posted 11-11-2005 06:43 PM ET (US)        

PERTH, Australia, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

Orbital Corporation Limited today announced that Synerject, its 50:50 joint venture with Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation, has signed a letter of intent with BRP US Inc. for the purchase of BRP's engine management modules facility in Delavan, Wisconsin, USA. It is expected that the transaction, which comprises the investment in working capital assets, should be finalised by 31st January 2006.

BRP US Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP), a privately-held company and a world leader in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of motorised recreational vehicles. Its portfolio of brands and products includes: Ski-Doo® and Lynx™ snowmobiles, Sea-Doo® watercraft and sport boats, Johnson® and Evinrude® outboard engines, direct injection technologies such as Evinrude E-TEC™, Bombardier* ATV all-terrain vehicles, Rotax® engines and karts.

The facility to be acquired manufactures fuel injectors and engine management modules for Evinrude® and Johnson® outboard engines. As part of the transaction, Synerject will continue to supply BRP's Johnson and Evinrude division through long-term supply contracts.

The acquisition will generate a minimum annualised increase in Synerject's turnover of US$15m with significant, identified growth prospects for the future. The facility will be profitable from the date of acquisition and over the medium term is expected to achieve profit margins consistent with those of Synerject's current business. The transaction is a milestone in the implementation of Synerject's strategic growth plan and presents Synerject with a significant diversification opportunity, allowing it to increase both its product offerings and skill base.

Orbital's Chief Executive Officer, Rod Houston said "Clearly this transaction is significant for Synerject and will complement its existing business. From Orbital's perspective, it is a major step in consolidating the turnaround of our business and shareholders will benefit from increased value created in a growing Synerject."

Synerject, headquartered in Newport News, Virginia with additional offices in France was formed in 1997 as a joint venture between Orbital Corporation Limited and Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation. Synerject supplies engine management systems, modules and components for the marine, recreational, motorcycle and industrial markets.

More information on Synerject can be found at http://www.synerject.com

posted 11-11-2005 07:20 PM ET (US)         

Am I mistaken, or have most of the E-TEC problems being reported here been related to EMM's. It seems we have heard about a bunch of those replacements as the source of the problems. Maybe Orbital will be able to improve quality or design?

posted 11-11-2005 08:10 PM ET (US)            

They may want the freedom to subcontract those components to other vendors, vendors who have the right expertise.

GM, Ford and Toyota don't make their engine management systems, people like Motorola and Intel do.

posted 11-11-2005 09:02 PM ET (US)            

Has there been a single instance of this?

posted 11-11-2005 09:53 PM ET (US)            

http://www.synerject.com/history.html

Notable is this benchmark:

"2000--Launched two new customers in the marine and recreation market, Bombardier Recreational Products and Tohatsu."

posted 11-13-2005 09:29 AM ET (US)            

Cf.: http://www.orbeng.com.au/orbital/directinjection/csbpr.htm

---------
"Bombardier, the world's leading personal watercraft (PWC) manufacturer, launched its Sea-Doo™ GTX™ DI and Sea-Doo™ RX DI models in 2000. These were the first personal watercrafts to employ Orbital OCP™ technology, leading the way to cleaner waterways and better fuel efficiency. This was followed by further Orbital DI models including a range of sports boats some of which employed OptiMax™ engines from Mercury Marine.

Sea-Doo™ engines, when equipped with OCP technology, operate up to 70% cleaner and provide at least 30% improvement in fuel efficiency over traditional carburetted 2-strokes. Sea-Doo™ watercrafts include a number of value-added features made possible by Orbital's smart usage of electronics and software. One example is the exclusive "Learning Key", a specially encoded lanyard key which restricts vehicle speed for beginners and other less experienced riders. Another innovation on the Sea-Doo™ is the detonation sensor, where Orbital software protects the engine from damage if, for example, incorrect fuel is used.

The Sea-Doo™ DI range has won several industry awards including Watercraft World's "Watercraft of the Year" for 2000.

posted 11-14-2005 08:50 PM ET (US)            

It seemed to come as a surprise, but the announcement of the sale of Bombardier's facility in Delavan, Wisconsin, to Synerject was foreshadowed one year in advance. On November 10, 2004 the intention to sell the Delavan plant was announced by Bombardier in Quebec. To the very same day a year later, word came that the plant in east-central Wisconsin which manufactures the fuel injectors and electronic engine controllers for Evinrude and Johnson outboard motors was sold. The announcement came in the form of a press release from Australia's ORBITAL. The actual buyer will be Synerject, a U.S.-based 50:50 joint venture between Orbital and Siemens VDO Automotive.

