Okay Suzuki folks.....

[rmac828]

I am wanting to re-power my 2004 Nitro 901 CDX/DC with the Suzuki (200 ATLRSS4 I think would be the correct one). I am wondering if there is anyone on BBC that has repowered an older bass boat with one. My concern is the added weight and how it would run. Have never seen one on a Nitro but have noticed a number of newer boats with them. What are your thoughts? I am sick and tired of blowing up Mercury's! The 901 hulls are heavy, and I have only ever had Mercs on it. 3 to be precise! 200 hp is the max rated for my boat also, Thanks!

[JoePA]

We repowered my friends Champion fish N Ski with a 200SS and it runs really well. He's running a Suzuki prop and it does well but I know it can be better with a different prop and a Hyd plate. The engines are no speed demon BUT they run forever, just turn the key and go. If you want reliability and not too concerned about losing a few MPH then go for it.

[booter]

I know th365thli had a 200SS on his Falcon F195 and wasn't happy with the top end performance of it, even with testing various props and ended up getting the new 4S Mercury 200 Pro XS. If I remember correctly, his max speed was maybe 60 (you'll have to search this forum for the thread). But in general, the Suzuki I4 doesn't have the top end torque to turn a higher pitch prop unlike a V6/8 would.

As for the added weight, I wouldn't all be that concerned about it since each manufactures use different metrics to measure their weight. Some manufactures might weigh their outboards without the cowling on just to say they weigh less. The only way to verify the weight is to have a third party actually weigh the outboards using the same metrics.

[billnorman1]

1998 Stratos Pro Elite dual console 19 feet 5 inches. Standard 2021 Suzuki 200 four stroke, using a 16 inch diameter 24.5 pitch SS prop. Get 60 GPS at 6100 RPM, good hole shot, heavy boat, 265 pound driver.
Getting ready to go to Lithium this week. Quiet motor.

I'd do it again, maybe the SS model if the L/U is more streamlined.

[Tohio]

2004 procraft 192 Superpro, 2019 200 zuk ss. 350 hrs no problems . Ran mercs for 30 yrs prior. Very happy with zuk��

[rmac828]

Great! Thanks all! Was concerned about the new lower unit design blowing out in the corners. Has been an issue on some of the older hulls. Nice to hear they are running well so far!

[th365thli]

Hey rmac. I'm the guy booter was talking about. I had a Suzuki 200SS for a couple years before I switched to Mercury. I feel like I'm decently qualified to speak on it since I'm one of the few on here that have run it on bass boats. I have also tried a different lower unit, and various props. As far as the weight goes, it's hard to tell. Some companies measure with fluids, some without. I do think it's a bit heavier than competitors but not by a significant amount. The Suzuki 200SS is just an odd product to put it nicely. Unlike the 250SS, which at least has better gearing and is a V6, the 200SS is an inline 4 unlike its v6 and v8 competitors. Coupled with an absolute idiotic gear ratio and you have a product that just doesn't know what it wants to be. Originally it was just the new 200 and was designed and geared for larger saltwater boats. Suzuki added the 'SS' branding to try and appeal to bass boaters.....except they didn't change ANYTHING about the motor. So what you had was a nice looking outboard that had internals completely unsuited for bass boats. They attempted to change the lower unit to try and squeeze more performance out but it just didn't work. I personally have tried and can attest to that (should've listened to my dealer smh).

Nowadays you just don't see them much at all. I had heard rumors that Suzuki was even thinking about stopping production of the 200SS since performance was so bad. The absolutely should've redesigned it with at least a v6 and 1.85 or 1.75 gears, but they didn't and it's biting them.

The Good:
- Stellar reliability. The joke at my club was I could run it on kerosene if I wanted to. Most of the saltwater boats here have Suzukis. Doesn't matter what horsepower, or how old, chances are it's a Suzuki. That tells you all you need to know.
- Cheaper than other options. You get a well built motor for less $$$.
- Should automatically come with a 3+3 year warranty. You shouldn't need to buy additional years like other brands.

