History

In 1937, 15-year-old Joseph Armand Bombardier invented the Ski Doo to traverse the snowy streets of Quebec. His company grew into railway and aerospace, and was sold in 2003 to an investor group for billions. Sea-Doo personal watercraft,  Can-Am all-terrain vehicles and BRP-leading boat lines followed, and now include Manitou Pontoons, Alumacraft fishing boats, and the Sea-Doo Switch pontoons (a Boating Boat of the Year awardee) with PWC maneuverability powered by BRP’s Rotax engines. Rotax is a 100-year-old Austrian propulsion company, purchased by Bombardier in 1970 to power its vehicles and vessels. BRP recently added a Rotax outboard as a power option for its Manitou pontoons and Alumacraft fishing boats (conventional outboards are also available).

Innovative Design

BRP recently invested $15 million to renovate and expand its Palm Bay, Florida, design center (two other centers exist in France and Quebec), and invited Boating for a behind-the-scenes look. The 600-acre facility sits on a large lake, ideal for testing, surrounded by a sandy track for ATV trials. While running vessels and vehicles to their breaking point might sound like fun, it is the ­serious endgame for the staff of 60 in Palm Bay. A new offering could require 200 to 300 hours of testing—that is years of development.

New stuff starts with 3D and computer-aided-­design drawings. Next, prototypes are  built by 3D printing, by CAD-cut aluminum or by hand-cut wood. Those molds are then 3D-scanned and reviewed by teams of electrical and mechanical engineers, viewing the vessel or vehicle through the lenses of virtual reality and sustainability. This examination process is applied not only to its products, but also its own facilities, and takes years of interaction among the various design centers and departments. 

New Product

The innovative design process was exemplified in the development of the Rotax outboard engine. It began with field observation. According to Curt ­Wilson, director of design and advanced concepts, BRP boat-show staff overheard a woman voicing intrusion and safety concerns about traditional outboard engines. Because the market clamored for outboard ­engines, BRP went to work on how to get the outboard out of the way while keeping its benefits, and while using a Rotax engine as a foundation. 

The low-profile ­outboard, which installs under the ­wide-open MAX Deck model Manitou and Alumacraft boats, debuted two years ago. It accommodates a broader swim platform, and while the propellers are the same, it diminishes the fear of injuries and tangled lines, while access to the water for tubing and swimming is enhanced. In addition, higher fuel efficiency and lower carbon emissions reflect BRP’s goals of lowering carbon footprint, protecting the environment, and incorporating ­innovation into products. 

Read Next: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at BRP’s Cutting-Edge Operation

Let It Rip!

As Denys Lapointe, Chief Design Officer, summarizes, “By combining design and advanced concepts with R&D, we are able to explore new possibilities, and create products that offer unique, ­innovative, and exciting ­adventures for our riders.”

From seeing the original 1959 Sea-Doo in the lobby to running the new 300 hp Fish Pro and new ­Manitou pontoons on the lake to careening around in a Can-Am Defender, I can vouch for BRP’s dedication to innovation and the ­exciting adventures that result.

The post BRP’s Dedication to Innovation appeared first on Boating Mag.

Marching to the beat of a different drummer is part of the culture at BRP. Few companies in the marine industry seem as willing to take a chance on a radical design or technology. This has resulted in a few triumphs and some fizzles over the years. However, “nothing ventured, nothing gained” might be the BRP credo.

Two of the latest BRP ventures, the Sea-Doo Switch pontoon line and the Rotax S outboard, are being assembled at a 400,000-square-foot BRP facility in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, and we were recently granted a guided tour to get an inside look at how these revolutionary new products come together. The last time we were in the building, Evinrude G2 outboards were gliding down the assembly line. With the demise of the Evinrude brand in 2020, the facility—originally constructed as a printing plant for Little Golden Books—was gutted and converted to assemble these all-new products. It was certainly an eye-opening visit.

