I didn’t see a weight spec. But if it’s like their other outboard offerings it will be HEAVY. They should have focussed on reducing the weight of their other engines, imo. The 350 hp category is already crowded with very worthy engines.

 

It's a 5.0L (4952cc) V8 weighing in around 765lbs for 25" shaft, a bit heavier than Suzuki amd Merc 350s.

Honda actually has the second lightest 150hp, behind Mercury. Their 200/250 are heavy, though.

HondaPro Jason said in a Facebook post:



Land? I don't see that word in Honda's press release.

That's for the G3 TrailSport.

 

HondaPro Jason said in a Facebook post:

BREAKING NEWS!! Honda developed their very first V8 motor available for the public!!
 The all new Honda BF350 V8 is truly a landmark achievement: our first-ever production V8 engine for use on either land or water. Designed to meet the needs of today’s families, who want larger boats and the ability to journey farther from shore, the Honda BF350 was created to deliver maximum power with impressive fuel efficiency! *More information Soon #Honda #HondaV8

Land? I don't see that word in Honda's press release.

 

HondaPro Jason said in a Facebook post:



Land? I don't see that word in Honda's press release.

I've been thinking about this, and i suspect Honda will eventually use this engine in one of their vehicles. Why else would they give it a 60° design with 30° offset crank? That design is to make the engine as compact as possible. One could argue that it is to be able to hang more outboards on a transom, but i think it also lends itself to fitting into a compact engine bay.

Honda's normally-aspirated engine designs, when designed for cleanliness (emissions) and durability (e.g., commercial use), seem to top out around 50hp/cylinder. That equates to 200hp for I4, 300hp for V6 and 400hp for V8.

Most folks would speculate that turbos are the answer. Turbos (on gasoline engines) are great in many light-duty applications, but fall down under continuous commercial duty (high fuel usage and increased cylinder pressures during high-rpm usage). As examples, Ford and Chevy both have powerful turbocharged engines they use in their light-duty trucks, but will not offer them in their HD pickups. Moreover, Ford recently came out with a new large-displacement V8 for their HD trucks, and GM is working on something similar.

Toyota has taken the hybrid approach to get more power in their Tundra, for now. Honda doesn't seem to have a good hybrid solution that can stand up to towing, and hybrids are not ideal in the outboard-driven boating market. Therefore, larger displacement is the obvious path forward for Honda when it comes to power and longevity in situations of efficient continuous high-output duty (such as typical outboard use, or for towing heavy loads).

IF Honda wanted to offer increased towing capacity, they would want to stick with a NA engine, and probably stronger iVTM clutches (or no iVTM at all). Or, they could offer their V8 powerplant to other applications, perhaps to GM as part of their current alliance, ala Saturn Vue. Just spit-balling here....

 

Land? I don't see that word in Honda's press release.

You could run an outboard on land... lol

 

The Yamaha and - especially - the new Merc V8’s have been quite popular even here in the landlocked part of the county. I’m hoping the Honda will be too and perhaps will help expand their dealer network. I have a Honda 90-hp and I’ve found there really aren’t very many places around here that will touch it. Thankfully it’s been reliable.

I guess those hoping for a V8 from Honda’s Indy cars or a reincarnation of the old OMC 2-stroke V8’s might be disappointed 😉

Honda’s outboard weights have become more competitive in the last several years. They still seem to have a reputation for dependability over lightness and performance though. And they are very slow to update technology across the line

I wonder if there are plans to fill the gap between the BF250 and new BF350. Seems like there is room for something in there.

it’s a good looking machine, that’s for sure.

Steve

 

One good thing about Honda's outboards (besides their reliability) is that their mid-range engines are based on their popular car engines. The 90-150, IIRC, are all based on the venerable K-series inline four, amd the 175-250 are based on the 3.5 V6 (with no VCM, of course).

The automotive parts work just fine on those engines. The only thing really different would be the water pump, which shouldn't be too hard to R&R.

IOW, if the boat shops won't look at them, take them to your favorite Honda mechanic.

Also, most of the Tohatsu outboards (one of the most popular worldwide, just not so much in the U.S.) are re-branded Honda units.