Synerject is the non-vehicle marketing and manufacturing arm for Siemens VDO fuel injectors and the Orbtial Combustion Process (OCP) controls. The firm is the supplier of the air-assisted direct injection hardware used in the Mercury OptiMax two-stroke outboards. It will now take over the manufacture of Bombardier's E-TEC fuel injectors. However, BRP will retain the intellectual property rights to their patented designs.

Rod Houston, CEO of Synerject, explained the rationale behind the purchase. The Delavan plant, he said, "is complementary to Synerject's core business of manufacturing and supplying engine management modules for the non-automotive market." He expects the acquisition to "bring a significant increase in revenue and make a material contribution to Synerject's growth."

When asked about the E-TEC fuel injector, he made clear that "the transaction involves only assets relating to the manufacture of the fuel injectors and engine management modules. There'll be no transfer of intellectual property rights for E-TEC to Synerject. Synerject continues to have the exclusive rights to the OCP system and this continues to be a key focus of Synerject."

It is expected that long-term contracts will assure BRP of a steady supply of the E-TEC injectors, a prime component of their new line of outboard motors. Sales of E-TEC engines are showing strong growth. Roche Lambert recently sent very enthusiastic notices to the Bombardier outboard dealer network highlighting impressive sales figures and growth figures over 200-percent from a year ago.

Synerject foresees strong growth in their non-vehicular markets, particular in components and controllers for motorcycles, which are expected to show very strong sales growth in developing Asia markets like China and India.

The sale makes strange bedfellows of Mercury and Evinrude. The prime components of their two-stroke engine fuel injection systems will now be manufactured by a common supplier, although using completely different technologies.

For the approximately 60 employees at the Delavan plant, the notice of a buyer is probably very welcome after a year of suspense.

posted 11-14-2005 09:04 PM ET (US)         

1. BRP needed to raise some capital, while at the same time avoiding having to pump more money into this venture to remain high tech. Siemens would have the resources to do so.

2. Synerject needed a new customer, as the rumors continue that Mercury is great cutting back on Optimax production as their 4 stroke lines take over sales.

posted 11-14-2005 10:34 PM ET (US)            

Interesting browsing at:

http://www.mototron.com/

For details of the hardware controllers, see:

http://www.mototron.com/products/hardware.asp?sub=4

---

I don't think the sale has anything to do with raising capital. It is clear that Bombardier wants to trim their manufacturing operation to a core nucleus of assembly operations. This is exactly the same lean manufacturing model that the automotive companies would like to implement (if they could). The design, assembly, and marketing of the outboard motor (auto) is done by Bombardier (the auto companies), and they employ sub-manufacturers to produce certain components.

When you buy a new car these days the door was probably made as an entire assembly by a sub-manufacturer who installed the power windows, the door locks, the remote controls. The sub-manufacturer even paints the door and installs the upholstery. The finished assembly gets loaded on a special trailer in the precise order it will be needed on the assembly line, and it is trucked to the auto assembly plant just in time for delivery. The doors come off the truck in order and onto the assembly line. The entire door is purchased as a "assembly" and bolted onto the car.

Having the engine controller made for your outboard motor is just the same sort of thing, particularly if your main business is engine manufacturing and not micro-electronic controls.

I do agree there is probably some other shoe about to drop in this deal involving the licensing and sale of Orbital Combustion Process devices to Mercury for OptiMax motors. However, for Synerject to buy another manufacturing facility does not seem consistent with a reduction in demand for OCP. It might just be that the price was right for both parties. Bombardier wanted to sell to someone who would take over the operation and sell back to them plenty of injectors and controllers.

