2020 Yamaha 4 HP F4SMHA Outboard Motor

The 2020 Yamaha F4SMHA is a short-shaft, 15-inch portable four-stroke from Yamaha's smallest outboard class, weighing just 59 pounds with an overhead-valve, one-cylinder design and a standard tiller handle. It is built for carrying by hand onto a dinghy or tender rather than mounting on a larger boat.

Designed to travel

A built-in carrying handle and a resting pad let the motor sit on its side for storage without leaking oil, which matters when it's riding in a car trunk or a locker between uses rather than staying bolted to one boat. An oil separator and a labyrinth-style exhaust path support that on-side capability.

Starting and steering

Steering sweeps 180 degrees with forward-neutral-reverse shifting from the tiller handle, and an easy-start decompression device cuts down on pull-cord effort compared with a plain manual starter. A lubrication check window lets you confirm oil level without pulling the cowling.

Fuel

An integrated 1.1-liter tank with a tilted fill opening handles short outings, with an external 3.1-gallon tank available for longer runs. A 3-blade propeller is standard.

Before you travel with it

Loosen the fuel tank's filler cap vent slightly, or leave the tank less than full, before tipping the motor on its side for transport; a sealed, brimming tank can seep past the oil-retention design under enough jostling in a trunk.

Common questions

How much does it weigh? 59 pounds, sold new.