The transoms on now days boats are made to withstand extreme amounts of pressure. I ran the 12" plate and also had dual 12ft talons hanging off of it. I don't think it will hurt anything if you decide to go with a 12. I have a 6" on my new 201 now and I will be replacing it soon with a hydraulic 10" plate. The only issue I had with the 12" plate was that it was harder to dial a prop in for correct set up. I think a 10" plate is perfect for a 201.