what 50 is the best

[bigmike35]

i might be looking for a new outboard what do u recomend

[Rogue Wave]

a yammie 3 pot 50 2 stroke is hard to beat

[codprawn]

Many people swear by the Tohatsu tldi - has had some great reviews!!!

http://www.nissanmarine.com/products/50_tldi.html

[Downhilldai]

The choice of 50hp will depend on your budget, but if you can get a 3 cylinder yam 50, you'll be flying with a 4m Searider! I'd agree with Rogue Wave on this one, but don't discount the Suzuki 55 either. Both these motors would be top of my list. I think the SR4 is max rated at 50hp, so you may have insurance problems if you go for a 55.
Happy hunting.

[Dave B]

HONDA

[Searider]

Had a 3 cylinder Yamaha 50 on my 4m. Fantastic engine. Started first or second pull every time. No electrics to go wrong.

I may be wrong but I believe that the Tohatsu is a very "similar" engine to the Yamaha.

[ADS]

As others have said go with the 3pot Yammie 50, a friend of mine had one and it was very smooth, easy to start, and surprisingly economical. Hard to beat I would think, this one is cheap:
http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/PMB679

If your going to go four stroke, I would think Suzuki 50HP or Johnson (same engine, but you can get the Johnson cheaper). The Yamaha 50HP 4 strokes are also good as are the EFI Mercury/ Mariners, all heavy though, not sure I have seen a 'big' 4 stroke on an SR4 before.

The new tech stuff, such as the Tohatsu 50HP TLDI and Evinrude ETEC 50 are both good engines, but you would have to buy new as there are very few on the secondhand market. The TopHat 50 TLDI retails at £3995, the ETEC 50HP £4013, so little in it. Personally I think you could pick up a newish 50Hp Yammie 2 stroke for well under £2k maybe £1.5k as the one pointed out. You can buy alot of fuel for the difference between the used Yammie and new Etec/TLDI. Having said that an SR4 and a 60HP Etec would be a fantastic bit of kit!

regards,

Alex

[Rogue Wave]

Originally Posted by Dave B

HONDA

certainly reliable engines but doesn't the Honda carry a lot of weight and would that be an advantage on a 4 metre rib. Also is the Honda 50 Hp measured at the flywheel or do they measure them at the prop now

[codprawn]

Go for a standard 50hp Tohatsu 2 stroke as used in zapcat racing - new price about £2500 - will use more fuel than the tldi but it's an unburstable engine that is light and powerful - haven't got one myself but I am a fan of the zapcats!!!

[Phil Davies]

BigMike - You will soon come to learn not to post such questions on Ribnet because, as you've just seen, you'll get as many diverse answers as there are engine suppliers in the market! The main issue with the 4m SR is not so much which brand of engine, but their respective weights. Biggles on this forum recently fitted a nice shiny new Yamaha 4-stroke 50hp to his SR4 and although it's a cracking engine, it's simply too heavy at 111kgs and affects the high speed handling of the boat. Bear in mind the Searider hull is a 30yrs+ design and was originally conceived with lightweight 2-strokes in mind, so putting a 110kg engine on the tail can induce chine walking at the top end.

If you insist on having a 4-stroke, the Honda 50 is actually the lightest at 90kgs whereas the Suzuki, although a lot quieter and prettier than the Honda, weighs in at a lardy 110kgs. The 'Rude E-Tec, although a direct injection 2-stroke, is also quite heavy at 107kgs. The Yamaha and Tohatsu (non-Tdli version) 50 2-strokes are by far the lightest alternatives so might be the best choice if you can cope with the louder noise and smell, although that in itself may appeal to you! Tohatsu is reliable but looks crap and is lower tech than the Yam and there are considerably fewer dealers to look after you.

If you're unlikely to be blasting around at full speed all the time, you may prefer the smoother characteristics and better fuel economy of the 4-strokes. If you're buying new, remember the Honda comes with a 5-year warranty and is arguably the most bullet-proof 4-stroke of them all. The Suzi and Yam 4-strokes do have fuel injection, however, which helps on pick-up and smoothness. So now you're really confused, right?