BRP in now making outboards

[Jim_in_Delaware]

I have an Alumacraft Trophy on my short list for a new boat, and Alumacraft has been teasing a model change for 2023. Well, they just posted this a few minutes ago:

So, it appears that their new Competitor model has a BRP outboard engine. Looks to sit much lower in the water than a traditional outboard engine. Interested to read more about these.

They also appear to have carried over the Sea Doo LinqQ accessories over to this boat.

Jim

 

[Judge]

That's interesting..... I'm a big BRP customer with three Ski-Doo snowmobile and two Can-Am Spyders. BRP purchased Evinrude many years ago but they recently closed down Evinrude in June 2020.

BRP was leading the 2-stroke engine business but they have really expanded their 4-stroke business. All of my snowmobiles are 900 4-strokes and my Spyders are 1330's and all bullet-proof. I think they realized 2-strokes are all but dead. The speed-seeking snowmobile guys love the 850ETEC 2-strokes but a couple years ago they introduced the 900-Turbo and that has caught on with a lot of guys

The LinQ accessories are a great innovations. I use them on my snowmobiles and they were a game changer when they were introduced. Some companies came out with adapters to use the LinQ stuff on Polaris snowmobiles.

BRP came out with their pontoons so it looks like they are trying to get their motors in more brands.

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

It is interestingly, a new 2-stroke engine.

From a comment on the Alumacraft company facebook page: "The new Rotax Outboard Engine is a 2-Stroke allowing for up to 20% improved fuel efficiency compared to traditional outboard engines. What’s more, it is the cleanest combustion outboard engine in its class, with a 12% reduction in reportable emissions, and a 98% reduction in carbon monoxide at idle compared to leading outboard engine brands."

Another comment on the page notes it will be available in 115 and 150 hp models. Don't know it there will be any other versions available? You can currently get a 300 hp Mercury outboard on the Alumacraft 205 Trophy, so maybe a bigger version of the BRP is also coming?

Jim

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

Here a pic of the 150 Rotax on a Manitour pontoon boat (the other boat besides Alumacraft with this optional engine) from one of the facebook groups:



Jim

 

[Judge]

Wow.... that is a funky footprint for an outboard!

I guess they dumped Evinrude to promote the BRP brand and do an complete 2-stroke outboard redesign.

 

[Beachbummer]

So can someone draw the waterline there? This is a submerged outboard???

 

[Dough]

So can someone draw the waterline there? This is a submerged outboard???

Yes. Seems smart

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

So can someone draw the waterline there? This is a submerged outboard???

From the posted video:


Reportedly, air comes from the transom dipwell.

I wish they would have come out with a jet drive version instead. The 19' Alumacraft would be a great boat to have a 200 hp Rotax jet drive!

Jim

 

[ChrisM]

https://www.thehulltruth.com/dockside-chat/1236897-new-rotax-outboard-engines.html

 

[Ohio]

I don't get what they were trying to accomplish here. You still cannot have a swim platform that is at water level with this thing hanging off the back.

 

[Judge]

I just read that they are using this new BRP Rotax motor now on Manitou Pontoon boats as well. Their top of the line model is almost as much as a 275SD! There low-end model has this new BRP motor.

The footprint of this new outboard does open up an area for a large swim platform that is harder to achieve for an outboard.

BRP 2-strokes are probably the best 2-strokes out there. They generate great power, very reliable, don't smoke and have low oil consumption. At a press of a button they will go through a winterization process to fog the cylinders. They are claiming easy maintenance..... but I wonder about the maintenance for the lower unit?

Easy Maintenance
Requires no oil changes, and one-touch winterization or auto storage to extend your boating season.

Once I switched to 4-strokes for my snowmobiles I would never go back to a 2-stroke.... but it is interesting.

 

[biffdotorg]

It's very obvious why they shut down the Evinrude name now, so that folks focus on this new motor being BRP/Rotax, and not just another Evinrude/ETEC.

