Free Outboard Service Manual Online Database

The Kiekhaefer Mercury company began in 1939, when engineer Carl Kiekhaefer purchased a small outboard motor company in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Kiekhaefer designed motors that withstood the elements better than his competition and called the motor Mercury.

 Suzuki manufactured their first outboard motor in 1965, the 5.5 horsepower D55. In 1994, Suzuki unveiled the first of their four-stroke outboard motors, the DF9.9 and DF15.. The company subsequently released the DF60 which featured an electronic fuel injection system in 1997. 

Yamaha first entered the marine market with the P-7 outboard motor. It was a single cylinder motor with 123cc of displacement. Released in 1960 the motor shared many parts with the motorcycle motors that Yamaha was producing

Honda Marine was the second U.S. company to build a four-stroke marine outboard engine. They manufactured the first marine engine in 1964. Many of the engine concepts and technologies are taken from their automotive engines used in popular vehicles such as the Accord and Odyssey. The BF150 engines uses a power head based on the same 2.3L VTEC engine used in the Honda Accord. 

 Founded by Ole Evinrude in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1907, it was formerly owned by the publicly traded Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC) since 1935, but OMC filed for bankruptcy in 2000. It is now working as a subsidiary of Canadian Multinational Bombardier Recreational Products. Evinrude is currently the only manufacture offering 2-stroke outboards to the North American Market. 

Tohatsu can be traced back to 1922, when the Takata Motor Research Institute began carrying out research into various forms of internal combustion engines. 1956 ushered in the production of the first Tohatsu Outboard, the 1.5hp. Since then, Tohatsu outboards have served a variety of marketplaces worldwide.  Tohatsu produces outboards sold under their own brand, as well as for other companies such as Mercury, Evinrude & Nissan.