Coming from 2001 seadoo speedster 240efi to 2016 yamaha sx190 any advice?

[Mangupce]

I had a 2001 seadoo speedster 240 EFI for 7-8years sold and I just made a purchase of a 2016 yamaha sx190 I know they are similar in the way of propulsion.
But not sure what to expect from a high output yamaha engine. If any body on here has any advice I would greatly appreciate it .
Thanks in advance
P.s. I'm completely new to the forum world

 

[tdonoughue]

First: Welcome! Good to have you here.

Advice: Prepare to have fun.

Sounds like a significant step up, just going to that much newer a boat. I think you will find it runs easier, might be a bit louder, and will give you years of enjoyment. Check out the FAQ for a list of the questions that people, um..., yeah, well, that they ask frequently.

 

[dbfl]

About a month ago I sold my 2004 Sea-Doo Sportster 4-TEC 155 hp "starter boat" (had it for five years) and upgraded to a 2021 SX190. Let me offer some observations. The engine is only part of the picture:

. The Sea-Doo is almost 1,000 lb lighter and much easier to maneuver, particularly when docking. Three times out so far and I'm still learning how to dock the SX190. The direction it turns in reverse is opposite the Sportster, and it's surprisingly taking a while to re-learn. Thrust Vector Xs installed before the last time out definitely helped.

. The SX190 is subjectively louder, particularly over 30 mph. For whatever reason, the higher, more annoying frequencies were better attenuated in the Sportster. Overall I think they're about the same in terms of decibels, and you can get away from the engine somewhat when seated in the bow of the SX190.

. I *really* like all the room and cockpit layout of the SX190. It's built for comfort and practicality, and aesthetically it's classy. By comparison the Sportster in my opinion an interesting and *fun* hybrid of jet ski and boat - certainly not a bad thing, just different and built for that role.

. Love the 40 gallon tank! Putting around on the minimum speed canals, it burns 1.0 gal/hr. At 25-28 mph cruise it's 6-7 gal/hr depending on number of people. Staying out for 5-1/2 hrs a couple weeks ago, afterwards fuel was still at 65%.

Engine - well, they both leap out of the water. The SX190 is a lot heavier boat and feels it. Less twitchy and takes the chop and crossing wakes much better. That's what I want at this point. Top speed isn't the same at all, particularly if comparing to a 240 hp engine on a 15 ft boat. I do miss 50 mph in the Sportster on a good day, and subjectively even faster because it rode so low in the water. The speed limit on the intracoastal near me (where I usually boat) is at most 30, usually 25. My SX190 tops out at about 40 mph, and that's good enough.

 

[Mangupce]

About a month ago I sold my 2004 Sea-Doo Sportster 4-TEC 155 hp "starter boat" (had it for five years) and upgraded to a 2021 SX190. Let me offer some observations. The engine is only part of the picture though:

. The Sea-Doo was almost 1,000 lb lighter and much easier to maneuver, particularly when docking. Three times out so far and I'm still learning how to dock the SX190. The direction it turns in reverse is opposite the Sportster, and it's surprisingly taking a while to re-learn. Thrust Vector Xs installed before the last time out definitely have helped.

. The SX190 is subjectively louder, particularly over 30 mph. For whatever reason, the higher, more annoying frequencies were better attenuated in the Sportster. Overall I think they're about the same.

. I *really* like all the room and cockpit layout of the SX190. It's built for comfort and practicality, and aesthetically it's a classy boat. By comparison the Sportster was this interesting hybrid of jet ski and boat - not itself a bad thing, just different and built for that role.

. Love the 40 gallon tank! Putting around on the minimum speed canals, it burns 1.0 gal/hr. At 25-28 mph cruise that's around 6.0 gal/hr. Staying out for 5-1/2 hrs a couple weeks ago, the tank was still at 65% or so.

Engine - well, they both leap out of the water. The SX190 is a lot heavier boat though and feels it. Less twitchy too, and that's what I want at this point. Top speed isn't the same at all, particularly if comparing to a 240 hp engine on a 15 ft boat. I do miss being able to hit 50 mph in the Sportster on a good day - subjectively even faster because it rode so low in the water, but the speed limit on the intracoastal near me (where I usually boat) is at most 30, usually 25. My SX190 tops out at about 40 mph, and that's plenty fast for my uses.

First post, so let me post a pic of the old and new boats too.

That is some good info thanks a bunch

 

[tdonoughue]

(and Welcome! @dbfl -- good and helpful first post.)

 

[biffdotorg]

Here is my $.02 on this. As I came from the 240efi equipped SeaDoo as well. Only mine, was the 20ft X20.

The noise will actually be less, but very similar on the Yamaha. The Merc 240efi was two stroke and quite noisy in comparison to the dual rotax 4-stroke SeaDoo boats. So you will be fine with that, if the merc didn't bother you.

You are going to love the size and capacity of the yamaha. And coming from a speedster, I think that will overshadow any performance differences. As it will not hit the top speed of what you had. But it will hit cruising speeds with more friends and cargo on board. The ride quality will be much greater as well. These are not flat bottomed boats and will cut waves much better.

The last thing that many over look, is it will be a dryer and warmer ride on those cool days. That was one thing my wife didn't like about our X20. Those little bubble shields and low freeboard were not her thing. Although I think we went full opposite on our Yamaha, as you sit in the boat with a wrap around windshield. But that is good for more.

So pros outweigh any cons in my eyes. I hope you will find it to be the same.

Good luck!

 

[Mangupce]

I feel that its a good swich as far as the size and the type of boat I need for my family.