Dealers are reluctant to stock a lot of new outboard inventory because they don't want to have to discount motors from the previous model year that don't get sold before the 'new motors' appear. Because so many new outboards are sold directly through boat builders, rather than as a retail sale directly to the public, there is a constant struggle to match outboard inventory with boat inventory - it's a real trick to use up all of the 2007-model outboards just before production of the 2008-model boats begin, especially when each boat builder is on a different model change-over schedule. The elimination of model years solves a number of problems for outboard manufacturers, boat builders and dealers. It has also created a few issues for dealers and consumers. So far Suzuki and BRP-Evinrude remain hold-outs to a tradition that goes back more than 100 years, but the change make sense for a number of reasons. Most boaters probably missed the news that three major outboard manufacturers - Mercury Marine, Yamaha and Honda - have stopped the practice of designating model years for their products.
The photo was taken at a dealership on March 28, 2007. A sticker on a Yamaha outboard indicates it date of manufacture as June, 2006.
