If you get 1 that is really rugged and rated for 170lbs you won't be able to put the motor down without standing on the top of it,(slight exaggeration) the springs are too powerful.
I have that model you speak of (up to 115lbs, 20hp,and 14" travel) on an older boat with a 15hp 2 stroke and it was fine.
The 14-15 inch travel doesn't interfere with anything on my boat. Shouldn't on yours either. Unless you have big weird stuff on your transom?
The longer travel is preferred so when you raise your motor the prop comes completely out of the water when you are running. With the shorter travel models you will most likely have to raise the bracket and tilt the motor so it's prop doesn't drag in the water.
I have had ez-steers and they are very good, just unhook them going down the road because the bouncing cracked mines welded connections. It can be an issue adding or removing it while on the water for someone who isn't incredibly agile. So put it on on dry land so you don't fall out of the boat. (I don't mean you specifically, maybe you're spry as a cat?)
I now use the connector rod by Panther that hooks to the front of the engine (this is the one that can also be hooked to the cavitation plate) and is about $50 bucks in SS works good for me but might not for you because the kicker will be far back of the big motors steering cable and the angles might limit you.
Cabelas # sw-01-0971-000
Also if you hook it to your cavitation plate it will be almost impossible to remove while on the water if you had too, and because of it's design and mounting location it would most likely have to be removed everytime you raised and lowered your motor. (there isn't that much flexibility in that models connectors and if you over bend it it will crack very quickly and easily)
The ez steer is what i would reccomend if front attatchment is impossible. It flexes at it's joints enough to allow the motor to be raised and lowered without removal and will line up very straight with your transom mounted main engine and your bracket mounted kicker engine.
YOAdrien
thanks for the info, very helpful. its going to be nice not listening to the inline 4 chugging away. there is a slide mount also , might get 2 of those and mount the other on an aluminum boat i picked up for towing to the other ponds
