Two are all new; two are all re-newed.

Suzuki is well known in the outboard motor world as one of the leaders in promoting 4-stroke technology in what had always been considered a 2-stroke world.  That is until environmental concerns and political motivation from sources such as CARB (California Air Resources Board) and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) of the United States encouraged all manufacturers of outboard motors to re-think 2-stroke technology.  Almost ten years ago now, Suzuki chose to concentrate solely on 4-strokes.

In 2008, all twenty of Suzuki’s outboard motor offerings from a 21/2 hp “kicker” to a gee-whiz 300 hp V-8 bahn-burner, are all 4-strokes.  Publisher Bill Taylor and myself had an opportunity to review and test some of Suzuki’s new 2009 four-stroke offerings at Suzuki’s Media Event held earlier this spring in Key Largo, Florida.

The new 70 and 90 hp models replace existing ones of the same horsepower, while the 80 and 100 hp models are new to Suzuki’s lineup for ’09.  But all four are redesigned from the ground up.  All are four cylinder in-line models with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder!  The 70, 80, and 90 all share the same 1.5 L (91.7 cid) block, whereas the 100 is just under 2 litres (118.9 cid). 

Weight was a major consideration for Suzuki engineers and by comparison, last year’s 90 weighed in at almost 417 lbs. (189 kg) compared to the new 90 at 341 lbs. (155 kg), a whopping weight savings of 76 lbs. (34 kg)!  This makes the new 90 the lightest 4-stroke in its power class - according to Suzuki.   

All four engines feature chain (as opposed to belt) driven camshafts with automatic hydraulic tensioners to minimize maintenance.  All four utilize multi-point, sequential, electronic fuel injection, an offset drive shaft to move the center of gravity forward toward the transom, and a 2.59:1 final drive ratio to, in Suzuki’s words, “deliver the ideal balance of low-end muscle and top-end performance.” 

“To better meet the needs of the industry and all Canadian boaters,” said Len Hughes, Assistant National Manager – Marine Sales for Suzuki Canada, “our factory has focused on developing new horsepower categories and new technology to make Suzuki 4-strokes smaller, lighter and more efficient in every segment of the market.  Having Canada’s only 100-horsepower 4-stroke gives us a competitive edge,” Hughes continued.

The list of improvements and technical tweaks incorporated in these new engines could fill an entire article by themselves, but our question was “Did Suzuki achieve their objectives to reduce weight, improve fuel economy, control emissions, and make these new engines more user and maintenance friendly?” To find out, we briefly tested these new outboards on a windy, white-capped Atlantic Ocean.

DF 70 on a Sylvan 1600 Pro Sport:
Running a sixteen and a half foot aluminum fishing boat in unprotected, wind-swept Atlantic Ocean conditions was not my idea of a fun day of boating, but as a dedicated scribe, I jumped at the opportunity to perhaps have a thrill and put Suzuki’s newest offering to a real test.  Sporting a 13.75 x 17 inch, 3-blade aluminum propeller, once out of the harbour, the 70 simply lifted the Sylvan onto plane virtually instantaneously and we were gone from wave-top to wave-top getting salt-water soaked to the skin from the flying spray.

These same waves soon put us out of our league, but some running in the troughs allowed us to feel out the new motor.  What impressed me most was the almost instantaneous reaction of the motor to control inputs – what you want, when you want it.  And the quiet!  For an aluminum open boat that often magnifies any sound, the quietness was most impressive.  Suzuki said they had worked on noise damping, and it appears to have been successful on this motor.

For those who need numbers, the DF 70-powered Sylvan ran 3.5 mph at just over idle 1000 RPM; 6.9 mph at 2500 RPM; was running nicely on plane at 18.3 mph at 3500 RPM; and managed 36.4 mph at 5700 RPM Wide Open Throttle.  Zero to 25 mph, just below 4500 RPM, took 6.8 seconds, and the point of greatest efficiency was determined to be running at 4000 RPM producing 23.0 mph, consuming 2.65 (US) gallons per hour, achieving 8.68 miles per (US) gallon.  This produces an optimum cruising range of 187 miles based on using 90% of the fuel capacity of the Sylvan’s built-in tank.

DF 90 on a Landau  Atlantis 210:
I had just stepped on board the Landau to test it when we were suddenly deluged with a tropical downpour.  Being a pontoon boat, it was one of only two boats in the fleet with a top and those on board quickly set it in place.  Call me old, but this 21-footer with a flat deck, lots of lounge seating, and stand-up headroom under the bimini top was more my idea of a way to be out on the water that particular day. 

The Suzuki DF 90 proved to be a perfect power package for the Landau.  What was most noticeable was again the lack of noise from the motor.  Now granted, on a pontoon boat, the motor is tucked down and back and behind thick cushioned lounges, but at no time or speed was normal conversation on board compromised whatsoever.  I loved it!

Numbers really aren’t a make or break statistic when it comes to pontoon boats, but just for the record, here are Suzuki’s test results on this particular boat.  With a 3-blade, 13.5 x 15 aluminum propeller, the DF 90-powered Landau ran 2.8 mph at just over idle 1000 RPM; ran comfortably on plane at 3500 RPM at 12.5 mph; and hit a spray-over-the-foredeck-inducing full throttle 6000 RPM achieving 23.0 mph.  The most efficient operation was determined to be that “just nicely on plane” point of 12.5 mph at 3500 RPM using 2.05 (US) gallons per hour while achieving 6.07 miles per (US) gallon.  This produces an optimum cruising range of 142 miles based on using 90% of the fuel capacity of the Landau’s built-in tank.

As I stated at the outset, outboard motor technology has advanced in leaps and bounds over the past decade or so.  The outboards of today have little resemblance, except perhaps in outward appearance, to the outboard your father took you boating with.  I for one am duly impressed with the new offerings being introduced to the marketplace.  And having been brought up in a stink-potter’s world of yore, I am even more impressed with what 4-stroke technology has brought to the world of outboard motors.  I sincerely invite you to explore this whole new world of boating for yourself. 

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