Evinrude/BRP explains model-year elimination

[Faztbullet]

April 18, 2012
Filed under Features, Top Stories

BRP?s Evinrude announced last week that it will eliminate model-year designations starting this month.

Given persistent economic challenges and the current buying habits of dealers and consumers, Evinrude Product Manager Karl Sandstrom said it is the right time to make the change in an interview with Boating Industry magazine.

In the outboard engine segment, the elimination of model years is not new. In fact, by October 2006, Yamaha Marine Group, Mercury Marine and Honda Marine had announced or already eliminated the designations. Although investigating the change, Sandstrom said Evinrude refrained while the economy was still at pre-recession levels.

?In 2006 to 2007, the economy had not yet taken a downturn, and the decision to keep model designations was the correct one based on the economic conditions and dealer/consumer buying habits at the time,? he said.

With today?s extended economic challenges, along with the changes the industry has experienced in purchasing habits, optimal inventory levels and available credit, Sandstrom said it is now in the consumers? best interest to make the change.

Dealers stand to benefit by being able to more effectively manage their inventory levels given the current and forecasted economic landscape, according to Sandstrom.

Consumers stand to gain by no longer having to track both model years of the engine and boat, making purchasing a boat easier, he said.

For both groups, Sandstrom said product upgrades and changes to the direct injection, two-stroke engine models will be completed as necessary, rather than having to wait for a new model year to begin.

Sandstrom said dealers were notified last week of the changes and have been given information on how to communicate the changes to consumers, including that neither the resale value or warranty coverage for the outboard engines will be affected.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Evinrude/BRP explains model-year elimination

the buying market won't stand for it. everyone will want to know the "year' no matter what the reasons why it doesn't matter.

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Evinrude/BRP explains model-year elimination

What do consumers stand to gain again? Sounds like a blatant attempt to sell old stock/overstock at new stock prices.

So if there is no model year, does that mean the warranty lasts forever?

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: Evinrude/BRP explains model-year elimination

Yamaha eliminates outboard engine model year designation:
August 23, 2005
Filed under Market Outlook
KENNESAW, Ga. — Yamaha Marine has eliminated the model year designation on its outboard motors, according to Yamaha Marine President Phil Dyskow, in an attempt to help reduce the inventory control situation Yamaha’s builders and dealers have faced in the past.

The unnecessary burden to match the boat model year with the outboard model year has been eliminated for boats packaged with Yamaha Outboards

“On some products, such as automobiles, RVs, airplanes and most boats sold in the U.S.A., a formal model year designation makes sense because most of these products change from year to year,” Dyskow explains. “Having a model year for these products provides manufacturers a convenient and identifiable way to communicate the changes to consumers.

”Historically, it was common for outboard models to feature new components or changes once each year. However, improvements in outboards thanks to today’s new technologies often means outboards usually do not change at a single specified date. It has become obvious to us at Yamaha that the model year designator for outboard motors no longer brings significant benefit or advantage to the table for the consumer.”

Yamaha says that builders and dealers alike have told the company that the model year designations for outboard motors create unnecessary confusion and unfairly affect an outboard’s value for the consumer during model year transitions.

“When a dealer placed an order during certain times of the year, it was possible that the dealer could take delivery of boats and motors packaged together with model years that do not match even though the boats and motors are brand new,” Dyskow says. “And worst of all, this inventory could include outboard models that are identical with the single exception of the model year designation.”

While all Yamaha engines will continue to feature a label that will identify the month and year the model was produced, the last digit of the model number, which has been the model year identifier for all outboard engines, will be removed.

The removal of the model year designation went into effect with all Yamaha outboards produced from April 1, 2005, forward. As a result of this change, Dyskow strongly recommends that all boat builders and dealers manage their boxed outboards in inventory in a manner that effectively recognizes the order in which they were received.

To make sure the change has no effect on market values published for used Yamaha Outboards, the company worked closely with the staff at N.A.D.A. Appraisal Guides Inc., so they can continue to accurately assess values for used Yamaha Outboards going forward based on the month and year the model was produced.

“We have also worked closely with state regulatory/licensing agencies and most major lending institutions to insure this change will be as smooth as possible,” Dyskow concluded. He also recommends contacting your District Marketing Manager, Regional Sales Coordinator or Regional Sales Manager for further information.

 

[Mikeyboy]

Re: Evinrude/BRP explains model-year elimination

I would imagine that the warranty will be based on the production date, but it does sound like just a way for them to avoid taking a hit on motors that don't sell before the end of the year. I don't see the supposed benefit to the consumer they are talking about. I guess I never saw the big hassle in remembering the year of my motor as well as the year of my boat. I guess I'm just smarter than the average bear. Momma always told me I was special.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Evinrude/BRP explains model-year elimination

This scheme has zero benefit for the consumer.
This scheme has zero benefit for the person who orders a new "no pre-rig" boat (no engine) but wants to install an engine of his choice. In other wordes, this scheme supposedly is designed to allow the boat and engine to be the same year. Unlike cars and trucks which are a single entity, boats and the engines that power them can be very different in age. It is likely a boat may have two, three or four different engines over its lifespan.
This scheme is strictly for the convenience of the manufacturer and its dealers.
Let me pose this question to those who feel this is not an issue.

