Review: Tiller Steer Honda BF40 Outboard Motor
I recently reviewed the McLay 441 Fortress, an aluminium fishing boat built in New Zealand. The testing location was in Eden, NSW, in a variety of conditions.
Tiller-steer Honda BF40 outboard motor
The Honda tiller-steer 40hp four-stroke is a great choice for the McLay 441 Fortress. It provided us with plenty of power, even though it was pushing a full fuel tank, fishing gear and a couple of 125kg heifers as crew. McLay 441 Fortress he got up onto the plane quite effortlessly and held us there with a minimum of fuss, even when travelling in on the back of the swell. We did find a couple of cavitation issues, so perhaps the engine could be dropped to a lower hole on this package, but it’s always hard to find the perfect height on a tiller-steer tinny.
Top speed from the Honda BF40 outboard motor on the McLay 441 Fortress was around 24 knots with one person on board. This is quite satisfactory for this style of fishing boat, but while I love the silent power and smoothness of the four-stroke SOHC three-cylinder Hondas, I really wasn’t comfortable with the power-tilt control’s position on the tiller handle. You have to use two hands if you want to control the revs and adjust the trim, which isn’t ideal in any conditions.
Tiller-steer Honda BF40 outboard specs
MAKE/MODEL Honda BF40 tiller-control outboard motor
TYPE Four-stroke SOHC three-cylinder, six-valve outboard motor
RATED HP 40
DISPLACEMENT 808cc
WEIGHT 98kg
GEAR RATIO 2.08:1
PROPELLER 3 x 11¼ x 13
SUPPLIED BY
Sapphire Marine & Auto
2/2 Government Road, Eden, NSW
Phone (02) 6496 4490