Marine outboard motor with improved flow sensing

A marine outboard motor having an internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine comprising:

• an engine block defining at least one cylinder;
• an air intake configured to deliver a flow of air to the at least one cylinder;
• an air intake duct forming part of an air intake path for delivering the flow of air to the air intake;
• a flow sensing arrangement located in the air intake duct and comprising a flow meter configured to generate a signal indicative of a flow rate of the flow of air through the air intake duct, and a bluff body located in the air intake duct upstream of the flow meter, wherein the flow meter is a vortex shedding flow meter;
• a protective cover removably attached to the internal combustion engine, wherein the protective cover defines at least part of the air intake duct, the protective cover comprising a service opening which provides access to a top end of the internal combustion engine from outside the protective cover;
• and
• wherein the protective cover further comprises an annular wall located in the air intake duct, wherein the bluff body is at least partly defined by an outer surface of the annular wall and wherein the service opening is defined within a region bounded by an inner surface of the annular wall.