THE WRAP
Already some outboard dealers I've
spoken with this year say that forward
ordering of carbie two-strokes will stop
mid-year. So if you're keen on a two-
stroke, now is the time to buy.
I must confess I'm in two minds (no
I'm not a Gemini) about which way to
go. Only in one of these four test cases
did the two-stroke outperform the
four-stroke. Obviously two-strokes will
always be cheaper to service than fours
but this is offset by the better resale
value down the track.
I will keep my two-stroke outboards
going as long as possible because I
love their inherent simplicity and low
weight. But having tested so many
good small four-strokes in recent years
I would raise the extra cash and go
four-stroke if buying a new outboard.
The engineering is way better than
comparable output two-strokes and
their running qualities actually make
boating pleasant. No oil smoke on cold
starting or when flushing. I'm sure
that's where my cat got his wheeze!“Smaller four-stroke outboards,
those under 10hp, outperform their
two-stroke counterparts because
of the torque generated and the
inherently better engineering”
THIS PAGE The four-stroke MFS 5C LPG
runs on propane or LPG and enjoys low
vibrations as Australia’s cleanest-running
5hp engine.Two- versus Four-Stroke
38 tradeaboat.com.au