I'm probably like a lot of other BassFans. In my late teen years and early 20s, I drove a classic car. Nothing fancy – a '68 LeMans convertible with a stock 326.
If you've driven those types of cars, you know the feeling of exhilaration when you jump off the line, or when you're doing 50 mph and you lay it down and get instant response and super acceleration. It's different from the souped-up 6s and 4s so common these days.
Those engines had range and punch on the open road.
I make the point for two reasons. One, I'm not an ultra motorhead. I don't spend my Saturdays in the garage trying to tweak an engine for 1 more horse. But I certainly appreciate performance. Two, those who drive Enterprise-class bass boats do it because they love that same feeling, on open water just like the open road.
I arrived back home from Yamaha's testing facility in Bridgeport, Ala. late last night, and it's been a long time since I've been more excited about a series of outboard motors.
The long and short of it is that Yamaha unveiled three new flagship bass engines – the VMax SHO 200, 225 and 250 – that'll force everyone to rethink their decision of 2-stroke vs. 4-stroke.
These new engines are essentially 4.2-liter, V6 4-strokes that are lighter, faster and more powerful than any 2-strokes in their class.
I tested the new SHOs on a Ranger, Skeeter and Bass Cat.
Just like the video that surfaced a few weeks ago, when you punch one of the new SHOs from a standstill, you're up and out of the hole almost instantly. The difference is incredible. The Bass Cat Puma with the 225 that I drove, for example, gets to plane in 2.53 seconds.
Mid-range acceleration is pretty astonishing. Just like my old LeMans, when you're cruising along at 50 mph then slam down the throttle, you can feel the skin peel back on your face.
And it's a true 4-stroke, which means better gas mileage, no oil to mix, an ultra-quiet run and three-star emissions compliance.
The new Yamaha SHOs aren't completely quiet though, because they don't have a muffler. Yamaha left it off to not only save weight, but to give the engine some macho rumble at idle.
Yamaha trimmed the weight further through a number of innovations like a lighter composite cowling and engine pan, a redesigned and remarkably lighter engine mount, and some re-engineered internals.
The boost in torque and thrust came via some fascinating technology. For one, the cylinder sleeves are plasma-fused – a technology that's been proven over many years in racing and aircraft design. In simple terms, micro-elements are fused to the piston walls to make them 60% harder. The fused material traps oil and helps reduce friction. The process also allows a larger bore in the same size block since you don't need a sleeve.
Bigger bore, better cooling and less friction equals more power.
Power-boost also comes from a redesigned intake system, which delivers a higher volume of focused air for combustion, a new high-performance lower unit, and a new suite of internally designed Yamaha props.
Yamaha told me all this before I ever stepped in the boat. Of course I was skeptical, but not after the ride. Each of Yamaha's claims seemed to be spot-on. The new SHOs are 34 pounds lighter than the standard VMax, and lighter than all other engines of similar horsepower. Both mid-range and top-end acceleration are greater than any 2-stroke I've ever driven, and there's a 14% improvement in hole shot over the 2-stroke VMax.
Yamaha calls its new engines "game changers," including the new 4-stroke 70 that I didn't mention.
The company took a huge risk with such an aggressive product rollout amidst the worst boating market perhaps in history. But the technology and performance I saw and experienced really seem to have changed the game. The rationale for a 2-stroke may very well be gone, and these engines have the ability to get people excited about buying or repowering once again.
Their performance is just that good.
Notable
> The new SHOs were in development for 3 years. Production is under way right now.
> Yamaha will make the engines the focus of its Bassmaster Classic presence this year.
> Skeeter, which is owned by Yamaha, was kept in the loop during motor development and designed a brand new boat (the FX Series) around the new SHOs.
