My son works for Yamaha-Japan on the motorcycle side. They are functioning but taking things very slow. Even though much of their facilities were not affected, some were, but the main problem is their suppliers in Japan. Every manufacturer from Japan has been affected and will be for years to come.

I have not heard a lot of horror stories about the SHO and would not hesitate to buy one. As with any new motor, I think I would opt for the best, longest warranty I could get.

havent heard any problems with the sho. everybody that i know that has them says its a awsome motor and they wouldnt own anything else. cant beat yamaha 4 strokes

Only thing I have heard is some that have blown on extremely cold mornings. I was told when the engine is idling not all cylinders are firing. Guys hammered down on them leaving during tournament take off and thought they were warmed up but not all the cylinders were. Some guys started putting them in gear and idle around prior to takeoff. If I could sell my VMax I would buy one in a heartbeat. The benefits far out weigh the bad.

Pickin mine up on Monday, stoked

Best motor I have ever run, by far, not even close!

You will blow a two stroke the same way if you don't let it warm up. This I know......

This is true on the Yami 2 strokes, but not the SHO's.
Yes, it is true that you need to let them warm up good before you put the hammer down, but once warm....you need to run them hard, like mentioned in an earlier post.

The machanics on Lake Fork call them show blows, they have seen several of them

Have several friends with them no problems

I know of a gearcase that went out on one today

fair enough

For those that have stated that they haven't heard of any issues with the Yammy's, did you not pay attention to the classic? For those that say that Yamaha is better than a Merc, I do believe that the statics show that the Merc will still out run the Yammy on the big end. For those that say their boat is better than the other manufacturer..... Really...... You guys need to get over your selves. Every manufacturere has their own set of issues. Doesn't matter if it is a first year model of a motor, first year build of a new hull for a boat. They all have their pro's and con's. The only difference is the people that own each different product and want to say they own the best to make them selves feel better about the product they purchased. Truth is that parts for each manufacturer come from many different sources. More than likely, multiple manufacturers get parts from the same sources just branded under a different name. Everyone thinks they need to one up the other. If the boat gets you on the water, gets you where you want to go and puts you in the position to catch fish, I would say each persons purchase has served its purpose. By the way, my two man buster boat does the same that the 60K bass boat does, it gets me on the water.

What mechanics would that be Eddie ?

I have one and have had 0 issues. 50hrs in. Best motor I have eve ran. I think my merc before was a bit faster on top end (2-3mph) but I'll give that up for the hole shot, mid range power and quietness any day.