I think you can assume it's "ready to go" when the dealer hands it to you.

If you discover they forgot oil, run it 'til it seizes, so you'll get a new
motor, rather than a repair, under warranty ( a lesson I learned the hard
way, with a new '85 Dodge Caravan).

Yes, you can test it in a bucket. If it doesn't have a "neutral" shift,
you may want to remove the prop before starting it in a bucket.

"Country_Chiel" wrote in message
news:1102141727.932652@ftpsrv1...
I have a new Yamaha 2HP 2 stroke outboard. Iread the instructions and I am
unsure if it has gear oil when new. It goes into detail about having to
change this oil later so I assume it already has gear oil (that's near the
prop of course). Is this right?
Also can I test it in a bucket of water!

Thanks