Yamaha eliminates outboard engine model year designation

[What Fish]

No matter how much you love OR hate Yamaha, I can guarantee 99% of the people on this board
would bie P!%%ED off if they paid $50k+ for a NEW boat and found out the engine was 3 years old.

Heck, consumers these days get a date on a $5 six pack but not a $15k uboard.......come on Yammie

born on dates are important for beer, but not outboards ?

[grahamular2]

It makes sense to me---I'm just surprised Yamaha took the plunge first and not Brunswick.

[Afishinado]

grahamular2 - 8/25/2005 7:27 AM

It makes sense to me---I'm just surprised Yamaha took the plunge first and not Brunswick.

Considering they are the packaging king.... Keep watchin, they're close behind... Once they get the China plant building all them new rice burners you'll see it.

[Skiboat Dave]

All motors come with rubber seals. I would rather have my rubber seals brand new than the motor that has been on the shelf for two years.

Also, do all dealers keep thier inventory in a climate controlled area? Once the engine is lying on it's side in the box for two years, and the cylinder walls are bone dry of oil, how do you think the condensation will affect the inside of the motor?

We worry about that with our gas tanks.

Think if you bought a brand new car, drove it home, jacked it up for 5 years and never drove it, never started it. Now five years later you drop it off the jack stands and head out into the middle of the desert with it. (same as the middle of the ocean)
Are you going to trust the water pump that has been sitting in one spot for five years. Are you going to trust the oil seals that have been dry for five years.

I wouldn't.

I think this is a very bad idea for the consumer.

No way would I want a two or three year old motor.

I hope Suzuki does not follow Yamaha down this path of trickery.

[autobaun70]

I somewhat like this idea, not because it eliminates the year model designation, but because it eliminates the yearly marketing ploy of introducing next years model earlier and earlier each year. I find it to be completely assinine that there are some 2006 cars available at dealerships now, in August. If it were a complete redesign of the line, or there were significant differences between the 05 and 06, such as a completely new powertrain I would understand, however in most cases they are the SAME darn THING. I have no problem with them calling one an 05, and one an 06, but if you don't do something to make the newer one different, then don't call it a newer year model until that year actually comes to exist.

[iron banks]

Just another ploy to enhance corporate profits. Yes all of them will follow yammie down this path. Sure will make selling your used outboard intresting, lets see sir, I put this engine into service on this date. So what if it was sitting around a dealers showroom for 3 years its a 05

[SIM]

Big HPDI's aside......and unless you are one of the big discount Yamaha dealers that buys and stocks*500 engines a year , good luck getting anything from Yamaha in a short order fashion. Thats the truth. No glut of engines there.

Inboard gas and diesel engines have not had model years designations*for as long as I can remember. What's the big deal? The Yamaha outboard manufacturing date will be posted plain as day right on the transom bracket....just like its always been.

I don't know how they are going to handle the Florida issue since Florida titles there outboard engines seperate from the boat. At least the last boat I sold down there was.

NADA or any other book values?** Who cares when it comes to engines. I don't.*What does a new*engine cost and whats available on the used market.....that's what you are selling or buying*against.

Andy

[HeadHunt]

I think South Carolina titles boat engines as well.

HeadHunt

[autobaun70]

HeadHunt - 8/25/2005 9:34 AM

I think South Carolina titles boat engines as well.

HeadHunt

yep, and tax them too. you get 2 seporate tax bills, one for the boat, one for the motor.

[Sea_Dad]

Florida doesnt title engines, or I am due 2 titles.

[Afishinado]

Didn't think anything but a vehicle had a title.

[autobaun70]

yep, in SC both the boat and motor are titled on outboard powered boats. You can handle all of the paperwork on one form, but it is two seporate titles here. I purchased my boat from GA, which does not issue titles. The SCDNR knows this, as I am sure it isn't all that uncommon of a transaction, and only needed the GA registration from the previous owner in order to process mine, only took a total of about 5 days.

[POE400]

s.fisher - 8/24/2005 7:04 PM

Really what Yamaha is doing today has been standard in the inboard engine business . There is no title or model year for a diesel engine , just a series or model/feature designation noted when an upgrade or major change is made. Why shouldn't it be so? One motor is in the hull of the boat and one hangs on the back , they are still just powerplants and a year is just a number.

