Suzuki Outboards

K

Knipet

New member
I'm seriously considering re-powering my 22 Cruiser with a new Suzuki DF90A outboard. I currently have a 2006 Honda BF90 which has a carburetor, not fuel injected. I'm expecting a new fuel injected outboard to be somewhat quieter, and hopefully a bit better fuel economy. The reason the Suzuki appeals to me is that it is the lightest of the Japanese 4 strokes, has a timing chain instead of a belt, and has among the highest crankcase oil capacity. It will also match my Suzuki kicker.

I would like to know if any CBrats had experience with this motor or Suzuki outboards in general - both good and bad? Also, I'm wondering how established Suzuki is up in Canada mostly around the Gulf Islands and further up, and if getting a service or warranty work for a US purchased engine is an issue like it is with a Honda?
 
I have come over to our C-dory from diesel powered boats. When we bought our CD25 with a 2003 Honda 135, we then replaced it with a new 4 cylinder 200 Suzuki for all the same reasons you are looking at and it does only weigh a few pounds more than the old 135 Honda. We don't yet have enough hours on it for a long term report but so far it has been everything we wanted in a latest generation outboard. It's been great and we look forward to simpler maintenance than the Yamaha we also looked at.
 
Micahbigsur@msn.com":13b6zjsq said:
I have come over to our C-dory from diesel powered boats. When we bought our CD25 with a 2003 Honda 135, we then replaced it with a new 4 cylinder 200 Suzuki for all the same reasons you are looking at and it does only weigh a few pounds more than the old 135 Honda. We don't yet have enough hours on it for a long term report but so far it has been everything we wanted in a latest generation outboard. It's been great and we look forward to simpler maintenance than the Yamaha we also looked at.
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Micah, I know you are planning on spending a fair amount of time south in Mexico. What do you know about service south of that boarder? I would also be curious about Canadian dealers and service.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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We have a 2006 DF150. About 650 hours now. That engine has been flawless. Basic service and it keeps on running without issue. We did just have the lower unit re-sealed as I found water in the gear oil this spring. But the Suzuki tech at Master Marine said this was totally normal on a 13 yr old engine. He re-sealed it and said it will go another 13 yrs with oil changes. It’s quiet, efficient and well engineered. Should we keep the boat I will re-power with a new 200 Suzuki without question.
 
Harvey, that was part of why we picked Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki all seem to dominate in the Mexican market, almost none of the American brands. I think that there might be more Suzuki service places in Mexico than in the US which for me is the biggest downside of the Suzuki here in central California, I can get service done locally, but if it needs any computer diagnostics it is at least a 2.5 hour drive
 
Micahbigsur@msn.com":ysmfbv9x said:
Harvey, that was part of why we picked Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki all seem to dominate in the Mexican market, almost none of the American brands. I think that there might be more Suzuki service places in Mexico than in the US which for me is the biggest downside of the Suzuki here in central California, I can get service done locally, but if it needs any computer diagnostics it is at least a 2.5 hour drive
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Thanks for that info. Very interesting and good to know.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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C-Sharp":112vom7q said:
I'm seriously considering re-powering my 22 Cruiser with a new Suzuki DF90A outboard. I currently have a 2006 Honda BF90 which has a carburetor, not fuel injected. I'm expecting a new fuel injected outboard to be somewhat quieter, and hopefully a bit better fuel economy. The reason the Suzuki appeals to me is that it is the lightest of the Japanese 4 strokes, has a timing chain instead of a belt, and has among the highest crankcase oil capacity. It will also match my Suzuki kicker.

I would like to know if any CBrats had experience with this motor or Suzuki outboards in general - both good and bad? Also, I'm wondering how established Suzuki is up in Canada mostly around the Gulf Islands and further up, and if getting a service or warranty work for a US purchased engine is an issue like it is with a Honda?
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In 2012 I repowered my 25 with a 2012 DF175 Suzuki.
As of today I have 1959 hours with zero issues.
:thup
 
Hi Steve.

Crunch the numbers but definately go with a timing chain engine. Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha are all great engines but check each engine out with the specs to make the best choice as you are doing. Weight is an issue as it is good to keep the weight down on the stern. We are very happy with our Suzuki 140 and have had no negative issues with it. We get great fuel economy and it is very quiet while underway. There are plenty of Suzuki marine dealers that will work on our engine in Canada if we ever had the need to. We do have tow insurance though just to be safe. :) Gary and Colleen.
 