 

I have a 60hp Suzuki on my pontoon boat. Its a rock-solid, reliable mill with a 6 year warranty.

 

Suzuki outboards rock! A very under-appreciated brand in the O/B market, IMO. Great value too.

 

I'm not a boat person, can't remember the last time I was on the water, and have no plans to be. However, I will always have fond childhood memories of the sound and smell of Johnson two-stroke outboards on my grandparents' boats.

 

I'm not a boat person, can't remember the last time I was on the water, and have no plans to be. However, I will always have fond childhood memories of the sound and smell of Johnson two-cycle outboards on my grandparents' boats.

OMC motors were the bees knees!!! Have a 10hp in my back yard today. The smoke has the dual effect of pleasing the olfactory senses and keeping mosquitoes at bay!

 

I think the Tohatsu/Merc connection is for 30 hp and under. For a time, Tohatsu was also making 4 strokes branded as Nissans and Evinrude too.

the vid of the 25 Johnson makes me smile. We had a ‘78 Evinrude (same as Johnson except paint and decals) 25 hp that was eventually replaced with a ‘95 Johnson 25. That series of twin cylinder 20, 25, 28, 30, and 35 hp are incredibly tough and reliable. Also powerful and light for their class.

And that sound and smell…spent countless hours backtrolling with those things and it really brings back those memories.

It’s a shame OMC went bankrupt and eventually BRP gave up on Evinrude. I was a pretty loyal customer and loved my E-Tecs (modernized, direct injected two stroke successors to the old line) until they were euthanized in 2020. The E-Tec 25 hp was a powerhouse compared to everything else out there and I thought were even stronger than the old OMC twins.
Steve

 

And the 30hp-115hp Mercurys, IIRC, had Yamaha powerheads. Or 35-90hp, somewhere in there.

When Mercury introduced their price-conscious Mariner outboards, those were re-branded Yamahas. That is supposedly how Yamaha got their foot in the door to the U.S. market and started selling their own branded motors.

I've had a lot of experience with the 50-70hp Mercs and Yamahas. The Yamahas has smaller intake screens on their lower units, whereas the Mercs had larger screens that would let gravel into the cooling system that would then lodge in the thermostat and cause the engine to overheat.

Honda has the specs on their marine page:

Honda BF350 Outboard Engine | 350 hp 4 Stroke Motor Specs and Features

The Honda BF200, BF225, and BF250 are 4-stroke 200 hp, 225 hp, and 250 hp marine engines. These powerful, quiet outboard motors are ideal for pontoons, center console, multi-hull, bay boats, and more.

marine.honda.com

 

Does this mean that Honda can now have a car in NASCAR, since they now have a V8 engine to put in the Accord.

 

There are a lot of things we do in life that make zero financial sense, but we do them anyway because they bring some other utility to us. Boat ownership certainly ranks at the top of this list. Probably along with stopping at Starbucks for coffee, going to any restaurant for any meal, having a smart phone, traveling, paying for TV or Internet, or owning more than two pairs of underwear.

Mercury builds good products. They are - in North America - by far the most widely sold engines. There are dealers everywhere and they are packaged on most boat builders’ transoms. Numbers don’t mean they are the best, but I suspect they have a fairly low (statistical) rate of trouble or failures. So far as I know, reliability stats aren’t publicly known in this industry.

Outboards seem to live two completely opposite lives depending on what type of owner they belong to. There are those that are on the water several times a week and rack up lots of hours on them. Then there are the occasional users that use them a couple of times a year to perhaps a couple of times per month. And the manufacturers try to satisfy both of those markets.

The first group eventually wear them out. The latter crowd - me included - don’t do their engines any favors by letting them sit so much. Fuel goes stale, maintenance gets neglected, batteries drain…Per hour, I bet this is the crowd who has the most problems.

It’s also a strange operating environment. the engine is started, idled at low speeds for a short while, then the throttle is pegged while zooming from spot to spot. The engines are running at pretty extreme loads very frequently. Geez, except when idling at the dock or easing out of the bay into open water they are probably running at 100% load across their operating range. This is maybe even analogous to hitching a 5000 lb parachute to our Ridgelines then climbing a mountain at full throttle immediately after starting out from the overnight hotel at the base.

