air-cooled outboards

[N Moore]

I am thinking of the Honda BF2.3 for my new Typhoon Weekender. Just attended the Toronto Boat Show where a Honda rep assured me it would have enough hp but that it would be noisy due to the fact it was air-cooled. Has anyone had experience with this little motor? Does the noise drive you crazy?
And does the spin needed for reverse work in tight quarters?
Nancy Moore
Stardust CD26 (for sale)
Honor Bright CD Typhoon

[Jim Walsh]

I don't own one but I watch dinks go by all season long with those little Honda's. They are not noticeably loud. The Lehr propane outboards are very noisy by comparison. Everyone seems satisfied with the tiny Honda's.

[Shelby]

as noise goes in outboards....the little honda is as quiet as they come....my honda 2hp is much much more quiet that the suzuki 2hp it replaced

[agogates]

I had an older 2.5 Honda 4 stroke that was water cooled. Mine was direct drive, not a clutch system like the 2.3. It pushed my TY fine but I didn't like the spin reverse with direct drive for the tight places at my marina. I searched for a used newer 2.5 with a clutch but found an almost new Mercury 3.5 with forward and neutral. It resolved my issues and works great. A 2.3 with a clutch should work fine.

[Jim Walsh]

Bear in mind that the Tohatsu 3.5 four stroke is the same as the Mercury, Nissan, and Evinrude. They are all made in the Tohatsu factory. I bought one a year ago and went for the Tohatsu which just happened to be cheaper than the other makes for some unknown reason. Runs fine.

[Jeff D]

Nancy,

If you search the archives you will find many posts regarding the choice of OB for a Typhoon with a variety of opinions. I have a Ty DS with a 2hp Honda and am happy with the pairing. I have had the motor for eight years and it has been trouble free despite concerns regarding ethanol in the fuel. I have changed the plug twice, change the oil and lower unit oil each spring and store it after running it out of gas. Each spring it has started on the second pull. I do not have much perspective regarding noise - it is probably as loud as my Mercury 10hp - certainly not objectionable. My only concern is with the centrifugal clutch. The motor usually revs high when started and engages the prop - once started and idled down it is not much of a problem. I had no issues adapting to the unique method of reversing the motor. With all that said, I would not hesitate to buy another Honda 2hp.

Jeff

[Markst95]

The discussion has come up before and most who have had a Honda feel its just about the perfect motor for the Ty. Plenty of power to push her, light weight is a big plus when hooking onto the motor mount and stores well inside the cabin if that is what you want. The only concerns are it doesn't ride very low in the water which can cause some cavitation if someone is up towards the bow (same problem with all motors). Cutting a couple of inches off the top of the wood motor mount helps this. Also if you hit the throttle in reverse the motor can lift up vertically, there is nothing holding the motor mount down. I just use my hand to hold the motor down but some have bolted the motor mount down. Gas mileage is fantastic, on one trip I motored 75 miles on 2 gallons of gas. They do have a unique sound, Its louder than my Suzuki 2.5 but not by much. Mark

[N Moore]

Thanks for all these reassuring replies. I keep wondering if this Honda 2hp you all mention is the same as the current 2.3. The internal gas "tank" only holds 1 litre which is sufficient for my needs and you can always carry a small backup tank I guess. So glad to hear the air-cooled engine is no louder than expected. Still worried about the reverse but I imagine that just takes some getting used to. When the rep demonstrated the rotation he used two hands. Don't know where the third hand went which might have been holding the tiller. And can you do it while facing forward, coming into a slip? Practice, practice, practice.

One last question...does anyone have a trailer which might be empty for a few days this spring and would you like to make a quick thousand driving my new boat from RI up to Toronto??? It's on stands but will be fully prepped to go and the equipment needed to snuggle it into a trailer is available. I would take care of arranging the brokerage bit at the border.

[Jeff D]

The only reason to use two hands in reverse is the Spartan motor mount which tends to lift up if you rev the motor while reversing. I don't think you'll have any issues motoring into a slip provided you go slow.

In regard to your transport issue - for $1,000 you could buy a trailer, use it once and resell it. The few Ty trailer that show up on the board don't seem to last long. This assumes that you have a vehicle that can tow a Ty.

[N Moore]

Big assumption! I don't have any vehicle except my bicycle. I live on a car-free island off a big city. Cars are not relevant. (That's why I can afford 2 boats and a yacht club!)