Boulos Suzuki OBM dealers confab ends amid knocks, kudos
The just concluded conference organised by Boulos Enterprises Limited (BEL), franchisee of the Suzuki Outboard Motors (OBM) 4-stroke engine for its dealers nationwide held in Lagos has come and gone, but echoes of the event between BEL top management and dealers drawn from the maritime and fishery related business community including representatives of the relevant departments and agencies of Lagos state will always resonate within industry stakeholders for long time.
After the factory tour of BEL during which period the dealers were conducted round the factory to see the assembly processes of Piaggio branded 1-2 ton carrying capacity trucks and tricycles and motorcycles, then it was time to get feedback from the dealers on Suzuki OBM which occupied the front burner.
Part of the concerns raised by the Suzuki OBM dealers included availability of spare parts, pricing structure that would make it easily affordable, the need for aggressive marketing, advertising and other promotional campaigns that would in convincing the target fishing community customer base that uses the outboard engines.
During his exhaustive slide presentation to explain why the Suzuki OBM 4-stroke engine should be the preferred choice ahead of other rivals, Stanley Evans, general sales and marketing manager of BEL said apart from the fact that the engine is built to cater for the needs of the environment, the cost of maintenance is also low compared with other 2-stroke engine.
By comparison, Stanley Evans disclosed that a 2-stroke outboard motor has an engine that mixes engine oil with fuel to function while 4-stroke has an engine that uses pure clean petrol without the addition of oil. His position was further amplified by Ndubueze Ugboaja, chairman of Boulos Enterprises who explained more on its low maintenance and low running including Julian Hardy, the general manager.
The 2-stroke engine emits significant amount s of particulate matter, un-burnt hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides emissions when compared to 4-stroke engines. A 2-stroke engines according to him uses lubricating oil in the fuel, which is less combustible than gasoline, some of the oil that is mixed with gasoline will be emitted in the exhaust.
This is further worsened locally as engine oil mixed is up to twice the manufacturer’s recommendations (4%). It is estimated that particulate emissions from a single 2-stroke motor is comparable to those from a diesel truck or bus.
On health concerns, exhaust emissions, particularly the finer ones, are associated with respiratory problems, causing lung cancer and other associated diseases. A 2-stroke engine he noted, is likely to suffer mechanical failure, due to non constant engine lubrication, while a 4-stroke has a permanent oil sump for perfect lubrication.
The Boulos presentation shows that while a 2-stroke OBM takes an average of 70 liters of fuel plus 5 liters of engine oil for every 7-8hrs trip, a Suzuki 4-stroke OBM uses 25 liters of fuel for every 7-8hrs trip. Without oil, the 2-stroke engine uses on average more than twice as much fuel as a modern, clean 4-stroke engine.
“Finally for the first time in Nigeria, we announce that every new Suzuki 4-stroke Outboard Motor will come with a Six months warranty. This decision backs up our absolute confidence in the Suzuki brand and the Boulos reputation that has been moving Nigeria forward since 1955”. Evans concluded.
MIKE OCHONMA