Mr1 life expectancy

[bshell]

Hello every, very new to this site and jet boats. I am looking at a 2006 ar230ho with about 300hrs on each motor vs a 2014 AR192 with 100hrs. Is this high for the motor and should I be concerned with the lack of parts available as it ages? The 230 appears to have a great maintenance history and had the same owner for the past 6 years but is only $1000 cheaper than the 192. 192 also looks to be well kept. Open to any opinions on which way to go. Thanks!

 

[mdwarchichoke]

I would go with the lower hours, but i have to tell you nothing like the extra 4' feet of room on a 23' foot boat. I do not know what your needs are, but with a full family on board it is nice. If the hours were close and boats well maintained, I would go bigger, but that is just for my situation with the family. Did you see this one posted up in the forum. Seems like a very good price....

https://jetboaters.net/threads/ny-2008-yamaha-sx230ho-for-sale-15-000.21334/

 

[chesbay007]

No, you should not be concerned. Those hours seem to be average based on the year. Better to use the engines than have them sit. I have a 2005 AR230 with no issues. I have been told these engines are good for 2,000 hours
before a rebuild.

 

[sethman919]

Youre either looking at a super cheap 192 or an over priced 2006 AR230... you should easily be able to get into an 07+ 230 for what im seeing 192s going for. I struggled with this same decision and very glad i went with the 08 AR230. the space is awesome. I would spend some time searching. the 07+ is a much better boat than a 06 and you should be able to find a 07+ for the price of a 192. 300Hours on MR1s is nothing.

 

[Dean P]

I also agree with all this. My philosophy is get the biggest you can afford. Funny, but overtime they get smaller.

 

[capt]

I got the same advice (go bigger then you think you need) when I was trying to decide. I am glad I did so far but have only had my 07 sx230 for a couple of months. I paid 20k came with 220 hrs, tower, redone upholstery and galvanized trailer. Everyone says this model 07-09 230 is the best boat Yamaha ever made. I decided to go with the 23 mainly because I have a family of 5 and lots of family and friends that we want to take out with us.

 

[bshell]

The 230 is asking $21 but I think I can get it for $19 or less. Just serviced with plugs and oil change. New upholstery on most panels, new carpet, 3 amp stereo with dual batteries. 192 is firm at $19 but the seller is a little flaky. Good shape with upgraded stereo.

What makes the 06 worse than the 07-09?

 

[Chillypilot]

I have an 09 230 and its performed like a rockstar. Definitely go bigger if you can.

 

[bshell]

When did the MR1 go out of production? I am just wondering how tough it may to get parts for.

 

[capt]

The 230 is asking $21 but I think I can get it for $19 or less. Just serviced with plugs and oil change. New upholstery on most panels, new carpet, 3 amp stereo with dual batteries. 192 is firm at $19 but the seller is a little flaky. Good shape with upgraded stereo.

What makes the 06 worse than the 07-09?

I have been shopping for a 230 model for a couple years now and I would say that 21K for an 06 is way high. Even 19K is too high. The only way that it would be worth 19K is if it had a perfect pass and seadek throughout the boat.

The 07-09 model has a different hull and has a higher freeboard. A little more room in the bow also. (not much though) They also have a larger storage space to put a small head.

 

[capt]

When did the MR1 go out of production? I am just wondering how tough it may to get parts for.

The MR1's can be easily found. There are tons of ski's that have the same motor. Supposedly they are solid motors with great dependability. I also think that the 04-06 230's might have an issue with the ecu's going bad from water intrusion.

 

[Jgorm]

I'm mixed. I've had low compression on 2 different mr1s. 400hr on my 04 ar230 and i had to rebuild the heads on one of them. You can't buy a new motor, only a sbt rebuild with many questionable reviews on their quality. For reference I bought the 04 ar320 in December of 2016 for 14k. Great interior, freshwater only. Test drove fine, drove fine in my first drive, then wouldn't start. That's when i became a self proclaimed mr1 expert back yard mechanic. Check the compression on everything you buy!

 

[bshell]

Definitely good advice. I had a 115 outboard on my last boat with 750hrs and it ran like a top. Is it really a toss up on if these are in it for the long haul? We put around 75hrs on a boat per season so I need something that will stand that.

 

[RiverRatSx210]

I picked up my 08 sx210 for 20k last year, Ive run it for two seasons now and absolutley love the boat. from what ive seen 06-09 21ft-23ft boats have a 20-25k asking price in washington state during the summer time. if you can hold off- best time to buy is at the end of season. I purchased mine in june and I didnt want to wait, could have picked up a 23ft for that price had i waited.. but it wouldnt have fit in my garage.

keep in mind if you are planning on storing this boat in a garage the earlier AR's didnt have a folding tower unless I am mistaken.

 

[bshell]

Thanks for the tip. We have a marina in our neighborhood with dry stack storage so that’s where it would live. I’m honestly steering towards the 192 just because the hours are lower.

 

[PaulyB]

I've got an 07 SX230HO with 40 hours on it in VA. I dont know where you are, but I'm looking to get about 15k for it. Let me know if youre interested.

 

[bshell]

Paulyb, I would be but I am in ga. That’s a bit to far for me. Thanks for the offer though!

 

[biglar155]

I would not fret about 300 hours on an '04 boat. I've got an '09 I bought leftover (new) in 2010. I've hardly used the thing compared to MANY folks on this board and when I commissioned her last spring the engines were showing 134 hours. So I think you're looking at a pretty lightly used boat.

As to lack of parts - I really can't answer to it but considering the number of MR1 engines made, I doubt it will be an issue.

I'm a do-it-yourself-er so I know where you're coming from with that question. The reality is that - treated properly - the only parts you're likely to ever need to change are the oil filters.

My thought is, look for a good '07-'09. The head compartment really opens up your options for extended day-cruising - especially if you have kids or other bashful folks on board who don't want to just hang over the side. We've been known to drop the Anchor on Lake Poygan around 9:30 in the morning and not hoist that anchor until 9:30 at night.

Plus the SIZE. Buy your second Yamaha first and save yourself the hassle.

Just my 2 cents. Good Luck with whatever you decide. We'll be here to help you spend your money on accessories either way!

 

[swatski]

I would not based my decision on the engine architecture. Both of them (MR-1and 1.8) have tremendous track record, and those engines have been around a long time. MR-1s have their issues as @Jgorm said, while 1.8’s can break a timing chain if pre-2016, especially supercharged.
Still very unlikely.

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[sethman919]

Am I the only one who thinks a 14 192 with 100hrs for $19k seems fishy?