Bombardier can get a bit leaner and shed a separate facility with about 60 employees. Synerject can get a plant with a product that has a long term customer deal as part of the purchase.

posted 11-15-2005 03:28 PM ET (US)            

To answer your question: "Has there been a single instance of this?" [EMM failure/replacement in an E-Tec outboard]

Yes, the EMM in my 2005 E-Tec 90 had to be replaced within the first 10 hours of use.

posted 11-15-2005 10:59 PM ET (US)            

My recollection is that most of the problems being reported here with E-TEC engines did not particularly correlate to any one component or device. On the basis of what I recall having been mentioned, I do not perceive any particular trend occurring. My recollection is that most complaints have been related to problems in the engine's performance in transition between stratified charge mode at low RPM and full combustion mode at higher RPM. Often a change in firmware in the EMM has been applied to correct these complaints. Outright component failure of the EMM has been, again to the best of my recollection, virtually unmentioned.

Is you assessment in agreement with LHG's that "have most of the E-TEC problems being reported here been related to EMM's"

I do differentiate between hardware problems with the EMM such as you report and complaints about the general engine performance related to software or fuel maps programmed into the engine controller's memory. In the sense that the entire engine is run by the EMM, if you allow the EMM to be blamed for the software it contains, then you can blame ALL problems on the EMM, because it runs the entire engine. The problems which could then be considered to not be "related EMM's" would be mechanical break downs like the drive shaft breaking in two. By the way, I do not recall any mentions of those type problems either. I think of the EMM and the software it contains as two different components.

The E-TEC has been on the market since Spring of 2003, a period of over two years. If the EMM had been experiencing continual component failure, I think it would be more apparent by now. Therefore, I do not agree with the notion that "most of the E-TEC problems being reported here [have] been related to EMM's."

One correspondent has told me that the warranty repair rate on the E-TEC engine has been less than 5-percent. This is about the same level of manufacturing quality as high-end automobile makers like BMW and Mercedes achieve. I think Bombardier is happy with the engine quality. Their current problems seem more related to fulfilling back orders due to high demand.

posted 11-16-2005 02:27 PM ET (US)            

All the sordid details are in this thread:

http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/003615.html

The engine has another 50 flawless hours on it since the last update in that thread.

Now that it is operating as designed, I am very happy with the engine and wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.

posted 11-16-2005 03:15 PM ET (US)         

It seems that "ratherwhalering", "Stevedallas" and "Timo" all had EMM sofware programming problems also. And two of these guys had defective fuel injector problems/replacements, the other product made by this operation. Then there was "crabbys" two complete powerhead replacements. Could that be an EMM or fuel injector related problem?

posted 11-16-2005 06:38 PM ET (US)            

These are totally different areas. The assemby of the EMM component and its reliability is totally distinct from the software that runs it.

Boaters are going to have to come around to the notion that a modern engine is controlled by software, and that if an update is issued to that software you cannot try to associate that process with a component faillure.

If an motor sticks a piston rod through the side of a cylinder wall, that is a component failure.

If a dealer plugs your engine into a cable and uploads some revised software, that is not a component failure, its an update!

posted 11-16-2005 08:17 PM ET (US)            

That was a stupid post. I don't think that it was called for.

I have NO relationship with any outboard motor manufacturer. Where I work we don't sell them only fix them.
I happen to be a Mercury fan but have been a dealer for Mercury, Evinrude, Johnson and Force.

I don't hate J & E they built many great engines, and I have owned some. The new models may be great as well but with the hill they have to climb to get a profitable market share I think that it is a very slippery slope.

posted 11-16-2005 08:51 PM ET (US)            

I have been in the marine business since 1965. I am going on a gut feeleing.

posted 11-16-2005 09:12 PM ET (US)         

No one knows this person, there is no location, no photos, and no profile, and a freebee, non traceable e-mail address is used. That's really called not knowing where someone, and their motives and comments, are coming from.

posted 11-16-2005 10:04 PM ET (US)            

I've done at least a couple of dozen firmware upgrades to my
various Garmin GPSs. ONE fixed a bug I'd seen (declination
was being applied twice in some cases). It was a fix to the
original firmware for the GPS, and came out in short order.

Fixes to EMM firmware my just be minor tweaks (more dyno
testing says they were too conservative under some transient,
circunstances, and they can get a couple more horsepower there.
It may be collecing more data about some occasional problem.
Or detecting the early signs of failure of some HW component.

Do separate the HW and SW reliability of the EMM. They are
entirely separate issues.

posted 11-16-2005 10:06 PM ET (US)            

I think there is a big difference between citing published specifications and issuing predictions about certain vendors going out of business. I do not recall anyone else who has issued such a negative prediction about a marine business.

