If you need a new outboard for your dink, inflatable or small RIB, take a look at Honda’s new 4-, 5- and 6-hp portables. Each one weighs about 60 pounds, and they come with 15” or 20” shafts.
Honda is hardly new to the outboard market; they’ve been making outboards since the ‘60s. These newest models are carbureted four-stroke engines with overhead valves. They all have a 1.5L onboard gas tank, but the 5- and 6-hp models also offer a connection to an external tank. They all have a tiller handle that swings all the way up, and all the way down. And you can trim them to five different positions by pulling a pin.
Designed for easy use, the new Hondas shut down when you just press a button once, and they lock down and stay in place when you shift into reverse. For storage, an extension on the starboard side allows the engine to be laid down on its side, and the tiller lays flat against the engine. For maintenance, the bottom of the skeg has an oil drain and flush port. And optional 6-amp charging will keep the batteries charged and the nav lights running.
