Sad day ....

[Hyperacme]

The 2016 Mercury 115 Pro XS is now a four stroke ...
https://www.mercurymarine.com/en/us/engines/outboard/pro-xsr/115-pro-xs-fourstroke/

[dorelse]

Looks great!

[Scott in nh]

The only thing sad about that gorgeous motor is that I cannot afford one for my GT160!

[Plugcheck]

    May not win the drag race, but the four stroke will have the torque to pull up skiers better.   The demise of the two-stroke is more based upon EPA environment quality than a performance issue, at least that is my understanding.    Given the choice, and assuming the price was the same, I'd probably opt for the 4 stroke.

[dorelse]

Its the only way to continue to use our boats on an increasingly scrutinized quality water source for everyone.

[Hyperacme]

NOooo... 
An outboard should be a loud, smelly, smoky, vibrating, temperamental machine ...
When you turn the key to start it, you want people with in 2000 feet to know it running, not have to look at the tach to see if it running !
You want the nice oil slick behind motor with clouds of smoke ...
At least Evinrude still makes two strokes.

[Plugcheck]

Yep, that's about right.   Honestly, the post 64 models that all adopted 50:1 oiling are not bad IMHO, but the first outboard that I encountered as a child was my fathers Evinrude Lightning or Lightwin or something like that.  I believe it was around 5hp, and used 16:1 oil.  I think he bought new from Sears or Montgomery ward, or some retailer like that.  Kinda hazy, was only about 4-5 years old then.   Now that matched your description of an outboard.   Was always happy to be moving cuz that meant the cloud was behind ya.   Learned a fair bit of prime cussin words when the old man and my uncle wanted to go fishing with it.

[Hyperacme]

Sad thing is Mike ... I'm not trying to be funny ... I love two strokes and all the nasty stuff that go's along with them ...
On a pontoon or fishing boat a four stroke would be nice, but on an old metal flake speed boat, two stroke is the only way to go !

[Plugcheck]

     Your right, a certain nostalgia to it.  Humidity, skeeters, 2 stroke oil, and fish.  I still mow the yard weeds in the way back with a 2-stroke mower(Lawn-Boy)

[Silver GT-150]

I'm with you Gregg!  Nothing against 4-strokes, but I'm just not there yet.

[David CVX-16]

Luckily, most of us on this forum are old enough so that we have a choice of 2 cycle or 4 cycle outboards for the rest of our lives because of the availability of 2 cycle outboards. Thirty years from now, consumers may only have 4 cycle engines - no in-line 6 cylinder Mercurys, no 2 cycle racing Mercurys. We may still have the Evinrude e-tec, which seems to be a good engine.

But then we resisted the carburetor vs fuel injection, blade brake lawn mowers, increased emissions requirements, catalytic mufflers, non chrome car bumpers,  car vent windows, doing tax returns by computer soft ware programs rather than by hand, and shopping in stores vs. shopping over the internet.

   

[Glastronjohn18]

The diehards in the snowsled world will tell you  "Two-Strokes for Life!!"

[dorelse]

Luckily, most of us on this forum are old enough so that we have a choice of 2 cycle or 4 cycle outboards for the rest of our lives because of the availability of 2 cycle outboards. Thirty years from now, consumers may only have 4 cycle engines - no in-line 6 cylinder Mercurys, no 2 cycle racing Mercurys. We may still have the Evinrude e-tec, which seems to be a good engine.

I'd be surprised if (high emmision 2-stroke OB's) they're not banned (or aged out) 15 years from now.  I think the Flint water crisis will force all state environmental agencies to really take a hard look at bodies of water that also are shared use for drinking water supplies. 

But, that's just me.  You're right in that the modern clean 2-strokes will likely live on for some time...though I think manufacturers also believe that 4-Stroke's are the future.

[Hyperacme]

I know the end of 2 strokes was near ... Just sad to see it happen.
Plenty of old motors out there to keep me going long enough ...

[FergusonPooleInc]

As a 2-stroke makes a power stroke every rotation of the flywheel, they are physically superior to a like 4-stroke which makes one power stroke once in two rotations of the flywheel, as to torque for pulling-up skiers or planing-out.  As there is an assumption by much of the public that 4-strokes are superior, possibly because 2-strokes have been seldom seen in automobiles and trucks, Mercury and others (my opinion) are marketing to what the public thinks it wants.  Very sad to me, as there is so much greater maintenance and issues with a 4-stroke in marine use, especially so the smaller the horsepower.  The direct injected 2-strokes are cleaner than a 4-stroke because of the lack of valve overlap (overlap is simply when both the intake port and exhaust port are both open - this allows a portion of the intake fuel/air mixture to pass unused directly out the open exhaust, and why a carburated 2-stroke is so "dirty" at low speeds - the higher the engine speed, the less the passage out the exhaust).  A direct injected 2-stroke has computer control  to only inject the fuel/air mixture when the piston has both the intake and exhaust ports covered, hence there is no valve overlap.  Valve overlap is present in all 4-strokes, as the ability to open the exhaust port valve sufficiently must begin while the intake valve is also open.  4-strokes are available with fuel injection, but as the name says, it is only the fuel injected before the intake valve, so valve overlap is still present.
One little known issue for 4-strokes in marine use in oil dilution.  Here is an interesting thread, especially the answer given by Dan about 70% into the thread: http://aomci.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6374

My opinion,
Joe
www.fergusonpoolemarine.com
info@fergusonpoolemarine.com