DRIVE Neutral Steering Assist - 2024 and newer

[Madman]

Has anyone heard if the FSH (joystick) model has this issue?

Check out posts #42 & 43. @TeeNGee seems to indicate he has noticed the same problem, but is able to use the joy stick to help minimize the issue.

@TommyMcK Sorry I haven’t followed up with you yet, but I can neither confirm nor deny that this is neutral steering assist issue. However I’m willing to assume you’re right! Thank you for your time explaining it to me.

In the meantime, I’m still waiting to hear back from my dealer and have been talking with others about this issue. Hopefully I’ll have more information to share soon. Personally, this is an big issue for me. I had never had a problem trying to retrieve anyone from the water in 15 years, but this Labor Day weekend changed all of that. It’s a long story, but it’s the kind of that keeps you awake at night. I’ve said it before, the way these boats behave in neutral is not only unnatural, but it’s also dangerous and only a matter of time before something really bad happens.

More to come.

 

[Madman]

So I just got off the phone with Yamaha Customer Relations (866-894-1626) and described my experience with the boat. He informed me that this is indeed considered normal for boats equipped with DriveX. I asked how can changing directional control be considered normal when no other boat Yamaha's line, or any other boat for that matter, performs this way. He acknowledged that this a common complaint and their advise is to always center the steering wheel before putting the boat in neutral. I told him that advise was neither helpful nor reasonable. He said he would “bubble it up through the food chain”.

Wow! The best thing about that call was that I was only on hold for about 30 seconds and the call lasted a couple of minutes and the rep was courteous and took down the information.

So it seems I'm getting to the end of the road. The last step is to complete the US Coast Guard Safety Defect Report: Safety Defect Report The US Coast Guard is equivalent to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

I would encourage everyone with the newer Drive X boats to report it to Yamaha Customer Relations and then complete this report. The form asks for basic information about your boat and a description of the defect. Just contact me and I'll share my description of the defect that you can edit accordingly.

Our best chance for getting this fixed is if everyone does their part!

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Yamaha P W C's steer backward in reverse due to the reverse bucket design and I just remember to turn the helm in the direction I want my bow to move rather that where I want the back of the boat to go also my added steering on thy p w c stabilizes the reverse so it is not so touchy and makes it predictable and comfortable. So maybe you want to try my latest model specific steering on your new style nozzles and reverse buckets
if the nozzles are turning and the boat is traveling forward or reverse even without thrust the steering will continue to control the boat .

A comment from a customer who tried this on his boat
2024 FSH Sport H Cobra Jet Steering.
I installed the Cobra Jet steering fins and tested on the lake yesterday. One word….Amazing!!
The install is simple but I did spend time ensuring the fin was aligned (clocked) perfectly with the nozzle.
I noticed the difference the moment I backed off the trailer. Low speed control was much better. Obviously the helm control is the the way to go around a dock, but the Cobra fins provide more control in the absence of the articulating keel.
My complaints with this boat from the first day on the water were …constant drifting at trolling speed (3-5mph)…left turn every time you cut the throttle and come off plane…drifting when on plane at speed.
Tested yesterday with 10-15 mph winds with moderate rollers from wake boats and bass tournament. Trolling speed required very little to no input to maintain course! As a fisherman this was my primary concern. Problem eliminated!! The left turn dive also eliminated. Drifting at speed reduced significantly.
Is it worth it?? Absolutely!!
I hope this helps the others that have been asking about this system.

 

[VitaminSea]

@Cobra Jet Steering LLC - I have your fins on my 2024 252SD, and agree that they make a noticeable improvement with tracking, the do not address the issues that @Madman has detailed. The moment you stop giving forward thrust with the wheel turned, the back of the boat starts to swing out in the opposite direction. This makes docking dicey if you try to dock a DriveX boat as you would with a single throttle vessel. I haven’t tried splitting the throttles, but instead use a combination of the side thrust and the fwd/reverse paddles while keeping the wheel centered.

 

[Madman]

@Cobra Jet Steering LLC - I have your fins on my 2024 252SD, and agree that they make a noticeable improvement with tracking, the do not address the issues that @Madman has detailed. The moment you stop giving forward thrust with the wheel turned, the back of the boat starts to swing out in the opposite direction. This makes docking dicey if you try to dock a DriveX boat as you would with a single throttle vessel. I haven’t tried splitting the throttles, but instead use a combination of the side thrust and the fwd/reverse paddles while keeping the wheel centered.

I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but splitting the throttles hasn’t worked well for me. Maybe I’m just old, but I make a list of things to try every time I go out. I literally wrote a post-it note yesterday to remind myself to try using both paddles simultaneously, keeping the boat out neutral. Does that work? Hoping to get out this weekend yet and try it.

 

[Madman]

Yamaha P W C's steer backward in reverse due to the reverse bucket design and I just remember to turn the helm in the direction I want my bow to move rather that where I want the back of the boat to go also my added steering on thy p w c stabilizes the reverse so it is not so touchy and makes it predictable and comfortable. So maybe you want to try my latest model specific steering on your new style nozzles and reverse buckets
View attachment 239494 if the nozzles are turning and the boat is traveling forward or reverse even without thrust the steering will continue to control the boat .

A comment from a customer who tried this on his boat
2024 FSH Sport H Cobra Jet Steering.
I installed the Cobra Jet steering fins and tested on the lake yesterday. One word….Amazing!!
The install is simple but I did spend time ensuring the fin was aligned (clocked) perfectly with the nozzle.
I noticed the difference the moment I backed off the trailer. Low speed control was much better. Obviously the helm control is the the way to go around a dock, but the Cobra fins provide more control in the absence of the articulating keel.
My complaints with this boat from the first day on the water were …constant drifting at trolling speed (3-5mph)…left turn every time you cut the throttle and come off plane…drifting when on plane at speed.
Tested yesterday with 10-15 mph winds with moderate rollers from wake boats and bass tournament. Trolling speed required very little to no input to maintain course! As a fisherman this was my primary concern. Problem eliminated!! The left turn dive also eliminated. Drifting at speed reduced significantly.
Is it worth it?? Absolutely!!
I hope this helps the others that have been asking about this system.

Thanks for the feedback. Your fins would definitely help with tracking in the open water, especially with towables. Based on Yamaha’s response, this might not be the right boat for us, but your fins are something we’ll consider once we sort it all out.