha V8 XTO Offshore. These new propellers produce more thrust in both forward and reverse, using diameters from 16 to 17⅛ inches. The increased blade surface area is designed for moving big boats and yachts.
System Integration
The V8 XTO Offshore has integrated electric steering, the first of its kind in any outboard. The integrated steering system has no hydraulic lines or linkages, and responds more quickly than conventional systems to steering inputs. In addition, integrated electric steering means reduced power consumption, clean rigging, and a very orderly bilge area.
The new V8 XTO Offshore outboard also features an Integral Electronic Steering Control Unit that receives signals from the steering cylinder position sensor to carry out joystick and steering operation. Functions integrated into the electric steering system on Yamaha V8 XTO Offshore outboards include: joystick calibration, lever sensor, toe-in/out adjust, joystick thrust, lock to lock, and steering friction set.
Helm Master and the CL7 Display have also been updated along with the launch of the new XTO Offshore outboard.
Innovation Award
The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Boating Writers International (BWI) honored Yamaha Marine Group with its IBEX Innovation Award in the outboard motor category for the new Yamaha V8 XTO Offshore during the annual International Boatbuilders' Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) at the Tampa Convention Center in October, 2018.
“We are honored to accept this award for the new XTO Offshore and pleased to have this innovative outboard recognized by the industry,” said Dale Barnes, Yamaha Marine Group marketing division manager. "The XTO Offshore is an integrated outboard system, with tremendous thrust and 425 horsepower designed to push the heaviest offshore boats and yachts. Combine that with the latest generation of Helm Master and Yamaha’s CL7 Display, and you have an extreme boating experience hard to duplicate anywhere else.”
To learn more about XTO Offshore outboards, visit yamahaoutboards.com.
To check out our video of Yamaha's Helm Master system, click here.