250 Yamaha on a 208. Too much?

[Fever]

Hi all-

While in the search for a 208, I found one with a 2007 Yamaha 250.

Owner says yes, it seems large, but the 208 handles it just fine. Also gets good fuel economy.

Any concerns to look for?

Just checking for "Ya, me too" stories before I take her for a test drive.

Thanks,

 

[Legend]

As long as the boat is a 2007 or newer you should be fine. The 208 before 207 were only rated for a max hp of 230. 207 was the first year for a 250 max hp. good luck

 

[seasick]

As long as the boat is a 2007 or newer you should be fine. The 208 before 207 were only rated for a max hp of 230. 207 was the first year for a 250 max hp. good luck

Good advice. The extra weight of the 250 is an issue on earlier hulls. The later models added some weight forward to help balance the boat with heavier motors.

 

[LB2141]

I would base my decision on how much of a premium the seller is charging for the 250. I repowered a 2000 208 a few years ago to the Yamaha i4 200 hp and it was the perfect match for that hull. It is more than enough power and top notch fuel economy. Although my hull couldn't handle a 250 hp, even if it could, I wouldn't do it based on what I know now. The biggest consideration should be what other options the boat comes with. For example if you shopped around and found a 200hp with a hardtop versus a 250 with a soft top-- both for the same price -- I would take the 200hp/hardtop all day.

 

[seasick]

I would base my decision on how much of a premium the seller is charging for the 250. I repowered a 2000 208 a few years ago to the Yamaha i4 200 hp and it was the perfect match for that hull. It is more than enough power and top notch fuel economy. Although my hull couldn't handle a 250 hp, even if it could, I wouldn't do it based on what I know now. The biggest consideration should be what other options the boat comes with. For example if you shopped around and found a 200hp with a hardtop versus a 250 with a soft top-- both for the same price -- I would take the 200hp/hardtop all day.

The I4 is significantly lighter than the 6 cyl. It is about the same weight as the older SX. That is why it is such a good match for the older 208 hulls.
The original Grady recommendations for the 208 were 150HP without hardtop and 175 hp with hardtop (2 stroke models)

Some folks when adding a heavier 6 cyl on an earlier year 208 add a couple hundred pounds of forward ballast to 'adjust' the standing trim angle of the hull with the heavier motor.