Johnson produces outboard boat engines for freshwater and saltwater recreational watercraft. It is a division of Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP). Founded in 1942, BRP manufactures and distributes Sea-Doo watercraft and sport boats, Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles and Rotax carts and engines, among other products. It acquired Johnson from OMC in March of 2001 after the latter filed for bankruptcy. Johnson produced three 175-hp outboard motors in 1996. They were the 175-hp Intruder, the 175-hp Faststrike and the 175-hp Oceanrunner. The differences in the three engines were primarily aesthetic rather than mechanical.
The 175-hp Intruder
The 1996 175-hp Intruder was a six-cylinder, two-stroke engine with a spline count of 15.
The 175hp Faststrike
The 1996 175-hp Faststrike was a six-cylinder, two-stroke engine with a spline count of 15.
The 175-hp Oceanrunner
The 1996 175-hp Oceanrunner was also a six-cylinder, two-stroke engine with a spline count of 15.
Features of the Oceanrunner
Johnson touted the 1996 175-hp Oceanrunner as having "More Stainless Steel" in its brochures. Johnson also boasted that the computer-controlled machining of the combustion chambers increased performance and provided more consistent power, that the fully-machined cylinder sleeves improved acceleration and fuel economy, that the self-flushing thermostat assured constant idle temperatures and smooth trolling speeds and that the closed-deck-design powerhead produced more power and quieter operation.