You just purchased a new 2012 Xxxxxx, Yyyyy boat with a "new" zzz HP Mercury, Evinrude, Honda, Suzy, Yamaha. Since you have no idea how old this engine is, you may have a 3 year old engine, one that is a month old, or one that falls anywhere in between. You cannot convince me in a three year span (as an example) there would be zero difference in that span of engines. By zero I mean zero. Running changes (those minor production changes) if they weren't necessary, why did they make them. So which engine would you prefer, the new-new engine or the three year old new engine. Yes - the serial number should be able to be trace back to the manufacturing date. Unfortunately, determining what you have is now another task thrust on the unsuspecting consumer.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Evinrude/BRP explains model-year elimination

You don't have much of a choice, so just work with it, you can still know the manufacturing date of the motor by checking the serial #. If you don't like the date of production, specify a different motor, or negotiate a deal on the possible lesser value of the motor. You will still be able to tell if you have the latest version of that particular motor. OB motors don’t tend to change much from year to year, some may even stay the same for a decade.

This isn’t one of those “screw the consumer” types of things, it is more of a survival tactic for the industry. Not many people are buying new motors, so it’s a gamble for the struggling manufacturer to build them and a gamble for a struggling dealer to stock them. Both can increase their profits and lower your purchase price by building or buying more product at one time. If they build a motor and it’s labeled with a particular year, then in a short time it’s considered old stock and has a perceived lower value even if it is identical to the next years model that was built the following week and is identical in every way.

Is it great…no…is it a big deal…not really.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Evinrude/BRP explains model-year elimination

I don't know what the big deal is all about?

I work for an OEM. We do not assign model years. We do not assign manufacturing dates. Why should we? What purpose does it serve? All the test data, engineering specifications, etc. are assigned to the serial number. Give me a serial number and I can get you information down to the OEM vendor for a bolt on the crank.

There is no viable use of a model year designation except to devalue your investment on a yearly basis or inflate your ego, whichever way your look at it.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Evinrude/BRP explains model-year elimination

Yami may have eliminated model years, bu the date of manufacture is still printed on the side of the motor. Since its a sticker, it leaves dealers wide open to cheat.

I see no issues with the current thinking, as long as there is an easy way to determine when the motor was made.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Evinrude/BRP explains model-year elimination

Nobody has explained what the benefit is to the consumer! There is not a person on the forum that would accept a new-three year old motor over a new six month old motor. When titles or bills of sale indicate you are buying a 20xx Motor people understood that. When they now see a serial number they are now "responsible" for knowing what they are buying. People have purchased cars for eons and have no idea what the VIN numbeer means. For that matter boat trailer VINs mean nothing to most folks as well.

If those motors are affected by the three "Fs" (form, fit, function ) they are not the same and need to be identified as such and a means for the consumer to readily identify them other than by serial number of mfg code. I'm done. It won't affect me because I have no intention of buying any more new motors.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Evinrude/BRP explains model-year elimination

I don't know what the big deal is all about?

I work for an OEM. We do not assign model years. We do not assign manufacturing dates. Why should we? What purpose does it serve? All the test data, engineering specifications, etc. are assigned to the serial number. Give me a serial number and I can get you information down to the OEM vendor for a bolt on the crank.

There is no viable use of a model year designation except to devalue your investment on a yearly basis or inflate your ego, whichever way your look at it.

Aha -- so you do admit this is no benefit to the consumer. In effect it is a hindrance to the after market as well as the consumer. The owner can no longer do his own service work without jumping through the hoops of determining exactly what it is he owns. Sort of like trying to find a wiring diagram for a couple of year old boat. As for devaluing an investment, what do you tell a prospective customer when he asks what year is this rig? I'm sure a a good number of used boat shoppers will be impressed when you tell them it is serial # 123456789. He will immediately know what that means.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Evinrude/BRP explains model-year elimination

Aha -- so you do admit this is no benefit to the consumer

A DOM does nothing but age a piece of non-perishable equipment for devaluation purposes. Give me one good reason why a NIB motor made in 12/2011 is automatically worth less than a NIB motor made 01/2012? The only downside is that the egotistical will not have anything to brag about.

In effect, it is a hindrance to the aftermarket as well as the consumer. The owner can no longer do his own service work without jumping through the hoops of determining exactly what it is he owns.

Where do I look to find the model year on a motor? On the engine cover? Block perhaps?

What is the difference if the cover of the manual says model year 1950-1959 or serial number 3450-5465. Nine times out of ten, the first words out of the parts counters attendees? mouth is "what's the serial number", is it not?

As for devaluing an investment, what do you tell a prospective customer when he asks what year is this rig?

What relevance is a DOM to non-perishable item like a motor? The number of hours and the compression would be far more relevant. Sounds more like an old dog, new trick issue than anything else.