In 40 years of covering American recreational boating we can’t remember an announcement by an outboard engine maker that has the industry-changing possibilities of Yamaha’s disclosures yesterday in Chattanooga, TN. Not only is the company introducing 7 new engine models, the re-introduction of an old engine, plus a new line of props, among other things.
Three of those new models – the 200, 225 and 250 — are taking dead-aim at the lucrative and for Yamaha – the illusive – bass boat market. Yamaha claims that it has built a better 4-stroke mouse-trap than the EFI 2-stroke technology that bass boat anglers have stuck with for two decades. Behind these brash claims is some exciting new metallurgy (for the marine industry, at least) that has allowed Yamaha to create a new 4.2 L powerhead that has 27% greater displacement than their old 3.3 L powerhead – and also weighs less! That added displacement will help give Yamaha’s 4-stroke engines the low-end torque it has always needed to compete with 2-stroke engines. If Yamaha’s claims are true, where will this leave Evinrude and Mercury?
Altogether there were 8 engines introduced, seven of them are brand new, one is an old one that has been re-introduced, and a ninth engine – the huge V-8 F350 – now is wired up with a “Command Link” control package which is new for this model. The brand new engines are: 300, 250, 225, 200, 70, 6 and 4 horsepower. These seven new engines are built on three different power heads. The “old” engine which is coming back in the 3.3 L 250-hp 4-stroke model which will now be available with conventional mechanical cable controls for re-power applications. With the up-surge in repower, this is a welcome option for boaters.The company has dropped its V-8 300-hp model and is now building a 300-hp 4.3 L V-6 model which is considerably lighter than the V-8, which was introduced just three years ago.
New, lighter weight, possibly more fuel-efficient 200-300 hp Yamaha V-6 engines will make the going even tougher for other brands in the saltwater fishing market.
The Offshore V6 Engines
In addition to targeting the bass boat crowd, Yamaha is also playing strongly to its “base” in America — offshore anglers who own center consoles, walkarounds and small express fishboats. The huge dealer and media introduction gala had some of the top offshore outboard brands present with the new Yamaha engines on their transoms, including Grady-White, Pursuit, Contender, and EdgeWater among others. This was proof-positive that Yamaha is not going to forget their bread and butter business in the U.S. as it goes after the market that has always been the hardest for outsiders to crack – the great American freshwater fishing
Light and Compact
“The new F300, F250 and F225 are stronger, lighter, quicker and smarter than other outboards in their class,” said Phil Dyskow, Yamaha Marine Group president. “Our new family of four-stroke offshore outboards have less weight than the previous generation as well as best-in-class performance in most categories.”
The new V6 F300 is 246 pounds lighter than the V8 F300 it replaces and 51 pounds lighter than the previous generation V6 F250 engines. The new big-bore 4.2-liter F300 is also the lightest outboard in its class. “The benefit is better performance on the boat and better fuel economy,” said a Yamaha spokesperson.Big-Bore Displacement
New 4.2 L V-6 Powerhead
At the heart of the new offshore family is an all-new V6 powerhead with class- topping displacement of 4.2 liters. Also with a class-leading power-to-weight ratio, it is considerably larger in displacement than Yamaha’s previous generation 3.3-liter four-stroke V6 engines. The 4.2-liter unit employs new materials and processes that make it light, efficient and powerful.
The new powerhead uses plasma-fused sleeveless cylinders instead of steel sleeves to provide a durable surface for the piston rings. Not only does the process reduce the overall amount of powerhead weight, the resulting material – which measures about 0.1 mm thick — takes up less space in the engine block than a conventional steel sleeve, says Yamaha. This design leaves more room for the pistons themselves, allowing that displacement to be optimized creating the new 4.2-liter engine.
