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The Main Event
E-Tec, OptiMax and HPDI go head-to-head in a 225-hp Brawl
By John Tiger, Jr.
Bass and Walleye Boats
February 9, 2006
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The long-awaited, highly touted 225 Shootout has finally taken place, and what a weekend it was! As loyal /BWB/ readers would expect, there was no shortage of excitement, intrigue, controversy, “kitchen bitchin”, and of course good ol’ bench racin’ as we pitted the best Mercury, Evinrude and Yamaha had against each other on near-identical Bullet 20XDC dual-console bassboats on East Tennessee’s Cherokee Lake in early April. Were the results as good as the hype? You’ll have to read on…
LONG IN THE MAKING
As sharp-eyed readers know, editor Steve Quinlan has been touting this test for many months in his Holeshot column, even going so far as to print our editorial calendar in the January 2005 issue. As we all know, things don’t always go as planned. In fact, we’ve scheduled, cancelled and re-scheduled this test more times than I care to count.
Last spring, Evinrude introduced its E-Tec 225 H.O., so the BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products) crew planned to show up with this new powerplant. In late summer 2004, Merc began tossing around the idea of introducing a little brother to the 250XS to see how it would stack up against the 3-liter Yamaha and Evinrude. After a little de-tuning, Merc introduced the 225 Pro XS in late 2004. Were we ready then? No, the saga continues…
The Yamaha VMax 225 HPDI was the first outboard to arrive at Bullet’s plant in late 2004, and in short order Bullet setup man Reid Cox had it hung and was out testing. Quickly, we were all advised that the speeds were higher than anticipated, even with the relatively low (sub-6000 rpm) limits. Since the Yammie comes equipped with a high-speed, low-water pickup nosecone gearcase with cambered skeg, there was no problem encountered.
Merc’s proposed 225 Pro XS, on the other hand, was due to be released with only a non-noseconed Torque Master gearcase and stock “soft” motor mounts. After a few engineering conferences, Merc Racing honchos decided to revise their offering to include optional Sport Master gearcases with 1.75:1 and 1.62:1 ratios, as well as solid motor mounts for better boat control.
Yamaha had other issues. The problem was not new, and it has been the source of controversy in every /BWB/ engine shoot-out held over the past several years. It’s the ongoing saga of Yamaha’s insistence on rating its HPDI engines at 5500 rpm, and putting the rev limiter 650 rpm higher at 6150 rpm. To date, we have not found a prop that would hold any of the big Yammies at 5500, yet provide adequate holeshot and midrange acceleration numbers. In short, we’d need a 32-inch or perhaps even larger pitched propeller to keep that Yamaha tach within the rev range.
Was that the end? Not on your life. The Evinrude team was delayed again and again in the introduction of the new E-Tec 225 H.O., mostly due to engineering and manufacturing of its new gearcase, designed to replace the existing Lightning noseconed unit currently offered on the Ficht 225 H.O. The new unit offers below-bullet water pickups and a much more streamlined profile, for higher speed applications. Eventually, it was the E-Tec that held up our test yet again in January 2005, but finally, we received word from Evinrude in late March that the engine was on its way to Bullet. Secure in that knowledge, we made our final preparations and booked our tickets to Knoxville.
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
When Quinlan and I arrived at the Bullet plant and Cherokee Lake, there were a few more surprises in store. Our rules stipulate that each manufacturer bring only stock production engines to the test. No pre-production surprises are allowed. Each engine must be in the exact configuration as it will be offered to the general boating public, and must have official factory documentation (sell sheets, owner’s manuals, advertising materials, etc.) to back it up. Right away, questions arose about the Merc’s authenticity. The rumor mill had already cranked up with the possibility that our test 225 Pro XS was not in its original condition, with questions surrounding the Sport Master gearcase with 1.62:1 gears. Mercury’s Tony Coty and Jack Litjens, both present for the test, put that rumor to rest when they produced documentation clearly showing that the XS was indeed available with that gearcase and ratio as an option in place of the stock Torque Master and 1.75:1 ratio.
