Chinese Outboards Soon?

[CATransplant]

The Chinese are making all sorts of gasoline-powered items, from little motorcycles which copy Hondas to larger 4-stroke engines that look a lot like the Honda engines as well.<br /><br />How long before they start exporting low-end outboard motors, I wonder. There's a definite market for them. With small-HP outboards going for way more bucks than they should, it's a market just waiting for competition.<br /><br />I saw a Chinese-made 16 hp v-twin vertical shaft engine at Northern Tool the other day. Weighs about 75 pounds, costs about $600. The midsection and lower unit for an air-cooled motor is not a big deal, engineering-wise. I'd guess they could bring a 16-hp 4-stroke outboard to market for around $1000 retail. <br /><br />How much is a 15-hp outboard these days, new? At least twice that much.<br /><br />I predict we're going to see these things, up to about 20-hp, on the market very, very shortly. The industry's there. All it will take is for them to put the parts together.<br /><br />Watch eBay. That's where this stuff first hits the market.

 

[tommays]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

to many merc parts allready come from there and there building plants <br /><br />those 99 dollar marine starters gotta come from somewere<br /><br />i think its allready here we just havent seen compleat units yet that we no of<br /><br /><br />tommays

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

CATransplant,<br /> I remember back in the 60's I was saying the same thing, only about the Japanese. I observed they're prowess at making 2-stroke engines for other applications and commented that they'd be in the outboard business next. My prophecy came true and I suspect so too, will yours. Their economy is rippin' right now.<br /><br />Harbor Freight Outboards!!!

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

Do you mind if I use that line " Harbor Freight Outboards"? Now that's funny!

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

I was doing some searching. Apparently Yamaha has a big plant in China already.<br /><br />I do like the "Harbor Freight Outboards" name, though. Northern Equipment is the same idea, here in the Midwest. They're already selling Chinese-made gasoline engines like crazy. The price difference is astounding between the Honda 16-hp V-twins and the Chinese copy. <br /><br />If this does come to pass, it's going to put an end to the low-hp business of the major outboard makers, I think.<br /><br />Already, the B&S 5hp motor is doing pretty well in the kicker market, noisy and ugly as they are.<br /><br />I did find a couple of small outboards being made in China, plus a 40-hp looper from a Chinese manufacturer. No importers in the US, yet, though.<br /><br />It's on the horizon, I think.

 

[McGR]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

They're already here. Check this out:<br /><br />www.morganequipment.net/page4.html <br /><br />Maybe your next outboard will be a Zongshen. Or maybe even a Revenlude.

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

Wow, a 6hp diesel outboard. A little portly at 132lbs, but I wonder if that would appeal to the blow-boat crowd?

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

Hey guys, re-read Tommys post. He's telling you Merc is building plants there. They plan to close plants here and start building motors there.<br /><br />Sad, huh?

 

[jafa]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

Don't laugh too loud , from a bit of googling , they make 1 million motor bikes per year, 20 thousand outboards , employ 80,000 staff and tonnes of other stuff as well. Seems they are being taken very seriously in some quarters , http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/newsandupdates/hdchina/

 

[orca]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

G,day. Here in Australia we are seeing a rash of pee-wee motorcycles from china at half the price of Japanese bikes, you can buy a chinese generator for $99 Aus, About $75.00 US.<br />The Zongshen outboard looks a lot like a yamaha from the outside, specs are similar.<br />I think that firms like Mercury have to build factories in china, the market is huge. In the 60s and 70s Mercury and OMC ignored the Japanese threat as did many motorcycle manufacturers,many of the bike firms folded as did some outboard companies, remember Chrysler, British seagull, Volvo penta outboards, Triumph, Norton, BSA motorbikes. If the US firms ignore the chinese threat then they will be gone in 20years.

 

[Terry H]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

Didn't Mercury just build an outboard factory in China? A rumor I heard, don't know if it's true tho. Chief

 

[2cycle]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

This is troubling to me in the larger context (outboards aside). The same globalist establishment in this country that prevented MacArthur from winning the war in Korea because he believed that there "is no substitute for victory," now enacts trade policies favorable to a nation that has threatened a nuclear attack on our cities should we choose to defend Taiwan in the event of Chinese aggression. China exists as our most fearsome enemy economically and militarily as our leaders turn a deaf ear and blind eye - but choose to crack down (while still making no attempt to secure our borders)on our liberties and constitutional rights under the cloak of "The War on Terror" - even though no Americans were involved in the 911 attacks.<br /><br />"The arts of power and its minions are the same in all ages. It marks a victim; denounces it, and excites the public odium and the public hatred, to conceal its own abuses and encroachments."<br /><br /> -Henry Clay<br /> Speech to US Senate<br /> 1834

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

It's a sad fact of life that consumer demand drives corporations to seek cheap labor and it don't get much cheaper than china, in the vicinity of $20.00 a month for a non skilled factory worker. <br /><br />China may be communist but they sure know how to play the capitalist game.<br /><br />Aldo

 

[ross patti]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

Too right folks. The problem is that while the majority of our respective populations keep buying cheap imports,we are just fattening the Chinese economy.They do not contribute by inventing or designing. They purely clone,using cheaper materials and skill level.In Australia,we have a million "junk shops ",that sell $2 chinese crap.String,tools,clothes,pots etc etc.We are pumping that economy something tragic.Soon all us round eyes might be learning their language .HELP

 

[umblecumbuz]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

Ahhh Sooo! <br /><br />A Hardly Davidson!

 

[bernieb]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

Soon will be the time our children will have a college degree and no job to turn to, and no health care.Welfare rolls are bound to grow where one has free heath care.Will "sueing" be the only opportunity for employment ?

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

I have not heard of a yamaha plant in china,yet. but merc has finnished one 30 million dollar manufacturing facility and is building a second in china. mercs 3.0,some 5.0 and some 5.7's are currently manufactured in mexico. the china plant,for now, is scheduled to build the 40-60 or so HP four stroke outboards. but them folks in fondulac best either learn to speak chinese and eat fish heads and rice or retrain for a different job. the 4 strokes from merc under the 40 HP or so range will be manufactured by tohatsu in japan. I have no clue how mercury is going to supply parts for all the yaamaha built four strokes now. the yamaha four strokes under the 8HP range are being built at the MBK facility in france. however the rods for the 4 stroke 25 HP are manufacured in the states. but for those to young to remember the late sixties and early seventies when the jap cars were clunky slow and problematic and the american manufacturers laughed at them the quality of jap manufactured products steadily improved and by the late 70 to mid eighties if you wanted a car that would outlast the payments your only choice was buying japanese. but with the experience I have had with fon du lac built black anchors I gotta see how the chinese built black anchors work.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

About 3-4 years ago I talked with a chinese company about importing 2-6 HP outboards. This was before the knockoff engines became so common in everything. The profit margins weren't enough for me after shipping, and the absolutely ridiculous customs fees. (something like 12% ) Might be time for me to look into them again though...

 

[MikeWhitfield]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

"when the time comes to hang the capitalists, they will be found bidding on the rope contract." <br /><br />Took awhile, but now looks like the Chinese will be doing the hanging.

 

[Mercathode]

Re: Chinese Outboards Soon?

Would you buy an outboard from a people who name their children "Wang or Dung?" hummm