Industry News

[gcromer]

Here is some outboard news. You can get their full e-mail news letter here.

http://www.laingsoutboards.com/

They have news about current and antique motors and the history in between. For some of us that tinker with motors, they can be a source of old parts also.

I don't have any connection to these people other than they supplied me with some old parts for a Scott Atwater about a year ago that I thought that I wouldn't ever find.

Winter fishing is almost here.
Gerald
Cayce, SC
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Welcome to the Fall 2005 issue of OUTBOARD NEWS, an electronic newsletter for the outboard enthusiast. We regret that there were no spring or summer issues, due to the time constraints that exist in such a seasonal industry.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Mercury has recently confirmed their plans to completely exit the traditional two-stroke outboard market. The last two-stroke was shipped on May 27, 2005. After that date, only four-stroke outboards will be available from the factory. The line-up will include small HP motors made by Tohatsu and mid-range motors made by Yamaha.

A decision has been made in the lawsuit brought by Brunswick Corp against Yamaha Motors Corp. In the suit, Mercury claimed that Yamaha has been dumping outboard motors in the US marketplace, at artificially low prices, hurting US manufacturers. The decision is: yes and no. The US International Trade Commission has ruled that Yamaha has been dumping outboards, but that Mercury has not been harmed by it. If the Commission had ruled completely in Mercury's favor, tariffs would have been imposed on imports, thus raising their cost. Yamaha intends to adjust their prices to avoid the suit being refiled.
This will effectively end a collaboration between Mercury and Yamaha that stretches back some 30 years. In recent years, Yamaha has been supplying 4 stroke powerheads to Mercury for some mid range engines. This will end when the contract expires in 2006.

Bombardier Recreational Products has received the Clean Air Excellence Award from the EPA. for its Evinrude E-TEC outboard engine. This is the first time ever a marine engine manufacturer has received an award of Clean Air Excellence by the EPA. BRP has demonstrated that with the new E-TEC engines, carbon monoxide emissions are typically 30 to 50 percent lower that a similar 4-stroke engine and, at idle, are lower by a factor of 50 to 100 times.

[Cane Pole]

Ain't Bombadier that French company that bought Lear Jet or some other American aircraft company? Didn't they buy out some jet ski company too? I aint read their history, just trying to recall. French made me nervous. They talk funny. Just wondering...

Tom

[Shellback]

A couple things, Mercury is still producing the OptiMax engine, and that is a two stroke motor. They stopped production of the carb 2 strokes and their EFI 2 strokes. Bombardier, which built aircraft, railroad cars, snowmobiles and jet skis bought the old OMC outboard company from bankruptcy receivership in 2000 I think. A couple years ago Bombardier decided to sell off the recreational product line of jet skis, snowmobiles and the Johnson Evinrude outboard line. At that time the original family that started the recreational product line and sold it to the clomgomerate, decided to buy it back. Hence the name Bombardier Recreation Products. They aren't French owned, but are French Canadien I believe.