Mercury Announces V6 200R and 150R

[abdrews013]

Instagram announcement: https://www.instagram.com/p/C_vPr1kOpiy/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

200R product page: https://www.mercuryracing.com/engines/r-series/200R.html
150R product page: https://www.mercuryracing.com/engines/r-series/150R.html

No short shaft, unfortunately. 200R weighs 469 lbs with Torque Master and 489 lbs with Sport Master. 150R weighs 475 lbs.

536111

[LakeFever]

That’s pretty sick! 20lbs more for the sporty that’s a lot of beef. Wonder why so much more weight between the two? 6400rpm with a 1.75 sounds pretty incredible. With a good 32 hooked up that’s over a hundred mph potential. On 87 octane too with ethanol too.

Damn. Mercury finally answering the call here. 19 spline lower unit shaft.

if I ditch my jack plate this would only be about 40lbs more weight than my 2.5 set up is right now. I’ll be looking close at one of these well done Merc

[CUDA]

Torque

[skialot2]

I am looking at the specs. it looks like the 200 can come with either a torque master or a Sport master gearcase in 20" 1.75 ratio in RH only. But the 150R only comes with a 4.8 gearcase in both 20" and 25". 1.85 ratio. Counter rotation available. No Torquemaster or Sportmaster available.

[abdrews013]

Yep, that's what I read as well.

[JCSmile]

Was hoping to see them make it a 225 to match the highest mercury 3.4 platform and the same 66hp/l as the 300r, but it could be a pretty compelling option on 20ft boats. Will be interested to see what the CARB dyno sheets read, 220hp?

[LakeFever]

Being a four stroke this would be a piece of cake to stuff a Holley HP on this thing and mod til your blue in the face. The hard part ( read that as the expensive part ) would be the camshafts. I’m sure you could regrind them but figuring out the lobe and the core and so on is going to be work.

These are built for 87 with 10% eth so even shaving the heads and doing a fancy valve job and some pocket porting along with a tune there’s got to be 25-50hp to be had doing that.

for a small boat like mine I don’t think any of that is nec if it spins that rpm using the extra torque the four smoke has and will turn bigger props to the limiter? Winning

[hellbents-10]

I think Jace needs one for his SS2000.

Anyone interested in a broke 260hp 2.5 15" lol?

[skialot2]

These are built for 87 with 10% eth so even shaving the heads and doing a fancy valve job and some pocket porting along with a tune there’s got to be 25-50hp to be had doing that.

for a small boat like mine I don’t think any of that is nec if it spins that rpm using the extra torque the four smoke has and will turn bigger props to the limiter? Winning

I think this will be easier than you think. Mercury already sells a 225 Horsepower 3.4 V6 in the Fourstroke line. So the power potential is there for a bunch more.536138

[4Speed]

Wonder how the 200 or 225 would compare to a 225 Sport XS Optimax... just thinking, any idea on the $$$?

[David]

I sit corrected, I never thought we would see these engines. It would be interesting to see a comparison on a boat between the new 200 and my 200XS

[David]

489 lb dry with a Sportmaster - is it ratcheting? Add in 13 lb of oil and it's 502 lb. Just about the same as a 300XS two stroke, and quite a bit more than the claimed weight of the 200XS ROS. In my dreams someone will test one on a 20' Allison and on a 20' Tuff.

The 150 gearcase is 4.8". That's very wrong for my SS2000.

[Greg G]

I had to pay Merc insiders a fughton of vig to get this to happen. Unfortunately its a fat boy :nonod:

[wettek]

Wish it was 8" shorter so I didn't have to muck around extending ski poles.

[aj06bolt12r]

Cool but.. Way too heavy for only 200HP that is not tunable like a SHO and I'm assuming it has the same Sportmaster as the new v8 Mercs? So gigantic and has to be run way out of the water?

I know that weight is without oil.. But is it without the cowl and without a prop too? I bet it is.

My E-Tec is 3.4L, 16" shorty mid and carbon cowl weighs 485LBS including the cowl, stainless prop, oil in gearcase, hydraulic steering installed, fuel system full and ready to run... It also makes about 100 more HP...

But it also eats the #5 piston every 10-30 HRS and I cant figure out why so.. Not gonna lie.. Still tempted by this new Merc offering.

[JBS]

I'm following this thread too. Very interesting.