The Bad:
- Less power (yes this matters). Even though it says 200 horsepower, it's an inline 4 with less displacement than a Yammie or a Mercury. I don't care what they try and advertise, there's no replacement for cylinders and displacement. You WILL lose out on performance compared to the competition.
- Less speed. 60 mph was the absolute fastest I could get on my Falcon 19.5 footer. That was with a Solas Scorpion. And it was a dog out of the hole. In practice, it was a 55-57 mph boat. This was with a 27 or 28 Razor XL I can't remember. By contrast, the Pro XS 200 reaches 65 mph with a pinky on the wheel, and 70+ with proper driving. That's over a 10 mph increase. If you're looking for speed, this motor is not it.
- Hard to prop. The 2.50:1 gear ratio was an absolute pain to prop. I had to go super high in pitch to get as high of speed as I could, but then my hole shot suffered. It was a nightmare. I ended up putting a CB hydrofoil to help with the holeshot, along with lithiums. The gearing and torque curve are just completely wrong for a bass boat. It was made to turn large props, on high (shorter) gears, on large boats. Complete opposite of a bass boat application which needs lower (taller) gears turning smaller props on smaller boats. Even the newer 2.00:1 gear ratio lower unit doesn't fix anything, because the motor just doesn't have enough power, at least compared to its competitors.
- Lower resale value. I bought my boat with the Suzuki for cheaper for a reason, because the performance of a 200SS on a bass boat is similar to a 150 from other brands. That's just the truth. If you ever decide to sell the boat, you'll effectively be selling your boat with a 150, unless you want to trick your buyer.

At the end of the day, I switched to the 200 Pro XS V8 four stroke. I just couldn't accept the lack of performance. I'm not here to start a Suzuki vs Mercury war. I truly did love the Suzuki for what it was. It was smooth, quiet, reliable, and efficient. However it just wasn't for me. The fact the 200 Pro XS easily gains 12mph with no sweat just shows you how far it's behind the competition in that regard. I think Suzuki screwed the pooch with this one. They marketed it to bass boaters without any performance to back it up. They tried changing up the lower unit but at the end if the day it's an inline 4 competing with v6s and v8s. Again, the motor was initially designed for larger boats turning large props. So it probably had similar performance to a competitor 200 in that regard. For bass boats? It's solidly behind the curve.

HOWEVER, if you don't care about all that, and are just strictly looking for reliability while saving a few bucks, then it's a great choice. If you're OKAY with POSSIBLY LOSING 10+ mph, and essentially downgrading to a 150 equivalent, then there's nothing wrong. I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into.

[billnorman1]

Maybe it just does fit my wants and needs. I'm an OLD guy. I think I might just live as long as the warranty, the motor gets out of warranty when I'm 85. I want to go 2 places. There, and Back. 60 is fast enough for me, I fish a lot of smaller rivers, and larger ones like the Potomac, and the Upper Chesapeake Bay where things can get fairly rough in a bass boat. I catch most of my fish, the few there are, with the big motor off.
Sometimes I forget to turn it off unless I see it peeing back there.

[th365thli]

Maybe it just does fit my wants and needs. I'm an OLD guy. I think I might just live as long as the warranty, the motor gets out of warranty when I'm 85. I want to go 2 places. There, and Back. 60 is fast enough for me, I fish a lot of smaller rivers, and larger ones like the Potomac, and the Upper Chesapeake Bay where things can get fairly rough in a bass boat. I catch most of my fish, the few there are, with the big motor off.
Sometimes I forget to turn it off unless I see it peeing back there.

Nothing wrong with that Bill, I'm glad it's working out for you, as well as for other people here.

