SYDNEY BOAT SHOW: New outboard engines

It has been the year of all-out assaults, rocket launches, broadsides, claims and counter claims and fierce fighting in the 2014 Outboard Wars. We’ve been at the front line and have reported back with the good news: the battles between the world’s big outboard-engine makers benefit pleasure boaters worldwide.

Driven by the evolutionary forces of engineering, new environmental and emissions regulations, and a market shifting from inboards to outboards, outboard makers have been busy in the trenches. They have developed smarter four-stroke engines from 9.9hp and class-leading direct-injection two-stroke outboards at the top end of town.

Venture to the 47th Sydney International Boat Show, and the undercover exhibition at Glebe Island in particular, and you will see the latest outboard engines paraded at rollcall. With these new-generation outboard engines, pleasure boating has become a lot more pleasurable. We also reckon they look pretty hot.

The new outboards also tempt existing boaters to repower and that has a lot of merit these days. Expanding proprietary propeller designs and accessories add to efficiency improvements and further enhance the on-water experience with outboard-powered craft these days. Check out these new outboards from Evinrude, Honda, Mercury, Suzuki and Yamaha.

EVINRUDE
No-one can match Canadian-based BRP and its Evinrude outboard brand for pushing the boundaries of direct-injection two stroke outboards and, in fact, redefining the outboard genre. After releasing the 1.7-litre 90 H.O and 2.6-litre 135 H.O late last year, claiming up to 36 per cent more torque than competitor’s same horsepower four-strokes, Evinrude staged a world reveal of its new
E-TEC G2 We winged it to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the global unveil, some brief water testing and several days of education and discussion. Club 2015 Evinrude didn't disappoint. It led to the unveiling of Evinrude’s first completely new engine in 38 years. Such was the magnitude of the event they closed an entire street, with some 2000 people making it to the evangelical "reveal" from more than 50 boating countries.

This new high-horsepower Evinrude direct-injection two-stroke outboard, the E-TEC G2 as it is known, is the biggest news in the outboard world in 2014 to date. The daringly designed outboard has more innovation and features than we've seen in a two- or four-stroke before. Game changed.

The new superhero-inspired E-TEC G2 comes in six models from 200-300hp with half carrying the High Output (H.O.) performance acronym. In both H.O. and standard V6 guises, the engine delivers huge gains for the many outboard boaters going and looking for more grunt, less fuel usage, longer range and lower emissions. Which is us all.

The 10 key E-TEC G2 features include:
>> Totally new, ground-breaking, visually exciting direct-injection two-stroke engine from skeg to head
>> 75 per cent fewer total regulated emissions, 15 per cent better fuel efficiency and 20 per cent more torque than four-stroke competition
>> Impressive mid-range acceleration where four-stroke outboards can be doughy
>> Clean rigging means boaters get 60cm more aft deck and splash well to play with
>> New mid-section with less movement at engine mounts, integrated power steering and three adjustable feedback levels at helm
>> Integrated oil bottle adds to ease of fit-up and overall integration
>> Automatic trim system to remove the 'black art' for newbies
>> Hundreds of colour-and-graphic combos and customisable look for partner boatbuilders
>> 5+5+5 warranty, corrosion warranty and five year/500 hour first dealer service
>> A breath of fresh air and design backed by class-leading performance in the outboard-engine world

You can see, feel and learn all about the new E-TEX G2s at the Sydney boat show.

HONDA
The Japanese engine maker unveiled its much-anticipated BF80 and BF100 outboard engines earlier this year to coincide with Honda Marine’s 50-year anniversary. This is being celebrated throughout 2014 with some very enticing cash-back deals that will extend to the Sydney boat show.

Meantime, Honda new 80 and 100hp outboards incorporate the company's world-renowned technologies. With lightweight and compact designs, the engines provide optimum levels of performance while ensuring excellent fuel economy, Hondas says.

The BF80/BF100's 1.5-litre, SOHC, 16-valve, in-line four-cylinder engine is inspired by the same engine that powers one of Honda's best-selling motor vehicles, the 'Jazz'.

The claimed best-in-class fuel economy comes from BLAST – an advanced ignition timing control system, which significantly improves hole-shot performance; ECOmo – a sophisticated fuel control system that contributes to the engines’ excellent fuel economy; and VTEC (BF100), which provides more top-end power while maintaining optimum fuel economy.

An optional Trolling Control function allows precise control of engine speed, with adjustments in 50rpm increments from 650rpm to 1000rpm, which is ideal for various styles of fishing and slow speed manoeuvres.

Honda's new BF80 and BF100 are also NMEA2000 compliant, allowing engine-to-electronics data communication to deliver engine management and performance data to compatible marine electronics displays.

MERCURY
Following the success of its 3.0L 150hp four-stroke with SOHC technology, that has fewer moving parts than the DOHC competition and, thus, an all-up weight of 206kg for class-leading power-to-weight, Mercury staged the Australian launch of its new 75, 80, 90, 100 and 115hp FourStroke outboards earlier this year.

Despite their low profile and low weight – they’re claimed to be nine kilograms lighter than the closest four-stroke competition – the new Mercury FourStrokes have a class-leading large-displacement of 2.1L, four-cylinder, eight-valve, SOHC engine to deliver “more torque and horsepower than competing engines and those Mercs it now supplants.”

Mercury says there's 23 per cent more torque than its previous FourStroke models in this popular mid-size outboard class, 14 per cent better fuel economy at cruise speeds (high 3000rpm to mid-4000pm range), and greatly improved acceleration and lift using the optional upgraded Command Thrust (replacing BigFoot) gearcase.

Mercury also released white Verado engines in April this year, a new 200hp Pro FourStroke Verado with supercharging technology, a glass dash design with partners Navico, and a smart new throttle/shift DTS binnacle for tis Verados.

SUZUKI
Suzuki has been a mover and shaker in the portable outboard market. Weighing 33kg, it’s 9.9hp and 15hp have the lightest-in-class tag in two strokes. At 53.5kg, the DF15AT and 20AT are the lightest outboards with power tilt and they have battery-less EFI.

Suzuki’s four-stroke 25hp and 30hp, which were released at this year’s Melbourne boat show, are other lightest-in-class four-strokes with battery-less EFI, lean burn and power trim and tilt.

At the other end of the spectrum, Suzuki has a new DF200A four-cylinder four stroke where others use V6s that, at 225hk, goes down the less-weight-is-better path.

YAMAHA
For refinement, Yamaha’s F115B is the bees-knees, a wonderfully smooth-running and responsive four-stroke that wowed us in test earlier this year. We’d go so far as to say it's the most refined outboard in this class. The new Mercury 119 is a few kilograms lighter, but its single-overhead cam design doesn’t seem quite as smooth as Yammie’s sophisticated DOHC.

Yamaha’s new F175A is a long awaited motor that fills the gap between Yamaha’s powerful F150A and the hugely popular four-cylinder F200. The F175 is based on the award winning 2.8L F200 platform, sharing the same displacement and four-cylinder, 16-valve DOHC design.