Yamaha 115HP | VF115LA V MAX SHO

V MAX SHO is Yamaha's performance line; this VF115LA version weighs 377 lbs and rides on a 20-inch shaft, starting electrically while throttle and shift run through remote mechanical controls. A 1.8-liter four-stroke inline-four, the same block found elsewhere in Yamaha's 115 hp range, sits underneath the SHO badge here, dressed up with the performance tuning that separates a SHO engine from a standard F-series model.

What the SHO badge signals here

Yamaha positions its SHO engines around a lighter overall package for the horsepower delivered, paired with quicker throttle response, which the company credits with a faster run up to speed compared with its own earlier 115 hp designs. The same EFI fuel delivery underpins the rest of Yamaha's 115 hp range as well, metering fuel precisely rather than relying on a carburetor.

What rides along with it

Standard equipment is power trim and tilt with the owner's manual; a propeller is not included and should be sourced to match the boat separately from the motor itself.

Matching shaft to transom

Twenty inches is the shaft length on this particular VF115LA; measure your own transom rather than assuming it matches a longer Yamaha 115 hp variant, since shaft length cannot be adjusted once the motor is installed.

Specs at a glance: displacement of 1832cc, full throttle reached in the 5300-6300 rpm band, and a 3-year warranty.