BLOG: These are the outboards that shaped the industry!

PRESUMPTUOUS, pseudo-pretentious and insufferably smug old bastard that The Skipper is, dear reader, he would like to believe that you have been lamenting his absence and tearing your hair out at the gaping void that has been left in your forum-browsing enjoyment over the last few weeks. What? You never even noticed his absence? And here was yours truly thinking he was the sole oracle and final arbiter of all that is worth knowing.

Although the rigours of fulltime employment have restricted the ability of yours truly to provide discerning readers of your impeccable calibre with the high level of insightful, top-level information which you have come to savour and expect, how about the following treatise as a one-off bit of fun? This is purely The Skipper’s personal take on the outboard motors that secured their place in history and helped drive the industry to today’s levels of sophistication and reliability. Note that these will not be everyone’s idea of the absolute best in their respective sectors, but each did its bit towards moving the game onward and upward. Is The Skipper on the money? What favourites would you add or delete? Anyway, here goes…….

The 3-Cylinder Loop-Charged OMC (55-75hp)

Introduced midway through 1968 as a 1969 model, it was hard to believe that this neat, svelte unit came from the same company that was still knocking out cumbersome, ungainly Big Twins and Jumbos. It immeasurably “sexed up” any craft to which it was fitted despite, in its first few years, having myriad recurring magneto/CDI problems and a disconcerting tendency to “thwwummp” into fwd gear when switched off, due to solenoid failure in the hydro-electric shift system. But it came resolutely on song with the upgrade to 65hp in the early ‘70s, followed by its halcyon years in 70hp and 75hp Hustler/Stinger guise. The Skipper himself has an immense spot for one of the later iterations of this motor, the short-shaft ‘79 Stinger (with the chequered-flag cowling decals), as it powered him through the heady monohull racing scene of that time.

Regrettably, OMC (as was their wont), completely lost the plot with it in the mid ‘80s, when they went to a bigger capacity, “lost-wax” power-head, but it soldiered on gallantly until bowing out gracefully in the early part of this century. It should also be noted that, without the introduction of this epoch-making outboard, there would probably be no Japanese outboard industry of any significance. The Yamahas, Suzukis and Tohatsus which unashamedly aped it merely paid homage to its greatness.

The Mercury In-Line 6 “Tower of Power”

Where do you start? What particular model was actually the original “tower of power”? The Skipper always reckoned it was old man Kiekhaefer’s original 60hp (and later 70hp) of the late ‘50s, complete with a “silent” neutral (i.e. no astern gear – merely an engine that actually changed rotation once it was switched off and put in the “reverse” position!). However, in recent times, the term “tower of power”, appears to refer to all in-line 6 Mercurys, presumably up until the series stopped with the very last 115hp in the late ‘80s. This being the case, then, one would have to regard the glory days of these engines as the “red band” (’68-71) era and the early-mid ‘70s, when the last distributor-ignition 150hp bowed out. These engines were slim, sensational, smooth and sexy. If you were a serious racer, there was simply no other choice. Even today, there is nothing like the wailing, authoritarian, barely restrained growl of an I6 Mercury on full song and any memory of childhood high-speed boating will have one of these upright pianos vividly front and centre. And negatives? Well, their fuel consumption merited attendance in a 12-step programme, and at idle there was always a rainbow slick on the water the size of Stradbroke Island (mainly due to a stuck float in at least one carb). Also, if whipping back the throttle after “blipping” the revs in neutral gear, there was occasionally the ominous telltale “chirping” sound of needle bearings holding on for grim death.

Interestingly, the Japanese were very disdainful of this engine as fodder for replicating – had they done so, The Skipper suggests that they would own the entire high-HP market to this day.

The Yamaha 55A

Whilst not officially available in these parts under the Yamaha moniker (but its Mariner 60hp sibling was plentiful), this was a truly precedent-setting, groundbreaking outboard. Why? It certainly wasn’t its midrange HP rating or its relatively straightforward twin-cylinder loop-charged power unit. No. It was the fact that this was the first “large” (well, largish) Japanese outboard - an engine that catapulted them into an entirely new arena. It was somewhat akin to previously prosaic companies like Toyota and Nissan unveiling the 2000GT and 240Z respectively. Thirty-five years ago, the 55A was – to use what is now a truly laboured, misused and abused expression – a proper “game changer”.

Even when idling, this engine had a thoroughbred, growling, somewhat urgent “whine”, where its direct competitor – the OMC 55/60 – had a flatter, richer, “burbling” sound. It was almost as if the Yamaha – in true motorcycle fashion – was jetted as lean as it was possible to safely go. What many people may not know, however, is that the 55A was the offspring of the very first joint-venture with Brunswick, and – for the “anoraks” among you – a clue to this association was the externally-mounted shock absorbers. On early engines, they were installed back-to-front to conceal the words “Mercury Marine”!