Throw in moisture and salt too. Oof.

I recently had to tear my boat apart to replace the transom and I had my Honda BF90 hanging from stand in the shop. It gave me a couple of weeks to look it over and clean it up since i could access it easily. I have to say Honda does a beautiful job assembling these things. Wires are routed very nicely, bolts are marked with little paint dots that (I assume) show they were torqued, and everything looks precise. I’ve not had the hood off any Merc newer than the late 1990’s to know how they compare, but the build quality on this motor is pretty impressive.

Anyway, my preference isn’t for Mercury but I think they do a pretty great job of satisfying the needs of most boat owners. They are like Fords and Chevys: they start, they run, they’re not fussy, they’re a good value, and they can be serviced everywhere. My gut tells me that Yamaha, Honda, and Suzuki might do it marginally better but I wouldn’t swear off a Mercury.
Steve

 

Well, I went all out and ordered one today to swap out the 6 cylinder in my RL. It was difficult finding an 11-speed lower unit to mate with the RL, but with enough money, just about anything can be had.

Will post back once installed and tested. The extra 70HP is gonna be nice!

 

I like these thoughts. Amortizing development in an automotive application probably comes much more easily than in smaller market segments like marine

I’m not familiar with Honda’s offerings outside their cars, generators, and outboard motors. Do they offer iterations of their 2 and 3 cylinder engines as in their smaller outboards elsewhere?

Is there anything else that is magical about the 60 degree V angle? For instance something like commonality with their V6 lines for casting or machining the bores perhaps.

I would think an engine format proven in the marine environment might find success in automotive if only because the marine use case is quite severe. I’ve seen some threads on some boating forums of sitings of large unmarked outboards on boats being tested in the vicinity of Honda’s proving docks for a while so I am betting these things have already been accumulating some hours in the wild.

Steve

 

I like these thoughts. Amortizing development in an automotive application probably comes much more easily than in smaller market segments like marine

I’m not familiar with Honda’s offerings outside their cars, generators, and outboard motors. Do they offer iterations of their 2 and 3 cylinder engines as in their smaller outboards elsewhere?

Is there anything else that is magical about the 60 degree V angle? For instance something like commonality with their V6 lines for casting or machining the bores perhaps.

I would think an engine format proven in the marine environment might find success in automotive if only because the marine use case is quite severe. I’ve seen some threads on some boating forums of sitings of large unmarked outboards on boats being tested in the vicinity of Honda’s proving docks for a while so I am betting these things have already been accumulating some hours in the wild.

Steve

Honda's little engines are everywhere, especially their single cylinder versions. Pressure washers come to mind, as well as all different kinds of outdoor power equipment, as well as all of Honda's motorcycles, ATVs, SxSs, scooters and snowblowers.

To be sure, Honda has taken a hit from Chinese knockoff engines, which some refer to as Chonda. The Predator engine found at Harbor Freight is a popular one. I think Loncin (LCT?) may be another.

Good point on engine modularity with the V6 tooling...

I agree with you on the marine outboard environment being hard on engines. Those outboards are designed to run near redline all day long, and Honda outboards have racked up in the neighborhood of 8,000-10,000 hours in commercial use.

Folks are worried about running their Ridgeline V6 too hard, when that same engine on a boat can essentially be running 5000 hours at 5500rpm in a full-load environment.

 

It's fun to dream

Is there a half ton Honda pickup (or full sized SUV) in the works to utilize this new V8? I'd welcome something like that for sure, especially higher tow ratings.

 

It's fun to dream

Is there a half ton Honda pickup (or full sized SUV) in the works to utilize this new V8? I'd welcome something like that for sure, especially higher tow ratings.

Would you buy a Chevy Silverado 1500 if it had a Honda V8?

 

It’s probably more likely to end up in an Acura model. But as others said, it’s fun to dream…

 

That's possible, but i see Acura as leaning more toward electrification. ICE cannot compete with EV when it comes to acceleration, speed and handling, as well as packaging.

Where ICE can compete is in heavy lifting (i.e., towing). Acura doesn't really cater to the towing crowd as much as Honda could.

