Yup, this year we got a G2... It's fantastic performance. A little bit louder than a 4-stroke, but makes a great noise. Very quiet for a 2-stroke (compared to the old ones if you remember/know someone with one!). But damn it sounds mean! Has 'lope' like a cammed small-block at idle
Love it.
Benefits? Instant torque, Just staggering acceleration (Boat is overpowered now I will admit, left room for future 'footage-upgrade') scary fast, no fishing boat needs to go as quick as this thing does... I actually have to be careful to not go over 50 mph sog or it will chine walk and attempt to kill me LOL, just fantastic!
Great fuel economy. Break in period, occasionally get a little wiff of the exhaust at times (you can tell it's a 2-stroke), but the ECU is programmed to use a little extra oil during this time. I personally like the smell and sure it will be gone when it's fully broken in (just about 20 hours on her now!). The fly-by-wire control and the screen shows you everything performance wise you could ever want, super slick! Even has auto-trim. Some people don't like it, it works great I think even in combination with trim tabs.
No more oil changes! Just have to add oil. Even in break-in - Don't need to add much XD-100, very comparable cost-wise.
What the number 1 reason for purchase I think... we moor the boat far away from any reputable dealer. 5 years no major service needed. No 100 hour service even needed! 6 year full warranty I believe. All motors are pretty good now. Service is what matters right? Don't have much to do which is nice. Lordship is the dealer, in Tilbury, which sucks as they are far, but otherwise they have good, friendly service!
ONE thing though. The hydraulic steering is integrated (can select different steering feedback even - cool!) Had existing sea-star system on the boat. When the new hydralic lines were installed by the dealer, a fitting was cracked, subsequently failed on the water. Which SUCKED. No fault of the engine. However, after that fiasco (new AN fitting). There is a seal in the hydraulic assembly that is leaking, so we sent it in to get fixed by the dealer. This engine is a first model year production, so a few kinks, other than that reliable and great on fuel.
Overall I do recommend it, low maintenance, good warranty, good performance even trolling. Everything you want really. There are a few service bulletins, but it's a brand new product. Had no issues beside the one steering problem, but that's it.
PS: I need a better picture... It's metallic red/gloss black. We have red and black stripes on the boat, looks bad butt with the aluminum combo I think!
Cheers