REVIEW: YAMAHA F200

Valentino Rossi likes his Yamaha and the similarities between his engine and those mounted on the back of the big Haines Hunter 700 are more than a shared tuning fork logo. First up, they are both four-strokes with inline configuration, and while the bike pumps out 50hp more, it does it at 16,000 revs and from a capacity of only 1000cc compared to the outboard’s 2785cc. But the main similarity is that Rossi goes gangbusters in the wet, and so does the Haines.

THE TECH

Some racing experience must rub off on the production engines and the F200 scores 16-valves driven by double overhead camshafts. Four tuned “long intake tubes” ram air through electronic multipoint fuel injection to give the optimised low- and mid-range torque needed to compete with modern two-strokes. At the same time, Yamaha’s Variable Camshaft Timing adjusts the advance through computer control for even more torque and it showed in holeshots and immediate acceleration through the range.

PERFORMANCE

Trolling speeds around 6kts saw a fuel usage of 10lt/h from both engines. (We could have run one for better economy, but I forgot.) Holeshot is impressive and we were planing at only 12kts and 2800rpm, showing how effectively the flattened running section at the transom is.

You can cruise all day at 24kts with the motors ticking over at 3500rpm where consumption showed as 38lt/h with a range of 212nm, confirming the Haines Hunter claim of being able to fish 100km from shore. Stab the throttles and the response is instant, and on flat water it’s a matter of choosing your speed up to a maximum of 44kts and a fuel use of 147lt/h.

SEA TRIALS

Two on board, light load with 100lt fuel 380lt fuel tank (calculations using 10% reserve)

*Sea-trial data supplied by the author.

Check out the full review in issue #502 of Trade-a-Boat magazine. Subscribe today for all the latest boat news, reviews and travel inspiration.