98X wants 90hp or not?

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gyroplanes
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98X wants 90hp or not?

Post by gyroplanes »

I did some searching and found threads 3-4 years old. I am tired of my Tohatsu 50 and feel the need for speed.
Any new thoughts on newer motors? Any buyers remorse? Should I forget about it and sail on ?

Any thoughts are very appreciated.
Tom
darrenj
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Re: 98X wants 90hp or not?

Post by darrenj »

No buyers remorse for me.
Details about the Suzuki 90 can be found here:
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... a&start=45

Would do it again. Might even look at going to a 140.
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sailboatmike
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Re: 98X wants 90hp or not?

Post by sailboatmike »

I have a Mercury 75Hp, same motor as the 90 but derated.

I have found the extra weight (best parts of ab additional 60Kg) make little or no difference to the way the boat sits in the water, her big, wide flat bum seems to soak it up.

My only issue is that it makes getting in and out of the transom somewhat harder because of the extra width of the motor, so you have to squeeze a bit to get between the rudders and the motor, when the rudders are raised, and Im not an overly large person. While this isnt a deal breaker its something that should be taken into account,

No buyers regret, but if I was to do it again I would probably go for a 60Hp or a 75Hp that was a proper 75Hp and not have a 75Hp that is just a detuned 90, Im carrying extra weight for no gain, and we all know that weight kills sailing performance
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Signaleer
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Re: 98X wants 90hp or not?

Post by Signaleer »

I have a 90 HP on an X and wouldn't go smaller...
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Gazmn
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Re: 98X wants 90hp or not?

Post by Gazmn »

Ok Gyro,
I should make a rubber stamp with my automatic quote.
Any of the efi new motors can do. See which you can service locally & offer the best deal. Those things being considered:

E-tecs are good for auto winterization that you can do anytime. I think the V3 75 or 90 HP is a great match for :macx:'s, and all powersailors. They also offer great unrivaled charging capabilities & data sharing via nmea 2000 & iGuages. Wait until there is a 5 yr warranty or great show deal/ discount. The internal oil resevoir & weight: HP ratio make this my rubber stamp selection & reccomendation.

Also since you're already going big. Get a 6-10" jackplate prine/seal it with Tuff Stuff & paint it right. It frees up the transom, making entry, exit & dockside a breeze. Also get the wedges. Do it right the first time with your repower :wink:
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bahama bound
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Re: 98X wants 90hp or not?

Post by bahama bound »

The one I just bought had 7 year warranty ,3+3+1 ,why they broke it down like that I dont know .etec is a nice physical size .
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tlgibson97
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Re: 98X wants 90hp or not?

Post by tlgibson97 »

I just wish I could afford a new motor. Or even a good used one. My 20 yo Tohatsu 50 just doesn't have the power the boat needs now that I've gotten it loaded up. I'm just glad that it's been reliable the last few years since I got it running well. First year or so was pretty hairy at times.
bobbob
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Re: 98X wants 90hp or not?

Post by bobbob »

What 90s are thinnest (ie that maximize access through the transom)? With a 60 I already feel its tight.
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mallardjusted
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Re: 98X wants 90hp or not?

Post by mallardjusted »

You might want to consider the Yamaha 70. I've had one 2 years now and I'm very happy with it. Same physical size as the 50s, bigger prop, weight is 60-90 lbs lighter than any of the 90s (it only weighs a few lbs more than the 50). And, cost is a lower than a 90. I've topped out at 23-24 mph lightly loaded, so there is a big gain in ooomph!
Flightfollowing
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Re: 98X wants 90hp or not?

Post by Flightfollowing »

Second vote for Suzuki 90: relatively narrow, about the lightest 4 stroke 90 and only 20 lbs heavier than 2 stroke Etec, high gearing for motor sailor, low to fit tilted under seat, great economy, no expensive oil burning like etec. Note that bwy uses the 70hp Suzuki as a standard engine and the 90 is the same engine but not detuned.
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Starscream
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Re: 98X wants 90hp or not?

