How big are the new OB’s?
01-16-2023 | 08:47 AM
#21
Registered
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,330
Likes: 1,835
From: Merritt Island, FL
Twin you must be close to my age, I remember that same quote by Kenny Roberts. I would go to Canada and see the street legal 500cc 2-strokes and drool. Remember when BIMOTO tried to get a 500cc 2-stroke pass emissions and be legal?
JS,
Right, everyone on here talks about how easy CC's are to keep clean and PM, that is NOT what the 4-6 engine blinged out ones are about.
JS,
Right, everyone on here talks about how easy CC's are to keep clean and PM, that is NOT what the 4-6 engine blinged out ones are about.
Exactly!
I was a huge follower of Formula One motorcycle road racing when they were powered by 500 cc 2 stroke motors.
For a 2 stroke guy like me, those motors and their technology were Nirvana!
When they changed the rules (per the mfgs), they instantly stopped any/all R&D on the 2 strokes.
All their funding went to the new “diesels” as Kenny Roberts famously called them…, and their performance went through the roof.
That change happened/started because the mfgs were sick of dumping all that money into products they didn’t even sell.
Their 4 stroke race bikes were based on street bikes they sold.
So if 90% + of Mercs biz is OB’s, guess where their funding goes.
I struggle to wrap my head around a $60 - $100K OB, let alone 3 or 4 of them but, my Fla friends w/inside sources say, Merc is buried in orders and a yr out!
I was a huge follower of Formula One motorcycle road racing when they were powered by 500 cc 2 stroke motors.
For a 2 stroke guy like me, those motors and their technology were Nirvana!
When they changed the rules (per the mfgs), they instantly stopped any/all R&D on the 2 strokes.
All their funding went to the new “diesels” as Kenny Roberts famously called them…, and their performance went through the roof.
That change happened/started because the mfgs were sick of dumping all that money into products they didn’t even sell.
Their 4 stroke race bikes were based on street bikes they sold.
So if 90% + of Mercs biz is OB’s, guess where their funding goes.
I struggle to wrap my head around a $60 - $100K OB, let alone 3 or 4 of them but, my Fla friends w/inside sources say, Merc is buried in orders and a yr out!
01-16-2023 | 08:53 AM
#22
Registered
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,422
Likes: 1,062
From: Orlando, FL
Right - those boats seem not much easier than a twin I/O once you consider how packed in all those motors are against each other, plus at some point it's a numbers game, more motors = higher probability of something breaking at any given time. And the bling level means more upkeep. Fancy upholstery, lots of vinyl and gadgets.
01-16-2023 | 08:56 AM
#23
Thread Starter
Registered
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,473
Likes: 2,110
From: Milton, Fla!
My guess is, the captain misjudged wind/waves/current, didn’t realize it until to close to correct.
The motors steering in opposite directions is likely being done by computer from a joystick on the helm.
A site to behold if you haven’t one in operation.
Basically, can make the boat parallel park!
I may still have a video of one coming into dock.
Not sure how well my gear cases would like near continuous shifting though……….
Mr Grafix, I have a Water Buffalo in my shop.
The motors steering in opposite directions is likely being done by computer from a joystick on the helm.
A site to behold if you haven’t one in operation.
Basically, can make the boat parallel park!
I may still have a video of one coming into dock.
Not sure how well my gear cases would like near continuous shifting though……….
Mr Grafix, I have a Water Buffalo in my shop.
Mercury and Yamaha need to educate the techs, there is a shortage now and the existing guys are getting older/won't want to "learn" the new stuff. I'd be stunned if anyone in the whole Bahamas chain of islands could work on the new M/Ys.
The weight/fuel burn is always going to be a battle for any of the new motors. In some boats, smaller triples is faster/more efficient than two big twins (pair of Yamaha 425s vs. triple 300s). To me a center console's attraction is shade and simplicity. Start adding multiple complicated motors and suddenly its not simple anymore. I could careless if a CC goes 90 mph with 4 motors especially when odds are one will be tilted up at some point. Sure its nice to know you are getting home on 2 out of 3 or whatever.
Here is a quad engine cat, lost steering and then the motors turned inward towards each other.............note the lack of simplicity, not the 1600/1800 HP on the transom that caused the trouble
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GorjEfPhWv4
The weight/fuel burn is always going to be a battle for any of the new motors. In some boats, smaller triples is faster/more efficient than two big twins (pair of Yamaha 425s vs. triple 300s). To me a center console's attraction is shade and simplicity. Start adding multiple complicated motors and suddenly its not simple anymore. I could careless if a CC goes 90 mph with 4 motors especially when odds are one will be tilted up at some point. Sure its nice to know you are getting home on 2 out of 3 or whatever.
Here is a quad engine cat, lost steering and then the motors turned inward towards each other.............note the lack of simplicity, not the 1600/1800 HP on the transom that caused the trouble
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GorjEfPhWv4
01-16-2023 | 08:56 AM
#24
Registered
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 345
Likes: 169
From: Lake St. Louis, MO / LOTO
Bimota did get it to pass emissions....only because they couldn't keep it running! Not many were produced and I'm sure about all of them are sitting in collections as they could not get them to run...they ditched the fuel injections and went to carbs and still couldn't get them to run right.
01-16-2023 | 09:06 AM
#25
Thread Starter
Registered
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,473
Likes: 2,110
From: Milton, Fla!
For the guy that can afford a $800k toy but doesn’t want to learn how to dock his own boat.
On the bikes, there is French (I think) company building 250 cc two stroke twins that are injected, pass emissions, make 78 hp and weight 280 lbs!
Street legal road racer.
Theyre rumored to be working on a 4 cylinder.
On the bikes, there is French (I think) company building 250 cc two stroke twins that are injected, pass emissions, make 78 hp and weight 280 lbs!
Street legal road racer.
Theyre rumored to be working on a 4 cylinder.
01-16-2023 | 10:37 AM
#28
Thread Starter
Registered
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,473
Likes: 2,110
From: Milton, Fla!
01-16-2023 | 10:59 AM
#29
Registered
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 11,904
Likes: 1,143
Right - those boats seem not much easier than a twin I/O once you consider how packed in all those motors are against each other, plus at some point it's a numbers game, more motors = higher probability of something breaking at any given time. And the bling level means more upkeep. Fancy upholstery, lots of vinyl and gadgets.
I was out on a 39 Contender a few months ago, boat looked great/ triple 350 Yamahas. Owner told me it was 10 years old now! I figured it was 3-4 years old at most.
I don't fish, I could care less about fish boxes/live wells whatever but this was a nice clean center console.
The bling boats are going to age quickly, that stuff isn't going to hold up. Small cabin in the console is great for a patch of bad weather or dry storage but when it looks like a 1 bedroom apartment down there then it's likely too big! Full galley? Seriously who is going to cook in a center console? Nor-tech had the drink cooler inside the go fast boats for years, fill it will drinks/ice it down and it drained overboard.........genius and it NEVER breaks. That type of simplicity is what it ideal to me.
01-16-2023 | 11:01 AM
#30
Registered
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 11,904
Likes: 1,143
First video that popped up, says it runs 101 mph! Cool boat but still no shade.
