The long-selling of YAMAHA "85A"

The Long-Selling of YAMAHA "85A"
Why the 2-stroke outboard 85A has been used and loved by people worldwide for 30 years

30 years of delivering high performance and reliability
For over 50 years since the launch of the first Yamaha outboards motor, the company's dedication to technological advancement and innovation has produced a series of models that set new standards of excellence for each new era. Of these many products of this proud tradition of Yamaha technological innovation over the past five decades, there are a number of models that have maintained devoted followings of satisfied customers without changing in look or reliable basic design for many years. One of these models is the "85A" 2-stroke outboard.

The 85A is the oldest model in the Yamaha outboard line-up to continue to sell in its original form without being replaced by a new-generation model. When it was first released in 1978, it had the largest horsepower in the Yamaha line-up and was soon selling throughout the world. Customers loved and trusted this model so much that it is still selling today in about 100 countries and regions worldwide, primarily in the commercial-use market. In today's world, this is truly an amazing record that perhaps no other model will ever match.

It is also worth noting that the outstanding durability, reliability and performance of the 85A made its design and engineering the working base for a number of variations that appeared one after another. Of these, the 55D, 75A, 75C and 90A as well as the Enduro models E60J, E65A and E75B are still in production today. 

In this feature article we focus on the 85A and how it became a long-proven "masterpiece" of the Yamaha line-up.