Historically, Honda has not dealt with towing to a large degree. Their own research showed that mid-size truck buyers didn't tow over 3500lbs very often, and rarely towed over 5000lbs. However, that research was probably two decades ago. Since then, utility trailers have gotten very popular (as have boats), and the ATVs, UTVs and SxSs that are being towed on those utility trailers have gotten larger and heavier. Nowadays, it is not difficult to exceed 5000lbs when Joe Homeowner wants to tow a trailer (3000lbs) with a Honda Pioneer 1000 (1800lbs) in the bed. What if they want two UTVs in the trailer?

I think Honda knows this. They've discontinued manufacturing lawn mowers and turned that factory capacity into building SxSs and UTVs because of market demand. Folks will need more towing capacity to safely tow their toys, and Honda does not have a good in-house answer for that right now.

Long story short - they can either build more towing capacity into a few of their models or trims, or give that market up to the competition. In the latter scenario, i'd hate to have to drive a BoF truck, but if i had to, i would prefer one with a Honda engine in it.

As long as we're dreaming, my ideal truck would be a Honda Ridgeline with their V8 longitudinally-mounted and a ZF 8-speed transmission behind it, 7k towing and IFS/IRS on a unibody platform. So far, only FCA has come close to this configuration with their Jeep Cherokees of old, extending into modern Jeep SUVs and their modern Durango. They just have not perfected the implementation, nor have they brought such a package to the pickup truck world.... yet.

 

While the world is waging a war against displacement (some countries even offering penalties for designs over a couple liters) and hybrid power being all the rage, Honda is going to go against the grain and put a 5 liter NA V8 into their next Ridgeline.

That's a heck of a headline but I'll dream along with ya. I'd buy one for sure! Even if the MPG dropped a few digits, it'd be okay because gasoline will only be $2.10 a gallon during REM sleep and the new Ridgeline will have at least a 26 gallon fuel tank. It would ideally have warm/cool mirror lights in the sun visors as my wife, Cindy Crawford, would find that useful when applying makeup.

 

Since it's a land-based operation, it will have VCM, so will run in four-cylinder mode most of the time. It will probably run on four cylinders in many more cases than the three cylinders mode in the Ridgeline now, since the 4-banger will be able to torque through more scenarios.

MPG might just stay the same (or even better), especially since this is an all-new engine, and the one that is currently in the Ridgeline is based on a 26-year-old design. Honda will make up (and improve) their CAFE with all of their small vehicles going EV or hybrid in the meantime.

The only real efficiency penalty between four cylinders and eight cylinders is increased friction from more moving components. If talking resulting MPG, then that's assuming displacement is the same in both engines. As discussed above, Honda is running out of competitive power when it comes to NA displacement per cylinder. Sure, they could build a 5.0L four-cylinder, but it will be much harder to make it clean-burning, and it won't run as smoothly, especially when VCM drops it to two cylinders.

 

I think I'm going to pick up a bottle of Relaxium Sleep so I can reach the DEEPEST of sleep stages needed to experience these visions.

Not only has Honda bucked the industry-wide trend by announcing this V8 outboard will be coming to the next generation Ridgeline but they've managed to make a generational leap in ICE design to gain more NA efficiency per cubic inch than ever before, leaving the automotive world STUNNED.

I've read three articles about the outboard so far and each one says Honda has no plans to bring it to their vehicles.

I can't find anything on a need at GM to supplant their torque-rich 2.7T in that application.

For now, I'm leaning towards what the articles say and that this new V8 was designed for marine outboards to better compete with the V8 designs of their competitors. But it was nice to partake in this trip with you. My supermodel wife tore up the prenup so I'm a certified multimillionaire now. She even put my very own AMEX Black inside the recent birthday card she gave me.

I like it here.

 

Yup. It’s all fantasy, even if well-reasoned.

But I think we can all agree that Honda’s 3.5L automotive V6 has overstayed its welcome. Imo, the engine/transmission combo in every generation/version of the Ridgeline is unquestionably its weakest link. In our truck we get the same hardware as the minivan, the suv, and the four-door sedan. One size fits all. It’s the Honda way. Yay!

