Re: Do outboard motors charge batteries?
I don't know the official "rule," but at some point the engine becomes large enough where they always start putting a charging system on them.
Your 85hp will definitely have a charging system. Even the old 90 hp in the 1960's did. I believe this "could have a charge system/could not" only applies to smaller kicker-style motors. Again I don't know the specifics or the cutoff, but I do know that people with engines of 85hp will have them on a large enough boat where that engine will also need to power all lights, accessories, etc. As such, it will have a charging system. Engines without charging systems I believe are intended for smaller aluminum (or the like) style boats, where lights and accessories are not abundant.
Note - You could check this in about 2 minutes by checking the voltage at the battery while the engine is running next time you're at the lake. If the voltage while it's running is higher than when the engine is off, you've got some type of charging system.