Switched On

The assembly area for the Sea-Doo Switch, which earned accolades as Boating’s 2022 Boat of the Year, is unlike any boat manufacturing facility we’ve ever seen. It is clean and quiet—no workers in Tyvek suits rolling out resin, no howling drills and hole saws, no fiberglass dust, shavings and scrap, and no VOC lingering in the air. The Switch boats take form in a two-hour-40-minute process on an assembly line primarily from parts created elsewhere by outside suppliers. No part of the boat is manufactured in Sturtevant, and most of the structure is molded plastic materials, rather than fiberglass or other wet composites.

The process begins with unpacking the powertrain pod, which is assembled at a BRP facility in Queretaro, Mexico, the same plant that manufactures Sea-Doo watercraft and assembles the Rotax engines and pumps that power both products. The pod is molded from Polytec II, a BRP-exclusive composite of polypropylene mixed with long-strand fiberglass. This same material forms the hulls of many Sea-Doo watercraft, including the new GTR-X model we recently reviewed. It is smooth but does not have a glossy finish like fiberglass, and it is strong and scratch-resistant. It can also only be produced in black. According to BRP, the Polytec II and other plastics used to build the Switch can be recycled.

The pod is about 13 feet long and forms the center section of the tri-hull Switch boats. When it arrives at Sturtevant, it contains the entire powertrain, trim tabs, fuel tank, wiring harness, and even the handlebars with controls attached. (The Switch is not steered with a wheel, another BRP break with convention.) With the exception of the pod itself, these parts are ­almost all common to Sea-Doo watercraft, so it’s efficient to complete this assembly in the same location as the PWC, then truck it up to ­Wisconsin from Mexico. The pod has a bar code that aligns with a dealer order for boat length, engine power, options and color. The Switch boats are offered in three lengths—13, 16 and 19 feet—but all use the same central pod as a foundation. As the boat moves down the assembly line, the bar code triggers the delivery of all the other required parts for the boat and cues prompt screens for the team assembling the boat. The central pod is placed on a wheeled cart that rolls manually down the first line.

Aluminum beams installed at the next station determine the boat length. If the boat is to be 13 feet, it gets no beam extensions. If it’s a 16-footer, it gets beams 3 feet longer than the central pod; and if it’s to be 19 feet, those beams extend 6 feet forward. The beams bolt to the top of the central pod port and starboard. Next, composite cross members secure to the tops of these beams to tie the structure together and support the deck. The outboard sponsons then attach to the beams and the sides of the central section; if required, a longer center section is added to the main hull.

“The boat goes together like Lego blocks,” explains Nicolas Gagon, operations site director. “All the parts are the same, and the boat grows in 3-foot increments. Once those aluminum beams are installed, the team can just install each section.”

This is one of the innovative design aspects of the Switch. In traditional boat manufacturing, the builder would have a mold for each fiberglass hull length, or aluminum tubes for each pontoon length. Every Switch uses that same central pod with the powertrain and the same bow sections on the sponsons. The number of middle sections determines boat length. This gives BRP tremendous ­flexibility in manufacturing. The entire boat is held together with fasteners. There are no adhesives required for construction. Special automated drivers are used to install the fasteners, many with a Bluetooth link to a central control along the line. When a bit is selected, the tool knows the proper torque to apply. In some cases, it counts the number of revolutions it turns the fasteners. If a screw has a bad thread, for example, the tool will sense that the torque level was reached before the fastener is fully installed and alerts the operator. Many stations also use a “pick to light” system, which knows how many of which fastener the operator should pick from a bin to install each part. The idea here is to maximize efficiency and quality control.

The rest of the boat is similarly modular. At the end of this first assembly line, the boat is placed on an AGV (automated guided vehicle) that follows a strip of magnetic tape on the floor and moves on its own from station to station. Soon there will be AGVs on the first line too. Operators here first place blocks of polystyrene flotation foam in the structure of the sponsons and then add more cross members. Time for more Legos! Colored covers attach to the top of the sponsons. If a part has ­color, it is formed of polypropylene without the fiberglass reinforcement because it is not structural. The deck is formed with 18-inch-square plastic tiles that screw down to the cross members. Again, the geometry is such that the same tiles are used on each boat length—the longer boats just get more of them.

