I've currently got the Yamaha 9.9, and have had an older Honda 7.5. Both are/were great motors, and ran like sewing machines - smooth, reliable, quiet. I have never had a problem with gas, but I make sure to get good, mid grade gas fro a station that does a lot of turnover. My current motor runs off the main tank, so the fuel doesn't get old on it, and it has a good fuel filter/water separator, in addition to the internal filter.

The honda sounds like a good deal, I paid 2200 for my Yamaha (electric start).

One benefit to getting an electric start kicker is that it has an alternator and therefore keeps charging your battery while it's running. If you use electric downriggers, this can help you keep from running your starting battery down over the day.