Crestliner with a Yamaha?

[russell upsumgrub]

I am interested in buying a new Crestliner boat and want a Yamaha motor. I have been told that some dealers can do this and some can't due to the Brunswick ownership of Mercury and Crestliner. Does anyone know of a dealer that can and will put Yamaha motors on a Crestliner?

[caseymcq]

Try RJ's Sport and Cycle in Duluth or Corner Sports in Bemidji.

[Slim Pickens]

I know R&R marine in shakopee put yamahas on when I purchased my boat.

[TSCTSC]

Another option is to go to the Yammy and Crestliner and search for their dealers. Cross check dealers and you will have the official list of Yammy / CR dealers.

[Mark Christianson]

I bought my outboard at one dealer and the boat at another, and scored huge savings.

The outboard was a new non-current. Worked out awesome for me.

Its an option.

[marine_man]

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I have been told that some dealers can do this and some can't due to the Brunswick ownership of Mercury and Crestliner.

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I believe any dealer can do this, it's just a matter of will they...

To do so requires removing the merc controls and installing Yamaha controls and gauges... but isn't that hard to do.

Check with some of your favorite dealers that cary both... you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a dealer to do it, but don't be surprised if it costs you more than installing a comparable mercury motor.

I'd do the switch despite the cost... but I'm a big Yamaha fan, so that shouldn't be any surprise.

marine_man

[JohnMickish]

Remember, Yamaha made the Mercury powerheads up to last year. Saying Yamaha is better than Merc is saying you don't like Yamaha. Same manufacturer, just different models.

[russell upsumgrub]

Crystal Pierz in Rogers said that they can't put a Yamaha on a Crestliner due to a contract issues with Brunswick. I will check with some of the other dealers mentioned above and see if they will do it.

Thanks for the input.

[marine_man]

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Saying Yamaha is better than Merc is saying you don't like Yamaha. Same manufacturer, just different models.

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True... to a certain extent... there's more to a motor than just the powerhead and electronics...

But, since we're talking about a new motor the yamaha powerhead in a merc doesn't apply...

In all reality they're both good motors... I don't know too much about the smaller hp merc 4-strokes since they switched from yamaha powerheads, but their optimax and verado are two good motors...

marine_man

[JohnMickish]

Actually I don't think there is a bad motor on the market today, but if I where purchasing a boat this year I would hang either a Merc or a Yamaha off the back. I'd buy it on price and dealer recomendations.

[kjgmh]

If you do find a dealer that will do it be prepared to pay a premium. When a boat is ordered with a motor the dealer gets a good deal on the motor. If ordering a motor staight from Yamaha it costs the dealer quite a bit more. FYI Merc 75,90 and 115 are still dressed Yamaha powerheads on 06 models.

[marine_man]

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FYI Merc 75,90 and 115 are still dressed Yamaha powerheads on 06 models.

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I stand corrected... it sounds like that's over sometime this spring, correct? Are you sure on the 115? I saw on another forum that it was only the 75 and 90...

marine_man

[Northlander]

RJ,s in Duluth or maybe H&H Marine in Superior.

[marine_man]

I stopped at Hannay's this weekend at their new location for their open house and know for a fact that they will rig yamaha's on Lunds... they had several there fully rigged, plus they had them in their sales flier...

marine_man

[russell upsumgrub]

Thanks, I will check out Hannay's.

[Satchmo]

O.k. guys, let me see if I can clear up a little confusion. Here is how things stand for 2006. "IF" the Brunswick dealer you are looking at carries Mercury and Yamaha or Evinrude or Honda they can still order their boats pre-rigged for any of these outboards. If they have a boat in stock, they can easily switch out the pre-rig to any other brand fairly quickly. With the exception of a boat rigged for a Verado, which is much more complicated. While purchasing the motors from the boat maufacturer has always been cheaper in the past, this gap is much, much closer now. For example, you can buy a Lund with a Yamaha F115 for $200 to $300 cheaper than the same rig with an F115 Merc, and YES you can order a Lund or Crestliner rigged for Yamaha! The price of your new rig will be based on the product you buy, not where the dealer got his motors. The biggest question in the world of boat sales today is--Will the dealer you are talking to DO IT. Some do not carry anything but Brunswick's Mercury, and still others build nothing but cookie cutter boats and will not even upgrade motors, let alone switch brands for you. The bottom line is: you are the customer and you deserve to get what you want. Demand it! It is out there, you just have to look for it. If the dealer you are talking to does not have what you want, or won't do it, don't settle. Move On! YOU are the only one who has to be happy when the deal is done!!

[JohnMickish]

I don't really understand why so many people have their undies in a bunch over this. Brunswick owns Mercury, that is no secret. Yamaha owns G3, that is no secret. Can you get a Suzuki motor on a G3? I'm not sure but I doubt it. You wouldn't walk into your Chevy dealer, tell him you want to buy that $40,000 3/4 ton diesel but only if it has a Cummins in it, would you?

[marine_man]

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"IF" the Brunswick dealer you are looking at carries Mercury and Yamaha or Evinrude or Honda they can still order their boats pre-rigged for any of these outboards.

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Are you 100% sure about this? The last I had heard the only companys that Lund / Crestliner were offering prerig for was Mercury and Honda as both Johnson / Evinrude and Yamaha were not going to negotiate with them...

I've been wrong before.. but this is the first time I've heard that as long as a dealer carries a particular brand of motor they can order their lund / crestliner boat with prerig for it direct from the boat builder...

I definately agree with your statement in regard to get what you want.. because you're the one who's going to live with it...

marine_man

[PierBridge]

Your certainly not going to get a Lund/Crestliner pre-rigged from the factory with an E-Tec.

And no it's not an easy swap.

[eelpout#1]

My friend rigs the boats at Lund in New York Mills, and he says that you can get your boat rigged anyway you want it. They will rig it up for Yamaha, but they don't have the motors to put on the boats. Everything will be pre-rigged so all the dealer has to do is get ahold of the motor and bolt it up. I guess they've caught a lot of flack over the mercury/bruswick thing, but everyone says brunswick is a good outfit to work for. Find a dealer who will get you what you want!!!

[Satchmo]

You are correct Eelpout. When the Brunswick aquisition took place along with the ensuing [PoorWordUsage]ing match with Yamaha, Lund & Crestliner fully intended to stop rigging their boats for other brands of motors. Then came the crash of boat sales last year and the manufacturers quickly did an about face to try and boost very lack luster sales. This year we can order boats rigged for ANY motor out their. They will all come rigged with either OEM controls, or as in the case of Yamaha boats, with Teleflex controls.

[wisconsinfish]

I ran into that issue last year with the mercury on a crestliner. I wasn't about to argue with them, if thats how brunswick wants it, thats how it shall be. My solution, I bought an alumacraft. So instead of just loosing a motor sale, they lost a boat sale also.

No regrets so far.