and now you're seeing the SS Series on more and more bass boats!

 

https://www.suzukimarine.com/outboards/ss-series/

 

Suzuki has pretty much always had the reputation as the most reliable outboards.  That's why you see them on so many saltwater boats.  My boat came as a backage.  I had no choice on engine.  If I would have been able to choose the engine it would have been a Suzuki.   

 

Some people say Suzuki engines are slower.   It appears that they've been addressing this.   Regardless I'd trade a couple mph for a long lasting reliable engine.  

The most significant factor in choosing a marine motor is the availability of service.  No matter how well any outboard is built, eventually something will break.   When it does, where will you have it fixed?  I have never owned a Suzuki outboard, so I can't comment on their reliability.   I have owned a number of Yamaha outboards and they were great engines.  However, the closest Yamaha dealer to me was 50 miles away and I'm not sure they are still in business.   I am surrounded by Mercury dealers, so that's what I own.  If I could buy an outboard motor that was 100% guaranteed to never break, I would buy it.

I ran Suzuki for close to 20 years, absolutely reliable, & far from slow. Price wise Mercury & Yamaha are higher, next is Suzuki & then Tahotsu. Honda would be a different story. 

I really wanted one on my new Phoenix but was not a option with my dealer.

Was looking at Vexus bass boats recently and found 2 identical boats except one had a Mercury and the other had a Suzuki, same HP.

The Suzuki package was $1000 cheaper.

I could have had a free 150 a couple of years ago. A boat was dumped on the side of the road near me a couple of miles from the Osborne Boat Landing on the James River.

 

 

Dropped the BassCat off Saturday to replace the old 2 stroke Mercury with a 4 stroke Suzuki.  Can't wait to get it back on the water.

About twenty years ago when I was doing more bay fishing than bass fishing, one of my friends bought a KW 196 Bay Reef with a 140 Suzuki four-stroke. We all liked it so much that another friend and I each bought one just like it. I ran mine for about 15 years before moving and getting back to bass fishing. Kept up good maintenance and never had a problem with it.