I have a Suzuki 140 on my caracal cat which has over 800 hours and zero problems. We had 2 150’s on the tomcat with no problems.
 
My 2017 DF200 Suzuki has about 450 hours and has been flawless. When I replaced the internal anodes and the water pump at about 300 hours everything I could see on the inside looked good, and everything on the outside looks good as well. I would not hesitate to recommend Suzuki.

I like the lighter weight of the inline 4 for the higher HP motors and my second choice, Honda, was only available as a V6 and 100 more pounds at the time. I also really like the lower gear ratio and larger diameter prop. That gives a little more authority when trolling in the Columbia River current and a lot more authority when climbing the swells on the CR bar.

As for the timing chain vs. belt I may be the odd man out here. I think on a vertical engine the external belt would be a better choice. Something just bugs me about a chain riding on the side of a sprocket rather than hanging from the top center of the sprocket. I am sure it is well supported down there and the Suzuki chain is at the lower side of the motor completely bathed in oil, but there is going to be wear on the metal parts regardless. The residue of that wear will already be in the oil. Maybe it is just me, but it seems a forty dollar belt that can be readily inspected and easily changed in a few minutes every few years has its advantages.

Nevertheless, if outfitting a boat today I would go with Suzuki. Mine replaced a Honda 130 that was woefully underpowered for the hull and weighed as much as the 200 hp that is on there now. The performance difference is amazing so I may be giving the Suzuki more praise than it merits, but I will say this - unless the water is glass smooth you don't want to run a CD25 at 40 mph.

Some earlier Suzukis had internal corrosion issues due to the anode material not suited for the purpose but I was assured that it has been corrected. I have probably 30% salt water hours and 50% brackish water with very little pure freshwater use. Like I said previously, there have been no issues noted when looking at the internal anodes. They are pretty cheap so I replace the anodes and the o-rings anytime I take them out to look at them

I also have a Suzuki 9.9 kicker with power tilt and electric start. It has EFI that will work even without a battery and has been trouble free. It is a 2017 also and only has about 12 hours of use.

Watch for sales and promotions - when I bought mine there was a $400 rebate (which paid for the digital display!) and a warranty extension to 6 years. My only regret at all is that I didn't get the electronic controller model instead of the cabled controls.
 
Mike, you have the exact same Suzuki's we have with a lot more hours I'm glad to hear how well yours are doing.
Before 100,000 mile overhead cam belts started being used recently all cam drives were chain (double roller) and lasted until the rest of the engine needed a rebuild, so I hope the Suzuki's cam chain drive lasts the same.
 
I have a DF90A Suzuki on a 22’ Cruiser that 3 days ago checked through its 200 hour service with zero issues. If you do any trolling you might consider the troll mode option which allows fine tuning of your trolling speed. I sometimes when trolling turn off the kicker, turn on the main and enjoy the quiet—this motor is quiet!
 
Thank you to everyone that has made comments regarding Suzuki outboards and specifically the 90HP.

Compared to my '06 carburetor Honda 90, is the Suzuki going to be significantly quieter? Noticeably better fuel economy?
 
C-Sharp":c0umqoo3 said:
Thank you to everyone that has made comments regarding Suzuki outboards and specifically the 90HP.

Compared to my '06 carburetor Honda 90, is the Suzuki going to be significantly quieter? Noticeably better fuel economy?
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My DF-175 is half again as quiet as the 130 honda it replaced.
At trolling speed 650-1100 rpm it is far less noisy than the Yamaha 9.9 kicker I have. :thup

Fuel consumption will be a little less also :wink:
 
Since I am not equipped with a fuel flow meter I can not accurately comment on fuel consumption. The Suzuki DF90a is noticeably quieter than the Yamaha 115hp on my Whaler.
 
Since I am not equipped with a fuel flow meter I can not accurately comment on fuel consumption. The Suzuki DF90a is noticeably quieter than the Yamaha 115hp on my Whaler.
 
We have a 2005 DF90 with about 470 hours. Runs fantastic. We average about 4.5 mpg on our trips. Regarding quiet: we've had many comments from other boaters and dock hands on how they didn't hear us coming. Quiet is nice. All in all, I'd definitely buy another.
 
Does anyone know if the new Suzukis have shim-under-bucket valve adjusters or the traditional screw-and-locknut type? Any outboards have hydraulic valves?
 
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