I have the Yamaha 10 horse, with the gear shift on the handle, and it is GREAT. The shift is smooth, has good action, is easy to reach, and is postive in action. The engine runs smooth and has been reliable thus far, though it's only 3 months old.

I generally like the Yamaha overall, though it's a bit cold blooded. It takes it about 5 to 10 miniutes of backtrolling before it's really warmed up. Though it always starts and runs, including this morning, when it was a frosty 29 degrees when the boat hit the water. It's smooth running and queit, like most 4 strokes, and trolls down pretty well. I wish I had gotten the 8 horse, however, as the 10 horse sometimes is just a bit too much in real slow water. That's when the shift handle gets a lot of use, shifting in and out of gear.