Getting a Yamaha on a Lund in the future

[Mykal]

LundExplorer,

I hope this is not the case. I would hope we would have the option to put any motor on almost any boat. I am pondering the Yami, or Merc on my next Lund and would be miffed if I didn't have the option to choose.

[MikeYager - Suzuki]

Just for info when I bought my lund in 98 I purchased just the boat from one dealer then took it to another for the motor I wanted. The boat was not prerigged.

[Wave Runner]

Yea, I don't think this was smart anyway you look at it.

Most fishing boats are sold as packages, ie boat, motor and trailer. Pricing is based on the fact that the boat manufacturer buys outboards in bulk from the outboard manufacturer and then your dealer buys both boat and motor from the boat manufacturer. The boat also comes pre-rigged from the factory for the outboard brand you've chosen.

This whole process helps to lower the price of the "package" in comparison to buying the three components together.

I think starting next year if you want a Yammi on a Lund, you'll be able to get it but you won't like the price in comparison to other available packages. For most console boats, your Lund will come from the factory pre-rigged for another brand which will have to be changed (doesn't really have to be changed but it's a very good idea) at the dealer at their shop labor rates plus parts. Secondly, you won't have the boat manufacturer's purchasing power working for you on the price of the outboard.

This is unfortunate. My last two boats have been Lunds with Yamaha's on the back and the Yamaha's are an excellent product

[This message has been edited by Wave Runner (edited 07-13-2004).]

[marine_man]

From what I've heard from the service manager at a large boat dealer in Minnesota Wave Runner is right on the money unfortunately...

The service manager talked to a close contact at Yamaha... and was told that yamaha does not deal / negotiate with the competition (brunswick / mercury), therfore there will not be any yamaha pre-rig (controls, gauges, throttle cables, anything motor specific) in lund or crestliner boats for at least model year 2005... model year 2006 is still up in the air.

Hopefully these issues get resolved in the near future or it could cause a lot of headaches for yamaha fans, like myself.

marine_man

[MT Net]

Good information to think through, thanks. Maybe I'll buy a Suzuki or Honda instead of the Yamaha next year. Thinking about a Crestliner.

We had problems with out current boat. It was rigged up for a Mercury, but we have an Evinrude. After all the hassles, we took it to Aronson's Boatworks and switched the control unit for a OMC unit. Works 100% better now.

[SledNeck_X]

the future is going to be the mercury verado so this deal with lund may be a great thing. http://www.tackletour.com/reviewmercuryveradopreview.shtm

[walleyehawk]

If it is a problem for Lunds, it will be the same for Crestliner as Brunswick bought both companies.

You know, it may be a problem for a year or two. But when sales of Lunds and Crestliners go south, as well as Mercury's, things will change, trust me. This is not going to endear people to Mercury either, no matter how good they are.

I would also like to see what the lawyer rats would say about this. If Lund would require you to put a Mercury on their boat, I would think that would be a tying arrangement, and would be illegal. But it has been years since I took business law.

My question is can you put any motor on a boat. I thought I heard once a boat is set up with a receiver? that may not allow you to put all brands on it. I thought I heard the Honda's had a seperate setup. Could someone verify this?

The other issue to me is not every Lund dealer is a Mercury dealer. Sometimes a different dealer has the Merc rights. So would Mercury have to buy the other dealers exclusive right so Lund dealers could sell Mercs (franchisee rights)? If they do, this would be really expensive. I know it is a major problem in other mergers.

[This message has been edited by walleyehawk (edited 07-14-2004).]

[LundExplorer]

I am hearing that Lund dealers are kind of nervous about the 'falling out' between Yamaha and Lund (and the other Genmar brands) recently sold to Brunswick (parent of Mercury). I know of one Lund dealer up north who says he can't get new Yamaha outboards anymore. With the popularity of the 4-strokes, this would appear to be a bad business move by Brunswick's management in terms of sales for these boat brands.

Does anyone have any other thoughts on this?

[Wave Runner]

In my opinion, it's way too early to bet the future on Verado. Very limited real world experience to date and Mercury's track record when it comes to innovation is questionable.

I used to buy nothing but Mercury's but if this new Verado starts the way the Optimax did, they're going to be in for a rough ride...

[Borch]

As popular as 4 strokes are right now I keep hearing that they are more of a stopgap measure. I've heard now in the past week from several differnt people that the DFI technology is impoving so that they are burning cleaner, quieter and with less of the inherent problems of the 4 stroke motors. Time will tell I guess as I'm stilling waiting at least 1 more year before jumping into a new boat.

Borch

[This message has been edited by Borch (edited 07-14-2004).]

[Animal]

Last time I was shopping around for a boat i seem to remember that you couln't put a Honda on a Ranger. So whole motor classes and brand can be excluded.

[Slugo]

Could Lund and Crestliner be going the way of Tracker?

The article on the Verado said that it was using a superchager for more torque. Super chargers don't give a great deal of torque the create horsepower. The centrifical types even more so that the roots type that most are used to seeing hanging out of the hood of you funny cars. At least that is how I have understood forced induction.

[marine_man]

walleyehawk,

Lund (Brunswick) won't be able to specify that you can't put a yamaha motor on... it comes down to the pre-rig (gauges, throttle & shift cables, control box, electrical harness) that comes with the boat that won't make it easy to put a yamaha on... basically a dealer would have to spend a couple of hours de-rigging the boat, then install the correct gauges, harness, in order to use a yamaha motor... so it's not that it can't be done.. it's just that it's cost prohibitive to do so.

I'm not sure what dealers that only carry yamaha are going to do... it sounds like lunds and crestliners will be offered in every other pre rig out there (mercury, johnson / evinrude, honda, suzuki) except yamaha.

marine_man

[AaronM]

The Verado is interesting...When is Mercury planning get them on the market?

[marine_man]

Animal,

Unless there were some weight restriction I don't think there is any reason you couldn't put a honda on a ranger... it's a matter of changing the pre-rig on the boat.. I would believe that ranger doesn't offer honda pre-rig, but that doesn't mean the dealer can't do it himself (likely at a hefty cost penalty to you I might add).

marine_man

[chucker]

Don't discount the power of supply and demand. If there is enough demand for a Lund rigged with a Yamaha some dealer will figure out how to make it happen at a competitive price. Maybe not as cheap as a prerigged Lund with a Merc but cheap enough that a consumer that wants a Lund with a Yamaha won't have to pay to much of a premium.

Can't a large dealer order a bulk quantity of popular style Lunds un-rigged and order a large quantity of Yamahas outboards and rig these boats at the dealer facility, I know its not as efficient but if there demand for this setup somebody will figure out how to do it. With the riff that’s going on between Yamaha and Lund I'm sure Yamaha would love to support a dealer with special pricing to put Yamahas on Lunds it just seems like good business for the dealer and Yamaha!

[Guest]

I think the Honda/Ranger combo might have to do with the shaft lenghts available on Hondas .