[Greg G]

Cool but.. Way too heavy for only 200HP that is not tunable like a SHO and I'm assuming it has the same Sportmaster as the new v8 Mercs? So gigantic and has to be run way out of the water?

I know that weight is without oil.. But is it without the cowl and without a prop too? I bet it is.

Mercury has not posted an accurate scale weight in decades. 300R had to be weighed by a S+f er to get truth.

Why the V6 is not 225hp out of the box makes no sense IMO.

[hellbents-10]

Wonder how it stacks up to a 150 Yamaha with the Nizpro tuned 231hp. Although the lower would need to be modded on the Yamaha.

[aj06bolt12r]

Wonder how it stacks up to a 150 Yamaha with the Nizpro tuned 231hp. Although the lower would need to be modded on the Yamaha.

The yamaha would need better mounts too unless I am mistaken... I wonder if anyone has them yet... Id love to try a tuned 150 SHO with solid mounts and my 3.0 merc sporty mounted on it on the Allison.

[hellbents-10]

Tuff has done a couple 20s with the flashed 150 and ran 80+mph with the stock lowers.

[LakeFever]

I wonder whats the deal with the sporty being so much heavier? Is the bullet gigantic diameter or something? Gotta wonder about the handling on our small hulls?

[TooStroked]

I wonder whats the deal with the sporty being so much heavier? Is the bullet gigantic diameter or something? Gotta wonder about the handling on our small hulls?
I can tell you from personal experience that the Sportmaster gearcase - even though it will probably prove to be almost indestructible on smaller boats - leads to some interesting handling quirks. I have one on my Progression 22 on a 250R mounted on a manually adjustable 10" Bob's Machine jack plate.

Although the SM is probably great on multi engine boats, a single engine application presents some issues. First, although the SM gearcase is durable, it's huge. Fortunately, it has low water pickups mounted in the lower portion of the gearcase so you can run it surfaced. This is great if you have a powered jack plate. If you don't - like me - you crank it up as far as you can and still get out of the hole and maintain decent water pressure. But in my application, there's still too much gearcase in the water and it literally tries to lift and steer the stern around. I'm pretty sure that if I had the straight skeg (instead of the cambered one) and a power jack plate, I could get it up high enough to at least lessen the effects.

The other issue is that Mother Mercury doesn't see fit to offer wing plate hydraulic steering mounts on anything less than a 300R. This leads to one having to trust one of the many front / tiller mount systems. (I have the Seastar Pro system.) Coming from a full Latham wing plate system on my previous Mercury 2.5 / 200, I can tell you that my confidence level in running hard with this system just isn't near as great. And then there's that one "Jesus Bolt" that everything depends on ...

Finally, I don't know about the new smaller R motors, but mine only has solid lower mounts from the factory. Although they claim that the upper mounts are special and not as mushy as the fishing motors, you should see the movement back there at speed and in rough water. Add all of this together and you'll understand why I'm still struggling with my setup.


https://youtu.be/EVchfvmTQAg

[Hydrodreams]

The yamaha would need better mounts too unless I am mistaken... I wonder if anyone has them yet... Id love to try a tuned 150 SHO with solid mounts and my 3.0 merc sporty mounted on it on the Allison.

HydroTec makes the solid mounts for the 150 and 175 SHO.

[aj06bolt12r]

Interesting..I just messaged them today and they said that they do not

[David]

Somehow I just expected the 200R to have a version of the old 4.75” sportmaster. The old size would be plenty strong enough for a 200

[Greg G]

Is it confirmed it is the 5 1/4?

[aj06bolt12r]

Is it confirmed it is the 5 1/4?

I don't know for sure.. But the answer to that question will tell us whether this package was put together by the enthusiasts in the Merc Racing division or by bean counters in marketing.

[noli]

.


curious why they don't offer 20" mid, counter rotation on the 200R .. this just feels like a 200Pro XS with a sportmaster gearcase






.

[Greg G]

Doesn't it also have solid mounts and a higher RPM?

[John S]

I feel like this announcement/ thread started out for some of you as the hottest broad in the bar coming up to talk to you, and has now turned into the realization that when she leaned in to kiss you, that isn't a conceal carry revolver tucked in the front of her tight jeans. :D

[GaryConn]

I feel like this announcement/ thread started out for some of you as the hottest broad in the bar coming up to talk to you, and has now turned into the realization that when she leaned in to kiss you, that isn't a conceal carry revolver tucked in the front of her tight jeans. :D
That's funny...and disturbing at the same time!

