Honda 2.3 HP Outboard

[Big Cliff]

Just managed to score a really good deal on a brand new Honda 2.3 HP 4 stroke air cooled outboard, out the door with a 5 year warranty for a little over $950.00. I had been looking for something small and light for a while now because I want to fish a few small out of the way lakes this summer. We have a small boat stashed at one of them but trying to paddle the boat and fish especially if it was windy at all proved to be a real challenge for me last year.

I had thought about getting an electric trolling motor but then I'd have to lug a battery around, this motor weighs 29 lbs and according to the specs should give me about 3 hours of trolling on 1 L of gas. The other big advantage for me is that it's air cooled (no impeller to worry about and it can be run very shallow, even out of water) and has a centrifugal clutch (no need to shift into neutral, just throttle down). The other advantage is that we can use it as a kicker motor on my son's boat when we fish bigger water.

Come on soft water ?

[woodenboater]

have one as well and it's been described when wot, accurately imo, as 'a swarm of angry bees'  lol,  but the weight and air cooling are big features

Edited April 3, 2019 by woodenboater

[Big Cliff]

18 minutes ago, woodenboater said:

have one as well and it's been described when wot, accurately imo, as 'a swarm of angry bees'  lol,  but the weight and air cooling are big features

How long have you had yours? I was warned that they're not exactly quiet ?

[Old Ironmaker]

I might be wrong Big Cliff but I'm under the impression a small 4 stroke is a quiet machine. That would have been perfect when I had a 12 foot inflatable I had in the 90's I got from my Uncle. He had a little Honda 4HP on her. The blow up  didn't come with the Honda on it.  Had a 9.9 and could pull 2 nieces in a tube, I was around 230  then. 177 now. 2 of us nuts Bushwhacked with that machine all over Ontario, some parts of Quebec an Western and Upper NY state. Even took the PT109/2  (Uncle is from NYS) to Florida and southern Illinois. Yours  is going to be convenient  and will save your knees and  back. took it everywhere with him and my Aunt retired. 

edit: Welcome home Sir. Hit Myrtle beach back in the 70's when North Myrtle beach was a mile north of the Caribbean  Hotel. All private beach homes or swamps, no condos to speak off, 4 unit 2 story jobs back then. An oceanfront cottage was around 25K. Condo 15K if I can remember that far ago.

Edited April 3, 2019 by Old Ironmaker

[woodenboater]

1 hour ago, Big Cliff said:

How long have you had yours? I was warned that they're not exactly quiet ?

couple of years. and yeah, people will hear you screaming down the lake lolol . pretty miserly with gas from my experience. for back lakes, this is ideal, or for those springs trips to North Tea in Algonquin.

[porkpie]

The little one bangers are pretty noisy but you’ll be glad to have it!  I had a little 3.5 tohatsu on my last boat as a backup, and used it on my sportspal too. I only sold it because it would barely push my new boat and I have a 50lb thrust electric.  Good deal!

[OhioFisherman]

https://marine.honda.com/outboards/motor-detail/BF2.3

I remember tooling around PAB all day with a 5 hp Sabre as a kid with a 2 1/2 gallon gas can, LOL I learned patience, I wasn't going anywhere fast! 1 hour at wide open throttle on a liter? about 10 hours of run time?

[BillM]

Built in tank as well?  Did many a trip with a small 2hp Honda.   Works great on a Sportspal.   No way I'd use it for a kicker however, just not enough thrust for a decent sized aluminum.

[John Bacon]

2 hours ago, Old Ironmaker said:

I might be wrong Big Cliff but I'm under the impression a small 4 stroke is a quiet machine.

Air cooled motors are not quite so quiet.

[Joeytier]

I used to have one.  I sold it for 2 main reasons....it's farrrrr noisier than any watercooled outboard and the centrifugal clutch is a pain for trolling and I did not like not having a neutral gear.  Purely as a utilitarian motor, they are great, but the 3.5 watercooled merc I have now with a traditional Forward-Neutral gearcase is far better for fishing imo

[NAW]

I ran one of these behind a canoe for a summer when I very first got in to canoe fishing and camping. 

I think i took a few years of hearing off my life....  Ran like a top though!

[Reef Runner]

I've done the lugging a battery through the bush many a time...not fun.

Word to the wise on the four-strokes: when transporting or even when setting it down be sure to lay it down where the markers indicate.  If done improperly oil will leak out of the crank case and can cause problems firing it up.  Happens with my 9.9 merc four stroke if not stored upright.

[BillM]

Reef Runner you are correct.   Another reason why 2 strokes make great bush engines.

[DRIFTER_016]

21 minutes ago, BillM said:

Reef Runner you are correct.   Another reason why 2 strokes make great bush engines.

I have a little 2 stroke 4hp Merc with built in tank that's nice and light.   

[pics]

I have a 2.5 hp Suzuki that I paid about the same for.. liquid cooled and close to the same weight.  The Honda will be a great, reliable motor for you.. my older 2 stroke Yamaha is lighter and quieter than the Suzuki but I wanted something that I could put straight gas into rather than mixing..

[Sinker]

Good score Cliff. Maybe I will hit you up this spring and we can throw my tinner in the back of my truck and hit some of my old speck stomping grounds and giver a whirl. 

S. 

[Big Cliff]

25 minutes ago, Sinker said:

Good score Cliff. Maybe I will hit you up this spring and we can throw my tinner in the back of my truck and hit some of my old speck stomping grounds and giver a whirl. 

S. 

Would love to!!!!

[Sinker]

I'll be in touch!