Editing Outboard motor (section)

==History and developments==
The first known outboard motor was a small 11 pound (5&nbsp;kg) electric unit designed around 1870 by [[Gustave Trouvé]],<ref name=smmoutboardmgt>{{cite web|last=Olsson|first=Kent|title=THE OUTBOARD MOTORS|url=http://www.marinmotormuseum.se/utomborde.htm|publisher=Säffle Marinmotor Museum|access-date=14 February 2012}}</ref> and patented in May 1880 (Patent N° 136,560).<ref name=ertgt>{{cite web|last=Desmond|first=Kevin|title=A Brief History of Electric Water Speed Records|url=http://www.electricrecordteam.com/history.htm|publisher=electric record team|access-date=14 February 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907193724/http://www.electricrecordteam.com/history.htm|archive-date=7 September 2008}}</ref>  Later about 25 petrol powered outboards may have been produced in 1896 by American Motors Co<ref name=smmoutboardmgt />—but neither of these two pioneering efforts appear to have had much impact.

The Waterman outboard engine appears to be the first gasoline-powered outboard offered for sale in significant numbers.<ref name=fete>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19550116&id=Zn1QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VxAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4458,2035150 ''"Kiekhaefer Will Fete Inventor of Outboard Motor"''], The Milwaukee Sentinel - Jan 16, 1955</ref> It was developed from 1903 in Grosse Ile, Michigan, with a patent application filed in 1905<ref>[https://patents.google.com/patent/US851389?oq=851%2C389 "BOAT-PROPELLING DEVICBOAT-PROPELLING DEVICE"], US Patent 851,389</ref> Starting in 1906,<ref>[http://www.aomci.org/oldarticles/ "The Original Outboard Motor"], Bob Zipps, July 1988, The Antique Outboarder</ref><ref>[http://www.acbs.org/rudder/oldrudder/Rudder/Fall2001/OutboardHistory.htm "The History of Outboards"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104075912/https://www.acbs.org/rudder/oldrudder/Rudder/Fall2001/OutboardHistory.htm |date=2011-01-04 }}, ''originally from:'' Bob Whittier, 1957, Yachting Magazine</ref> the company went on to make thousands of his "Porto-Motor"<ref>"Some early Porto-Motor advertisements", Rowboat Motor Journal, Vol 2, Issue 1, 2009</ref> units,<ref name="turns100">{{Cite web |date=2006-09-21 |title=A Moving Tribute |url=https://www.boatingmag.com/boats/moving-tribute/ |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=Boating Mag |language=en-US}}</ref> claiming 25,000 sales by 1914.<ref>{{cite news |title=Waterman PORTO Does It |url=https://archive.org/stream/independen79v80newy#page/n52/mode/1up |newspaper=The Independent |date=Jul 6, 1914 |access-date=1 August 2012}}</ref>  The inboard boat motor firm of Caille Motor Company of Detroit were instrumental in making the cylinder and engines.

The most successful early outboard motor,<ref name=turns100 /> was created by [[Norwegian American|Norwegian-American]] inventor [[Ole Evinrude]] in 1909.<ref>[http://www.jsonline.com/business/57450217.html "Colorful rivalry of outboard giants ..."], jsonline.com</ref> Historically, a majority of outboards have been [[two-stroke]] powerheads fitted with a carburetor due to the design's inherent simplicity, reliability, low cost and light weight. Drawbacks include increased pollution, due to the high volume of unburned gasoline and oil in their exhaust, and louder noise.

===Four-stroke outboards===

Four-stroke outboards have been sold since the late 1920s, such as the Roness and Sharland. In 1962 Homelite introduced a four-stroke outboard a {{convert|55|hp|adj=on}} motor, based on the four-cylinder [[Crosley]] automobile engine. This outboard was called the Bearcat and was later purchased by Fischer-Pierce, the makers of Boston Whaler, for use in their boats because of their advantages over two-stroke engines. In 1964, Honda Motor Co. introduced its first four-stroke powerhead.<ref>{{cite web| title =Outboard Engines|url=http://world.honda.com/power/marine/}}</ref>  In 1984, Yamaha introduced their first four-stroke outboards, which were only available in the low-power range. In 1990 Honda released 35&nbsp;hp and 45&nbsp;hp four-stroke models. They continued to lead in the development of four-stroke engines throughout the 1990s as US and European exhaust emissions regulations such as CARB ([[California Air Resources Board]]) led to the proliferation of four-stroke outboards. At first, North American manufacturers such as Mercury and OMC used engine technology from Japanese manufacturers such as Yamaha and Suzuki until they were able to develop their own four-stroke engine. The inherent advantages of four-stroke motors included: lower pollution (especially oil in the water), noise reduction, increased fuel economy, and increased torque at low engine speeds.

[[Honda Marine Group]], [[Mercury Marine]], Mercury Racing, Nissan Marine, Suzuki Marine, Tohatsu Outboards, Yamaha Marine, and China Oshen-Hyfong marine have all developed new four-stroke engines. Some are carburetted, usually the smaller engines. The balance are electronically fuel-injected. Depending on the manufacturer, newer engines benefit from advanced technology such as multiple valves per cylinder, variable camshaft timing (Honda's VTEC), boosted low end torque (Honda's BLAST), 3-way cooling systems, and closed loop fuel injection. Mercury Verado four-strokes are unique in that they are [[supercharged]].

Mercury Marine, Mercury Racing, Tohatsu, Yamaha Marine, Nissan and Evinrude each developed computer-controlled direct-injected two-stroke engines. Each brand boasts a different method of DI.

Fuel economy on both direct-injected and four-stroke outboards measures from a 10 percent to 80 percent improvement compared with conventional two-strokes.<ref>{{cite web| title =Two-Stroke versus Four-Stroke: Who's the Winner?|url=http://www.marineenginedigest.com/specialreports/2-stroke-versus-4-stroke-outboards.htm | access-date = 15 June 2008}}</ref>

However, the gap between two-stroke and four-stroke outboard fuel economy is beginning to narrow. Two-stroke outboard motor manufacturers have recently introduced technologies that help to improve two-stroke fuel economy.<ref>{{cite web| title =2 Stroke Vs 4 Stroke Outboard Motors – The New and Improved Boater's Guide|url=https://www.outerenvy.com/2-stroke-vs-4-stroke-outboard-motors | access-date = 26 December 2018}}</ref>

=== LPG outboards ===
In 2012, Lehr inc. introduced some small (<5&nbsp;hp) outboards based on modified Chinese petrol engines to run on [[propane]] gas. [[Tohatsu]] currently also produces propane powered models, all rated 5&nbsp;hp. Conversion of larger outboards to run on [[Liquified petroleum gas]] is considered unusual and exotic although some hobbyists continue to experiment.