Latest news from K+B

[Tim_Duggan]

Maybe MECOA can't justify the expense to do a production run for something that might not sell in a hurry. Many companies look at how much money they have tied up in parts on shelves that are very slow to sell. If you have to make 100 in a run to make it cost a reasonable price, but only sell 2 a month - it's a bunch of cash sitting on a shelf that could be used in other ways.

What is the moral / legal stance on someone else making parts that happen to fit another brands engine for profit? How long can one company delay making parts available before the situation becomes a case of it being a lost cause? How much of the demand for parts would be diminished if the parts were made in a different country? If someone were to get a whole bunch of parts made to revive all these items in need of parts, what parts would be the popular ones to get and which ones would you not bother with? How big would the demand be? Maybe someone should look at it as a business proposition.... (Not me!)

 

[Slideblues]

A ten year old thred with me as a guest and the issues havent changed?

Hmmmm, Now thats progress :lol: :lol: :lol:

Gene

 

[James E Beasley]

I am the first person to be happy that anything related to Outboard Tunnel racing is new or rejuvinated, BUT, this is exactly why MECOA will fail to sell these engines. They have no clue what we racers want or need, they don't listen to us and don't even attempt to communicate with us. We want and need 7.5 engines, not 3.5. No one in their right mind is going to buy a K&B 3.5 when there are superior designed OS and even Thunder Tiger engines to choose from over K&B. The best way they could regain a serious position in the OB market would be to get 7.5 Pro Motors back in production as well as parts for them. Then they should redesign their 3.5s and launch a new engine. My soap box peice, as I was one of the people/victims on their "we put you on the list and will contact you, it will only be a few months" 3 years ago! James Beasley

 

[Blackout]

I am the first person to be happy that anything related to Outboard Tunnel racing is new or rejuvinated, BUT, this is exactly why MECOA will fail to sell these engines. They have no clue what we racers want or need, they don't listen to us and don't even attempt to communicate with us. We want and need 7.5 engines, not 3.5. No one in their right mind is going to buy a K&B 3.5 when there are superior designed OS and even Thunder Tiger engines to choose from over K&B. The best way they could regain a serious position in the OB market would be to get 7.5 Pro Motors back in production as well as parts for them. Then they should redesign their 3.5s and launch a new engine. My soap box peice, as I was one of the people/victims on their "we put you on the list and will contact you, it will only be a few months" 3 years ago! James Beasley

I agree.

 

[lohring]

MECOA has almost never made any engines. They mostly salvage stock from dead companies, assemble it and sell off what they can. Unfortunately, the really good K&B engines were mostly gone when K&B was sold, so 7.5 outboard racing has been dying for a long time. It's too bad, because stock 7.5 tunnels are a great, moderate cost, beginners boat that still challenged experienced racers. I think a spec electric class is the new hope for these great boats.

Lohring Miller

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Krogg's, I was looking though the online list and saw someone else was looking at it. I didn't see the date on the last post, thought it was a new thread. Guess I should have looked more carefully :wacko:

 

[RonShaw]

Don't worry about it being an old thread Hydro Junkie. It's a topic worth discussing again.

It's no secret that I still run K&B's on all three of my tunnel hulls even today. With the proper attention, they will still hang with any motor out there, period. Two of these boats won first place at the 2012 WTC. My dissatisfaction with MECOA over their non-performance and the way they treat other boaters, is forcing me to move toward another direction on my 3.5 and 7.5 engine selections, even though I have enough K&B parts from back in the days when they were easily accessible, to probably run for the next 5 years.

I find it very interesting how MECOA has totally stepped away from production of these engines. Maybe someone at that company will get their head out of their azz and revive the engines worth producing, like the 3.5, 7.5, and .67, and give their dying company and our boating hobby a "shot in the arm" that both could really use. Making delivery promises, that still never happen three years later, tells me they knew when the promise was made that they had no intention whatsoever to fulfill it. Who runs a company that way?????? I am hopeful Novarossi, Rossi, Nelson, and OS Max will eventually produce full production 3.5, 7.5, and 11cc outboard engines that will include their very own lower units and do not rely on K&B whatsoever, and hopefully this happens in my lifetime............

 

[Mark Poole ModVP]

The SX 3.5 engines that they turned out for a little while seemed to be reasonably good. I have 3, all bone stock and are strong and have held up very well. Only problem that I ever had with the air cooled SS is if it were on a boat that you could run flat out around the turns it would lean out usually on the last lap. Truth is they were great engines for the price. If I pay $400 for a 3.5 then I FULLY expect to get race performance and quality. That "other" engine, I had one and was not real impressed.

 

[anthony_marquart]

K&B was my first engine.. some companies make no money on their new products, but gather profits from selling parts. This is nothing new. Look at automotive. It seems like K&B only looks at the cost of putting out motors,.. they could make a killing right not if they would just supply parts to motors that are already out there... Many companies are requiring a 1 year payback on capital investments. This is very restrictive and my company is accepting 2 and 3 year payback on investment.

From an end user perspective... the K&B buisness model blows,.. but,. maybe it's just their structure that makes them focus on more profitable projects...

