Outboard Motor Question

[Jadow]

So, I need to get a new 115Hp to replace my 20 year old Johnson. The boat a 17ft Lund is still in awesome shape for its age. (makes a big difference to keep it in a garage when not in the water).

Anyways, looking at a Yamaha or a Honda, both a probably rock stars, but need help deciding:

http://yamahaoutboards.com/f115

http://marine.honda.com/outboards/motor-detail/BF115

What I see kinda odd is the Honda is 100lbs heavier than the Yamaha. The Yamaha is closer in weight to the old Johnson.

Any thoughts? Anything else to consider such as Mercury, Suzuki or Evinrude?

 

[skyking]

the yamaha is saying it is the lightest in that class, I suppose the honda is at the other end of the class.
your old Johnson was a 2 stroke so that explains why it was light(er).
Yamaha is 1.8L, and the Honda is damn near 2.4L.
If I wanted another 20 year outboard my bet would go on the lighter loaded bigger displacement Honda. The Yamaha has all sorts of high tech to go to crap down the road.
Edit:
I dug a little deeper and the 115 is using the same engine displacement as the 135 and 150. Those three engines have identical weight, the 115 is just turned down.

 

[Meghan54]

the yamaha is saying it is the lightest in that class, I suppose the honda is at the other end of the class.
your old Johnson was a 2 stroke so that explains why it was light(er).
Yamaha is 1.8L, and the Honda is damn near 2.4L.
If I wanted another 20 year outboard my bet would go on the lighter loaded bigger displacement Honda. The Yamaha has all sorts of high tech to go to crap down the road.
Edit:
I dug a little deeper and the 115 is using the same engine displacement as the 135 and 150. Those three engines have identical weight, the 115 is just turned down.

What you described on the 115 as a toned down 135/150 is par for the course. Of course, it also can work in reverse....take Evinrude. Their 90 is a toned down 115, which is the top of the hp range for that engine block.

As for the high tech crap, almost all the outboards have similar crap all over them. Emission control. CA has the strictest emissions standards in the country, tighter than the EPA's. Everyone is tech-ing up their engines in an attempt to meet increasingly tighter emissions requirements for outboards.


For the OP, be prepared to lose a bit of holeshot and potentially top end speed moving from a 2 stroke to 4 stroke.

I've owned a few Mercs over the decades I've owned boats, never had complaints about them. Never owned a Yamaha but people I know that have them love them. Same with the Evinrudes. Hondas are not seen on the water very often, at least in the area I live....Augusta, GA to Hartwell, GA. (Clark's Hill Lake to Lake Hartwell.) Suzuki's even more rarely seen and usually in low hp versions.

I'd recommend any of those "big three"....Evinrude, Mercury, Yamaha....not only for their performance, reliability but also the deeper dealer infrastructure that exists. But that's just me as I do tend to wander around with my boat.


What's interesting is the comparisons between Evinrude and Merc/Yamaha that have been put on.....tug of war, drag races, etc. From what I've seen, Evinrudes slay both other brands.


(Evinrude E-Tec 2 stroke 150 vs. Mercury 4 stroke 150---really embarrassing for the Mercury):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6YJYB23QnY


(Evinrude E-Tec 30 and 40 vs. Yamaha 4 stroke 40, Suzuki 4 stroke 40---shot by marine dealer in Australia):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZvIw83uZgY


(This is an interesting engine....Evinrude 90 HO, which actually puts out 99hp):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BCcOWnm7zo




Now, I'm no Evinrude homer. I've only owned a handful of Johnson/Evinrudes over the years and no E-TEC's. Have a neighbor with a 21' Bass Cat with a 225 Evinrude on the back....took me for a ride. Damned fast. He loves the engine.

My point is widen your horizons, consider all the options out there. a 115 is a big purchase.


(BTW...this is what I'm currently "piloting", a 2000 17' Javelin Venom F/S with a 115 Johnson on the back.)

 

[RLGL]

You will be able to get parts and service for the Yamaha at far more dealerships than the Honda. As Far as the E tec motors go they are problematic as far as the software goes. Your best bet is with Merc or Yamaha. I have serviced both products. My preference is with Yamaha. The engineering and factory support is better IMO.

 

[Spicedaddy]

I have a 2004 Lund Fisherman 1800 with a Honda BF130.

115 and 130 are pretty much the same, 150 has VTEC I think, and 135 is the newer version of the 130. Yes they're heavy engines since they're basically car engines (from a 2.3L Accord). They're quiet and extemely reliable.

In your case, I'd lean towards the Yamaha. 100lbs on the transom makes a big difference, especially if you're used to a 2-stroke.

What's the max HP for your boat?

 

[xaeniac]

Get the yamaha engine. They are by far more popular brand of the two. Based on this longevity for parts will be easier to find in the future.

 

[Jadow]

Thanks all, 115 hp is the max Hp. This is all good info, thinking I'll go with that Yamaha

 

[rancherlee]

Personally I'd look into Suzuki or Mercury if I was re-powering. Mercury's new 2.1L 115 is a powerhouse and so is the Suzuki, both should save you 1500$+ over the Yamaha. That's if you have supporting dealers near by. I'm usually a Yamaha guy but my Suzuki DF140 has been flawless for 7+ years on my pontoon. The new Yamaha 115b is quite a bit stronger than the old 115 and 115a but the Mercury and Suzuki engines still have more snort. The Etec would be the strongest 115 but there is still a bit of "smell" and reliability issues that can spring up. I HAD an Etec 60hp and it was a powerhouse for a 60hp motor but I can tell you that replacing 400$+ injectors isn't fun on an engine that's out of warranty, 3 of them over 3 years to be exact and the dealer blamed bad gas. Funny thing is I get gas at the same station all the time for my powersports stuff and NEVER had an issue with the gas in anything else including the 140hp Suzuki. You could always go with the Suzuki 115ss which is a 115 that's bumped up to take advantage of the 10% rule, same goes for the Yamaha 115 SHO and Etec 115h.o. All of those are ~125hp

 

[DaTT]

My dad has a 3 year old Mercury 115. Runs like a champ.

Plus, Merc's look better.