Patent ID: 7497749

Claim:
An outboard motor engine comprising: a crankshaft having a first end and a second end, the crankshaft defining an axis, the first end of the crankshaft connected to a driven member, the second end of the crankshaft defining a crankshaft diameter; a protruding member having a base side and a protruding end side, the protruding member being axially aligned with and extending from the second end of the crankshaft, the base side of the protruding member being coupled for rotation to the second end of the crankshaft; a flywheel mounted to the protruding end side of the protruding member; a tightening member coupling the flywheel to the protruding member at the protruding end side thereof; and the protruding member comprising a drive pulley at the base side, the drive pulley being axially aligned with the axis of the crankshaft and being sized and configured to engage with a drive belt for linking a drive mechanism to the protruding member, the protruding member defining a first diameter and the drive pulley defining a second diameter, wherein the tightening member is radially offset from the drive pulley in the axial direction and the first diameter and the second diameter are each less than the crankshaft diameter for reducing size and weight of the drive pulley and the drive mechanism.