What is the difference between aG2 225 and a G2 225HO. I'm…

Are you looking online or at a print catalog, and are you looking at 2020 engines or older years? I am attaching a picture, this comes straight from the website. As you can see there is a 200, 200 HO, 225 HO, 250, and 250 HO (and no 225 non-HO model) See attachment. So my question to you is you can see what the website says, what are you looking at exactly, and what is it dated?

That doesn't look like Evinrudes website, that looks like a dealer website. Part of the confusion might also be the model number that they list on that website you are on, E225X, is a 2017 engine, not a new model. So I wonder if that specific dealer is selling old leftover engines as new engines. Either way, there is no 225 no-HO motors for model year 2020. What I can tell you is that the difference between a 200 and 200 HO as well as the 250 and 250 HO is in the lower units. A non-HO model (regardless of the horsepower) uses what is called a "Magnum" lower unit, which is an all-purpose lower unit. An HO model (regardless of the horsepower) uses what is called a "Lightning" lower unit. The lightning lower unit is narrower, which means it has less drag to it. When you have less drag you have more top end speed. There are some differences with the gear ratios in the lower units as well, but the main difference it the lightning lower unit is designed to be a high speed, high performance lower unit, where as the magnum is all purpose.

I don't know what your vessel is rated for horsepower wise, but ideally you would want to power the boat with whatever the coast guard sticker says on it for best performance. But you never want to go less than 70% of what the vessels rated horsepower is. For example, if the vessel is rated for 225 horsepower, installing a 225 would be ideal. 225 X .70 is 157.5. Nobody makes a 157 horsepower outboard so you would round up to 175 as being the smallest outboard you would install on the boat. Anything less than 70% of the vessels rated horsepower and the boat will likely not perform at all.

You are very welcome and it was my pleasure.