Other 2-Stroke or 4-Stroke... I have no clue, help!

[retroicon]

Hey all,

So I'm going to be buying a 3-seater to pull the kids around on some tubes, and wakeboards and stuff like that... but I'm not sure whether I should go with a used 2-stroke, or a new 4-stroke.

Price isn't the issue, it's more a matter or maintenance, and specifically... what happens if you roll a 4-stroke and end up with water ingestion? I know that, at some point someone is going to flip the machine once the kids are old enough to so start driving on their own... but I have no idea what the procedure is if you flip a 4-stroke.

On a 2-stroke you bring it to shore, pull the plugs, crank the water out, and go... but on a 4-stroke I have no idea.

Not sure if this matters, but it'll be 50/50 fresh and salt use.

I've been on 2-strokes for 20 years, always Yamaha, and know those engines as well as any backyard mechanic & ex-racer can... that said, I've been hearing good stuff about the 4-strokes from rental operators, and a lot of guys seem to be getting 500-1,000 hours on them with just standard maintenance, oil changes, and the normal stuff.

I know I could have posted this on the other boards, but this is where most of the 2-stroke guys hang out, and since I'm a stand-up and blaster guy myself, I figured I'd get the kind of opinion I can relate to here...

Basically, I've been on 2-strokes forever, and don't know anything about 4-strokes and I'm kind of nervous to make the jump... the big issue is, what happens if you roll one. It's only a matter of time before it happens.

Thanks!

 

[snowxr]

4 stroke. Hands down they have way more power and low maintenance. The 3 seaters are huge, so rolling them over is pretty hard. IF you do get water in the motor, you need to pull the plugs, like a 2 stroke. THEN you'll be changing the oil (sometimes more than once) if it gets contaminated with water.

 

[Polish jet pilot]

if you get the water in a 4tec motor (seadoo) the procedure outlined above might not be enough. Water gets stuck in inlet manifold and while turning will get inside motor and KABOOOOM! Seen it at least 7 times in my life

 

[retroicon]

any other opinions?

-G

 

[snirunner24]

Go 2, they are so much simpler to work on and parts are less. you 2 stroke sinks pull the plugs and get it running 4 stroke your motors shot. You have to change oil they weigh more and throttle response isn't as crisp. In a perfect world I would go 4 because the motor lasts longer but when you put water in the mix its a different story. And a rebuild on a 2 stroke is easy. 4 stroke not so much.

 

[LeftysRule22]

4 stroke. Green button = go. It takes a certain familiarity with a 2 stroke to get it running and warmed up that most people can't grasp. Most 4 strokes I've seen have a steering assist system for noobs, too. Our 12F has turtled a few times but it always pops right back up with little effort and water intrusion. I subbed it real hard and ripped off the cowling on the front which let in a lot of water, but the dual siphons took care of it quickly. I think it would be pretty hard to ingest water with casual riders aboard. Give the manufacturers some credit, they know It's gonna take on water and be driven by careless riders.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[yamadog282]

the fact of the matter is no one is currently building a family sized 2 stroke anymore and the EPA is pushing 4 strokes. As long as you do regular maintenanc on a 4 stroke you will gt way more out of it b4 you have to do a rebuild. then what if the oil injector goes on th 2 stroke do you pay the extra cash to fix it or do u trust ur kids to premix the right amount. if it was just for u i would say 2 all the way....but its not and a 4 is way more forgiving for family use.