Yamaha eliminates outboard engine model year designation

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.

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