But the comparative quiet is only the beginning of the differences that set four strokers apart from the two stroke engine. Jim Logie, the sales manager at Bay Marina in Naples, has been selling boats and motors for 30 years. He believes there is a place in the market for the four stroke motor. They are ideal for pontoon boats and the new style catamaran hulled boats. These are level floating boats and the hull never leaves the water when they are running.
Horsepower is one of the limitations of four stroke engines.
The most powerful one of the market right now is a 90 hp model produced by Honda. Yamaha and Mercury, the other companies making four stroke engines, only make up to 50 hp versions. Motor weight is one of the reasons why. Four stoke motors weigh more and the extra weight can be a problem for some boats. A 50 hp four stroke Yamaha weighs 233 pounds.