To the side of this main line are subassembly areas where the helm pedestal and seating are finished, again to match the dealer order as dictated by that bar code. The handlebar and controls rest on the deck now and will be placed on the helm after it attaches to the deck. All boats use the same pedestal and controls. Some models might have a different display screen, or an optional Garmin multifunction display or audio system. Complete seat sections are placed on a cart elevated to deck height and angled so the seat section can glide right off the cart and into place on the boat without lifting. The fence sections and top are some of the last parts to be installed. At the end of the line is a final quality inspection, including a check of all electrical components, before the boat is lifted off the AGV and onto a waiting Karavan trailer. The correct trailer length and finish (paint or galvanized) are waiting, as dictated by the boat order in the central computer that monitors every aspect of production. The boats are shrink-wrapped and then wheeled outside for shipment.

Rotax Stealth

Rotax rules the other end of the building, separated from the boat-assembly area by a supermarket of pallet racks storing various components. The Rotax S is a low-profile outboard designed to fit below a swim platform. It currently powers all Manitou MAX pontoon models. In 2024, it is scheduled to debut aboard new Alumacraft boats. We covered the introduction of the Rotax S motor in our first review of the Manitou Cruise 22 MAX Switchback model. But at that time, we could only see the exterior of the outboard because the engine is within a sealed case. Our tour of the assembly area for what BRP insiders still call “the Ghost” outboard—its original project name—gave us a chance to see what one looks like under that housing.

Our first stop is at a row of Makino enclosed, automated ­machining centers, where the raw aluminum casting for that outer housing is finished. The casting is produced by BRP at its foundry facility in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. The casting weighs about 60 pounds, and requires more than 100 features to be machined, a process that takes one hour and 40 minutes. Because the housing must be watertight, this machining process is critical. The sealing edges must be perfectly straight and flat.

There’s some Evinrude pedigree in the Rotax S. The 1.9-liter, three-cylinder, two-stroke powerhead with E-Tec direct fuel injection derives from an Evinrude model, as does the gear case. Both the powerhead and gear case are assembled in Sturtevant. The engine block is also cast in Spruce Pine and machined in Sturtevant before iron cylinder sleeves are pressed into each bore. As on the boat line, smart tools are used during all phases of engine ­assembly to monitor torque.

Because the powerhead is horizontal, a 90-degree gear set is required to send power to the vertical drive shaft. These helical gears are secured within a complex cast-aluminum part called the exhaust adapter, which is created using a lost foam process at Spruce Pine. This part bolts into the upper housing and then mates to the powerhead. It’s hollow, acts as an exhaust riser, and also holds that gear set, which must be shimmed to a tolerance of 0.001 inch. The gear case bolts to the lower housing casting.

Read Next: Marine Power Innovation Awards – Rotax S Outboard Engine

Each motor is hot-tested in a dyno cell before the upper ­housing is installed so an operator can check for any water or fuel-line leaks. Digital data from each dyno test stores with the engine serial number, so there’s proof that the engine was A-OK when it left the factory if there’s an issue in the future. After testing, that critical upper housing is installed over its seals and secured with 15 bolts. As a final check, the integrity of the seal is confirmed by applying a vacuum to the case in a sort of leak-down test. Cosmetic plastic covers complete the outboard. The motors are placed three-wide on steel shipping racks and transported by truck to the Manitou plant in Michigan or shipped to Australia for Quintrex models.

Time will tell if the Sea-Doo Switch pontoon and Rotax S outboard are the next great hits for BRP or if these interesting ideas are just too different to catch on. Regardless of the outcome, the beat of BRP’s different drummer will go on.

