On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 11:43:18 -0400, HK wrote:

I like the idea of "running" on gasoline alone (no oil in the gas,
no oil tank), I like the car-like starting, I like the quietness, I like
the fact that I can run at low speeds a long time without having to blow
the cobwebs out, I like the lack of oil in the water.

Those are all positives, no question. It is also getting difficult to
buy 2 strokes in some size ranges. I went through that this year
trying to buy a new dinghy engine. We wanted a 20 horse with electric
start and there did not seem to be any option other than a 4 stroke.
The Honda BF20 that I ended up with is a nice engine but it is 50
pounds heavier than the 15 horse Merc it replaced, has a lot less low
end torque, and cost about twice as much. It took half the summer
testing different props, adjusting transom rake and adding a Doel-Fin
before it was performing up to expectations.