Optimax nonexistant in 2009?

[CWCW]

I was at the Cabela's in Fort Worth, TX two days ago using a christmas gift card to buy fishing supplies when i went in the boat show room to look at the new boats. A boat salesman in the showroom approached me and we got to talking about some of the boats and i started asking him about some of his Stratos and Lowe fishing boats and wondered if he had any in stock pre-rigged with four stroke outboards. He said no and that he wont carry them with four strokes because of the extra weight of the four stroke motors (Heard that crap a million times before). Anyways he tried to show me a Stratos 186 with the old 115 yama V4 2s carb. I told him that yamaha doesnt even show the old 115 V4 2s carbs online anymore. We talked about how 2s carb outboards are slowly deminishing in production and he told me that his Mercury "people" (venders im guessing) said that the DI 2stroke motors such as Mecurys Optimax line of motors will be discontinued in 2009 and that i will be only a 4stroke market. Anyone heard this news? I figured it was coming but i didnt know it was that quick. He said it was because of EPA pressure on outboard companies.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Optimax nonexistant in 2009?

I have contacted Mercury to see what they have to say about it.
Would find it hard to think that they would do away with one of their best engines though.

 

[CWCW]

Re: Optimax nonexistant in 2009?

Well if this is true, it really wouldnt be Mercury, Yamaha or Evinrude's call to eliminate the line of 2s DI's. I dont think it was these companies "choice" to start the ridding of the big 2s carbed outboards. I think it was the EPA's strong arm in that matter. I dont think the Opti, VMAX, or E-TEC would even be here with out the EPA.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Optimax nonexistant in 2009?

I have contacted 2 of my biggest Merc dealers in my area and neither have heard anything about it as of yet.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Optimax nonexistant in 2009?

I was at the Cabela's in Fort Worth, TX two days ago using a christmas gift card to buy fishing supplies when i went in the boat show room to look at the new boats. A boat salesman in the showroom approached me and we got to talking about some of the boats and i started asking him about some of his Stratos and Lowe fishing boats and wondered if he had any in stock pre-rigged with four stroke outboards. He said no and that he wont carry them with four strokes because of the extra weight of the four stroke motors (Heard that crap a million times before). Anyways he tried to show me a Stratos 186 with the old 115 yama V4 2s carb. I told him that yamaha doesnt even show the old 115 V4 2s carbs online anymore. We talked about how 2s carb outboards are slowly deminishing in production and he told me that his Mercury "people" (venders im guessing) said that the DI 2stroke motors such as Mecurys Optimax line of motors will be discontinued in 2009 and that i will be only a 4stroke market. Anyone heard this news? I figured it was coming but i didnt know it was that quick. He said it was because of EPA pressure on outboard companies.

As Joe Soucheray, mayor of Garage Logic would say, B as in B, and S as in S.
"http://www.am1500.com/gl/index.shtml"

 

[rndn]

Re: Optimax nonexistant in 2009?

I can't imagine getting rid of them. The newer 2 strokes far outperform the four strokes without polluting the environment the way older 2 strokes do. It would be nice to find out exactly how much polluting 2 strokes actually put in the environment as these things are mostly used to get you to a spot where an electric trolling motor is then used.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Optimax nonexistant in 2009?

This is the reply I got from Mercury Marine.

Greetings Mr. Wright,

Thank you for your e-mail. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to your
concerns.

Unfortunately, we are not made aware of any announcements regarding the
future of Mercury products due to marketing guidelines.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to call our
Customer Service Center at 920-929-5040 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and
5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, Central Standard Time.

Sincerely,
Mercury Customer Assistance

Ref.# 2008-2329

So, take it for what it's worth.

 

[masterge]

Re: Optimax nonexistant in 2009?

Your are right about 2-stroke Carb motors. I believe that they an no longer be sold after 2010.

I'm thinking the issue is C.A.R.B ratings. California Air Resources Board. Many of the two stokes are as clean or cleaner than the 4 strokes. Manufacturers are being pushed by the EPA to produce much cleaner engines. You are probably safe with a 2 star rating for a long time and probably safe for the life of your engine if it is 3 star. All Evinrude E-tecs are 3-star now. Optimax DIs are about half 2-star and half 3-star. Yamaha HPDIs are all 2-star. Most 4 strokes are 3 star rated, but they actually are higher in some pollutants than the two strokes.

Here's some info.