Post by Starscream »

I think the Macs are made for 90HP motors. Planing with full ballast, that's what it's all about.

I think the E-tec 90 is just about the thinnest and lightest 90 HP motor you can get. It's loud at idle compared to the Suzi, and yes it burns oil, and yes you can smell it on a windless day. I went with the E-tec over the Suzi for the following reasons:

1) Automatic winterization. Plus, after it's winterized if you want to start it up there's no problem. You can start it, run it, and then winterize it again. Takes two minutes and it's all automatic.
2) Size. It's about the same size as the Honda 50. Still plenty of access up the boarding ladder, and it tilts up completely out of the water.
3) Weight. The Suzi was close, but my feeling is that every pound counts. My cockpit drain hole is right on the waterline with a couple of adults in the cockpit, and every extra pound sinks it more.

I would have liked the Suzi because:
1) It's freakin' quiet.
2) It's freakin' quiet.
3) Victor gets 30mph out of his Suzi 90. I get 24 or 25 on a good day. Might be a prop issue.
4) The research I did suggests that the Suzi has a good history of reliability. The earlier (pre 2012) E-tecs had reliability issues that I thought were solved. It turns out that my E-Tec 90 has had some reliability issues, go figure. All fixed under warranty, and nothing major, but darn annoying.
5) The E-tec 90 exhaust smells a bit. This might be a new motor thing, because the E-tec burns more oil for the first 25 hours, but that must be pretty close to being up now. Maybe it will change for the better. I'm close to that usage number, and soon I'll change from XD50 to XD100 hoping for less exhaust smell.

The burning of the oil is no big deal. I keep a small jug on board and check once in a while. It's a lot easier than the periodic oil changes that my Honda 50 required. It takes less than a minute to open the cowling and fill the tank.
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Tomfoolery
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Re: 98X wants 90hp or not?

Post by Tomfoolery »

Man, you guys are really making me think hard about upsizing to a 90.

And quiet is good. My BF50 isn't all that quiet, but it's way quieter than an old-school 2-stroke of similar size, I suppose.

And believe it or not, I miss the smell of a 2-stroke OB in salt water. Growing up, that's what boating smelled like. That, and low tide in Long Island Sound. :|
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sailboatmike
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Re: 98X wants 90hp or not?

Post by sailboatmike »

I know the 2 stroke smell feeling, when I wore a younger mans clothes I used to ride motocross.

The smell of burning Belray MC1 still sends me back to a happy place in my mind
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Herschel
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Re: 98X wants 90hp or not?

Post by Herschel »

Hesitate to jump in, but I replaced my original '98 50 H.P. Mercury BF on my X four years ago with a 50 H.P. Yamaha HT. I thought long and hard about going up in H.P. and decided not to. I did it for two reasons primarily. First, for new engines, there is the cost. It seemed like at the time, that every addition of 10 H.P. was about $500-$700. As the Mercury had completely died, and my efforts to keep it running had cost some bucks already, prudence in cost was warranted. Secondly, there are times when I am running at WOT with a 50, on a plane, of course, usually without ballast, and hit either rough chop or another motor boat wake, and the way the boat responds, with all that weight of the mast and gear topside and crew aboard, I am glad I was not going faster and glad I did not have the option to be going faster (e.g., 14 knot range). It just seems like that is the level of power at which the boat seems most safe to me when out there on the edge of boating conditions. If I recall correctly, Roger designed the X for 50 HP and the M for 60 HP. I have to believe that there was more to it than just the lawyers talking! :| I have to say that my Yamaha is a sweet, reliable, quiet and light engine. I don't even disconnect the engine from the steering when sailing. It is that comfortable.
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Erik Hardtle
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Re: 98X wants 90hp or not?

Post by Erik Hardtle »

Should have gotten a 90hp sooner....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBPSK5m6WfE

any questions?
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