The second problem proved to be more vexing, and changed our testing for the weekend as well as the outcome of the test itself. Evinrude did indeed show up with its new low-water pickup nosecone gearcase, but Evinrude reps Karl Sandstrom, Larry Foy and Glyn Austin confirmed that it was not actually in production yet. They promised that it would be available on early 2006-model E-Tec 225 H.O. engines by the time this issue hit the streets, but as of our test date, those engines were being shipped with Lightning lower units.
In addition, as the BRP team tested the setup on the bright blue metalflake Bullet, the new gearcase began to exhibit a few problems. The extreme engine height required to extract the best top speeds from the combo began to take its toll, and the unit began to have problems heating up. The results almost halted the test; the Hydromotive prop it was turning began to experience hub failures (the plastic hub insert kept melting), and the lower unit’s bearing carrier began to lose its seals. In addition, the bearing carrier itself began to rotate inside the lower unit housing. In the end, Foy had to reseal the carrier and re-install it at a local dealer.
Meanwhile, Quinlan and I conferred and concluded that we must run the test numbers with the Lightning gearcase. It was clear to us that while the new gearcase is a sleek, hydrodynamic and very promising design (worth 2.5 mph on this combo over the Lightning case), more engineering and testing time was needed to ensure its reliability on ultra high-speed hulls like our Bullet tester.
Regardless, the boats and engines were weighed, then each hull, pad, strake and setback jack inspected to ensure that all three rigs were as close as possible. The Evinrude’s hull was the lightest at 1556 pounds, Merc was in the middle at 1600, and Yamaha’s boat was the heaviest at 1616 pounds. We handicapped the Evinrude’s Bullet with 60 pounds of lead shot, and handicapped the Merc boat by having it carry a spare stainless propeller in a storage compartment behind the driver. Cox was designated driver while we recorded fuel consumption, acceleration and top-speed numbers on each boat back-to-back-to-back to ensure that conditions would be as close to equal as possible.
YAMAHA: JUST ADD RPM
The Yamaha posted its best numbers using a Hydromotive four-blade Quad IV OT with 14-1/2-inch diameter and 30-inch pitch. With this wheel, top speed at 5500 rpm (remember, that’s Yamaha’s rated maximum) was 84.9 mph. Of course, the engine turned more than that, and if we allowed the results, the Yamaha would have pushed hard for top speed honors. When we allowed him to spin it to maximum rpm, Cox turned in an 87.8 mph top end at 5900 rpm, just 2.2 mph shy of the Merc’s 90-mph mark.
As it was, overall performance from this package was very respectable, with 0-30 mph times good enough for second behind the Evinrude, and 40-60 mph sprints below six seconds. Fuel economy was strong, as the HPDI direct injection bested at 3500 rpm and 45 mph, for a 5.8 gallon-per-hour recording and a resulting range of 156.8 miles from the 30-gallon tank mounted in the Bullet (leaving ten percent — three gallons — in reserve).
Handling-wise, the big Yammie could stand a set of harder engine mounts, as it was noticeably canted to the right during hard acceleration and at top speed. In addition, the softness could easily be felt at the steering wheel even though the Teleflex SeaStar Pro hydraulic steering (with high-performance #6345 cylinder) kept the engine in check and the boat flying straight. It should be noted that this feeling was only measured in comparison to the Merc and Evinrude rigs; chances are high that if you drove this one without driving the others immediately thereafter, you’d never notice the difference.
The Yamaha exhibited excellent running characteristics, save for a slight vibration at 1500 to 2000 rpm. Other than that idiosyncrasy, running quality was typical Yamaha: excellent. The fit, finish and overall performance of these HPDI outboards inspire a lot of confidence in the driver, as they simply ooze quality and refinement from every pore. As mentioned, the engine’s “softness” tended to make the bow of the Bullet hover and hunt a bit at top speeds, but that was pretty easily mastered with a little seat time. Acceleration was quietly authoritative, without the “look at me” showmanship that the Merc and Evinrude exhibited thanks to their exhaust notes.
As in all our previous testing, the Yamaha simply went about its business, without fanfare. It is an excellent example of how refined large V-6 outboards have become. There’s no question that the Yamaha engineers have done their homework on the VMax high-speed gearcase, as it provides plenty of lift, direction, and of course, water pressure at speeds approaching 90 mph.
