News

Honda BF250

Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

Dream the Impossible

The launch of the all-new Honda BF250 has been long awaited by consumers world-wide. “Perfection takes time” has been the response from the company, when asked. While I have read this on restaurant menus too, Honda’s recipe seems to have come together to make something truly brilliant. The Editor travels to Port Alfred to see if Honda’s dreams have been made possible…

Honda BF250
Honda has been producing a line of quiet, fuel-efficient, and reliable outboard marine engines for over 40 years. Ranging from 2 to 250 horsepower, Honda reckon their outboards set the standard for fuel economy and ease of operation while remaining true to the core Honda attributes, namely durability, quiet operation, quality, and reliability – all while looking after their responsibility toward waters and the environment.
The Honda BF250 isn’t an engine which is powered by a few thousand steroid-driven mice. What it does have is technology – and heap loads of it!
It combines a new 3.6-litre V6 engine – which is the largest in Honda’s lineup, with a revolutionary, direct air induction system for an outboard. This new system ensures the boat operator achieves a combination of high performance and low fuel consumption, allowing for a great all-rounder package, no matter your needs.

It is up to you whether advanced technology in an engine is friend or foe, but the fact is the BF250 is an absolute powerhouse – and it’s owed almost completely to the systems in place to ensure it runs smoothly, quietly, and efficiently in order to make it reliable and trouble free.

The theory There is just too much technology and advancements in this engine to discuss them in detail, and you’ll probably find they’ll go right over you, unless you rebuild engines every now and again just for fun. For this reason, we’re going to brief over a few of Honda’s exclusive systems which provides you with maximum performance without sacrificing economy. Honda is continuously perfecting their marine engine lineup by incorporating technologies from their highly advanced automotive legacy and racing pedigree. For this, many Honda Marine outboards include exclusive technological features found in the company’s most popular automobile engines, including the Honda Jazz, Accord, CR-V, and Civic. True to company’s heritage, the dynamic 250 HP engine features an array of benefits to you as the customer, such as Variable Valve Timing, Lift Electronic Control (V-TEC), the patented Boosted Low Speed Torque (BLAST) system and Lean Burn Control (ECOmo).

All of these systems work together to provide smooth, quiet, and efficient power with little hassle as her owner. The new highly efficient gear casing exhibits great underwater hydrodynamics, providing less underwater resistance and bettering the engine’s fuel economy. It has a ratio of 2:1, which allows the use of larger diameter propellers, up to 16”. Aside from this, Honda has announced that the BF250 gear case has a reduced drag of 5% over their 225HP model – and for those that don’t know, that’s a significant figure when advancements of this nature are normally fractions of a percentage.

In practise The BF250 really is a phenomenal outboard. Blended together is reliability, efficiency, quietness, and no nonsense, with power being her key aspect. It’s great for those who want to really enjoy their leisure time since you’ll have more power than you’ll arguably ever need, while saving on the fuel bill. While the available power might help you out of a sticky situation one day, it will certainly keep you smiling from ear-to-ear for years to come. Smooth and quiet she is, as Honda’s are known for, the BF250 does have an engine note which is sporty and exciting. For the silky smooth part of it, the BF250’s computer predicts the user’s shift from forward to neutral based on the changes in the engine speed and the throttle position.

In order to reduce the ‘kick’ you normally experience between gears, the computer controls the ignition timing to modify torque when the user shifts from Partial to Neutral. While I am unable to comment directly on the 250’s exact efficiency, Warren of Honda St Francis was proud to say that he used a record minimum amount of fuel in transporting a Magnum 32 from St Francis to Port Alfred. If you like to chill out on the water but get worried about the status of your batteries, the 250 has another trick up its sleeve. When the power falls to insufficient levels due to increased load, the idle speed is automatically raised to increase the charging level. Smart, right? If that weren’t enough, the BF250 shows off some new styling, signifying that this is their flagship model.

Looking good is what the whole package is about, and Honda is just plain showing off! The BF250 is of course NMEA 2000 compliant as well, for those that like to have all their bells and whistles at their fingertips. Honda BF250’s were at our disposal in Port Alfred and were paired with a Raptor 27, Magnum 32, Avalanche 23 and an Odyssey 650.

With prime access to both the Kowie river and sea via the treacherous mouth, we put these boas through their paces to see what they’ve got. The engine results were just as impressive as each boat delivered a scintillating performance, showing that the BF250 has its many uses for the many different markets. Blue skies for our children While Honda has already been named the “Greenest Automaker of the year” by the Union of Concerned Scientists, for the 10th year in a row, they have set new targets for 2020 which calls for a 30% reduction in the fleets average CO2 emissions of motorcycles, automobiles, and power products when compared with levels from the year 2000. Affordability is what it’s all about.

The BF250 is priced to start around R220 000 and includes binnacle controls, twin gauges sets and a stainless prop. Competitively priced, these 250 HP motors at current pricing are the third most affordable on the market in SA. Honda realises the power of dreams, and those that work there strive to make the impossible a reality. After all, what good is dreaming if you don’t actually do it? For more information and an accurate price, contact your nearest Honda dealer.

CaravanSA

Write A Comment

Join our free mailing list