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  2013 IBEX Innovation Award to Yamaha

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Author Topic:   2013 IBEX Innovation Award to Yamaha
jimh posted 09-18-2013 04:52 AM ET (US)   Profile for jimh   Send Email to jimh  
Yamaha Marine received the 2013 International Boatbuilders Exhibition and Conference Innovation Award in the outboard engine category for its 2.8-liter platform.

"This highly versatile four stroke power platform featuring a narrow footprint and ability to retro fit has a very broad appeal for both the end user and the marine industry,” said judge Beth Leonard.

Cf.: http://www.boatingindustry.com/news/2013/09/17/ ibex-announces-innovation-award-winners-2/

The Yamaha 2.8-liter engine is designated the F200F or F200G model. For more information see

http://www.yamahaoutboards.com/F200

The introduction of the Yamaha F200F or F200G models was discussed almost a year ago in this forum in an extremely long and very lively thread. See

http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/021831.html

You will note in that discussion that a prediction was made (by me) that this engine would win an award for innovation, mainly on the strength of the significant reduction in weight achieved. The new F200F/G models weigh 110-lbs less than previous Yamaha 200-HP engines. The prediction of winning an innovation award has come true, although the award does not seem to specifically recognize the weight reduction.

OMCrobert posted 09-18-2013 09:38 AM ET (US)     Profile for OMCrobert  Send Email to OMCrobert     
Yamaha also just got the CSI Award as well with Boston Whaler, Mercury and Volvo.

http://www.nmma.org/news.aspx?id=18520

Peter posted 09-18-2013 11:29 AM ET (US)     Profile for Peter  Send Email to Peter     
LOL. Coming out with a 4-cylinder, 16-valve, variable valve timing 2.8L 4-stroke is an innovation? Suzuki has had a 4-cylinder, 4-valve per cylinder, variable valve timing 2.9L outboard with 175 HP (most likely conservative rating) for almost a decade.
jimh posted 09-18-2013 12:09 PM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
This may be a skeptic's opinion, but I suspect that the awards are given to manufacturers that participate in the exhibition, that is, companies that have a booth at the exhibition. In the field of outboard engine manufacturers, this limits the choices somewhat, as two significant manufacturers, BRP and Tohatsu, do not have booths or exhibits at the exhibition. It is probably unlikely that the exhibition would present an award to a manufacturer that is not exhibiting at the exhibition.

Cf.: http://network.ibexshow.com/NetworkNow13/Public/nz_ALExhibitorSearch. aspx?ID=78

L H G posted 09-18-2013 02:16 PM ET (US)     Profile for L H G    
This engine is TEN POUNDS lighter than the 200 Verado, introduced 6 years ago, costs the same, and does not have the Verado's standard DTS controls. Big deal and good luck selling this one. I guess that means this Yamaha 200 owner can carry a case of beer in his transom, and the Verado 200 owner can't.
jimh posted 09-18-2013 07:06 PM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
The Yamaha F200F has electronic controls, which is in direct contradiction of Larry's claim. You can order the new F200 with or without electronic controls, just like the E-TEC V6 engines. The buyer has the option. It is a good option to have, particularly for re-powering. The judges explicitly mention the ability of the F200 to be used in re-powering. Besides, it is hard for an engine (the VERADO four-cylinder) first made six years ago to win an award for innovation now. The awards are usually given for something done recently, within a year. If the VERADO four-cylinder did not receive any recognition for innovation six years ago, I guess it was not judged to be innovative.
martyn1075 posted 09-18-2013 10:01 PM ET (US)     Profile for martyn1075  Send Email to martyn1075     
I think if or possibly when Mercury puts out a 200 fourstroke (not Verado) is when you might see an award. Problem is the 150 does not have DTS, only standard controls AND it dose not allow the user to punch down to a lower troll speed. Not good for a fisherman at least where I live.

I was looking at a new 210 Montauk today with the new 150 Four stroke and it was actually a really nice setup very attractive unit and well laid out deck plan. The good news is for the 150 Four stoke is that it gets a hair over 5 mpg at a decent cruise and slightly less at a fast cruise. The award winning F200 would work but no go.