MERCURY: TOP-END AND ECONOMY CHAMP
While the controversies raged, we had a shootout to pull off. We took to the water with the Mercury powered Bullet first, and while Quinlan recorded the results, Cox drove like a madman to obtain the best possible numbers. I drove each hull and recorded my driving impressions, noting how each engine felt, drove, accelerated, and handled at all speeds. Conditions during our testing ranged from 73 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit, with humidity right at 69 percent. Winds ranged from flat dead calm to approximately 5 mph. Water conditions were flat glass to a slight ripple, with occasional boat wakes thrown in.
Merc won the top speed contest by a wide margin, posting a clean 90.0 mph on our Stalker radar and Garmin GPS units at a within-spec 5930 rpm as recorded on our OMC Digital ShopTach inductive-pickup handheld tachometer. After a week of testing, Coty and Litjens had settled on a 14-1/2 x 28-inch Hydromotive four-blade Quad IV OT for this application. It worked: Not only did the Merc best the others by a minimum of 5.1 mph at the top end, it also won honors for best fuel economy by recording an incredible 6.2 gallons per hour at a best-cruise speed of 34.3 mph @ 2500 rpm. Averaging the entire fuel economy results, Merc won overall in this category too, with an average 4.6 miles per gallon.
In this test, the fastest was also the stingiest — that’s great news for those on a fuel budget who want to rule the river. In acceleration testing, the combination of its steep 1.62:1 gearing and tall 28-inch-pitch propeller served to hurt the big Merc’s punch quotient slightly, as it posted 0-30 mph times of 8.1 seconds and 40-60 times of 5.6 seconds — good for third and second places, respectively.
Handling-wise, the brutish Mercury was the best of the three, no contest. Its solid mounts and proven Sport Master lower unit combined to give a very authoritative, grounded feel at all speeds, especially when accelerating and at top-end speed. At idle speeds, the Mercury was the loudest of the three engines, as it exhibited the typical OptiMax sound, sort of a hollow note accompanied by a slightly muted “clicking”. Some have likened it to a sewing machine-like sound, as it lumbered along at 1000 rpm. As we climbed out of the hole and onto plane, the centersection’s open exhaust allowed the engine to breathe, and breathe it did. It was plenty loud in the Bullet’s cockpit, prohibiting conversation at any level except yelling. Midrange torque and top speed pull were there in abundance, with no lack of lift and drive at any speed. Overall, the 225 Pro XS is all Merc, with plenty of Merc Racing snarl and growl to befit its heritage.
EVINRUDE: ACCELERATION CHAMP
I was impressed with the performance, and more accurately, the ultimate potential of the E-Tec 225 H.O. In this writer’s opinion, the Rude takes the honors for best styling and raciest sound effects. The E-Tec stylists hit it out of the park; this Evinrude is the best looking model to come along in many years — certainly much better than the rounded styling of the previous Ficht models. The sharp, well-defined edges, corners and surfaces of the E-Tec cowling and lower shroud look decidedly mean when combined with the race-tech look of the new gearcase. In fact, when mated to the older Lightning lower unit, the E-Tec looks like it’s missing something. The new unit really helps the Evinrude look like a race motor.
And the sound — oh, that sound! At idle, it was easily the quietest of the three engines tested. But, as soon as the E-Tec popped the Bullet on plane and the unmuffled exhaust escaped from the gearcase, I was immediately transported back to 1989, watching Alan Stoker’s big, bad and blue Evinrude V-6 howl around the track at St. Louis — right past all the Mercs to capture first place at the MOD-VP World Championships.
Unfortunately, this test provided inconclusive results where the E-Tec is concerned. With field testing, that happens sometimes, and like always, we simply made the best of what we had. With the Lightning lower unit and a stock 14-1/2×30-inch three-blade Raker prop, the 225 H.O. was a third-place engine in top speed (84.2 mph at 5670 rpm) and fuel economy (best cruise of 5 mpg at 30.1 mph, turning 2500 rpm).
Acceleration, however, proved to be its strong point, as it took first place honors in both the 0-30 contest (7.4 seconds) and the 40-60 midrange sprint (5.1 seconds, a full half-second better than the second-place Mercury). With this gearcase installed (due to the lack of low-water pickups), the Evinrude techs had to lower the Rapid Jack setback plate a full inch, which of course caused the loss in top speed.
