The new Yamaha 40hp EFI four-stroke is certainly one serious piece of engineering. The EFI model has been built using the foundation of the tried and proven carburetted Yamaha 40hp four-stroke, so boaties know they are getting a proven block and gearbox, with the added technology and fuel efficiency of EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection).

The most notable feature when taking the controls of the new EFI, supplied by Bill’s Marine in Cairns, was the lack of tiller vibration. I have long since moved on from tiller steers in my own boat, due to an aversion to the arm numbing vibration that shakes through my whole body on long trips, but there was no sign of this with the new Yammy.

The next thing to really grab my attention was the pure ease of operation of the power trim and tilt. It is by far the most user-friendly trim and tilt I have used on any boat – tiller steer or remote control. It sits perfectly at the relaxed position of the thumb and it is simply a matter of sliding the thumb up or down to get an instant response from the motor. After a few goes I felt like I’d been using it all my life, it was so instinctive to operate.

Trolling junkies will love another superb feature on the control arm – the press button idle adjustment, which allows the helmsman to adjust the revs a few at a time with the press of a button. Gone are the days of tweaking the throttle until you get it just right. Simply drop it back to full idle and the press of a button allows you to fine tune the revs to get the exact trolling speed you desire.

Another user-friendly feature is the non-start flushing option. The new four-stroke can be flushed simply by screwing on the hose, so you won’t wake the neighbours when getting home late.

The 40hp, EFI, F40FEHTL certainly has a compact looking, low profile, futuristic cowling, which is jam-packed with technology. A look under the cowling reveals a very efficient design, with next to no wasted space that keeps the overall motor very compact.

Surprisingly, the Yamaha at 105.8kg (with prop fitted) weighs only a few kilograms heavier that its main rivals; the 40hp Honda EFI four stroke tiller steer at 96.5kg and the 40 hp Mercury EFI four stroke at 98 Kilos. However, this slight difference is outweighed by the Yamaha’s splendid features.

During the water test, conducted with a Quintrex 420 Millennium Dory, the Yamaha EFI was exhilarating to handle. The tiller controls were perfectly positioned and natural to use, so I felt instantly at ease at the helm. We put the rig through its paces and the EFI was very responsive, reacting instantly to any change of throttle. It was super quiet throughout its rev range, and accelerated rapidly from a standing start, with no lag time between a twist of the throttle and the engine’s response. It produced a minimum trolling speed of 3.2km/h, which is perfect barra trolling speed, cruised at a very comfortable 34km/h (21mph, 18 knots) and at WOT reached 53km/h (33mph, 29 knots), which is more than fast enough for a tiller steer boat.

With an aging boating population the new EFI certainly hits the target market of anglers with a bit more money to upgrade from the basic manual tilt, pull start, two-stroke, to an electric start, power trim and tilt, fumeless, vibration free, fuel efficient EFI four-stroke. For me it’s certainly money well spent!

For further information on the Yamaha range of four- and two-stroke outboards, contact Bill’s Marine, in Cairns, on (07) 4051 6733.