The Outboard Expert: Two-Strokes Alive and Well — For Now
Two-Strokes with nine lives; here are several potent outboards to consider.
February 8, 2007
Yamaha's 25-hp two-stroke does require pre-mix, but it's still a solid choice for its class.
I love the smell of two-stroke exhaust in the morning. Like most of the world I'm sold on all the benefits of the new, squeaky-clean, low-emissions outboards, but I'm also the guy who's still cutting his grass with a bright-green OMC Lawn Boy running 32:1 pre-mix YamaLube 2S. The way that old two-stroke sounds and smells reminds of me of all those bygone crack-of-dawn fishing trips and lots of other adventures.
Until recently, I figured that 2006 would be my last chance to put a brand-new, old-school, two-stroke outboard on my transom; that clean-air rules would put us in a permanent state of low-emissions. But I was wrong. You can still buy a traditional two-stroke outboard from Mercury Marine (www.mercmarine.com) or Yamaha (www.yamaha-motor.com), if you know where to look and who to ask. And if you don't live in California, where these motors are not available.
Back From The Dead
The Mercury Classic 50.
Mercury actually quit building all of its traditional two-strokes, from 2.5 hp to 200 hp, following the 2005 model year. But then it quietly brought back three models: the 50 Classic, the 90 Classic and the 150 EFI. Yamaha currently offers 13 traditional two-strokes in nine horsepower categories, from a little 8-hp, pre-mix kicker to the Vmax 150 V6.
Mercury Classic 90.
Individually, these motors do not meet the current EPA emissions regulations. But they can remain on the market because the outboard manufacturers are able to cash in banked emissions credits accumulated when they out-perform the EPA mandate. Both Yamaha and Merc are far enough ahead of the EPA-mandated targets to keep some old two-strokes in production. How long they stay in production is anyone's guess. One factor will be how quickly each manufacturer uses up its credits.
Mercury 150 EFI.
Why bother selling these old dogs? The main incentive seems to be a desire to provide inexpensive outboard power for affordable boat packages. For example, Merc is the exclusive outboard supplier to Tracker Marine (www.trackerboats.com), which offers its Pro Guide V-16 SC, a nice little side-console vee-bottom aluminum fishing rig, for $13,995 with a Mercury 50 FourStroke. The same boat with a Mercury Classic 50 is just $12,495 (and it's on special right now for $11,995). Another Tracker model, the H 1900, is offered for $20,695 with a Merc 60 FourStroke as the "standard" power choice. But you can buy the same boat with a Mercury Classic 90, and get 50 percent more horsepower, for an upcharge of just $300 more. Lowe Boats (www.loweboats.com/fishboats/promo) is also offering specially-priced aluminum fishing boats packaged with the Mercury Classic 50 and Classic 90.
AlumaCraft (www.alumacraft.com) has packaged its side-console Classic 165 CS with a remote-control Yamaha 50TLR for $11,995, a price that includes a trailer and other extras. If you prefer a fiberglass boat, Stratos (www.stratosboats.com) offers its 176XT bass boat with a Yamaha 50TLR for $12,995 with a trailer and extras. G3 Boats (www.g3boats.com),which is owned by Yamaha, offers many models with traditonal two-stroke Yamaha power.
Do It Yourself
Neither Yamaha or Mercury includes these two-stroke models in its catalogs or on its websites. Mercury has allocated about 85 percent of its traditional two-stroke production to boat builders, but the rest are available through dealers. The Yamaha two-strokes seem to be more-readily available. Joe Customer looking to repower should be able to buy any of these models from a cooperative dealer as a "loose outboard," the industry term for a motor sold in the box, rather than on a transom.
The cost savings is considerable. For example, the venerable 2.5-liter V6 Mercury 150 EFI has a list price of $9,925 with a 20-inch shaft suitable for a bass boat. A low-emissions Merc 150 OptiMax two-stroke is priced at $12,650, while the supercharged four-stroke Mercury 150 Verado is $12,650. On the Yamaha side, a 90-hp two-stroke with a 20-inch shaft is $7,170, while a similar four-stroke Yamaha F90 is $9,350. The other key advantage of the two-stroke models is light weight. The Yamaha two-stroke 150TLR weighs 358 pounds, 44 pounds less than a Yamaha F150. If you are repowering a boat that can't handle the weight of a four-stroke, one of these two-strokes might be an alternative to consider.
There are many disadvantages to the old two-strokes, or course. Not everyone swoons to the scent of two-stroke exhaust fumes, for starters. And these motors will burn up to 30 percent more fuel than a low-emissions model. They can be harder to start, won't idle or troll as smoothly, and make a lot more noise. They may not work with the latest digital instruments and controls. The Yamaha 25-hp models require pre-mixed fuel. You might even have to change a fouled spark plug on occasion. Remember fouled spark plugs?
Editor's Note: Charles Plueddeman is the editor at large for Boating, the nation's largest boating magazine.
