At an August 2016 dealer meeting in Chicago, IL, Yamaha shared its strategy for becoming the #1 global marine brand. Given the extreme popularity of Yamaha WaveRunners, the introductions to their 2017 WaveRunner lineup went a long way toward accomplishing this goal. As the personal watercraft market anxiously awaits the announcement of their 2018 introductions, it is worth reflecting on the dynamic additions to their 2017 line. While several smaller updates were announced for 2017, the two extremely significant introductions bookended the market - the Yamaha EX Series for the recreational segment and the Yamaha GP1800 for the performance segment.
Yamaha EX Series
First, the new EX Series starting at just $6,599 MSRP, greatly extended the affordability of quality WaveRunners opening the market to many more watersports enthusiasts.
The EX Series is designed to provide an unbelievable experience on the water at the most affordable price and lives up to this promise by being agile, fun, and playful, with a more powerful engine and better durability than anything else in the rec-lite segment. The EX Series consists of three models - Base EX, EX Sport (offering mechanical reverse and dual mirrors), and the EX Deluxe (equipped with RIDE by Yamaha offering reverse and traction control).
Powered by a 1049cc 3-cylinder TR-1 Engine that is 40% smaller, 10% lighter, and more fuel-efficient than its 4-cylinder predecessors, Yamaha's new EX Series WaveRunners run to a top speed of 51 mph. A 13-gallon tank, much larger than other WaveRunners of this class, allows riders to stay on the water longer before refueling.
Finally, the new hull design gives the EX Series watercraft precise and predictable responsiveness and most importantly, stability – reportedly, rolling over an EX Series WaveRunner is next to impossible.
Yamaha GP1800
At the other end of the performance spectrum, Yamaha reinvented its legendary GP® racing series with the GP1800. This is an extremely high-powered WaveRunner with a supercharged 4-cylinder, 4-stroke, Super Vortex High Output Yamaha Marine Engine (SVHO) and a high-pressure 160mm fuel pump – and it is only 769 pounds. This combination of features has achieved recorded speeds as high as 85 mph.
Additionally, riders are thrilled with the handling, precision, and stability of this craft. With the GP1800, the risk is not overturning the ski, rather being blown off the back by its intense acceleration. However, this is a risk most enthusiasts seem more than willing to take.
The final factor that is so exciting to watersports lovers is the price point – the GP1800 has an MSRP of only $13,999 – about $800 less than the ski it replaced. In the end, this ski delivers a power to weight ratio not seen before on any personal watercraft and excellent handling at a very reasonable price point.
