The F70 does away with conventional dual camshaft design, writes Mike Rose
Yamaha have begun the roll-out of their 2010 model line-up with the release of their first 70hp outboard, the F70.
The new four-stroke 70hp outboard is a development of the F60, one of Yamaha's most popular outboards.
It shares the same displacement and stroke as its smaller sibling and has been designed to be the lightest 70hp or 75hp outboard, either four stroke or direct injected two stroke, available.
The company says this has been achieved largely thanks to Yamaha's unique four valves per cylinder design, with the valves being activated by a single overhead camshaft rather than the conventional dual camshaft design.
Much of the weight saving comes from not having to carry that extra camshaft and the components that would go with it.
However, Yamaha's New Zealand marine manager Greg Fenwick is quick to stress that the removal of the second camshaft has not affected the F70's performance.
He says the four valves per cylinder dramatically increase the engine's volumetric efficiency, the efficiency with which the engine can draw fuel and air in and push exhaust out of the cylinders.
"This means we have been able to increase the F70's maximum operating RPM to 6300rpm," he says.
"For a remarkably light engine, the F70 punches well above its weight."
The F70 also comes standard with a 2.33:1 gear ratio enabling it to run large diameter propellers in applications where extra thrust is required.
The F70 is the first of Yamaha's new 2010 range to arrive in New Zealand, where it will be available from June.
Featuring new 2010 styling the F70 4-stroke has been designed to be the lightest on the market.
It will come in L 20 inch and X 25 inch shaft lengths.
Marine electronics distributor Advance Trident Ltd has been recognised for their sales performances at the recent Navico Asia Pacific Sales Conference in Shanghai.
Advance Trident, who are the New Zealand distributors for Simrad, B&G and Eagle, collected three awards for the highest sales for the three brands in the Asia Pacific region in 2009.
The company has represented Simrad in New Zealand for 12 years, B&G for four years and Eagle for three years.
Advanced Trident director Brett Geldard, who with his brother and fellow director Blair, was on hand to collect the awards in Shanghai, said the awards reflected the efforts of the company's sales team in a tight market.
"They were also due in part to the successful releases of new products from Simrad and B&G over the past 12 months. These included the award-winning NSE and broadband radars from Simrad and B&G's H3000 Instruments."
