Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 08:48:22 -0400, "Reginald P. Smithers III"
wrote:

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:

WE WILL RULE THE WORLD!!!

Er...

Um...

Never mind. :)
I am positive if there was a problem with ETEC, we would have heard
about it in rec.boats.

So what do you guess is the market share on ETEC?

Don't know. Probably not high compared to Yamaha's. I do know that
Bombardier made an attempt to link engines and boats with their
Fishhawk line, but that lasted for only two years.

Yamaha's success has largely been due to their linkage with
manufacturers on exclusive deals. Customers aren't given any other
choice.

Hard to fight that.

I can say with relative authority, that on bass boats which you can
make a choice, ETECs tend to sell at about the same pace and once you
sell somebody an ETEC, it's instant conversion.

Other than that, can't say.


Not high compared to Yamaha? Not high compared to Mercury or Suzuki,
either, I would bet, not in the larger engine offerings. Hell, there may
be fewer eTecs out there than large Hondas of the same vintage.

There's a lot of residual bad will among boaters and dealers from the
demise of OMC, and the feeling the current owners of the Evinrude brand
name will dump it as soon as they can. Evinrude/Johnson/OMC was a
well-respected brand name until the corporations ruined it.

There are very, very few eTec dealers, and many of those are marginal.

Both Yamaha and Mercury have had long years of linkages with boat
manufacturers. Evinrude used to have these relationships, too. Suzuki
has been trying to build up its linkages, with some limited success.

I wouldn't touch an eTec with a 10-foot pole. I don't know anything
about eTec technology. I don't trust the company that owns the brand name.

That and the fact that eTec has virtually no market penetration around
here.

I'd buy a Merc or a Suzuki, though. Zukes have come a long way.