Relationship Between Evinrude and Suzuki in Four-Stroke Outboard Engines

[biggiefl]

[In a later post Nick reveals he did not write this article. Searching for this text finds the original author:

The Outboard Expert: Johnson Outboards Fading Fast
Remaining Johnson inventories dwindle as BRP is set to launch new Evinrude E-Tec kickers.
By Charles Plueddeman
April 12, 2007
https://www.boats.com/reviews/johnson-outboard-future/
Written 13 years ago for the BOATS.COM website—jimh]

OMC made Johnson a "four-stroke" in a last-gasp effort to stay relevant in a market that was shifting to four-strokes, helped along by the dismal performance of the OMC Ficht direct-injection technology. With all of its engineering eggs in the Ficht basket, OMC was caught short when consumers turned to reliable four-stroke Honda, Suzuki, Mercury and Yamaha motors in the late 1990s. OMC struck a deal with Suzuki to supply it with four-stroke models to fill out its line. The Suzuki motors were painted and badged as Johnsons and gave OMC dealers four-strokes to sell alongside the two-stroke Evinrude models. Just before the bankruptcy, an OMC dealer quipped to me that "those Suzuki Johnsons are the best motors OMC is selling right now."

This is the scenario Bombardier inherited, and as it preached the E-TEC gospel, the Johnson line was pushed aside. In 2004 BRP cut back the deal with Suzuki, and the supply agreement ceased entirely at the end of the 2005 model year. In 2006 BRP still offered Johnson four-strokes at 25, 15, 9.9, 6, 5, 4 and 2.5 horsepower, plus a 9.9/15-hp two-stroke kicker. The 2007 Johnson line included just the 25-, 15- and 9.9-hp four-strokes and the 9.9/15 two-strokes.

The 2005 lineup: ranged from 4 to 225-HP. All were Suzuki engines badged with Johnson decals and white in color.

I currently own a 2004 40-HP.

[jimh]

BIGGIEFL—thanks for the OMC history lesson. Yes, I knew for a brief moment SUZUKI-made engines were sold under the Johnson brand. I do not believe BRP ever made a four-stroke Johnson outboard themselves, and, as you note, the JOHNSON brand has been dormant for 15 years. JOHNSON four-stroke engines made by BRP have zero relevance to the other discussion of BRP exiting the outboard engine manufacturing business. The initial mention of this was misinformed and misleading and not relevant to that discussion.

ASIDE: one reason I said that current Evinrude dealers ought to partner with SUZUKI as a new engine brand that they could sell and service is because of this 15 to 20 year old prior association with SUZUKI engines.

[jimh]

I was speaking with a long-time Evinrude dealer about the Suzuki history with OMC. The first Suzuki-made re-branded-as-Johnson engine was probably around c.1997 and was a 70-HP engine. That was while OMC was still the owner of the brand.

After BRP took over, BRP slowly removed the four-stroke engines and ended the relationship with Suzuki, and ultimately stopped offering any engines under the Johnson brand, as noted above.

[biggiefl]

Actually Jim the four strokes started under Evinrude. I had a 1999 Evinrude/Suzuki 70hp on my Newtauk and it is archived here next to a keg of beer. I think they only sold the 50 & 70hp at that time. I beleive once BRP took over they switched the four stroke line to Johnson to try and separate Evinrude completely from conventional 2 strokes and 4 strokes which Johnson continued to sell.

Ironically the Fict engines were originally sold under the Johnson brand for the first couple of years starting in 1997.

[Phil T]

Note the 2004 shift away from Suzuki occurred within a year of Bombardier selling BPR to an investor group led by Bain Capitol.

[Jefecinco]

Biggie refers to the dismal performance of the FICHT engines. There were certainly some reliability problems with some FICHT engines. I was and am unaware of any performance problems and my experience over ten years of FICHT engine ownership was that mine was a flawless performer and was perfectly reliable having never required a repair.

Early on during my first year of ownership in 1999 the engine required, I believe, two software updates. I replaced spark plugs at approximately two year intervals and water pump impellers every five years. Indexing the spark plugs could be frustrating but at least it was simple.

When the engine was idling the best way to tell if it was running was to observe the cooling water tell tale. After trying to start it a time or two when it was already running I always ensured the ignition switch was off before starting. That was a quiet engine.

[biggiefl]

FYI---I did not write the original post. It was an article I found that I believe to be accurate from what I know.

As far as the Ficht engines go, the early 150 and 175-HP models were the problem engines. The larger and smaller ones seem to be good runners. My friend Len had a few 200-HP Ficht engines and never had a problem except for the one that sank. I still see them around today so they could not all be bad. I would buy one for the right price, just like a HPDI.

[Seahorse]

Note the 2004 shift away from Suzuki occurred within a year of Bombardier selling BPR to an investor group led by Bain Capitol.

That time was the expiration of the Suzuki contract, nothing to do with Bain. Because BRP was selling more Suzukis than Suzuki USA did, there were unreasonable demands put on BRP if they were to write another contract and BRP declined.

[jimh]

There is a nice OUTRAGE 18 near me powered by a Yamaha 150-HP HPDI that seems to run and run.

In today's world about a five-percent failure rate will result in a product being designated as terrible. People are now accustomed to 99.9-percent of products being perfect.

With modern manufacturing, all products are 99.9-percent the same. If they are well designed and well made, then they are good products. There isn't the sort of production variation among a product's manufactured output that there used to be.

Forums where product owners complain about a bad product often tend to give the impression that product failures happen more often than they actually do.