Well, inboards are USUALLY considered to have the same year model engine as the boat---Just like a car. Outboards ARE more like a separate self contained unit. Year model designations have worked very well for consumers---both buying and selling......The only ones at a disadvantage was the dealer! They like to clean our clocks anyway.....This does not help us!!!

[bossee]

Hi,
It will help the consumer I think:

When the date the outboard was made will be more accepted
it will be easier to avoid a situation a dealer try to sell You an
outboard made for example in 2004 as a "2005" even if it is unused.
The cars are going in this direction also, at least in my country.

[scott-hydra24]

I see no problem with this. The manufacturing dates are right on the motors and still will be.

[whippa4]

Hours ...model and revisions, are all that makes any diff.... I bought twin 2003 f115s in late summer of 04. they have 64 hrs on them ... but most yahoos... will ask "what year" not how many hrs ?

The novice will see three year old motors .... the salts will see same engine as 06s just broken in !!

[Boatdood]

In general, the year model is a royal pain. This time of year is a great example of why I say that. Take a look at most any dealer's inventory. Most, if they are lucy, are fairly well depleted, and have been for weeks now. In fact, the target is to deplete our inventory by the fourth of July, leaving the rest of the Summer with only scraps left on the yard for sale. Why? Because right after the fourth most manufacturers change the year model. As soon as the next year model arrives on the yard everything else is considered last year's model, and the price needs to be slashed for all that aged inventory. Makes no difference if it was built just last month. It's not so much the builder who suffers in this scenario as it is the dealer. They've already paid for all the inventory they are caught with when the year model changes. In a roundabout way though, the builder suffers too. What actually happens is that the dealers stop ordering current year model stuff right in what should be the peak of the season, in self defense. The consumer too suffers under the present system. Take the guy who wasn't quite ready to buy in February, but catches the fever in June. If he makes the leap his rig is only new, current year model, for one month. Dangit, he says, and decides to wait until the next model year comes out. Sounds OK until we remember that he and his family miss out on what could have been a great Summer on the water because of a sound financial decision. We are in the recreation business after all. Recreation is why we all put up with all the crap we do on a daily basis; looking forward to the day when we can throw care to the wind and enjoy a day with the family or friends. We only have so many of those days coming to us in a lifetime, but we'd best wait for the next year model. It's the financially sound thing to do.

The current year model designation system sucks for everyone. It's a situation that desperately needs to be fixed. I personally applaud Yamaha's effort.

[SnoweyTiger]

First, Yammie and all the other marine companies need to fire ALL the MBA's, get back to doing good business and let Wall Street take care of itself. Model year designations serve a useful purpose in cataloging boats and motors. We know the x year through y year F150's are essentially the same, but I want to know if the O/B hanging on the back of my rig was in inventory for 2 years before I bought it because I am taking an extra risk.. the risk that laying around in someone's warehouse subject to hot/cold and humidity created future problems. Under the new scenario I wont know until I get to read the "born on" label at delivery...then I have already committed my funds and its too late.

I knew my yamaha was an 03 hanging on an 03 Sea Pro when I read the internet listing. This is especially important to consumer shopping used rigs when they are considering driving 2-3 hours one way to look at an offering. "Yamaha F150 100 hours" is good to find in a one year old motor, the same hours on a 5 year old tells you you are looking at problems. We have enough problems in the used market without taking away an important designation

[jaccoserv]

As far as a six pack having a born on date and not an outboard, Yamaha states that:

"...all Yamaha engines will continue to feature a label that will identify the month and year the model was produced, the last digit of the model number, which has been the model year identifier for all outboard engines, will be removed. "

so then, the consumer will not be in the dark.

[Synergy]

Every maker is, or should be, continuously improving their product. The latest production will incorporate more improvements. For that reason, I will not buy a 2 yo engine that has been unsold without a big discount.
Yamaha has now forced the customer to pay more attention to the manufacture month and to shop for the newest.
Probably not what they had in mind and I doubt this will benefit dealers unless they are not forthcoming.