As far as I am concerned, it's a long leap from pointing out that a Verado weighs more than another engine to suggesting that Bombardier will go under. I do not find the two to be equivalent at all.

If someone posts inflammatory predictions about the future of Mercury's outboard business, they will be held to the same standard.

posted 11-16-2005 11:07 PM ET (US)            

This facility just requires the dealer to have a basic laptop computer and a cable. The cost for this hardware is about $1,000 typically, and the computer can be used as a general purpose computer when not connected to the engine.

The simple tools required and the low cost of their acquisition may be part of the reason that the E-TEC engine is so often reported as being updated in the field by dealers. Rather than being alarmed by this, again I find this to be quite a positive thing. If I have an E-TEC I can be reasonably assured that just about any dealer I walk into will have the diagnostic equipment available to connect to my engine. And if there is newer software available the dealer can upload it for me.

posted 11-16-2005 11:13 PM ET (US)            

Many folks have contacted me through my apparently unqualified freebee e-mail account over the years seeking advice or sharing information, including you a couple of years ago believe it or not. Not one person who has contacted me through my freebee e-mail account has ever expressed any concern whatsoever with respect to my freebee e-mail account. At least I do provide a freebee e-mail address in case someone wants to contact me for whatever reason through less public channels.

By the way, what is wrong with keeping a corporate entity honest, such as by publicly pointing out apparently biased test parameters in performance reports, in its dealings with consumers? Some boating consumers with less experience might not necessarily pick up on the apparent testing bias.

Complaining about hawking? That is funny.

Going back on topic here, I think this asset sale is typical for modern manufacturing companies. They make make/buy decisions all the time with respect to components. Components that they can make cheaper than anyone else they make and components they can buy from another cheaper than they can make they buy. It's usually that simple. This one happened to be a buy decision that involved an asset transfer. They are getting out of doing something that they think will be done more efficiently by someone else. I think it could be a win-win for BRP and Orbital if they struck a deal to enable Orbital to apply the E-TEC technology and sell injectors into the non-marine, non-recreational applications like those smokey 2-stroke scooters and small motorcycles used as primary personal transportation in Asian countries.

posted 11-17-2005 05:14 PM ET (US)            

Nash vs Rambler

Hornet vs Gremlin

or maybe

Concord vs Matador

posted 11-17-2005 08:04 PM ET (US)            

Bombardier had already indicated (a year ago) they wanted to sell the Delavan plant, and apparently it took a while for a suitable buyer to be found, for a bargain to be struck. This arrangement with Synerject looks very favorable for Bombardier. (Of course we don't know the financials of the deal, but we'll assume they are acceptable to all involved.)

The buyer they have found for the manufacturing facility has all of the proper credentials. Synerject is already in the precise business of manufacturing fuel injection components for engines. Partner Orbital is in the business of producing engine combustion process controls. Partner Siemons is a global tier-one supplier to the automotive industry. Is there a better company to take over this operation? These people are not liquidation specialists or bottom feeders looking for a quick buck.

Further adding to the arrangement, Bombardier and Synerject have already done business in a manufacturer-supplier relationship. (Bombardier has been using Orbital fuel injection in some of their personal water craft products.) This means that Bombardier has already been happy with the products delivered from Synerject, and they are probably confident in relying on them to supply an important component in their manufacturing operations.

posted 11-19-2005 12:36 PM ET (US)            

The automotive industry is just getting into direct injection for use on their automobiles (VW being the first to the plate). Yes, the boating industry was indeed ahead of the autos this time.

Since it definitely was a long arduous path before the technology became viable and trusted by the public. The automotive arena cannot afford to have the same problems as the outboards did; especially with the volume of units involved, a recall would be very expensive. So, maybe Orlbital, trying to a get a nut in the squirrel's automobile world, approached Siemens VDO by telling them they can provide a technology already proven in by x-amount of units installed and operating successfully. Maybe Siemens needed something to compete with Bosch Motoronic, the leader in the field.

posted 03-07-2006 12:03 AM ET (US)            

(PRESS RELEASE)

BRP Sells its Delavan Business

VALCOURT, QUEBEC--March 1, 2006 - BRP US Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP), announced today the sale of its electronic components business in Delavan, WI. to Synerject LLC, a joint venture between Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation and Orbital Corporation Limited. The sale is part of BRP's three-year cost reduction plan.

