More outboards die from bad storage than from hard running. Water left in the cooling system freezes and cracks blocks; old fuel gums up injectors and carburettors; condensation corrodes cylinders. An hour of winterizing in autumn prevents all of it.
The essential steps
Flush the cooling system with fresh water, then make sure it drains completely — store the motor with the leg fully down so no water is trapped. Treat the fuel system: either run the carburettor dry or fill the tank with stabilized fuel and run it through, so varnish cannot form over winter.
Fog the cylinders with storage oil through the plug holes or intake, change the lower-unit gear oil (if water has got in, you want to know now, not in spring), and grease the pivot and steering points. On four-strokes, change the engine oil and filter before storage so acids from used oil do not sit in the sump.
Finally, disconnect the battery and store it somewhere frost-free on a maintenance charger, and cover the motor to keep dust and condensation off.
Buying in the off-season
Autumn and winter are quietly the best time to buy. Stock that arrived late in the season is priced to move, and you have months to fit and test the motor before the water opens. Our stock list updates year-round, so if the motor you want appears in January, it is worth acting then rather than waiting for spring prices.