The Sump Pump

The Rotax S outboard has a number of internal features intended to protect the powerhead from moisture. A probe in the bottom of the case detects condensation that could collect there and triggers a small pump to expel that water. During the assembly process, we got to see the probe, which is a small plastic cup containing two electrodes. If enough condensation collects in the bottom of the motor housing, the water will bridge the electrodes and allow current to flow between them, which triggers a small electric pump located high on the powerhead. The water pickup is also located in the lowest spot of the case, and water expels overboard. BRP explains that condensation will form in the case only in extreme situations, such as operation in extreme cold and humid conditions. There’s also a check valve on the intake to prevent water intrusion through the exhaust when the engine is not running. The check valve activates electrically when the engine is keyed off. It has the effect of sealing a pocket of air within the engine to prevent water from pushing back through the exhaust, such as if a large wake completely submerged the motor. That check valve could leak down over a long period of time, so there’s another probe in the exhaust that will detect water before it reaches the engine. The probe can trigger an air pump that will add pressure to the crankcase.

BRP History

Canadian inventor Joseph-Armand Bombardier formed L’Auto-Neige Bombardier Limité in 1942 to produce tracked snow coaches and industrial vehicles from a small shop near Valcourt, Quebec. The company entered the recreational market in 1959 with the introduction of the innovative Ski-Doo snowmobile. In 1968, Bombardier introduced the Sea-Doo watercraft to give snowmobile dealers a product to sell in the summer. The original Sea-Doo was a flop that lasted only two years, but Bombardier was back with a new Sea-Doo design in 1988. Bombardier acquired the Evinrude and Johnson outboard brands in 2001 and spun off its recreational brands in 2003, forming Bombardier Recreational Products, or BRP. Today BRP is a $10 billion company with 23,000 employees and eight brands, including the marine segment comprising Sea-Doo, Alumacraft, Manitou, Quintrex
and Rotax. It also produces Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, and Can-Am off-road and on-road vehicles, with Can-Am electric motorcycles on the horizon.

The post A Behind-the-Scenes Look at BRP’s Cutting-Edge Operation appeared first on Boating Mag.

Read Next: About the Boating Marine Power Innovation Awards

Volvo Penta and Group Beneteau Plug-In Hybrid System

Groupe Beneteau and Volvo Penta collaborated to develop a diesel plug-in hybrid system for boats. We traveled to Sweden to sea trial the system as installed in a Jeanneau NC 37.

This system impressed us for its ability to power the boat to planing speed using diesel IC engines, while allowing its owner to cruise at slow speeds using electric power. A surprise benefit we discovered during tests is that the electric motors can be engaged simultaneously with the IC engines to make getting on plane even faster. Additionally, the battery installed allows enjoying silent electric power in an anchorage instead of using a generator.

For integrating diesel engines, electric motors, and a battery system in such a useful and effective way, we award Volvo Penta and Groupe Beneteau with a Marine Power Innovation Award.

Honda BF 350 Outboard

Honda’s new BF350 ramps-up the owner experience for large outboard engines.

We tested this engine in a variety of scenarios aboard two different boats: a SeaVee 29 and Tahoe 2585 pontoon boat. It delivers outstanding acceleration to plane and while up and going, thanks to an offset crank shaft and proprietary innovations like its BLAST system. Hit the throttle and this engine makes the boat jump with a quicker step than some other outboards. Furthermore, it’s not just ultra-responsive, the power delivered is super smooth.

Then consider the noise of the engine. It’s not so much that the volume, in decibels produced by the Honda BF350, may be quieter than those of other engines. Decibels measure noise quantity. What impressed us more was the quality of that sound: the Honda produces a pleasing note.

See and Hear Honda’s BF 350: 2024 Tahoe 2585 Cascade

Other features that ramp up the owner experience include being agnostic with respect to electronics. That is, the BF 350 can display its data on the MFD of your choice, without need for a gateway. This makes the BF 350 an excellent candidate for boaters seeking to repower because they would not need to replace their electronics when they repower their boats.

For these reasons, we award Honda Marine with Marine Power Innovation Award.

Garmin Force Kraken Trolling Motors

Garmin’s Force Kraken trolling motors advance the technology of trolling motors while also advancing the owner experience of using an electric trolling motor.

