First Honda four-stroke outboard motor released in 1964. 1967 saw the debut of the first Honda outboard in America. Customers could choose from a full range of four-stroke Honda models for the first time in 1985. 1990 The IMTEC Innovation Award goes to our BF45.
In This Article...
The Birth of BLAST
A market dominated by 2-stroke engines welcomed Honda’s first outboard engine in 1960.
Although 2-stroke engines are lightweight, have a simple design, and have the advantage of having a high output from a small displacement, 4-stroke engines have better environmental performance and fuel efficiency.
Honda has constantly created eco-friendly 4-stroke outboard engines since its inventor wanted to avoid contaminating the water we ride on.
The objective was to create a 4-stroke engine with acceleration comparable to a 2-stroke while preserving fuel efficiency and environmental performance in order to experience Honda’s distinctive delight of sailing. The solution was BLAST, a special ignition timing and air/fuel ratio system developed by Honda and originally installed on the BF90 in 2006. It is now a standard feature on the BF40-BF250 models*.
BLAST Mechanism and Advantages
The boat’s bow will be elevated (bow up) if there is insufficient power (torque) when accelerating from a stop, making the ride uncomfortable and preventing the boat from planing, which is the most fuel-efficient state.
2-stroke engines accelerate more quickly from a stop than 4-stroke engines because they are lighter and have more power (torque). With a 4-stroke engine, BLAST sought to achieve the same acceleration.
By regulating the air-fuel ratio and spark-advance control, BLAST increases torque for full-throttle acceleration while deciding ignition timing close to knocking restrictions.
BLAST improves acceleration from a stop and hastens the boat’s transition to the fuel-efficient planing mode.
In a 4-stroke outboard engine, BLAST achieves both the pleasure of sailing and greater fuel economy and environmental performance.
Honda 4-stroke outboard motors have fuel injection.
Lean Burn Control, PGM-FI (Programmed Fuel Injection), and BLAST (Boosted Low Speed Torque) Technology are features of the Honda Outboards BF50 and BF40. These features enhance fuel efficiency and boost acceleration at low speeds.
How can I determine the age of my Honda outboard?
Utilizing the key below, locate the model year code in your model number to ascertain the year.
Note: Yamaha stopped using the year in the model number starting in 2005. The transom bracket of motors manufactured after 2004 will display the production date.
There is no year information contained in the model or serial numbers of Chrysler Outboard engines.
See this graphic showing the years associated with Chrysler serial numbers. By hitting CTRL+F, you can determine the matching year by searching for your serial number.
There is no year information contained in the Force Outboard engine model or serial numbers.
See the Force serial number year chart, which is available here. By hitting CTRL+F, you can determine the matching year by searching for your serial number.
Nothing in the model or serial numbers of Mercury Mariner Outboard engines immediately indicates the year.
The starting serial number is determined by the first serial number sold within a year. The serial numbers that are between the first serial number of that year and the next belong to the same year. To discover the starting serial number for the range that includes your engine, look up the horsepower of your engine on the Mercury Mariner serial number year chart, which is found here.
Which outboard motor—a 2-stroke or 4-stroke—is superior?
A 4-stroke outboard is significantly more cost-effective than a 2-stroke in terms of fuel efficiency. A 4-stroke motor’s fuel efficiency can be 50% higher than a 2-stroke motor’s with the same horsepower.
Regarding environmental considerations, 4 stroke outboards generate far fewer hazardous emissions—up to 90% cleaner than those from a comparable-sized 2-stroke motor. The 4-stroke is the “greener choice” since it uses less fossil fuels because it is more fuel-efficient.
A 4-stroke motor’s lubrication system makes sure that all of the moving parts are continuously submerged in oil, substantially extending the life of internal components and enhancing the 4-stroke’s dependability and durability. Although a 4-stroke motor uses four piston strokes to produce one crankshaft revolution of power, it works more smoothly and doesn’t misfire at idle or low RPM. Four-stroke outboards are ideal for bigger boats because they produce more torque as well. Because of the lower pitch of the motor, they are quieter than 2-strokes.
When did production of 2-stroke outboard motors end?
By implementing higher pollution limits in 2004 and then further tightening them in 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) put an end to the 2-stroke’s hegemony. It became clear that the 2-stroke outboards would need to be redesigned in order to run more quietly and efficiently. Consequently, 4-stroke outboards have to reduce their weight in order to compete with the performance of 2-stroke engines.
It took a Yale engineering student called Cameron Waterman to create a gas-powered outboard that was economically viable, despite the fact that the American Motors Company produced roughly 25 of them before 1900. In 1903, Waterman began creating the “Porto-Motor.” The business had sold approximately 25,000 units by 1914.
Ole Evinrude, a Norwegian immigrant inventor, created the most popular and effective early outboard motor in 1909. The Evinrude Outboard Company had sold hundreds of boats by 1912. In 1913, Ole Evinrude sold his business to his partner in exchange for a 5-year commitment not to compete. Ole and his wife Bess established the ELTO (Evinrude Light Twin Outboard) firm in 1920 and unveiled a compact 2-cylinder outboard motor. Market decline eventually led to the merger of ELTO, Evinrude, and Lockwood Motor Company to become OMC (Outboards Motor Corporation), which later acquired Johnson Motor Company in 1935.
There were numerous outboard motor manufacturers producing primarily 2-stroke outboard motors by the 1940s. Even when some 4-stroke outboards were being produced, Homelite didn’t release a 55 horsepower 4-stroke outboard motor that was commercially successful until 1962. Fischer-Pierce, the firm behind the unassailable fiberglass and foam Boston Whaler, eventually acquired the Bearcat.
