252SD vs AR210 vs AR240 BoatTest

[Epsmith19]

The Yamaha factory is up on the little Tennessee River, I wonder if elevation could be affecting the top end.

 

[Stealth]

I haven't seen it mentioned yet, but the 25's seem to be a lot louder according to the posted numbers. At cruise speed (5500 RPM) it is 76 dB (24ft) vs 88 dB (25ft). Thats a very big increase and concerning.

 

[tkeru408]

The Yamaha factory is up on the little Tennessee River, I wonder if elevation could be affecting the top end.

At around 4:35 in the video when Capt'n Steve is walking through the Connext screens, the map shows he on Lake Allatoona (GA). I was assuming that's where the performance testing was done but maybe not.

I haven't seen it mentioned yet, but the 25's seem to be a lot louder according to the posted numbers. At cruise speed (5500 RPM) it is 76 dB (24ft) vs 88 dB (25ft). Thats a very big increase and concerning.

That's an interesting point that I hadn't noticed before. I've not been on a 242 enough to know how loud it is but I do not that my 252 is loud. I just assumed mine was the same as the 242 but those numbers indicate it's definitely louder. I may need to read up on adding additional sound insulation to the thing, a little quieter would be nice.

 

[Stealth]

That's an interesting point that I hadn't noticed before. I've not been on a 242 enough to know how loud it is but I do not that my 252 is loud. I just assumed mine was the same as the 242 but those numbers indicate it's definitely louder. I may need to read up on adding additional sound insulation to the thing, a little quieter would be nice.

At what speed would you say is the max that you can still hold a conversation over?

 

[tkeru408]

At what speed would you say is the max that you can still hold a conversation over?

It's a bit of a guess because I haven't actually tested it (i.e. looked at the speedometer while having a conversation to see when it becomes too difficult). I'd say up to about 20mph or so but it's much easier if we're closer to 15mph.

Looking at the dBA chart for the 252 vs the 242, the difference is so drastic I wonder if it's really an apples to apples comparison. The 252 is listed at 77.7 dBA at 2500 rpm and the 242 doesn't get to 77dBA until 5500rpm. I know at 2500 rpm on mine the engine noise isn't bothersome at all...there's no way the 242 can be that quiet at 5500 rpm can it?

 

[Stealth]

Looking at the dBA chart for the 252 vs the 242, the difference is so drastic I wonder if it's really an apples to apples comparison. The 252 is listed at 77.7 dBA at 2500 rpm and the 242 doesn't get to 77dBA until 5500rpm. I know at 2500 rpm on mine the engine noise isn't bothersome at all...there's no way the 242 can be that quiet at 5500 rpm can it?

Between the speed difference and sound I do wonder if something is off on the test.

 

[Babin Farms]

The best thing you can do if your thinking about buying is to water test each of them and go from there. Nothing beats hands on experience.

 

[Stan M]

I had some outboard and I/O folks on my boat the first time out a few weeks ago. They raved at how quiet my 252S was. They were equally shocked at how she shot out of the hole! Interestingly, when water testing mine, the dealer tech said that as the engines wear in, they will actually get a bit quieter...don't know if that was just a line, but I hope so. In any event, I am pleased with the noise level as-is so that would simply be a bonus.

 

[poidog]

Did anyone notice the boat he tested was the prototype boat that was used in all the stock photos and not a production boat? Maybe that could of played into the test results.

 

[KCAR250]

Something to keep in mind is the 252SD is 500+ pounds heavier then the AR250. 400+ pounds heavier then the S. The outside air temp was 95 degrees which could have played a roll. I know some people are saying the AR250 goes around 42 at like 6500RPMs so who knows what they can actually do. My dealer doesn’t do test drives.