The brushlees Force Kraken is up to 37 percent more efficient than competitive brushed motors. It won’t fuzz up fish-finder screens with static. It has the ability to spin the prop backward to hasten response time and provide more control to the boat owner. Multiband GPS improves anchor lock. At the low end, the Force Kraken decelerates the motor within a meter of the desired location using reverse prop spin. At the high end, the Kraken applies more aggressive motor speed for improved performance in challenging seas, important as so many coastal anglers now use trolling motors.

Read More About the Garmin Force Kraken: New Bow-Mount Brushless Trolling Motors

For increasing electrical efficiency, for diminishing the static that other trolling motors can create on fishfinder screens, for the ability to spin the prop in reverse, and more, we award Garmin a Marine Power Innovation Award. Congratulations!

Rotax 1630 ACE 325 HP

We do not honor the Rotax 1630 ACE engine with an MPI Award simply because, at 325 horsepower, it sets a new benchmark for PWC power.

Our On-Water Test: New 325 hp Rotax 1630 ACE Engine

We are impressed with the way BRP re-engineered this entire jet-propulsion powertrain to achieve an astounding performance goal. Engineers for Rotax in Austria and BRP in Canada collaborated in drafting a jet pump impeller design with a thrust curve capable of propelling the new Sea-Doo RXT-X and RXP-X watercraft models from zero to 60 mph in a mind-bending 3.4 seconds. They then built up an engine capable of spinning that impeller with the required authority while maintaining the reliability, durability and warranty we expect from an OEM product. Every element of this engine – from the block to the intake – is stronger and more efficient than the previous 300-hp 1630 ACE engine.

A new centrifugal supercharger is driven directly from the crankshaft through a new planetary gear set within the supercharger housing which permits an astounding 100,000 rpm from the impeller. The new 75 mm impeller is 44 percent smaller than the previous 135 mm impeller, resulting in a more compact housing. The new design eliminates the friction clutch that has been a service issue on the previous supercharger. Despite an increase in boost pressure from 12.8 psi to 15.2 psi, Rotax says air temperature at the supercharger outlet is reduced by 50 degrees F, and cooler air makes more power.

For advancing the state of the art in PWC propulsion, we award an MPI Award to Rotax.

Congratulations!

Mercury Racing 500R Outboard

Outboard advancements usually involve horsepower increases. Mercury Racing’s 500R impressed us with its power and performance, but also because of the technological advancements it developed to make that performance possible.

Our On-Water Test: Mercury Racing 500R Outboard

While the supercharger, which is belt-driven, helps deliver gobs of torque, the most notable advance may be the humidity sensor.

Any boater who runs outboards knows that performance and power can drop off as humidity increases. This technology allows the engine ECM to combine humidity, air-pressure and air-temperature data to determine the ideal spark timing. It is the first marine engine with humidity compensation. The maker claims up to a 30 percent increase in power as a result.

Other innovations include the Advanced Racing Core (ARC), with a stronger transom plane and adjustment via seven mounting holes, giving boaters more height adjustment. An enhanced trim system features two primary hydraulic rams, plus two new booster rams for added trim authority.

For advancing the technology of outboard engines, as well as marine engines as a whole, we are pleased to award Mercury Racing an MPI Award for its 500R outboard.

Power-Pole Move Trolling Motors

Power-Pole (JL Marine) MOVE trolling motors offer a GPS-driven, electrically-steered guidance system that automatically chops power and reverses engine direction when the motor has wound up its power cord. As such, there is no spinning of the motor to shake up anglers standing on the casting deck.

Our Review: Move Trolling Motors From Power-Pole

MOVE trolling motors use a brushless motor that turns at lower rpm than other motors, reducing power use and increasing range. Add a lifetime warranty to the aircraft-quality titanium shaft and its ability to bounce back from impact, functioning properly if it does happen to bend and the motor is likely to give any angler a full day of fishing under the roughest circumstances.

Further, JL Marine always keeps a live tech on hand to troubleshoot problems and immediately ship out replacement parts–something no other motor brand we know of can boast.

Suitable for fresh or saltwater use, MOVE controls include the RealFeel foot pedal with a low-latency wireless haptic ­motor that provides the sensation of cable steering and the ability to put the foot pedal anywhere you like. There are also wireless foot buttons available to activate the Anchor mode and Active Vector Heading. 