"Synerject LLC's track record as a long-time BRP supplier, its expertise in electronic components and modules and its commitment to maintain current operations in Delavan were part of the strategic considerations which led to the conclusion of this transaction," said BRP President and CEO, Jose Boisjoli.

This facility, which manufactures electronic components for Evinrude® and Johnson® outboard engines, was established in 1996 and acquired by BRP in 2001 as part of the purchase of certain assets of Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC).

posted 03-07-2006 08:29 PM ET (US)            

Funny, Brunswick aquires an Australian electronics company and BRP sells to a company that has Australian roots.

There is alot of other countries buying American companies and setting up shop here, and American companies moving operations to other countries or aquiring foriegn companies.

The reasons for this is beyond my grasp, but I find it interesting. The GLOBAL economy, in my opinion, is helping to raise the quality of all marine engines. The product available just over the past couple of years, from all manufacturers, is great.

And the American companies are competing very well. They are producing excellent products at competitive prices.

Rich

posted 03-07-2006 08:57 PM ET (US)            

Is this "joint venture" outsourcing or is it USA Corporates using etec technology in an effort to reclaim the markets Honda & Yamaha have taken?

posted 03-09-2006 01:58 PM ET (US)            

Bombardier comes from a background of designing and manufacturing commercial jet passenger aircraft. Products of this sort are the most complex devices ever built by man. If you can turn a old-time manufacturing company with a heritage of designing, manufacturing, and selling some of the most complex products ever built by man into a "box maker" just because they sold a small operation that made electronic modules for their products, where does that leave any manufacturing company these days? Far larger sub-assemblies are contracted out by automobile manufacturers. Is GM a boxmaker, too?

Throwing out a term like "boxmaker" makes me think of some sort of con artist that takes someone else's products and puts them in a fancy box, which is then sold for far more profit. Sorry, but I don't see that at Bombardier at all.

Bombardier already owns the technology for the E-TEC injector that is going to be made for them by the new owners, so if anyone is about to profit from a infusion of new technology, it will be the new owners. Bombardier purchased the intellectual property embodied in the the fuel-injection devices. Contrast this with Mercury:

posted 03-09-2006 10:50 PM ET (US)         

Kind of like Rolls Royce using Borg-Warner transmissions and Frigidaire air-conditioning.

posted 11-19-2006 12:54 PM ET (US)            

On November 15, 2006, a little over a year ago, Dick wrote:

quote:

---

From what I see I give Evinrude & Johnson a year at the most before they go [vulgar expression for death in abbreviation form]. If they don't I will not only be surprised but will apologize for my comment.

---

posted 11-19-2006 06:41 PM ET (US)            

BRP is now owned by one of the original Skidoo families and an investment group.

""""BRP US Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP), a privately-held company and a world leader in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of motorised recreational vehicles. Its portfolio of brands and products includes: Ski-Doo® and Lynx™ snowmobiles, Sea-Doo® watercraft and sport boats, Johnson® and Evinrude® outboard engines, direct injection technologies such as Evinrude E-TEC™, Bombardier* ATV all-terrain vehicles, Rotax® engines and karts.""""

posted 11-19-2006 08:16 PM ET (US)            

I have always been very confused by the discussions which followed the initial announcement...

posted 11-19-2006 08:22 PM ET (US)            

I hate to break it to you but Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) was separated from Bombardier to raise cash. It was the crown jewel of Bombardier in terms of market value and Bombardier family members did not want it get absorbed by some conglomerate like Brunswick, so they bought it themselves.

posted 11-20-2006 12:54 PM ET (US)            

All the people that still think Bombardier builds outboards.

posted 11-20-2006 12:58 PM ET (US)            

Bombardier builds Lear Jets and railroad stuff.
They just won a great market in suburban Paris (France)

BRP has seedoo and e-tecs and is owned by family.

posted 11-20-2006 02:25 PM ET (US)            

In the world of EMM and Info Tech (IT), you have to be extremely agile. Look at the rapid obsolescence (some say planned!) in GPS electronic products.

Also, with the rapid demand for four stroke tech, this niche DFI technology could rapidly become considered "market demand obsolete" and as someone posted earlier, BRP is "cashing out" while product still has value.

I really hope Brunswick and BRP do not abandon DFI two stroke technology in the coming years! You don't have to have a technologically superior product to win market share! Remember VHS vs. Betamax? Sony had a better VCR product technically. Some would also argue same on Apple Mac over IBM PC...

posted 11-20-2006 04:10 PM ET (US)            

Heres what I read in the most recent posts.....

