[Kev59]

Judd you made a comment about a “4-stroke pattern” in your original post referring to the new 250 Suzuki and the 200 Verado. Was that implying a motor trend based on the wider hulls or simply a performance commentary?

[Kev59]

Thanks for the numbers Sean. The rod locker suprises me as that makes it several inches shorter than a PII I looked at over the weekend. I would have guessed the PIV to be at least a long.

[Kev59]

Belleville, IL – Belle Clair Fairgrounds Expo Hall Jan 25, 26, 27 St. Louis – Jones Dome Feb 6-10

[Kev59]

I really like the Verado but acceptance has been slow for parts of the country. Dealer acceptance is part of the problem as some have chosen to avoid them or take a wait and see approach. Also it seems there is a tendency to look at the higher fuel consumption vs 2 stroke but the TOTAL cost of ownership use is very close to 2-stroke factoring in 2-stroke oil costs. One remaining factor is speed. The added weight of the Verado will keep it a few MPH slower than Opti. Many cannot live with this though the power steering (no steering torque) and DTS throttle are awesome offsets. It seems that Yamaha and Merc have made long term investments and R&D on 4-strokes so it may only be a matter of time we see a shift….no crystal ball on that time line though.

[Kev59]

I have both with a Verado set up. The mechanical aspects have been mentioned but i can tell you that the steering is much like your car/truck. It will maintain course even if you let go of the wheel. There is absolutely no steering torque. The main thing I notice with digital throttle (DTS) is there is no “clunk” or grinding when the lower unit engages. The response is immediate and consistent as there is no cable stretch or slop that can occur. At this time, both are standard on 6 cyl Verados and the steering is an option on the 4 cyl. Last I heard but you can get DTS on a regular Opti but not ProXS. These are state of the art and they come at a price but many who have them will not go back.

[Kev59]

My experience has been that the Verado steering makes maneuvering in all situations better. I would also suggest that there would be a little seat time required to get used to the power steering vs other systems as the feedback and input requirements are different. Lets see what others have to offer on this subject.

[Kev59]

Thanks for the detailed explanation. It would figure there would be a marketing slant hidden in there. The boat shows are great and convenient for seeing all the products up close but it also a great place for manipulative marketing and half truths. Thanks again BCB for being forthright on this!

[Kev59]

I owned one of the early models on a previous boat. The engine was virtually silent..had to use the tach to see if it was idling. The power steering and fly by wire throttle are incredible. BCB is correct…the cost to operate was like a 2-stroke since you only had an annual oil change around the cost of 2 gals of 2 stroke oil if you do it yourself. The only real knock on it was the top end speed. The motor itself was very strong but it had to push an extra 150lbs of its own weight. The biggest issue i had was resale/trade. It has never been adopted by bass boat owners so there is no resale market…so if you like to trade every 3-4 years you will likely take a bath on trade or resale…if you can find a taker. Took me a year to offload mine and although i loved the engine i felt forced to go 2 stroke to preserve value in the short term.

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