Re: Best 40 - 50HP Outboard on the market.
Skinnywater, power to weight is a relative term with outboards, mainly because the "power" is measured at the prop shaft output....
after gearing.<br /><br />In comparison, the Honda BF50 is only a 808 cc 3-cylinder engine. It is 187 cc smaller than the 995 cc Merc 50 4-banger and 127 cc smaller than Yamaha's 935 cc F50 4-banger. This is about a 20% difference in displacement...a significant amount. I would guess the Honda 50 engine itself makes 10-15% less BHP than the others.<br /><br />Because of it's smaller displacement, Honda must use a larger gear ratio to accomplish and maintain the same 50 hp at the prop shaft. This usually means smaller pitch props and slower top speeds as well. <br /><br />The gear ratio for the Merc is 1.83. The Yamaha is 1.85. But the Honda is 2.09. The smaller 3-cylinder 815 cc Suzuki DF 50 has an interesting 2.27 ratio, and has to rip out 6500 rpm to make the 50 hp. Yamaha's
High-Thrust F50 is a 2.33 ratio, more closer to what Honda and Suzuki run.<br /><br />It's not uncommon to find a 15 or 17 pitch prop on the Merc and Yamaha 50's, where a 10-13 pitch is more common on the Honda and Suzuki 50's.<br /><br />Yes, prop shaft hp is prop shaft hp. But it is what you can do with that power that counts. The Honda is certainly a great outboard and it has many benefits for some people. For me, I prefer the extra cylinder, 20% bigger displacement, smaller gear ratio, and ability of the engine to pull a bigger prop. I can sacrifice 30 lbs for that. Heck, that's the weight of a small Chinook. Besides, I prefer trim/tilt, remote control, fresh water flush, etc, come as standard equipment.
