Joystick Piloting Coming For Mercury Racing 500R Outboard
A popular option, Joystick Piloting for Outboards will be offered for Mercury Racing 500R outboard engines, the most powerful model in the Fond du Lac, Wis., outboard line. The option will be introduced at the Miami International Boat Show, which opens Wednesday, February 14.
The news was announced in Mercury Racing press release this afternoon.
When Mercury Racing unveiled the 500R last June in Charleston, S.C., Joystick Outboard Piloting was not an option. Photos copyright speedonthewater.com.
The Joystick Piloting—JOP for short—and V-8 outboard combo will be in the Mercury Marine/Mercury Racing exhibit inside the Miami Convention Center.
“With the tech advancements and size of the 500R, we weren’t able to provide JPO when the engine was introduced,” said Jeff Broman, director of category for Mercury Racing, in the release. “Our engineering team has tested multiple set ups and now the 500R with JPO is available for applications running speeds up to 80 mph, ultimately allowing the 500R to be an option for luxury pontoons and RIBs.”
Jeff Broman sees multiple applications for the JOP system with the 500R outboard.
“That’s a big part of why we’ll be in Miami,” said Miranda Doan of Michigan-based Avalon Pontoon Boats, which frequently installs 500R outboards on its models. “We have a twin 500R-powered tri-toon with JPO at the Mercury dock.”
Mercury Racing introduced the 500-hp outboard in June, 2023, at a special event in Charleston, S.C., celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary. The company introduced its V-10 400R outboard years at last year’s Miami Boat Show.
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