The NEW 90HP Honda!
Honda has finally launched the redesigned BF75 and BF90 outboards, at the Southampton Boat Show in England. We at RIBCRAFT have been waiting for this for quite some time as the Honda 90 is our engine of choice for the 19' RIBCRAFT 190 and 5.85.
Designed and built with RIBs in mind, these new fuel injected engines are lighter, 20% more fuel efficient, and far more powerful than their predecessors.
With these two models, Honda has launched a new technology called BLAST which is fantastic for the RIB world. BLAST stands for Boosted Low Speed Torque which advances the engine’s timing to deliver incredible acceleration out of the hole that some have noticed was lacking from the older 90HP engines.
In addition to the low end power/ acceleration, the new 90 engine enjoys a turbo-like kick when operating from about 4900rpm through to the engine’s new 6300rpm rev limit. This new “turbo” is a result of Honda’s VTEC technology or Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control.
Weight has always been an issue with the Honda engines, but we’re glad to say that the new 90 is somewhat lighter than the old, weighing in at 359 lbs which is always a good thing for a RIB. In fact, Honda claims that these engines are the lightest in their class.
Cosmetically, these engines have also entered the modern market, following in the footsteps of the previously redesigned Hondas with a sleaker and tapered engine cover. But the changes on the outside are more than superficial, the new 90 has a redesigned gear case and lower unit which should help reduce spray and increase hydrodynamic efficiency to further improve overall performance.
It’s clear by Honda’s unveiling of the new 75HP and 90HP back in September at the Southampton Boat Show that they see these engines as perfect for the RIB market when they unveiled the new engines to the world on RIBs. (The 75HP was debuted on a RIBCRAFT 5.3!)
These new engines have just made their way to the US market and we’ll have a full report on how our RIBCRAFT 5.85 and 190 handle with this new engine within the coming month.
