Like I said, we were testing the hull more than the motor. And yes, I have tested quite a few hulls and outboards of different manufacture, so I know a high performance hull when I drive one, empty or loaded. If folks can't look at that video and see no trolling motor, no rods, no partner, NOTHING normally carried fishing, then I surely can't help them. The motor was tested last year.
You asked if we turn the motors above recommendation, how long will it last. I can answer that question from EXPERIENCE. My race engines were STOCK 50hp tohatsu 2 stroke engines. Manufacturer called for 5400-5600 rpm. I raced that class for 5 years with the same 4 STOCK blocks. Turned them 7200-7400 rpm every race, never broke a single part on the motors. Longevity, our longest race was a marathon, 40 laps of a 4.1 mile course. So for 164 miles, that stock block turned 7400 rpm on less than 2 pounds of water pressure, no failures, EXPERIENCE! My last outboard was a Mercury prototype. A 4 cylinder, 61 ci, 4 stroke, 40hp unit with a 60hp ecu in it. The engine burned a valve after a tad over 2400 hours. That ecu was read, over 2400 hours, 97% of the time at 100% throttle, hit the 6250rpm rev limiter over 460 times, shut down on overheat over 360 times, then burned a valve, that took almost 10 YEARS.. EXPERIENCE!
I never insinuated that anyone could load a boat down and run 50 mph. I will insinuate that very few aluminum hulls will run even close to 50mph, EMPTY, with the exact same engine. We test hulls empty FIRST, to see if they are even worthy of the label "high performance", the majority are not. If the boat runs 50mph empty, it will run in the 40's loaded, very few others will do that. I simply try to disseminate the information we gather, take it as you will. Most folks will have enough common sense and vision to see and know that we are testing empty boats, evidently some will not.
If you are afraid to turn your engine over the manufacturer's recommendation, great. I give results on tests I have performed, not read about, not told about, not suggested by the manufacturer, I performed the test, that is called EXPERIENCE! So I can give you "real world" experience. You talk as though you have never exceeded the manufacturer's recommendation, then how do you know how long the unit will last under extreme pressure. You see, you are speaking from conjecture, I am speaking from experience. I am not trying to disrespect or argue with you, I am stating the facts. I have tested outboards under extreme operating conditions since the late 80's, EXPERIENCE!
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