Marine Motors

 

Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, Honda Marine distributes a full line of four-stroke marine engines ranging from 2 to 225 horsepower.

Honda was among the first manufacturers to offer 4-stroke outboards in America, and the first to offer a full line of lightweight 4-stroke outboards. More than 40 years later, Honda outboards still set the standard for fuel efficiency, performance and ease of operation. We aim to create cutting edge outboards, while staying true to the core Honda attributes of durability, quiet operation, quality, and reliability.

Honda continually perfects our marine engine line by incorporating technologies from our highly advanced automotive and racing heritage. In addition, many Honda Marine outboards also include exclusive technological features found in the company's most popular automobile engines including the Honda Ridgeline, Pilot, Odyssey, Accord, CR-V, and Element.

Honda Marine also sets the industry standard for customer satisfaction. We are proud to have received the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Award six years in a row.

“Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Four-Stroke Outboards.” Honda received the highest numerical score among four-stroke engines in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Marine Engine Competitive Information StudySM. Study based on 7,093 total responses, measuring 4 EFI four-stroke brands and measures opinions of consumers who purchased a boat January 2007-May 2008. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of owners surveyed September-November 2008. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com. his to say. "While the company was performing well and had some financial leeway, I felt the need to look for our next area of business. So, I did some research." He explored producing many products, including sewing machines, auto parts, scooters, three-wheeled utility vehicles, and…motorcycles. Market and competitive factors led him to focus on the motorcycle market. Genichi actually visited the United States many times during this period.

 

 

"I want to carry out trial manufacture of motorcycle engines." It was from these words spoken by Genichi Kawakami (Yamaha Motor's first president) in 1953, that today's Yamaha Motor Company was born.

In 1963, Yamaha demonstrated its focus on cutting-edge, technological innovations by developing the Autolube System. This landmark solution was a separate oil injection system for two-stroke models, eliminating the inconvenience of pre-mixing fuel and oil.

Yamaha was building a strong reputation as a superior manufacturer which was reflected in its first project carried out in the new Iwata, Japan Plant, built in 1966. (The YMC headquarters was moved to Iwata in 1972.) Toyota and Yamaha teamed up to produce the highly regarded Toyota 2000 GT sports car. This very limited edition vehicle, still admired for its performance and craftsmanship, created a sensation among enthusiast in Japan and abroad.

Genichi said, "I believe that the most important thing when building a product is to always keep in mind the standpoint of the people who will use it." An example of the commitment to "walking in the customers' shoes" was the move in 1966 by Yamaha to continue its expansion. Overseas motorcycle manufacturing was established in Thailand and Mexico. In 1968, the globalization continued with Brazil and the Netherlands. With manufacturing bases, distributors and R&D operations in a market, Yamaha could be involved in grassroots efforts to build products that truly met the needs of each market by respecting and valuing the distinct national sensibilities and customs of each country. Yamaha continues that tradition, today.

By the late 1960s, Yamaha had quality products that had proven themselves in the global marketplace based on superior performance and innovation. Distribution and product diversity were on the right track. But Genichi knew that beyond quality, success would demand more. He had this view on the power of original ideas. "In the future, a company's future will hinge on ideas over and above quality. Products that have no character, nothing unique about them, will not sell no matter how well made or affordable…and that would spell doom for any company."

He also knew that forward vision, walking hand in hand with original ideas, would create an opportunity for the company and its customers that could mean years of happiness and memorable experiences. Genichi said, "In the business world today, so many people are obsessed with figures. They become fixated on the numbers of the minute and without them are too afraid to do any real work. But in fact, every situation is in flux from moment to moment, developing with a natural flow. Unless one reads that flow, it is impossible to start out in a new field of business."


A real-world illustration of this belief is the Yamaha DT-1. The world's first true off-road motorcycle debuted in 1968 to create an entirely new genre we know today as trail bikes. The DT-1 made a huge impact on motorcycling in the USA because it was truly dirt worthy. Yamaha definitely "read the flow" when it produced

the 250cc, single cylinder, 2-stroke, Enduro that put Yamaha On/Off-Road motorcycles on the map in the USA. The DT-1 exemplified the power of original ideas, forward vision, and quick action coupled with keeping in mind the customers' desires.

In years to come Yamaha continued to grow (and continues to this day). Diversity increased with the addition of products including snowmobiles, race kart engines, generators, scooters, ATVs, personal watercraft and more.