If Honda has no plans to use this V8 elsewhere, then this may be Honda Marine’s last gasp. They sell in very low volume and are industry laggards in both power and weight. Much like Evinrude. Who by the way made a big splash with several new ETEC G2 outboard models, and then promptly announced they were completely shutting down production.

It is very difficult to justify development costs with such low sales volume. Eventually the bean counters audit the numbers and realize they are throwing good money after bad, siphoning resources that can be more profitably applied elsewhere.

 

Honda - The Power of Dreams

 

Honda pioneered the way with 4 stroke outboards and I have owned several of them, the commercial guys use them, however in my experience Honda was heavy heavy, overweight. And even though they advertised the HP it really did not stand up to others in the same HP , they just did not make that HP at the prop, but they did last, the Coast Guard used them for years until the other manufactures cried foul. then we started seeing some blue motors. 350HP should be interesting if the boat can float it. Outboards are definately advantageous over inboards in today's world, what is the cost?

 

Meanwhile, during the transition to silent EVs, the classic rumble is about to disappear from the Ram 1500 as it replaces its V8 with an I6.

Stellantis Media - New 2025 Ram 1500 With More Powerful, More Fuel-efficient Hurricane Engine Family Unveiled

The 2025 Ram 1500 makes its global debut today, featuring an all-new 3.0-liter Hurricane engine family that brings the Ram lineup even more standard power, more performance and improved fuel efficiency.

media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

 

Their RamCharger is pretty cool, though, if it's reasonably affordable.

I'm thinking their Hemi V8 will continue in the HD trucks. Else, they will be the first in many decades to offer a gasoline six-cylinder in an HD truck. Being a Straight Six, they might just pull it off.

 

I would take a straight six any day. Smooth and powerful. From the press release:

“ The all-new 3.0-liter Hurricane engine is rated at 420 horsepower and 469 lb.-ft. of torque, while the High Output engine is rated at 540 horsepower and 521 lb.-ft. of torque. Capability includes a maximum towing capacity of 11,580 pounds, a maximum payload of 2,300 pounds and up to 24 inches of water fording.”

That kind of power and capability shows how antiquated Honda’s 3.5L V6 truly is. Honda has been left behind.

 

Honda's 3.5L is naturally-aspirated.

The 3.0L Hurricane engine has twin turbochargers.

 

Several people have cited that the addition of the 9 speed, with it's super low 1st gear along with paddle shifters, enhanced the J series' capability in the heavier applications. The only Honda 3.5s I've experienced were in a buddy's 9th gen Accord stick shift and my 21 Ridgeline. I can't speak to but can understand how 6 speed Ridgeline owners can find it a bit lacking. My Ridgeline has been great so far. I like the powertrain and find it smooth, with ample power, and has enough gearing. That Accord was a blast to drive and that engine with the manual 6 speed was simply amazing.

This savagegeese video at 5:16 kind of encapsulates it. The smiles on both of their faces, Mark's comments how it sounds so good and the lack of piped in fake engine noise, Jack's mentioning of how it hauls ass... seems to show that they like approve of it in a 2022 model.

The Topher calls it a peach and says it's a great engine for a 2020 at 5:51

 

I'm not sure we can say the Ridgeline is firmly in "truck application" status, at least in its current form.

That GM 2.7 surprised the heck out of me in a Silverado when I took a ride in one though. It doesn't sound the best however.

 

The Ridgeline is a really well-thought-out vehicle. It has so many nice features and attributes that make it a great choice for many owners.

Is it a “real” truck? For me I expect it to perform many traditional truck duties including towing and hauling heavy loads. That’s where the driveline begins to fall short. It has plenty of zoom for empty or lightly loaded driving (and that’s what you see in those test videos), but it lacks reserve capacity to handle heavy towing especially in mountainous regions or higher altitudes. It can be done, but with a lot of effort and heat.

That Chevy 2.7 I4 is a very impressive engine. In the low-boost turbo configuration it has plenty of HP and gobs of low end torque. GM engineers designed it with heavy-duty components more typical of a diesel engine, emphasizing durability/longevity. You can even purchase optional oem software from Chevy at any time, to increase power (torque) output to 430 if 390 ft/lbs is not enough!