SHO question

[BroWhoop]

Looking to buy a new boat soon. Read a lot about the SHO sounds great! Does this engine have a timing belt, chain or gear driven cams? Also is it a zero clearance engine? This boat will be my last hooray, trying to get everything ready for retirement in a few years!

[spider1]

I don't have an answer for those questions but I hope you don't mind a bit of advice.
With this being you last rig I would wait a year on the SHO. It may be a great motor but time will tell if all the hype it true or not. JMHO.

Good luck on the retirement!

[Flyswatter]

Why?

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by spider1 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">I don't have an answer for those questions but I hope you don't mind a bit of advice.
With this being you last rig I would wait a year on the SHO. It may be a great motor but time will tell if all the hype it true or not. JMHO.

Good luck on the retirement!</td></tr></table>


I just learned the head has 5 years warranty and lower unit 3 year warranty. Also, you can buy additional warranty close to the time when the warranty expires. The motors has been rock solid since it's release. Go for it with out hesitation. My dealer is a very cautious certified master Yamaha mechanic. He was skeptical at first until crawling through one and attending training classes. He's sold on the technology. Good enough for him good enough for me. Currently, You have established two stroke technologies that have their issues like coils with Mercs. The great thing about Yamaha per my dealer he says Yamaha is very good supporting warranty work. I haven't read one issue yet since the early 2010 release date.

[spider1]

What, with some just past break in. Then you have the pros that run them what for a tour. or two. That's not a real world test. If you want to jump on one them by all means be the tester. Not me. How many have you seen with 100, 200 are more hours?? I have not seen any.
I hope they are bullet prof. Just to early to tell...

As for the coils mercury has been really good at replacing them and they have no problems with the 2010 coils. (yet)
The 250xs is turning into a great motor but had lots of problems to start out. No guarantee that the SHO will not be the same. My HPDI had 5 years on the hole motor not just part of it.

I also heard that the lower is a big improvement over the HPDI lowers.

Why not have 5 years on both?? Never heard of a split warranty before!!

This is going to be his last rig why not wait and see if they hold up or not.
I would be willing to bet that there will be a bug or two. Hope that they are minor.

[go-fish]

I have agree with spider, It's to early to tell what real world problems this engine might have. I hope it's a great one but I'll let time tell me so.

[Flyswatter]

On the Elite tour 100 hours is 1/2 to 3/4 of a season for SHO. In this day and age these motors are to well tested. Jumping smartly vs. current motors that have been out for quite some time that still has issues. Also, EPA impact is going to facilitate transition too. No exact science with any of todays motors. Just taking advantage of the evolution that is in transition front and center from Yamaha's latest engineers.

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by spider1 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">How many have you seen with 100, 200 are more hours?? </td></tr></table>

[spider1]

Hey we need test dummies!

[Flyswatter]

Isn't the first time for me and I have been called worse.

[spider1]

Flyswatter did not mean that like it sounded!! Sorry!

[SkipM]

Eng has a single timing belt driving 4 cams, no chains between cams or anything. If belt breaks it smacks valves. Other than plasma cylinders, eng is just typical Yamaha 4 stroke. Has plastic eng pan, valve covers, no air box on throttle body intake and nice lightweight cowl. Gearcase has different guts than VZ hpdi but same shape except cavitation plate is shorter and water inlets are slightly bigger and moved forward more on the cone. The low and midrange power comes from 4.2 liters displacement and variable cam timing. Four stroke is the future just because of cam timing being able to be computer controlled. There is no good way to manipulate port timing on a 2 stroke eng. Direct injection is good but to get the low end power from a 2 stroke the port timing has to be manipulated on the fly. Top end on all this stuff comes down to setup and props. 250 hp can only be so much and still call the thing a 250!

[BroWhoop]

Thanks for the info. I intend on waiting a little while before buying. I would like a four stroke, a four stroke with SHO performance would be better. I'm not a fan of the Verado and although Honda make's a pretty good motor they really don't seem to care a lot about the outboard line. Not make many improvements for performance. Plus there aren't many Honda service centers around my area. I'll watch a few months to see what happens with the SHO!

[Flyswatter]

No offense taken. All gooood on this end.

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by spider1 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Flyswatter did not mean that like it sounded!! Sorry!</td></tr></table>

[go-fish]

[quote=BroWhoop I'll watch a few months to see what happens with the SHO![/quote]
Smart move

[SkipM]

I like the SHO layout. Verado is too heavy and complicated and I dont want a blower on my outboard unless it totally blows away everything else out there which it doesnt. Honda while reliable is a pig. Suzuki 250ss is okay but the SHO stomps it in accel and top speed. I am also not a fan of running a bunch of power robbing cam chains and throwing in a whole nother gearset in order to run a stupidly low gear ratio only to have to run an extremely high prop pitch which puts you back to no advantage except the frictional power loss of the extra gear set to begin with! Yeah, I dont like Suzukis. Make good bikes though!


Modified by SkipM at 1:58 PM 5/30/2010

[majorbass]

Well test dummy or not, I just received my new Ranger Z521 w/SHO 250. I have just finished the first 2 hours of break-in. I have found no issues so far. I was able to test this engine at the Yamaha research facility back in November of last year. I was really impressed as you can tell. I plan to do a regular update on BBC as to my personal findings both good and bad with this engine. I must say, it was nice to leave the dealership without that big initial oil purchase. So far I've noticed immediate throttle response, good hole shot and mid-range. No prop changes or tuning will be done so as to compare app les to apples.I do like the quietness and that's coming from a Evinrude HO. If anyone is interested contact me via IM with any questions.

[spider1]

Thats great and look forward to your reviews with 20, 40, 80+ hours.
I hope it is a winner! The weight reduction is a very big plus!!!!

[carp_mstr]

My Basscat Puma FTD with 250 SHO now has almost 12 hours on the motor (my last boat was 7 years old with 128 hours when I sold it in April). I have been impressed with the motor and am liking it more each time out on our Kansas lakes hole shot and midrange are more important than top end and every one who has ridden in or seen the boat run has remarked on how quickly it has jumped on plane and accelerated to speed. I only have a 25 pitch T1 prop because of the heavy loads as me an my son each weight well over 250 each + carry a tackle store lots of gas (52 gallon cap.) full livewells etc. So far still learning to drive and operate the hydraulic jack plate and learning how the Basscat likes the trim the best I have run fully loaded before running out of lake has been 74.2 gps. When I learn to drive it more and run light with a 27 pitch I think it will do much better. The motor is so quiet you can barely hear it run but has a nice throaty roar when you punch it. I may be a sucker for new technology but it has worked for me in the past and yes this will be my retirement rig and I researched it for months before ordering this boat and motor last Dec. Larry Brumley

[falcooon]

Thanks Larry ...I have my eye on the same rig and have been following your posts. Please keep up on regular postings on your experiences and impressions good and bad with this rig. I too am looking for my "retirement" boat and I think we represent a respectable segment of the bass boat market!

Thanks for the information.

[LarryR.]

I'm with in 4 weeks of purchasing a new boat and I'm really thinking hard about the SHO....... Been checking all over and have found nothing negative about them,
so my new boat just may have one also.

[majorbass]

I'm into the 5th hour right now. I've punched it for a very short distance of about 45 seconds and hit 70mph at 5600 rpm. Best hole shot I've had in quite awhile. Filled livewells full with 30 gals of fuel didn't faze the hole shot or mid-range. Engine is very quite as you would expect. Starts perfectly with no missing even when idling for as much as 30 minutes. I have found no drawbacks except you must use the 89 octane fuel. Will be out everyday through Sunday. I expect to be able to put out some solid numbers soon.