Continuing the discussion from About the G
eneral Discussion category: What is the purpose of dual throttles (billet ect). Obviously one is the throttle but what is the second shifter for?
Gear change. F-N-R
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You typed the answer! Shifter.
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So if you want to go in reverse, the shifter goes into reverse and the throttle needs to go the other direction, or does the throttle go into reverse as well? Only asking because a boat Iâm looking at has the dual.
Throttle goes to idle position, then you shift F-N-R, then throttle up and repeat procedure to get where you are going.
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Any technical benefit?
I use them. Itâs Mostly just user preference- the advantage/reason for me is having the Jack plate & trim toggle switch on the throttle lever. Older factory Tohatsu binnacles had this option as well but was discontinued.
Seems handy for jet ski dog fights?
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Throttle only goes in the forward direction. So if you shift in reverse to give it gas, you still throttle forward.
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Make sure if someone not familiar with a Livorsi style binnacle is familiarized with it before they end up on The Qualified Captain pagesâŚthey can really be confusing. Iâm a fan of how well made they are but donât really care for them. A traditional binnacle is like second nature for most people, the dual levers take a lot of getting used to!
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I considered them when building my last boatâŚafter trying them out on anotherâs I decided they werenât for me. Like stated above, you can get into a pickle kinda quick if your old muscle memory takes over in a tight spot 
. They might require a tad bit of maintenance like tightening up the cables on them. They look coolâŚ
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I have the Livorsi controls on my Waterman and I like 'em. It did take a little while to get comfortable with themâespecially when approaching a dock or loading on the trailer. Now, however, I think I can better control the skiff by leaving it in Forward, and simply kicking the throttle on- and off. They are very well-built here in the Ft. Lauderdale area.
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And the shift âclickâ is so smooth
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I really like dual controls. I wanted them on my current skiff but ended up going with standard Zuke binnacle since my skiff was built during the âvid supply chain fiasco. The boat build was already delayed and I didnât want to have to wait any longer to get parts.
I first used them on a trip engine 36 Contender CC my buddy had. Took me a few min to get used to them but I really liked them around the dock. Super easy to shift in/out of gear to spin the boat and get in/out of the slip. Another buddy of mine had them on his skiff. I liked it less on the skiff but I still like how cool they look and there is nothing smoother for the shifter and throttle.
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Same here!!! I first had them on a 36 contender fishing the SKA. Sweet control and smooth for sure. Iâm debating on them. Do I need them on a single pony skiff ? No I donât. But they look cool !!
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I believe if you have them and like them, you love them. I grew up on the single lever, Morse boxes. Very intuitive. I first tangled with dual levers on a friendâs Whaler. Evinrude still used the two lever system some in those days. I promptly ran the boat into a spillway and almost swamped us. No more for me.
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Theyâre cool lookingâŚbut a lot of unnecessary fiddling if you need to reverse quickly. Or you end up jamming in reverse with the throttle applied in a pinch. Seems like more problems than benefits.
Two Lever Engine controls in a boat are like a manual transmission in a car or truck. You have to âthinkâ about what youâre doing to succeed.
One Handle Engine controls in a boat are like automatic transmission in a car or truck. Just put it in F or R and let those gears grind.
Running two engines on two handle controls is even more fun.
More Handles! More Fun!
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