For these advancements to owner and angler ownership and use, we award the JL Marine Move Trolling Motor a Marine Power Innovation Award.

The post MPI Awards 2023 appeared first on Boating Mag.

The design of any marine powertrain begins with a propeller that produces a desired amount of thrust. To elevate the performance of the new Sea-Doo RXT-X and RXP-X watercraft models, engineers at BRP Rotax in Austria worked with BRP propulsion engineers in Canada to devise an impeller with a thrust curve capable of propelling these craft from zero to 60 mph in a mind-bending 3.4 seconds. They also designed an engine with a torque curve able to turn that impeller at the desired rpm. BRP will brag on the class-leading 325 hp of its new Rotax 1630 ACE engine, but that rating is almost irrelevant. The top speed of all PWC is governed not to exceed 69 mph, so this new engine rarely comes close to its 8,250 rpm limit, which is where it makes peak power. Acceleration is the goal, and on that count this new powertrain certainly does deliver.

While the 325 hp engine shares its architecture with 1630 ACE engines rated at 230 and 300 hp—with a 1.6-liter three-cylinder, single overhead camshaft, supercharger and closed cooling—Rotax recognized that many components of this platform reached their design limit at 300 hp and would need upgraded to support the pressure required to achieve the desired new ­level of performance.

More power requires more air and fuel, and Rotax and BRP designed an entire new intake tract with a larger-­volume air box, low-restriction intake tubing and a stronger plenum on the pressure side of the supercharger. The fuel system features a high-flow fuel pump and high-flow injectors.

An all-new centrifugal supercharger is optimized for efficiency. As in the past, the supercharger is driven ­directly from the crankshaft, but a new planetary gear set within the supercharger housing permits an astounding 100,000 rpm from the impeller. The new 75 mm impeller is 44 percent smaller than the previous 135 mm impeller, resulting in a more compact housing. The new design eliminates the friction clutch that has been a service issue on the previous supercharger. Despite boost pressure raising from 12.8 psi to 15.2 psi, ­Rotax says air temperature at the supercharger outlet is reduced by 50 degrees F, and cooler air makes more power.

The entire valve train is ­upgraded with new forged aluminum rocker arms, stronger springs, and a polished rocker-­arm shaft to reduce friction. New pistons are fitted with low-friction rings, and new oil jets help cool the exhaust side of each piston. The engine block casting was strengthened and is now die-cast rather than lost-foam-cast. Even the coupler clamps on the output shaft are beefed up.

Our highly calibrated seat-of-the-pants test confirmed the result: This powertrain produces unprecedented acceleration. Pull the throttle and 60 mph pops up on the GPS speedometer before you have time to focus your eyes, with rpm rising to about 8,000 before dropping down to about 7,600 at the 69 mph limit. We rode the Sea-Doo RXT-X and RXP-X models back to back with the 300 hp GTR-X model, and there is simply no comparison. If you crave unparalleled power and the thrill of thrust, there’s simply not a more exciting option.

The post New 325 hp Rotax 1630 ACE Engine appeared first on Boating Mag.

This new outboard marries the high power-to-weight ratio of a traditional outboard while creating a wide-open aft deck that enhances access to water. Configured horizontally, instead of vertically, these new Rotax S outboards are available in 115- and 150-hp ratings.

Another advantage of the Rotax outboard is its designed and engineered with many features that allow it to go several seasons without needing regular service. This is a great boon to new boaters, many of whom lack the DIY skills (or desire) of more experienced boaters. Additionally, as seen aboard Alumacraft boats and Manitou pontoons, entirely new layout possibilities are created as a result of the Rotax outboard. We cannot foresee where this innovation will lead boat design and recreational boat use, but we honor it for the courage and dedication required to push the envelope and reimagine boat propulsion.

Read Next: Learn More About the MPI Awards

The post Marine Power Innovation Awards 2022: Rotax S Outboard Engine appeared first on Boating Mag.