[Petey]

I don't know for sure.. But the answer to that question will tell us whether this package was put together by the enthusiasts in the Merc Racing division or by bean counters in marketing.

Four stroke Sport Master conversion about 4 years ago, it ran faster and handled better than the 3L Sporty after a prop change. It also had zero water intrusion after some good time spent over 100 mph, which is something I could never say about the 3L Sporty

https://imgur.com/a/nQjT5q2

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[aj06bolt12r]

Four stroke Sport Master conversion about 4 years ago, it ran faster and handled better than the 3L Sporty after a prop change. It also had zero water intrusion after some good time spent over 100 mph, which is something I could never say about the 3L Sporty

https://imgur.com/a/nQjT5q2

536237


Your running the V8 sportmaster on that Opti? And you like it better? Interesting.. Did you have to raise the engine to get the same performance? What prop were you running and what did you switch to? What made the prop change necessary? Needed a bigger diameter wheel?

[aj06bolt12r]

Also what did you have to modify to make it fit?

[JPEROG]

We have been running a 3.4 with a sportmaster on it for 3 trouble free years. Yes it has a hydraulic plate, yes we added solid mounts, yes we run the motor high, yes its fast and sips fuel.

Joe536240

[aj06bolt12r]

Joe! I am glad you have chosen to weigh in on this discussion! I say this because I know that you know high performance recreational boating as well as anyone on this forum. I also know that you posess the means to run whatever you feel like running... For sure in the sub 24ft performance boat market at the very least... So the fact that you have chosen the 3.4 platform carries a lot of weight to me.

But I have so many questions.. The picture shows a 200r... But that has not been out for 3 years.. Did you get one early somehow? If not I assume that you mean that you have been running maybe a 3.4 225 with solid mounts and a sporty added for 3 trouble free years? Are you running the v8 sporty case or a modified 3.0 case?

I know you and your family know 20ft Allisons.... How do you feel that this 3.4 200r would push an XB2003 compared to 3.0/3.2 Merc or 3.4 Etec power?

Thanks!

[Petey]

Your running the V8 sportmaster on that Opti? And you like it better? Interesting.. Did you have to raise the engine to get the same performance? What prop were you running and what did you switch to? What made the prop change necessary? Needed a bigger diameter wheel?

Back when I had this boat yes. It was a stud change and drive shaft swap. That was an L6 400R gear case, not a V6/V8, but same size housing. The L6's still had a conventional shift shaft so it was still full shifting but opposite throw for forward and reverse. All of the newer V6/V8/V10s have the electronic shift actuator bolted directly to the gear case. I ran a worked 30 Eagle 4 for top end with the 3L case to 98-99 mph and I think I was 1 3/8" above. Raised it to 2" above with the 5.44" Sporty and ran a MAX5 ST and 5 blade cleaver to 102-103.

[Greg G]

Has the V6 R started to ship yet?

[Speed Jr.]

Has the V6 R started to ship yet?

Yes

[JPEROG]

Joe! I am glad you have chosen to weigh in on this discussion! I say this because I know that you know high performance recreational boating as well as anyone on this forum. I also know that you posess the means to run whatever you feel like running... For sure in the sub 24ft performance boat market at the very least... So the fact that you have chosen the 3.4 platform carries a lot of weight to me.

But I have so many questions.. The picture shows a 200r... But that has not been out for 3 years.. Did you get one early somehow? If not I assume that you mean that you have been running maybe a 3.4 225 with solid mounts and a sporty added for 3 trouble free years? Are you running the v8 sporty case or a modified 3.0 case?

I know you and your family know 20ft Allisons.... How do you feel that this 3.4 200r would push an XB2003 compared to 3.0/3.2 Merc or 3.4 Etec power?

Thanks!

The drivability of a four stroke (if you like to boat a lot of hours) is a no brainer. They are not a drag motor by any stretch but if you want to cruise the river 60 miles at 90 mph, you can't beat it. This motor has a 1.60 sportmaster and we have a coned torquemaster with a custom pick up being built for it. The case is big no question and there is room for improvement to make it even better.

I would never go back-

Joe