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/regs/nonroad/marinesi-equipld/420f07032.htm#4

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=233658&highlight=emissions

http://www.oceanskiffjournal.com/SubscriberContent/Articles/Vol01Issue05/General/ETEC3.aspx#idx Look at the links at the bottom right.

http://www.amsoil.com/articlespr/article_2002_outboard_motors.aspx

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=233658&highlight=emissions

I was at the Cabela's in Fort Worth, TX two days ago using a christmas gift card to buy fishing supplies when i went in the boat show room to look at the new boats. A boat salesman in the showroom approached me and we got to talking about some of the boats and i started asking him about some of his Stratos and Lowe fishing boats and wondered if he had any in stock pre-rigged with four stroke outboards. He said no and that he wont carry them with four strokes because of the extra weight of the four stroke motors (Heard that crap a million times before). Anyways he tried to show me a Stratos 186 with the old 115 yama V4 2s carb. I told him that yamaha doesnt even show the old 115 V4 2s carbs online anymore. We talked about how 2s carb outboards are slowly deminishing in production and he told me that his Mercury "people" (venders im guessing) said that the DI 2stroke motors such as Mecurys Optimax line of motors will be discontinued in 2009 and that i will be only a 4stroke market. Anyone heard this news? I figured it was coming but i didnt know it was that quick. He said it was because of EPA pressure on outboard companies.

 

[gss036]

Re: Optimax nonexistant in 2009?

When I was motor shopping the first part of the month, I checked out Yamaha's. All they had was the 200-250hp were four stroke engines. I asked why and was told that only the go fast bass boats are buying and using them. This was at BoonDocks, who is part of the SeaSport line of boats. Most all thier boats are rigged with Yamaha or Volvo components.
Optimax's definately are not cheap, but I ended up with a 225 HP Honda.

 

[revo4789]

Re: Optimax nonexistant in 2009?

well i know in the dirt bike and 4 wheeler industry they have already stop making 2 stroke bikes. And i will tell you one thing i am not going to let me inline 6 mercury go. Man i love that engine so much. Has so much more power than the 4 strokes and it is so much lighter.

 

[pistol37]

Re: Optimax nonexistant in 2009?

Optimax and similar DI motors shouldn't be facing extinction any time soon, but companies are definitely eliminating carburettion.

 

[masterge]

Re: Optimax nonexistant in 2009?

I was at the Cabela's in Fort Worth, TX two days ago using a christmas gift card to buy fishing supplies when i went in the boat show room to look at the new boats. A boat salesman in the showroom approached me and we got to talking about some of the boats and i started asking him about some of his Stratos and Lowe fishing boats and wondered if he had any in stock pre-rigged with four stroke outboards. He said no and that he wont carry them with four strokes because of the extra weight of the four stroke motors (Heard that crap a million times before). Anyways he tried to show me a Stratos 186 with the old 115 yama V4 2s carb. I told him that yamaha doesnt even show the old 115 V4 2s carbs online anymore. We talked about how 2s carb outboards are slowly deminishing in production and he told me that his Mercury "people" (venders im guessing) said that the DI 2stroke motors such as Mecurys Optimax line of motors will be discontinued in 2009 and that i will be only a 4stroke market. Anyone heard this news? I figured it was coming but i didnt know it was that quick. He said it was because of EPA pressure on outboard companies.

It's quite interesting that so many dealer salesman are so misinformed (or just playing dumb to sell whatever they have). You wont see any Merc 2 stroke EFIs pretty soon, but the 2 stroke DFI should be around for awhile. I wouldn't buy anything with a Carb rating less than two or no stars. I'm thinking that Merc is working real hard on getting all their 2 stroke Optis to a 3-star CARB rating.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Optimax nonexistant in 2009?

Back in the Clinton administration, Gore got something through that (at the time) would have eliminated 2 strokes by 2007.
EPA has gotten involved with their "star" rating.
It' obvious that carbureted 2 strokes days are numbered.
If you look at the manufacturers lineups, the writing is on the wall there too.

This is gonna kill my hydroplanes.

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: Optimax nonexistant in 2009?

Back in the Clinton administration, Gore got something through that (at the time) would have eliminated 2 strokes by 2007.
EPA has gotten involved with their "star" rating.
It' obvious that carbureted 2 strokes days are numbered.
If you look at the manufacturers lineups, the writing is on the wall there too.

I guess old Al isn't all bad after all - unless this is on par with the myth that he claimed to invent the internet. I own 3 old 2 stroke carb'd engines (two kickers, one V6) and they are air and water polluting SOBs. I own them because they're affordable and light weight but I do not like the cloud of smoke I get at the ramp when I start the big V6, and the oil slick when I'm parked idling. I'd greatly prefer to run an engine that was a lot cleaner and hope to transition there myself as the engines wear out and/or the "good used" market starts to offer some affordable ones.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Optimax nonexistant in 2009?

Here in MD, he wanted to put a burm around every farmers field on the Eastern Shore to prevent agricultural runoff and had no problem with the whatever the cost (probably because he would have made the farmers pay for it).
That never became a reality.

I would like to think the government learned not to screw with farmers.
Remember the bankruptcy problem in the midwest during the 1980's?