"""Bombardier comes from a background of designing and manufacturing commercial jet passenger aircraft. Products of this sort are the most complex devices ever built by man.""""

"""Bombardier is still in the recreational marine business"""

Just seemed to me some people were still confused. Sorry.

Company rep???? Do I represent a company on these boards? No, my opinions are my own. Do I work for a company. Yes.

posted 11-20-2006 08:14 PM ET (US)            

Before Bombardier owned Evinrude they made jet aircraft, high speed trains, as well as other recreational products.

Before Brunswick owned Mercury they made bowling pins, bowling balls, and automatic pin spotters.

Now the current Bombardier Recreational Products company is separate from the Bombardier company that builds airplanes and trains, but the senior people--the sort of people who infuse a particular personality into a company--are the same. In fact they're from the founding family, the people that started Bombardier and grew it into a prime aircraft manufacturing company.

The senior people at Brunswick come and go. A few years ago Brunswick was led by an engineer, a guy with a Ph. D. in Engineering. He's gone. Now a lawyer from Kentucky runs Brunswick.

Bombardier Recreational Products is a closely held private company with strong family leadership.

There has been a really absurd effort by some people to characterize Bombardier in all sorts of derogatory ways. Let me give you a little summary just from this thread:

--Bombardier was supposed to be out of business by now, according to one wit.

--Bombardier was described as turning into a "box manufacturer" --a company that just buys engines from someone else and puts them in a box, I guess.

--Bombardier has chronic problems with their EMM units.

All of this sort of talk is absurd.

Bombardier is still in business. Not really a surprise to anyone. Prognosticators that saw it folding were really just mud slingers.

Bombardier a "box manufacturer''--where does this come from? Rotax, a Bombardier division just made their 6,000,000-th engine. A "box manufacturer" does not have global engine manufacturing that produces 6,000,0000 engines. As far as who buys engines from other people and puts them into a box, I can think of another Wisconsin company that does an awful lot of that.

Bombardier offers its customers easily access to software updates. This is supposed to be an example of chronic problems with engine computer control modules? Every Tuesday Microsoft releases about twenty new patches for their software. Bombardier releases one or two a year. Who's got problem with their software?

In other discussions I've seen people try to introduce fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) about Bombardier and their products. Sorry, it has not worked. All you have to do is read the PERFORMANCE discussion to see how many people have bought E-TEC motors versus other options for re-powering a Boston Whaler.

Here's another funny one: Bombardier does not have financial backing. HELLO? Bombardier's backing partner, Bain Capital Management has gobs of money. They're just about to buy another company for $6-billion cash. That does not sound like there is any lack of capital behind Bombardier.

posted 11-20-2006 08:55 PM ET (US)            

Sorry Jim, but I don't think Dick will be back to apologize
for his comment like he said he would last year.

posted 12-02-2007 10:02 AM ET (US)            

quote:

---

From what I see I give Evinrude & Johnson a year at the most before they go [vulgar expression for death]. If they don't I will not only be surprised but will apologize for my comment.

---

We are now over one year beyond the predicted "death" of Evinrude and Johnson, and it seems as though Bombardier Recreational Products is still in business producing outboard motors.

posted 12-02-2007 01:00 PM ET (US)         

Evinrude appears to have good product and doing OK, but not great. I do not see them doing particularly well against Mercury, Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki. Perhpas the new 250HO will help them in the bass/performance category, where Merc and Yamaha have been tough DFI competition.

Having just returned from two separate trips to South FL, both the east and west coasts, an area generally regarded as the outboard capital of the world, I saw precious few Evinrudes, except for a few on the Broward County Sheriff boats, a deal worked out by Intrepid boat company.

posted 12-02-2007 02:50 PM ET (US)            

I guess they must still be in business after all. :rolleyes:

Some things never change. Still putting the "FUD" factor to use in almost every post huh?

posted 12-02-2007 08:09 PM ET (US)            

Simply, the division was killed (mostly) by Ron Zarella of GM as a way to reduce the number of dealers that GM had to support. Nothing to do with quality or engineering. The handwriting was on the wall a few years prior to the announcement. There were more single point Olds dealers then there were of Buick. It wasn't a strict "sales were not there" situation.