whats the deal with hondas??

[llittle bow mount]

what do you guys think about the new 4 stroke honda 115?? if they run as well as their cars do, then i think i would like one to push me on the water. what do you guys think. a merc 100+ four stroke or a honda 100+ four stroke. let the argument begin.
hey good fishin guys.

[Sluggo / NY]

I'm not interested in an argument, but I'm willing to offer my opinion of the big Hondas. I've been running one for four years now and am still amazed at how it performs. It's quiet, smoke free and plenty powerful..but heavy! I also know guys running the Mercs that feel much the same. If I were looking now, I'd seriously check out the Yamaha 115. They've found a way to cut the weight drastically and I've heard nothing but good about them. Hope this helps. Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

[Terry/JNR]

Even Honda To Honda, the 90 performs as well as the 115 just because of the weight difference. Yamaha's 4-strokes are the lightest on the market in the big hp range. I've heard some New Mercs are slightly lighter, but they sure look big. I've seen several of the 50 and 90 Mercs. If they are lighter, they don't look it.
Yamaha has been cruising along as the the lightest 4-stroke problem free, comparably, for many years. I think the new Mercs are questionable yet, the Hondas are great motors but heavy.

[KnottyBuoy]

Honda has been selling the Hondas in Europe for quite a few years now since their pollution laws have been stricter than those of the US. SO....they are obviously ahead on the technology curve. US companies will catch up .......

[Phil T.]

The 115 Honda is a "detuned" version of the 130hp. It is much too heavy to be a competitive freshwater 115. However, like the 130, it can be had in a counter rotation version, which is preferred by the dual-engine saltwater guys.
As stated above, the much lighter 90 will run with the 115 Honda (and outruin most 2-stroke 90's)all day for a lot less money than the 115 Honda.

[Adam KP]

First I and most previous two stroker owners enjoy any four stroke just for the torque, quiet, smoke free, gas economical, environmentally friendly operation. Second, I have no experience with big (70+ hp) four strokes. But mechanical design is something I've been understanding more and more from my boating and motorsports experience.

Heavy does not always mean slowe. It seems transomes are somehow able to cope with the weights thrown at them within the boats HP rating. The heaviest four strokes are also amoung the fastest. The additional weight comes from combining traditional quality design and state of the art technology.

The lightest outboards, some state of the art and some not, are using lighter or hollow alloys, lots of plastic and composites more and more these days. I don't think that's always best for the long haul.

CC's, big bore, short stroke, more valves per cylinder, and electroninc fuel injection are still what develope the most power, fuel efficiency AND unfortunately create the most weight.

Evaluate ALL the options out there and compare the important aspects. Not just weight or how many years a company makes four strokes. There are some good four strokes out there largely ignored due to weight.

My motor is almost 30% heavier AND considerably more powerful than it's similar HP competitors. Altough I do have a high bow problem at slow speeds due to a heavy rear. I'm correcting that with a $50 hydroplane stabilizer.

[Mayfly]

I have 3 friends with Hondas (40, 75,& 75). They are wonderful engines. I myself, have a 100 Yamaha because my kids had Yamaha cycles when younger and they proved to be ablolutely BULLETPROOF. No one should do what they did to those bikes and I always had that in my head. Simply a tough product. Bought the Yammy in '99 and other than an argument with a rockpile in the Menominee River, it too has been great. Good gas mileage. Quick enough to thrill an old guy and dependable? Man, I fished last fall into November in Appleton Wisconsin. The starter never spins that motor more than 2 or 3 revs. and it running like a watch. As in other posts, weight is the only problem. It makes the stern of my 17' Whaler squat a bit. In a nutshell, my idea of a good mechanical product is one that performs the way the BS sales guys say it will and how often do you apply a wrench? In my case never in 3 summers. (other than the rockpile incident)