Simon, you must readjust your idle throttle limiting screw, and -possibly- the little mixture screw (if the engine cuts out when you open the throttle quickly after having had the engine in idle a few minutes). I have two Suzukis 2.5 and they both work absolutely perfect, in rain or shine, better than any other engine I had before, Hondas, Mercury, Johnsons, two and single cylinder ones.

Simon,

I had the same problem last year with a new suzuki 2.5.  It kept cutting out when putting into gear until the engine was fully warmed up.  It sometimes cut out even when warm too. It is a common problem.  The reason for this is that to pass the EU emissions rules the fuel mixture is restricted until the engine is fully warm. A suzuki marine dealer quickly sorted it out by increasing the dia of hole the fuel goes into the carb.  It now works perfectly.

Mark Kendall

I dont have experience with a 2.5 HP outboard. I decided to buy a 5hp, which I have been very happy with, for the following reasons:1. If I want to get home against a strong tide and head wind with all the crew cold and tired I need an engine that will easily cope with it all. 2. A 5 HP has forward, neutral and reverse gear. I think the reverse gear is almost vital. There have been several situations where I have been manoeuvring in a closed space. Having reversed gear has got me out of trouble. The bay raider is a great boat but with no water ballast and no centreboard down the bows can easily blow off own wind when going slowly.

Colin

I have a Yamaha 5HP 2 stroke which I bought a few months ago secondhand for £500. I was told from various sources that a four stroke small outboard would give more trouble than a two stoke. Apparently four stroke is good for large engines but not so good for small ones.
I am sure that a 2.5 HP will deliver a reasonable speed under most circumstances. however, I was put off by the lack of a reverse gear.

Colin

I have completed a 36 nautical mile round trip motor sail with a Suzuki 2.5 mounted on my BR.  On the way out because there was virtually no wind and on the way back because the wind, when it occasionally appeared, was on the nose.  The whole trip took about 8 hours and I used approximately 4 litres of fuel.  The trip out was unballasted and the trip back, to help cut through a short chop (despite the lack of wind) ballasted.

I used my tiller tamer/central steering mod for at least 10 NM, mainly to get away from the noise of the engine.  The engine should be relatively quiet under normal circumstances but a substantial amount of noise is generated by my engine top casing vibrating against the engine.  I have tried to suppress it using bits of foam etc but will do a more professional job when I get back to the UK.

I also suffer from the flat spot and stalling just after idle and will try to get this fixed with the first service.  Exhaust fumes are barely noticeable.  Much more noticeable are petrol fumes when the engine is tilted and the fuel cap or air vent are not tightened sufficiently (which is a lot). Otherwise, the engine has been reliable and man enough for the job.

Internal combustion engines are not allowed on Lake Bala, where I do most of my sailing.  The 36 NM trip was a complete aberration - it was to meet for lunch and fish on the way but the admittedly quite large planer board and tuna lure I was trolling knocked a whole knot off my speed, so I quickly gave that idea up. Nearly all my normal engine use is for short manoeuvres of much less than 1 NM.  So I still hanker after a quiet and smell-free battery powered Torqeedo, if only they would get their short shaft measurements sorted out so that the engine can be tilted up in the BR engine well.

It was the lack of reverse as much as a lack of power that made me go from a 2.3HP Honda to a 6HP Tohatsu. I have to do a lot of twisting about through moored boats and pontoons, and spinning the engine round just didn\\\'t really do it. Even on the bigger engine, the gear lever is a bit inaccessible down the side. I would like to be able to flick it into forward or reverse from the top whilst I can watch what is going on. As it is, I have to dive down under to find the lever and give it a hard shove, which all takes time.

I still think that electric propulsion is (or will be) the best way to go for the BR20.  The problem is, there is still nothing out there that is suitable, unless anyone knows differently.  The Torqeedo Travel 1003 seems to come closest to the ideal specification but is let down by:

1.  Cost - around £1,400
2.  Range - one integrated lithium battery will probably only get you about 5NM at a reasonable speed before it runs out, which is about the same as a tankful of petrol in a Suzuki 2.5.  One solution would be a spare battery (£450!) and/or a solar charger (£800!!), at least for use in places other than Wales that actually see the sun
3.  Shaft length - this one is bizarre.  For reasons best known to themselves, Torqeedo have decided that their standard short shaft length is 62.5cm, compared to an industry norm of 40-50cm.  Width is not a problem on this model because the long bladed propeller only has two blades.  The cheaper Travel 503 has three long blades, which rules it out.  However, the extra shaft length on the 1003 means that the motor cannot be tilted up into the engine well.  There has been some talk of getting Torqeedo to do a special run of shorter shaft motors but I think that has fallen by the wayside.  It has also been suggested that the shaft could be cut down with a hacksaw, which would invalidate the warranty.

So, I think the only thing to do is to wait for something better, cheaper and with a shorter shaft to come along. Oh, and a 12v accessory socket running off the lithium battery would be nice to have too. Lithium battery technology keeps progressing, certainly at a faster pace (now) than the internal combustion engine. Maybe in a couple of years? 

In the meantime, I shall put up with my Suzuki 2.5 and its problems, which include noise, vibration and smell, no proper reverse, the slow speed stalling issue and the danger that lying it down on the wrong side can cause an expensive repair bill.