After the 55A, Yamaha could do no wrong. They basically whacked another cylinder on top of the 760cc twin to come up with the slick, silky, screaming 1140cc 85A. The Japanese days of playing “catch-up” were now firmly in the past.

But had it any failings? Nothing major, except maybe for lukewarm acceptance of saltwater in its formative years and a tendency to require proximity to an oxy bottle to remove the prop if left on for longer than one season – even if religiously greased beforehand.

The Suzuki DT115/140

Although the DT85 merits mentioning due to the inclusion of oil injection, it first went on the market as a premix 2-stroke motor at the same as the Yamaha 85A (1978), with oil injection not being available until the 1981 model year – the same year that the dynamic, dazzling DT115/140 series hit the water.

These engines – never particularly well known or given their proper due in these parts – were truly sensational. They were loop-charged; they had unusually fast power trim as standard and, above all, they had integrated, gravity-feed oil injection. The oil tank had a respectable 4.5 litre capacity, too, as the motor had been designed to incorporate this system (unlike the DT85, where the oil injection was basically a retrofit and had to make do with a paltry 2-litre reservoir under the cowling).

What Suzuki did was outstanding. They created a long-stroke, in-line 4 engine that idled sweetly and automotive-like on all 4 cylinders - something Mercury could never get their 100-125 models to do. They would then accelerate smoothly, rapidly and express-train like right through the RPM range with no midrange “stumble” between low- and high-speed circuits.

Motorcycle thinking and rudimentary, early signs that they effectively understood “tuned” induction could be found on these engines, as the DT140 in particular used three different jet sizes in the four carbs and different compression ratios between top and bottom cylinders. These engines were a paradigm of stability, balance, performance and – if looked after properly and respectfully - durability.

The only factors that militated against the DT115/140 (although more so the later silver ones rather than the early white/red models) were a rate of corrosion that would even have shamed a manufacturer of zinc anodes and the fact that they held onto the archaic, anachronistic, externally-mounted PPT pump until the mid ‘90s.

The Honda BF35/45

To pull into a boat ramp in the early ‘90s with a Honda BF35/45 on your transom was to invite cooing, whistling and long, lingering, lusty looks at the diminutive and delightfully packaged “dolphin” styling. Here was a sexy, racy-looking marine engine, a petite powerhouse from the company that powered the likes of Surtees, Senna, Gardner and Doohan. Above all, it was a 4-stroke. In those days, other than desultory attempts at low-HP 4-strokes by both Honda and Yamaha, this engine moved the game into a whole new age. Plus, at less than 90kg, it was – at least in 45hp guise – comparatively lightweight and able to carry the fight to the 2-strokes of the era. Not to mention that, due to the “square” configuration (i.e. bore and stroke the same), it was as smooth as silk and idled like a sewing machine.

In Europe at that time, where the BF35/45 carried a serious price premium, it was undoubtedly the “must-have” power unit for any conscientious RIB owner or trailer-fishing boat user, or those with huge gin palaces in the Med who wanted a trendy, twee, toned-down “egg beater” for the deck-mounted tender. Even yours truly – who has seen and driven nearly every type of outboard known - crawled almost fawningly and sycophantically to a rather arrogant, cocksure Honda rep and asked ever so deferentially to take a BF45 for a spin on an Avon Sea Rider. Alas, once behind the wheel, my ardour was somewhat dampened –as it was a tad slothful and sedentary (a trait of all early carbed 4-strokes) - but the potential was there, and the packaging and dynamics were right on the money.

Shortly after, Honda tweaked these engines to become the (still carbed at that time but now fuel injected) BF40/50, and it would not be incorrect to say that the gauntlet had been thrown down to everyone else who wanted to stay in the game. How about problems? Despite the “square” bore/stroke configuration, high-speed progress was rather raucous, coupled with (on the early models, anyway), a rather intrusive, bellowing intake “whoop” at high RPM. Also, it was telling that Honda went to Mercury for the lower units on their first BF75/90 models, because the hub carrier on the early BF35-50 lower unit accrued more salt build-up than Russia produced when they were sending people to the Archipelagos!

There is no doubt at all that today’s lightweight, sleek, compact 4-stroke outboards are what they are because of this series of Honda engines, so the one question that consistently niggles in the back of The Skipper's mind is: With a head start like this almost 20 years ago, how come Honda didn’t stamp its imprimatur on the 4-stroke OBM market and relegate everyone else to also-ran status?