I don't know though.. I know nothing about Meccoa...

 

[dion smith]

7.5 p/s is all they really need to make to keep the ob's that are out there alive. I did get an email from them recently showing of their new inboard, but according to their site, they have only recently had the soil tested at new location and sounds like it still might be a while before the machines are up and running again-if they aren't seized!

 

[anthony_marquart]

How cool would it be to run a NEW K&B .21!!! talk about bringing me back to the beginning!

 

[Grimracer]

Nice to know someone got everything they ordered from MECOA. The last time I tried to order something, a K&B .21 IB and parts for a front exhaust .45, I was told that most of the parts needed for the .21 were being made and I needed to put my name on a list, which I did. I got most of the parts I needed for the .45 though some I obtained used through this forum. It's been almost 2 years and still no word from MECOA, ended up buying a NR .21 from Glenn Quarles and a second one used, again through this forum. Can't complain about either NR or Glenn's survice since he's followed through on everything he said, more than I can say for MECOA

How in the world did a 10 year old post rise from the grave...lol.. 10 years ago somebody got some parts.. and thats good... OK.. well.. OK that is good!

lol

Grim

 

[RodneyPierce]

I was wondering how long it would take someone to realize it was a 10 year old thread.......

 

[RonShaw]

Everyone noticed early on it was an old thread, but we felt it was worth further discussion....

 

[Andy Greene]

A ten year old thred with me as a guest and the issues havent changed?

Hmmmm, Now thats progress :lol: :lol: :lol:

Gene

Glenn said it best Ron- you musta missed that one

 

[Carl Van Houten]

For what it is worth. The most long lasting contribution K&B made to the hobby was, all the lower units that survived the Ka Boom that was sure to come. Yep, once you got a K&B scream'n, it was gonna blow. Hey, they all pop sooner or later no matter what brand powerhead you like to buttcher up.

All the leftover lower units did keep the O/B sport alive with the help of retro fit PTO products and a couple of other custom lower unit manufacures.

.

As far as engine manufacturers taying in touch goes....NONE OF THEM DO!

Look how many Mac powerheads were produced. Who made that call? It would not pull a wet noodle apart! It would have to turn 45,000 RPM and drink 10 ounces of fuel to make a 6 lap event. Oh and you had better have a box full of new bearings to go with it because it would use them up in one race! I know some people like them and still run them but John Brown couldn't stay on the same lap with us with one of thoes powerheads. I had three of them and wound up giving them all to Eric Broulet.

I kept asking myself who would put this much effort and money into something and miss the mark so bad when they could have had a great engine if they would have listened to the people who were "in the race" so to speak.

To be fair to K&B, none of the manufacturers keep in touch with racers needs. Even though our team put O/S on the map when they first came out with their 3.5cc outboard, they never called us, sent us any parts or supported us in any way what so ever. I don't think they even knew who we were... :blink:

Mike Rushing had a 58mph stock outboard when the stock 3.5 field was still running 49 and 50 mph. I think the guy in this thread that brought up the fact that engine manufacturers don't stay in touch with racers needs is exactly right. I'm all for giving a new product a chance or like K&B trying to bring back an old product but if you are going to make a product, build the best and let the other guys figure it out.

It would be great to see a U.S. based outboard supplier make it big and build a product that compares to the O/S outboard some day. How long have you guys waited for a 7.5cc stock outboard? 20 years?

I will say this; O/S put a lot of thought into their 3.5cc lower unit design before they released it. I don't race anymore but I hope that changes for you guys. It needs to.

We have always hoped that the outboard guys could get together and agree on a select group of production exhaust setups along with a IMPBA aproved stock lowerunit design for each o/b class. I think it would be cool if the IMPBA approved a spec lower unit with a built-in exhaust chamber like the K&B that ANYONE could produce and offer as a stock lowerunit because someone will always mix parts and get busted at the race if left like it is.

Something like a Lawless 7.5 lowerunit with the exhaust arrangment of the K&B stock lower unit would be a great starting point. With some testing, you should be able to see some impressive lap times from pipeless engines. I have seen 62mph from pipeless 7.5 engines at the Huntsville Time Trials setup on roundtrack boats! The time is not in the record book because the IMPBA does not reconize the 7.5cc,11cc or 1 inch stock engines as a class. If you do your homework, your spec stock lower unit could be designed to be hands down faster than any prior designs, the parts swaping problem will fix itself.

Some racers are just trying to hob-knob an entry together without spending too much money and other racers know what parts mixed together will give them an advantage. The stock class is a great class and draws the largest entries most of the time. It wouldn't take much effort to clean up the rules plus give some great choices for the stock racers.

IW is the perfect place to get feedback on this.

From what I have been hearing, the outboard rules need a little polishing up to keep rouge O/B designs from dominating the field. The best racing is close racing.

I need a new box...I think I just broke mine.

-Carl

 

[RickGlover]

Ron Shaw did you hear what Carl said. What are these rouge designs he speaks of.

 

[RonShaw]

Hahaha.....I'll never tell...... Got in trouble last time I said something.......

 

[Mike Culhane]