BALANCING THE RESULTS
Mercury Racing has another champ on its hands, just as it did in 1995 when the venerable Pro Max 225 was introduced. I have no way of knowing if this new 225 Pro XS will be as popular as the old Pro Max, but the results of this test sure won’t hurt sales. Yamaha and Evinrude have some catch-up ball to play, but it’s not like the score is 10-zip in Mercury’s favor. No, with a little tweaking the men in black would have been sweating, and not due to the hot sun and still air at Cherokee Lake. In fact, all Yamaha has to do is (news flash) raise their rev range to 6000 and install a set of stiffer lower motor mounts, and they’re there. Evinrude is almost as close; a little more development work on the new gearcase, some stiff motor mounts, and perhaps a 1.75:1 gear set (or raise the rev range to 6000+) and it’s a whole new ball game.
That’s in the performance arena. Fuel economy, when Evinrude uses its new gearcase, is close enough for most anglers, with only .4 mpg separating the best from the worst at the most efficient speed, and just one-tenth overall. That may be enough to sway the most finicky of fishermen, but I’m betting most will stick with “their brand” unless the difference is much greater.
What about emissions? Yamaha loses a few technical points for “only” obtaining a two-star rating from the California Air Resources Board (CARB); Merc and Evinrude both are three-star rated. In addition, Merc and Evinrude both offer three-year warranties, where Yamaha offers two. It’s in these two areas that Yamaha needs to up their ante. Like it or not, environmental “cleanliness” is becoming more and more of an issue. Warranty is too; with the DFI technology still new and relatively unquantified, warranty concerns most anglers — especially when plunking down twenty large.
What about weight? As most readers well know, weight is a big concern, especially when lightweight hulls like Bullets are employed. Mercury wins this portion of the contest too; not only were they the lightest at 520 pounds, they were closest to their claimed weight of 505 pounds. Yamaha was next; they claim their VMax 225 HPDI weighs 539 pounds, and we weighed it at 584 — a difference of 45 pounds. Evinrude claims their engine weighs 509 pounds, and it tipped our scales at 564 — a difference of 55 pounds.
Remember, we weigh with everything: cowl, propeller, steering cylinder, rigging hoses/wires/cables, and any oil and fuel presently in the engine’s systems. When you include the extras, Mercury is right on the money with its claimed 505 pounds. If anything, they’re a bit heavy. Adding the extras, our figures should be approximately 25 to perhaps 30 pounds over the factory specs.
Finally, there’s price. Everyone knows that no one pays list. However, it’s usually where the bargaining starts, unlike when dealing for a car or truck. In this arena, Merc’s $16,664 list price is a bargain, even when it only includes the Torque Master lower unit and 1.75:1 ratio. To get an engine equipped like our test unit (with 1.62:1 ratio Sport Master gearcase), you’ll have to shell out another $1286, for a total of $17,950. The Evinrude lists at $20,421, but keep in mind that BRP puts out an intentionally high list price to give their dealers more wiggle room when bargaining. Yamaha lists the suggested retail for its VMax 225 HPDI as $16,720, which is the best price of the three, considering how it’s equipped. My guess is that any of these engines would be available from most dealers for somewhere between $16,000~$17,500.
AND THE WINNER IS…
Where the prop meets the water, Mercury won this contest hands-down. You’ve got to hand it to the men in black; this engine didn’t exist a year ago, and when they first conceived it, they had no intentions of running it at 90 mph on a lightweight rig like our Bullet. It goes to show you how quickly a company can react and adapt when they want to. Kudos to Mercury; they deserve this win.
Yamaha and Evinrude both produced excellent outboards that showcase how good DFI technology has become, yet they have a little work to do before they can pull alongside and pass the Mercury team. I’d love to revisit this same shootout a year from now to see if either company can knock Team Black from its perch. Anyone care for a rematch?
See 
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I would be for the DFI’s along with other Opti, Yammy HPDI and Etec guys and then we would have Ted Merdan, possibly you, etc. talk about 4 strokes are the way to go?? It would never end. 
I’m guessing a good percentage of those guys do not live @ 4000 rpms and 66 % throttle like you and I.