And now for something completely different. The new Rotax outboard from BRP is designed to live below an extended swim platform, eliminating the intrusion a traditional outboard imposes on the transom. In short, you get outboard power without having to see or play around the outboard. To achieve this low profile, the powerhead is oriented horizontally and enclosed in a watertight case. The 115 hp Rotax S115 and 150 hp Rotax S150 are exclusive to BRP boat brands Alumacraft, Manitou and, in Australia, Quintrex.

The 115 hp and 150 hp versions of the Rotax outboard share a 1.9-liter three-cylinder, two-stroke powerhead, with the 150 gaining variable exhaust ports for a power boost. Evinrude models featured the powerhead, with its E-Tec direct fuel injection, standard auto trim, and gear case with a 2.08-to-1 ratio, before BRP discontinued that brand in 2020. Digital throttle and shift control is standard. Conventional hydraulic ram handles power trim and tilt, while a hydraulic helix integral to the motor bracket actuates power steering. The gear case tilted clear of the water in the pontoon application we tested.

Air enters the engine case through a flexible tube routed into the boat transom. A 3.5-gallon reservoir in the boat carries injector oil. The motor mounts on a standard outboard transom and bolt holes, and has a 25-inch shaft length. Like past Evinrude models, the motor has a “self-winterizing” function that oils down the cylinders for long-term storage. The base warranty offers three years or 300 hours of coverage.

Because the motor literally lives in the water, its cast-aluminum cover secures with 15 bolts and a hermetic seal. Maintenance that requires removing those bolts for access to the powerhead is scheduled only after five years or 500 hours. A number of internal features intend to protect the powerhead from moisture. A probe in the bottom of the case detects condensation that could collect there in humid conditions and triggers a small pump to expel that water. BRP explains that this probe and pump are not intended to protect the engine from catastrophic damage that would allow a flood of water to enter the case. A high-rise exhaust manifold and a check valve on the intake are designed to prevent water intrusion through the exhaust when the engine is not running. The check valve is electrically activated when the engine is keyed off. It has the effect of sealing a pocket of air within the engine—imagine holding your finger over the end of a straw and then lowering the straw into a glass of water—to prevent water from pushing back through the exhaust, such as if the motor were completely submerged under a large wake. That check valve could leak down over a long period of time, so there’s another probe in the exhaust that will detect water before it reaches the engine and can trigger an air pump that will add pressure to the crankcase. If the boat battery goes dead, the check valve will remain closed, but the pumps and sensors will not function. BRP says the current draw is minimal.

There are no specs available, but BRP says the rigged Rotax outboard weighs about 522 pounds—that’s about 57 pounds heavier than a Mercury 150 FourStroke outboard and a significant 150 pounds heavier than a Mercury 115 FourStroke. However, BRP points out that when the boat is at rest, the buoyancy of the watertight motor case mitigates some of the weight differential.

Read Next: BRP Unveils Rotax Outboard Engine

We tested a prototype 2023 22-foot Manitou Cruise Max model powered by a Rotax S150, which produced competitive performance. The 35 mph top speed and cruising fuel economy were close to that of the triple-tube Viaggio Lago 22S with a Mercury 150 we tested last year. BRP says the Max Deck aft platform over the motor adds 38 square feet of usable space to the boat. When the Rotax motor is trimmed, it stays below the deck; when tilted, it raises a hinged center section of the Max Deck. The motor runs smooth, and we noted about 80 dB(A) at cruising speed—not stealthy but not objectionable. However, we think the higher-pitch tone created by the two-stroke Rotax engine makes it seem louder than a 150 hp four-stroke outboard. Manitou will not offer this all-new tritoon boat with an equivalent Mercury outboard, so it’s impossible to make a price comparison.

BRP says the Rotax outboard design is “scalable,” so expect to see more-powerful versions in the future. Born of a brainstorm in 2019, the Rotax outboard required a determined effort to bring to market. As always, a few seasons on the water will be the true test of this interesting engine concept.

The post Rotax S150 Outboard appeared first on Boating Mag.