Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 21, 1993 TAG: 9302210015
SECTION: BOAT SHOW PAGE: BS-13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
NEW OUTBOARDS KICKING UP WAKE
If you are shopping for a new outboard engine, your toughest task may be weeding through all the models, horsepower options and brands - both domestic and foreign - that are on the market.The world's economic woes appear to have done little to trim the outboard engine choices. What's more, several manufacturers are out with '93 offerings that not only run better, last longer and enjoy improved fuel efficiency, but are downright revolutionary.
Here are some of the highlights:
\ OMC GOES OFFSHORE: Evinrude and Johnson have introduced top-end V-6 engines that are designed specifically for boats that speed offshore in search of fish and adventure.
Johnson calls its engine OceanRunner; Evinrude's is OceanPro. They are rated at 200 and 225 horsepower.
The new engines aren't just a restyling of current 200- and 225-horsepower outboards, assures Rick Reyenger, director of sales for OMC's Marine Power Productions Group. He calls them ultimate offshore engines, designed, engineered and manufactured to meet the harsh demands of offshore power needs.
Everything - from plane, to power, to paint - was considered, OMC engineers say. The OMC offshore offerings are the biggest news of the '93 outboard business.
\ FUEL INJECTIONS 150s: Mercury, Mariner and Suzuki have 150-hp outboards with fuel injection (EFI). The 150 is a popular size for serious bass anglers, skiers and runabout operators, and EFI should make it quicker to accelerate and easier on fuel.
Built on a brawny 2.5-liter block (153 cubic inches), both the Mercury and Mariner 150 EFI come with a premium price, meaning they are outboards for the serious fisherman or boater. Changes in temperatures or elevations are compensated for electronically.
Suzuki's calls its new engine the Bass 150, the name revealing that the manufacturer is out to capture the fishing market. It is built on a 164.3-cubic inch block and has a digital EFI system to deal with changes in temperature and air density.
\ A HONDA 120: Long known as the maker of four-cycle outboards of modest horsepower, Honda has a 120-hp in the works. Early reports from the manufacturer indicated the engine would be available this spring, but Leo Teass says it likely will be mid-1994 before dealers get them. Teass is a new Honda dealer at Paradise Boating on Smith Mountain Lake.
At the moment, 45-hp is the largest motor in the Honda four-stroke line, which are engines that don't require the mixing of oil with gas.
The 120 is expected to weigh about 10 percent more than a two-cycle of similar horsepower, but it should be about 30 percent better in fuel economy. Honda points out that its engines reduce smoke, plug fouling, oil smell and air pollution, factors that federal officials are beginning to notice in marine engines.
\ MORE TILLER HANDLES: Interest in walleye fishing, where slow trolling is a popular technique, has caused several manufacturers to introduce growing numbers of tiller-handle outboards.
Mariner and Mercury have tiller-handle models in horsepower ratings of 40, 50, 60, 75 and 90. Evinrude and Johnson have electric-start backtrollers in 85 and 70 ratings.
The word "backtroller" is used, because walleye fishermen often operate their craft backward for better control and slower speeds while trolling.
\ MID-RANGE MOTORS: Yamaha has a dressed up V4 115-hp outboard in its '93 lineup, and Nissan has a new 140 and 120, both with four-cylinder in-line blocks.
The Yamaha has a new design on its lower unit which allows it to be mounted higher on the stern for increased speed. Motor noise has been trimmed with a double cowl. Called the Yamaha Pro V 115, the engine is aimed at the fishing market.