Almost embarrased to ask this....

Can someone explain to me what direct drive is and V-drive and the differences between the 2?

Yes I know, dumb question, but google is telling me nothing and we only have an old I/O

direct drive - has a shaft comming out of the engine that is streight to the propeller. There is some sort of transmission obviously, but it is basically a "direct drive." You will see a box in the middle of the boat that has an engine.

V-drive - The engine is generally at the back of the boat like an Inboard Outboard, but the shaft comes out of the engine toward the bow, then makes a direction change via some gears, hints the "V" and then it comes out of the hull of the boat just like a direct drive.

Now that we are making questions... what does the "V" stand for??
I have seen it as "Vee" drive on some old manual or as "Vector" drive in MC's website.

V is for the angle of the V drive unit that allows the prop to be infront of/under the engine. It looks like a V from the side.

Thanks for the clarification Nick!

Another question: It seems to me that I hear most people say that a "V-drive is better for wakeboarding"...Is this just people talking out their rear end or is a V-drive actually better for making a big wake?

The V drive has more weight at the rear which typically creates a bigger wake. It also frees up more space inside for people, and since wakeboarding is a group activity usually, there is more comfort and ability to talk.

That being said, most V-drive have a brother DD that uses the same hull. If equally loaded with the weight distributed the same in each boat, they should have "nearly" identical wakes.

V drive = Vector drive

this is probably the only place in the world that someone can feel good about saying they have a "vd"

If you have people in your group that slalom, they will prefer the small wake of the direct drive when the boat is not ballasted. As Robert says, when ballasted there is little difference between the DD and V sister ships given the same hull.

For the sunworshippers in the group, the V drive usually has a larger sunpad.

ryan why do you say that?

luchog,
joke, "venerial disease"
calm down...

No problem, I was just asking because no mechanic around here recommend V-drives, all ski boats are DD's. But have never hear any good arguments for that.

Here's a drawing of a V-drive. I believe the engine is facing the opposite direction of a direct drive as well.

Looking underneath the boat you should not be able to tell if it's a V-drive or direct.

The right side is a i/o




(Message edited by bambamski on May 06, 2005)

The mechanic does not recomend the v-drive because they are harder to work on them. The accessories are at the stern of the boat.