I wonder how much the Asian brands took their toll on them. I see a lot of Yamaha's out there.
OMC with its 90s era german FICHT technology
was a disaster. The tech was good, but OMC did not
have the precision engine manufacturing required,
and rushed to the market,.. customers with problems
were treated like crap, bankruptcy followed.
and as timely fate would have it, Jap 4 strokes
were entering the market about this time.
1996, I went on a remote tropical fishing charter
just one client (me) and he had just invested in
the new Honda 4 stroke.
We still had a 70s era Evinrude 55 at that time
that gave no problems, and was wondering
How the Hondas would hold up over time.
I remember a dedicated offshore fishing family
very early 80s, that had changed from Evinrude
to the new Suzuki oil injected 2 stroke...
to my knowledge they never looked back.
When Evinrude and Johnson were bought out buy the snowmobile company they just wanted the name and reputation..
OMC had already destroyed its own reputation.**
Canadian Bombardiers interest was in attaining
the FICHT tech. for their PWC and snowmoblies
and they actually honored many FICHT engine
warranties that OMC rejected.
FICHT development was continued and returned
to market as, E-TEC Direct Injection Technology.
** Before bankruptcy plans were announced,
OMC offered lucrative rebates to get a huge
inventory into US showrooms, Unsuspecting
partners were encouraged to buy, buy, buy!
When OMC folded, a national network of dealers,
& distributors were left with inflated inventories
no longer backed by the manufacturer with promised rebates voided...and consumers were left with no warranty, and a mountain of FICHT problems were
occurring including catastrophic failures.