Let me reiterate the fact that it's not a BAD motor. Quite the opposite. They're extremely reliable, maybe second only to Honda. It uses a timing chain instead of a belt. Not terrible to perform your own maintenance on. Very smooth and very very quiet. But it's very important to know the drawbacks too. Notice how NO ONE here has mentioned top speed. That's fine if it's not important to you, but it may be important for other people, I just want to make sure OP is armed with as much information as possible to make the best decision for himself. The 200SS doesn't just lose a "few" mph, it loses a significant amount. In my case over 10 mph. You're essentially downgrading in effective performance from a 200 to a 150. If you don't care about that, totally fine, but I'm sure other people might.

[rmac828]

Great conversation and insight guys. And I really appreciate it! I have put a deposit on a 200 Merc V8. Just waiting on my bank. my gut told me not to return to Mercury as my luck has not been great with them, but at the end of the day I have to accept that I cannot expect a rebuild to hold up like a new motor. I think I will be very happy once I get the sucker paid off. I guess I can remain mildly irritated till then!

[billnorman1]

Nothing wrong with that Bill, I'm glad it's working out for you, as well as for other people here.

Let me reiterate the fact that it's not a BAD motor. Quite the opposite. They're extremely reliable, maybe second only to Honda. It uses a timing chain instead of a belt. Not terrible to perform your own maintenance on. Very smooth and very very quiet. But it's very important to know the drawbacks too. Notice how NO ONE here has mentioned top speed. That's fine if it's not important to you, but it may be important for other people, I just want to make sure OP is armed with as much information as possible to make the best decision for himself. The 200SS doesn't just lose a "few" mph, it loses a significant amount. In my case over 10 mph. You're essentially downgrading in effective performance from a 200 to a 150. If you don't care about that, totally fine, but I'm sure other people might.

My boat is rated for 200HP. A lot of years I had a Ficht 175 and then a used Suzuki 175 4 stroke. When that ate too much water I bought this 200 Suzy. The 200 Suzy does outperform the Ficht but not by too much, it definitely has more torque than the 175 Suzy. No speed demon for sure, there IS more left at 60 but I run out of prop at 6200RPM I'm on the governor at 60 on a perfect day and heavy weight.

[druthomas]

Th365thli good stfuf on the prop, I take it you ran the razor XL 4 blade?

[th365thli]

Th365thli good stfuf on the prop, I take it you ran the razor XL 4 blade?

Yep 4 blade.

[procraftokie]

Repowered my 2000 procraft 210 super pro with the 250ss. Love it. Weight is not an issue.

[andrewdk81]

Hey Th365!
I really appreciate your honesty on this one. I’ve got a 19’3” Charger 296 and have had almost the exact same experience as you had. I just have the standard 2022 200AP motor. The Dealer and the Suzuki Rep were honest to me that the SS wasn’t worth the extra wait time and cost.

I have gone through about 6 props so far and the top speed has been about 58MPH with a 27p Solas S3 scorpion. It gets decent hole shot with this prop but I’d probably like better and might step down to a 26P. I’m sure I’d gain a little speed at 28p but my hole shot would go south.

I have been thinking about going with the hydrofoil to get the hole shot with the taller pitch prop also but haven’t pulled the trigger.

At the end of the day I am happy. I upgraded from a 200EFI merc that had blown up on me for the 4th time. I wasn’t giving my money to Mercury again. That motor even when totally rebuilt with a new power head would only do 60MPH when propped for a good hole shot and that’s when I also had the hydrofoil.

So at the end of the day I gained a quiet, rock solid smooth and extremely reliable engine but had to give up about 3-4 mph on the top end.

For comparison a Yamaha would have been my next choice but would have cost me close to 10 grand more and I bet I wouldn’t even have it yet due to the back order.

Given I fish small lakes (less than 3000 acres) speed is no concern for me. I think it’s a huge win
but yes I still wish I could get the speed!

thanks!
Andrew

[billnorman1]

I don't think I mentioned it but I put a hydrofoil on mine early in the adjustment period. It keeps the bow down and really pushes me out of the hole, improves cornering at speed. I just used the inexpensive plastic one. Doubt I'd ever take it off.