What is going on with K&B?

[chuck]

Anyone know why K&B is not stocking parts or engines? Hope they are not going belly up!

 

[camaroboy383]

well one good thing is ole robin (moparbarn) has all kinds of k&b parts layin around... lol...

on a serious note it is really kinda sad.....

alden

 

[Duck899]

First of all....its not really K&B...its MECOA. They make K&B parts when they want to and can..... They also do H.P., and a bunch of other engines..... Get the parts when you can cause you never know when they will do another run of a certain engine or parts.....

 

[moparbarn]

as much as i like & race k&b's, they only seem to support the .21's. the other motors might as well be obsolete.......k&b hasn't updated any of their engines or designs since about 1902 :huh: , so producing dated stuff really wouldn't help a lot. mecoa should bring these engines up to date, & be competitive or give them up, imho. not supporting us, the customer is just making it worse, because if they ever do bring the k&b line back properly, there aare a lot of folks that won't go back to them, due to what they are (or aren't) doing now. if you have k&b's, & like them, buy everything you can, new or used.

 

[robertpickard]

This is very true i needed a lower unit for a 7.5 called to Cali what terrible customer service i got the run around and told me that it be a few months before they get them in, from m understaning talking with them someone else makes the lower units. I think it is time for Meccoa to give K&B to someone who cares

 

[TimothyJones]

www.mecoa.com

Anyone know why K&B is not stocking parts or engines? Hope they are not going belly up!

 

[SayMikey]

If Gary Preusse dont have it in stock your not going to find a new one. If someone ever steps up and builds a motor with a lower k/b will surely be out... OS had taken most of the 21 market and made it run so good. How B-Sport continues to thrive is beyond me,other than the fact its one of the most fun classes out there.....

 

[ANDY MASON]

John otto at technology fuels has quite a stock of K&B stuff.. try him if you are having trouble.

 

[HTV Boats]

Everyone thinks beause a half a dozen guys want a part the manufacturer will gladly run a minimum production run that might require 100 to 1000 parts and they will jump right in and sell 6 then stock the rest for 10 years. I am sure OS has cut into K&B's .21 market making it not profitable. Hobby shops used to stock K&B parts but those days are gone. Mecoa is trying to make a profit and the marine market plain does not make money for them. Just the market adjusting to supply and demand. I have like Robin stocked up on the parts I need new &used but when it dries up I either buy another brand or move on to gas & eletric. As outboards go there are quite a few different options for powerheads and lower units on the market today. OS, Rossi, Nova, TOPs, Thundertiger, Nelsons. Lowers Hyperformance, Lawless and OS sells a great 21 lower. (Tower $150) May be more options now than back in the 80's. Outboards are strong as ever as I see it.

Mic

 

[moparbarn]

mic, i agree that the ob class's are as popular as ever. the WTC proves that every year. but for sport/stock, the market is down to 3. k&b, os & thunder tiger. no one else is making a powerhead & lower combination. the one up side to k&b is that they have been around for eons, so parts are out there. and, kinda like a small block mopar , virtually everything will interchange, except 12mm &13mm cranks & related housing/bearings & the VERY old small case/sleeve combo. that makes buying box lots/grab bags worthwhile. i can usually pay for a box of misc. parts by selling off the stuff for other size or brand engines i don't need .

 

[Tim leyde]

I am selling a excellent K&B 3.5 SX with many parts. If interested pm me. will post pics Sunday.

 

[robertpickard]

Andy John Otto doesnt have ay more K&B parts i called him last year needing some he told me he doesnt handle it any more.Like Robin said call Gary Prusse if he doesnt have the parts noone does.

 

[ANDY MASON]

Makes sense..... thats why I switched to the TTs.

 

[mark holton jr]

what sucks is there the only ones thak make a 7.5 and up o-b

 

[chuck]

Good point!

 

[FloridaScaleBoater]

what sucks is there the only ones thak make a 7.5 and up o-b

I'm told these are in stock, ready to ship,,,,WITH support parts in place

http://hyperprod.bizhosting.com/7_5_outboard_1.html

May be worth a call

 

[Beau Parsons]

I dont have any reason to run my trusted K/B outboards anymore since, it seems like I am always chasing a boat with a O.S. max on the end. It has left me with a decision to retire these motors because with Tower hobbies carring the motor and all parts off the shelf ready to ship with the click of a button it made my decision easy to go with a new outboard O.S. max for the 2011 season. With no improvements to the dated motors they are just not competitive in todays market as a stock motor.

 

[John Otto]

I carry a good selection of K.&B. parts. lets put it this way, if K&b has the parts, I can get them or I all ready have them in stock. but if your looking for a 7.5 lower, no i dont have any, as K&B is out of stock also John

 

[lohring]

K&B really went out of business a long time ago. Mecoa buys the remains of dead engine manufacturers and sells what they can. They exhausted the desirable K&B parts a long time ago. There are still some larger outboards available. See http://hyperprod.bizhosting.com/7_5_outboard_1.html as mentioned above. The days of inexpensive stock nitro marine engines in the larger sizes is over. The car market is large enough to support the small nitro engines. That's the reason gas, and to a lesser extent, electric motors are becoming popular.

Lohring Miller

 

[f3cheli]

Have K&B actually produced any parts or engines under the Mecoa ownership? Mecoa seems like a strange company, they own a lot of older engine brands but apart from a few engines (mainly K&B outboards) none of them would sell in todays market.

Andreas