Martyn

sosmerc posted 09-18-2013 10:57 PM ET (US)     Profile for sosmerc  Send Email to sosmerc     
The new F150 Mercury does have "troll control" if you rig it with the appropriate Smartcraft Guage Package. True, it is not a Digital Throttle and Shift Engine, but it does still offer solid performance and full SmartCraft features.
martyn1075 posted 09-19-2013 12:36 AM ET (US)     Profile for martyn1075  Send Email to martyn1075     
I was speaking with a Boston Whaler rep at our local dealer today about a 190 Outrage and he told me that the key benefits to the Verado is that it has the troll feature over the 150 Fourstroke which did not have that ability.

I wonder why he would say that to me?

Martyn

jimh posted 09-19-2013 12:41 AM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
It is easy to understand how Yamaha won the innovation award for 2013. Let's review:

Last year Mercury won for the innovation of having an engine that weighed 10-lbs less, and reverted all technology back to the beginning of four-stroke engine design. Mercury had no new engines, so they could not win, again. So they were out.

E-TEC and Tohatsu are not exhibitors at this show, so they could not win.

Honda did not have anything new, so it could not win this year.

That left Yamaha, which had an engine it introduced 11-months ago, which was just new enough to be "new", so it won.

I don't mean to suggest that there is anything wrong with the F200F/G engines. They are actually very nice engines. They are really excellent for re-powering, due to their size and weight.

OMCrobert posted 09-19-2013 08:58 AM ET (US)     Profile for OMCrobert  Send Email to OMCrobert     
We can then draw the conclusion that Yamaha won the award simply because they showed up and had the only new engine recently among presenters.

OMCrobert posted 09-19-2013 09:00 AM ET (US)     Profile for OMCrobert  Send Email to OMCrobert     
We can then draw the conclusion that Yamaha won the award simply because they showed up and had the only new engine recently among presenters.

jimh posted 09-19-2013 09:35 AM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
You can say that again.
jimh posted 09-19-2013 03:20 PM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
It seems I forgot to mention Suzuki in my elimination list. I don't know if Suzuki has had any new product introductions. This may be representative of Suzuki and its somewhat low-key marketing. I will have to go research Suzuki to see what they've been up to with their fine engines.
L H G posted 09-19-2013 04:02 PM ET (US)     Profile for L H G    
All these awards are the same, just like the JD Powers stuff. You have to pay/play to win.
jimh posted 09-20-2013 01:01 AM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
Suzuki has some real innovation: their new gear case design that can be used as either a right-hand rotation or a left-hand rotation by setting some software. This is called the SUZUKI SELECTIVE ROTATION gear case. That is really an innovation. I described it in an article over a year ago

http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/007733.html

I guess Selective Rotation was outside the one-year window for being innovative. Also, maybe Suzuki's booth was not very big last year.

I am not as skeptical as Larry, but I don't think an exhibition--any exhibition--is going to give an award to some company that is not an exhibitor at their exhibition.

swist posted 09-20-2013 09:52 AM ET (US)     Profile for swist  Send Email to swist     
I have never considered an award of any kind when buying a big ticket item. Too many variables, too many things that detract from a level playing field.

And most importantly, the characteristics the award is presented for are subjectively important to each buyer. Innovation is very important to some, longevity to others, performance to yet more.

And there is price - maybe that's why the Consumer Reports "Best Buy" awards are something I pay at least a little attention to.

jimh posted 09-20-2013 10:41 AM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
For me, the most influential award or acknowledgement of excellence is that someone opened their wallet and bought a particular engine. It is all well and good that a few experts make some judgements, but I think people voting with the wallets make a better endorsement. If I read that twenty people re-powered their classic Boston Whaler boats with a particular engine, that outweighs a lot of expert opinions offered on the subject that some other engine would be the best choice, especially when those experts don't even own the engine they are endorsing.
OMCrobert posted 09-20-2013 12:07 PM ET (US)     Profile for OMCrobert  Send Email to OMCrobert     
This new 200hp Yamaha is certainly a popular engine that many boat builders are basing their boats around. The new 25ft Regulator comes to mind.

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