2018 Yamaha F8 F8SMHB Outboard Motor

Yamaha's 2018 F8 F8SMHB is a twin-cylinder, 212 cc four-stroke on a 15-inch shaft, with displacement up 7.5 percent over the previous F8 design for more torque and thrust while keeping the light weight and quiet running smaller portables are known for.

Fit and starting

Line up the 15-inch shaft with transom height before buying. Starting is manual by default, with an electric starter kit available for push-button starts instead of a pull cord; a built-in decompression mechanism eases the manual pull regardless. Dry weight is 39 kg, or 87 lbs.

Running specs

Bore and stroke measure 56 by 43 mm, and compression reads 9.46:1. A 12-volt, 6-amp alternator handles basic charging, and cooling is raw water with thermostatic control. A zinc coating plus stainless hardware protect the exterior in salt water, and roughly 0.8 liters of oil keeps the twin-cylinder block lubricated, fed by a single carburetor and a 13/27, or 2.08, final gear ratio. The gearcase shifts between forward, neutral and reverse, and the redesigned cowling has a resting pad built in for added stability when the motor is stored off the boat.

What does it run on? Regular unleaded, 87 octane minimum. Where does the rpm band top out? Right around 6000 rpm at full throttle. Is the electric start kit included? No, it is an available add-on; the base rigging starts manually.

Specifications