I just bought an 89 Nitro with a 1997 Johnson Faststrike 175. I noticed on the throttle stick, there is no button on the side that you push to keep the motor from going in gear when you are revving it up into fast idle to give it gas when you first start it at the dock. Most boats have that button. Mine doesn't have a fast idle lever either on top. So how am I going to move the throttle forward to keep it from going into gear and jumping off the trailer? I noticed that if you pull the throttle stick OUT toward you a bit, the stick will disengage and you can move it up and down. So do I just pull the throttle out without pressing the red shifting button? Sorry if it's a dumb question, I'm just a newbie with bass boats and I don't want to damage it.

Do your forward controls look like this?

No, like this. The second one is the console of course, which is where the key is. Sorry for the images being inverted, I don't know what happened. There is no button in the middle.

 

 

I'm pretty sure on those you either pull the whole shifter out or push it in, I can't remember. You can test it out when it's on the trailer. Pull the engine cowling off and then try advancing the the throttle by pulling the shifter out and then forward. You should be able to see the throttle advance, but the gear shift will stay in the same position.

 

Your motor has the QuickStart system though which usually does not like to be fast idled to start. Try pushing in the key and holding it in while you start it and you might even have to hold it after it starts running for a few seconds. 

Looks like the OMC shifter/throttle on our old ski boat.  You pulled it out, away from the hull at the base, to rev in neutral. 

3 hours ago, J Francho said:

Looks like the OMC shifter/throttle on our old ski boat.  You pulled it out, away from the hull at the base, to rev in neutral. 

Yep, that's what I was thinking. Thanks guys.