Although all the great points listed above about Rotax 2-strokes are all ETEC features acquired with Evinrude. So we will see if those follow into this motor, or if it is truly a new platform. My guess, is Rotax is going to integrate most of those ETEC features into this motor. It's just too damn good to dump. I'm actually surprised it's two stroke. Other than the fact that it would be nearly impossible to get a four stroke in that footprint, other than a SeaDoo 4-stroke watercraft top end.

As far as lower unit service, that's really an overblown issue that jet owners point out. It's really a non issue, and anyone that has done lower unit service, will giggle at anyone saying it's hard, or even a pain.

 

[Judge]

It's very obvious why they shut down the Evinrude name now, so that folks focus on this new motor being BRP/Rotax, and not just another Evinrude/ETEC.

Although all the great points listed above about Rotax 2-strokes are all ETEC features acquired with Evinrude. So we will see if those follow into this motor, or if it is truly a new platform. My guess, is Rotax is going to integrate most of those ETEC features into this motor. It's just too damn good to dump. I'm actually surprised it's two stroke. Other than the fact that it would be nearly impossible to get a four stroke in that footprint, other than a SeaDoo 4-stroke watercraft top end.

As far as lower unit service, that's really an overblown issue that jet owners point out. It's really a non issue, and anyone that has done lower unit service, will giggle at anyone saying it's hard, or even a pain.

I'm surprised they went with a 2-stoke as well but as you said that is the smallest and light options in a tight space. They had to widen the snowmobile plastics to use the 900 ACE 4-stroke with their latest chassis. But I see more and more people move to 4-strokes with only the diehards staying with 2-strokes.

I don't think lower unit maintenance is difficult. I've rebuilt a lower unit before myself and done the maintenance on them. But a lower unit does.....

- Add to the overall cost of maintenance

- Has more moving parts that can fail or wear out with the associated cost of repair

- Open up the possibility of damage to the lower unit and / or prop in shallow water more than a jet with an impeller

I was cruising the Ohio river in my I/O once and there was a drought so the river was lower than normal. I was about 100 yards off shore and hit a sunken barge that wasn't marked. Tore off the skeg and destroyed a stainless steel prop... that wouldn't have happened in a jet. Insurance covered other than my $500 deductible but it was a costly repair.

I'm just wondering if they have come up with a way to truly make the lower unit winterization process part of the top end process.

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

When your new design guy come from Funko, and this is what they usually make:




Your new outboard design looks like this:





Jim

 

[GTBRMC]

Very odd way to behave and lead new product introduction by BRP. A former engineering / co-op student at my company landed her dream job at Evinrude and was progressing very well there.

Then, at the height of the pandemic lockdowns, with little warning, she was let go as BRP closed their Evinrude plant in the Racine, WI area. Less than two years later, they started building the new modular ‘toons in the same plant (I think). With a new outboard line in the pipeline at the time, BRP clearly knew they were going to both retool and introduce the new boats from the Racine plant but used the pandemic as air cover for canning about 400 people. They made a mistake letting her go and likely many others with transferable skills. Shitty corporate America play by BRP (yes, I know it is a Canadian company).

Now they bring out the new BRP Rotax Outboard… Wild looking beast. Anyone know where that is built?

 

[Thermobrett]

I remember my buddies 2008 Alumacraft 185 Trophy had a 150 Evinrude on it with the BRP logo. That engine was great, idled smooth as silk and was self fogging for winterizing in NE Ohio.

 

[ChrisM]

I wonder, since no one has mentioned, what about the lakes that have banned 2 stroke engines?

 

[212s]

I wonder, since no one has mentioned, what about the lakes that have banned 2 stroke engines?

The ban in many areas is intended 2 strokes that are not compliant with the clean exhaust emissions mandate. Many of the high tech 2-strokes pass these emission tests easily.

 

[ripler]

That's not all BRP has been up to, they are going to release an electric hydrofoil.

Sea-Doo Rise: Electric Hydrofoil Board available in Summer 2024

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

BRP has also announced electric CAN-AM motorcycles as well.

Jim