The Development of the Outboard Engine. By implementing higher pollution limits in 2004 and then further tightening them in 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) put an end to the 2-stroke’s hegemony.
What outboard motor is the most reliable?
Top Outboard Motors for 2021
- DF90A for Suzuki.
- F25 Yamaha.
- DF25A Suzuki.
- Mercury FourStroke Lineup, 90-150 HP.
- 500 HP Mercury SeaPro.
- Verado 600HP V12 Mercury.
- Deep Blue Torqeedo
- V-Max SHO 115 by Yamaha
Inventor of the first four-stroke outboard?
Although four-stroke outboards, particularly Roness and Sharland models, had been available since the late 1920s, it wasn’t until 1962 that Homelite unveiled a 55-horsepower model that was based on a four-cylinder automotive engine. Due of the Bearcat’s benefits over two-stroke engines, Fischer-Pierce, the company that makes Boston Whaler, later bought this for use in their boats. Honda Motor Co. unveiled its first four-stroke powerhead in 1964. [19] Yamaha unveiled their first four-stroke powerhead in 1984. Only lower horsepower versions of these motors were offered. Honda introduced four-stroke models with 35 and 45 horsepower in 1990. Throughout the 1990s, they remained at the forefront of four-stroke engine development as four-stroke outboards proliferated as a result of US and European exhaust emissions laws like CARB (California Air Resources Board). Prior to creating their own four-stroke engines, North American producers like Mercury and OMC borrowed engine technology from Japanese producers like Yamaha and Suzuki. The intrinsic benefits of four-stroke motors included less noise, improved fuel economy, reduced pollutants (particularly oil in the water), and higher low rpm torque.
New four-stroke engines have been created by the Honda Marine Group, Mercury Marine, Mercury Racing, Nissan Marine, Suzuki Marine, Tohatsu Outboards, Yamaha Marine, and China Oshen-Hyfong Marine. Some engines, mainly the smaller ones, are carbureted. The remaining vehicles have electronic fuel injection. Modern technology, such as numerous valves per cylinder, variable camshaft timing (Honda’s VTEC), increased low end torque (Honda’s BLAST), 3-way cooling systems, and closed loop fuel injection, is advantageous for contemporary engines, depending on the manufacturer. The four-stroke Mercury Verado engines are distinctive in that they are supercharged.
Computer-controlled direct-injected two-stroke engines were created by Mercury Marine, Mercury Racing, Tohatsu, Yamaha Marine, Nissan, and Evinrude. Each brand boasts a unique DI technique.
When compared to typical two-stroke outboards, fuel economy on both direct injected and four-stroke outboards is improved by 10% to 80%. Plan on a 30 percent increase in mileage depending on rpm and load at cruising speeds. [20]
The fuel efficiency difference between two-stroke and four-stroke outboards is starting to close, though. Manufacturers of two-stroke outboard motors have lately debuted innovative technology that help to increase two-stroke fuel efficiency. [21]
What does a Honda 4 stroke cost?
$8,999.00. New 60 HP outboard motor by Honda is currently in stock. Electronic Fuel Injection on a 4-stroke (EFI). unparalleled convenience and maneuverability.
How can I tell what model of Honda outboard I own?
Although every model name begins with “BF,” these two letters are absent from the engine.
The frame’s serial number is stamped into a piece of metal on or close to the stern bracket.
This could also be called a vehicle identification number or a product identification number (VIN).
How are the serial numbers on Honda engines read?
Look for a model number sticker on the engine to determine the model number. Model numbers for Honda engines always begin with the letter “G,” such as “G100,” “GX610,” or “GXV160.” The base engine model is this one. For the majority of your demands, the engine model and serial number should be sufficient.
When was my boat motor made?
Looking at a paper could be all it takes to determine the year your outboard motor was constructed. For certain motors, the hints are on the motor and are awaiting your use of a key word to solve them. Because neither the model number nor the serial number will provide you any information, you must ask the dealer for at least one if you want to know more than a general time period during which that particular model of motor was created.
If you reside in a state that mandates registration, check the registration certificate the state provided, or the title if you call Utah, Texas, Ohio, South Carolina, Oklahoma, or Missouri home. Both the registration and the title clearly state the model year or the date of manufacturing. This may be one of only two options available to owners of Honda outboard motors to locate the information without calling the Honda dealer.
Look for the details the dealer included about your motor in the operator’s manual for your motor. You must employ a different technique if you don’t have the motor operator’s manual that was packaged with your motor when it was brand-new.
Go to the motor and look for an embossed, metalized tag or plate with the manufacturer’s name prominently stamped at its top on the motor’s swivel bracket. The model year, or the year the motor was created, is also displayed on this manufacturer’s tag, with the exception of Honda motors.
Pull the motor’s top cowling away. This information is engraved on the top center of the engine block of some well-known outboard motor models, although it may also be on a tag that is often located on the right side of the engine block.
If you have an Evinrude or Johnson outboard, check the model number. The 10-letter word “introduces” provided the final two letters of the model number. Up until the letter “E,” which equals nine, each letter equals a different number: the first letter is “1,” the second, “2,” the third, etc. The numbers are the last two numbers of the motor’s year of construction, and the final letter of the word, “S,” stands for “0.” In 2009, a model with the number XXX-XX-XXX-XYX-X SE was created since “S” stands for “0” and “E” for “9.