That's my 2017 Yamaha 242 Limited S E series (red/black). From what I understand I am the first with the Magnum AK and Mega Fins Pus. I wanted to do a quick write up on the product after successfully getting them installed and running on them for 2 days.
First and foremost, Jeff is one of the nicest guys I've ever purchased anything from. He was so helpful on the phone with the ordering process and the installing process. Seriously, I can't believe he stayed on the phone the whole time I turned every bolt and tightened every nut.
That being said, the install was quite difficult. If it wasn't for Jeff's guidance and assurance I don't think I would have even attempted the install, in fear that I would take my boat accidentally out of commision. Only have 6 weekends left this season and I would have just waited for the dealer to install them or stayed stock. I'm really happy with the boat and have o issues handling it stock.
The main thing I noticed after the install was that it helped tremendously with "bow wondering". The boat stays much straighter now than stock without having to constantly correct with steering. I noticed this effect at both high and low speeds. In my opinion, that alone was worth the money and time to install.
Secondly, I noticed that I could make sharper turns with less speed loss. Before installing the system I never really tried to make crazy turns and do figure 8's around buoys, because who needs to do that on an average day. I will say that this particular weekend (after the install) several dams near the Chesapeake Bay were opened to prevent flooding from heavy rainfall, which put a lot of debris in the water on the way to places we were visiting. The Cobra system made it much easier to make sharp turns to avoid debris than stock. Very nice feature to have when you need it!
Lastly, reverse. I never really used reverse before the Cobra system because I knew I didn't have reverse. Lol. I was able to reserve in an out of several anchoring/docking positions at low speed over the weekend. Nothing too crazy, just slow speed maneuvering that would move the boat in the direction I expected in reverse. Its still nothing like a prop boat but I feel that I can put the boat in reverse and get the desired result. I really want to get out there and mess around with the 2 throttles independently and see what I can do. To be honest, I really just avoided reverse before and I need to practice to see what the boat is capable of now.
All in all, very happy with the purchase as it has some clear advantages over the stock setup. One thing is definitely for sure, I would not hesitate to buy another product from Jeff. I really can't emphasize enough how patient and helpful he was throughout the entire process. Thank you
View attachment 79819 View attachment 79820 View attachment 79821 A few of the new mega fang plus with the magnum ak steering on a 24 foot Yamaha sent today from a member after he finished installing the system. Now I need one with the regular mega fangs so you can see the difference in positioning. also I have no idea how I have them showing so large but I did locate a couple of pictures
the top pictures are the regular mega fangs and the other 3 are the new mega fang plus if you look at the position of the mega fang plus it is obvious the fangs are exposed to more water by being lower in relation to the ride plate
View attachment 79820 View attachment 79821 View attachment 79819
