• Welcome to Jetboaters.net!

    We are delighted you have found your way to the best Jet Boaters Forum on the internet! Please consider Signing Up so that you can enjoy all the features and offers on the forum. We have members with boats from all the major manufacturers including Yamaha, Seadoo, Scarab and Chaparral. We don't email you SPAM, and the site is totally non-commercial. So what's to lose? IT IS FREE!

    Membership allows you to ask questions (no matter how mundane), meet up with other jet boaters, see full images (not just thumbnails), browse the member map and qualifies you for members only discounts offered by vendors who run specials for our members only! (It also gets rid of this banner!)

    free hit counter

ROTAX ENGINE

Simon Bedard

Jet Boat Addict
Messages
45
Reaction score
11
Points
87
Location
quebec
Boat Make
Scarab
Year
2014
Boat Model
HO Impulse
Boat Length
21
There are over half a million Rotax engines on the water today. How's that for reliability?
 

dbrunone

Jet Boat Addict
Messages
65
Reaction score
35
Points
117
Boat Make
Boatless
Year
NA
Boat Model
242 Limited S E-Series
Boat Length
NA
Thats a lot of engines, sure, but it doesn't say much about reliability....

Not saying they are or are not reliable, its just not logical to correlate the two. Its like saying "This piano has 88 keys, therefore it must play in tune". Hmmm

For example, what if a guy completely blew one engine per week, and he always replaced that engine with a new one? The 500k number wouldn't change but reliability would surely be affected.
 

Ronnie

Jetboaters Fleet Admiral
Messages
8,467
Reaction score
11,232
Points
637
Location
SF Bay Area
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2010
Boat Model
Limited S
Boat Length
24
Anyone know how many mr1 (992 cc, 1,052 cc) and 1,812 cc yamaha motors are on the water currently? What about how many have put put in service to date?
 

Murf'n'surf

Jetboaters Fleet Admiral
Staff member
Administrator
Messages
7,067
Reaction score
6,004
Points
527
Location
Naples Florida
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2005
Boat Model
SX
Boat Length
23
I have had many discussions with PWC dealer mechanics about what they see on a daily basis and what they would buy after knowing the inside scoop on Yamaha versus BRP. All of them say that they would put their money in Yamaha's court. BRP builds a sexier and faster product and is more appealing to the buyers.

Over the last 13 years, I have been responsible for upkeep on 22 Seadoo PWCs (over 13 years not at once). I can tell you that BRP reliability has been dramatically increased since 2001 and that they keep pushing the envelope on HP and features that keep the product fresher than Yamaha. I still see more failures and alarms that require dealer visits on BRP than my network of guys who maintain Yamahas.

Bottom line? Yami and BRP are in the same game but focus on different aspects and appeal to different crowds. They are both great products and each have issues that will require time and money. My comments above are from my experience and may differ from the next guy.

Jetboaters.net wants ALL jetboaters to unite and enjoy their toys as a group and discuss our hobby regardless of who makes the motors. I can't wait to drive a Scarab to be totally honest!!
 

itsdgm

Jetboaters Admiral
Messages
3,637
Reaction score
3,089
Points
417
Location
Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2007
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
21
I love my rotax engines. ;)
image.jpg

Seriously though, I've had great success with all of the rotax engines that I've owned. From a 95 SeaDoo SPX to our 98 Sportster 1800 and my Go Kart engines. Rotax engines have yet to let me down. All of mine were 2 strokes so maintenance was a bit higher than my Yamaha 4 strokes, but that because they're 2 vs 4 stroke. I've never owned a Yamaha 2 stroke, but they did have a checkered past with oil line failures. I'm sure they are great engines, but a poor design of the cheapest part of the engine would cause catastrophic engine failure. So either way no manufacture is perfect. I don't have any firsthand experience with the newer 4 stroke Rotax engines but hopefully they prove to be reliable too.
 

Aces_Over_Kings

Jet Boat Addict
Messages
64
Reaction score
42
Points
117
Boat Make
SeaDoo
Year
2010
Boat Model
Other
Boat Length
16
I love my Speedster 150 (first boat!), the engine has treated me well so far, and I'm leaning towards a Scarab 195/215 HOI as my next.

So I like the rotax powerplant and have some 'lost my boat virginity' fondness and loyalty to Sea-Doo/BRP/Rotax.

But I have to agree that the quantity of engines produced has no bearing on their reliability.
 

jdonalds

Jetboaters Commander
Messages
609
Reaction score
375
Points
197
Location
Redding, CA
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2006
Boat Model
SX
Boat Length
21
I've posted many times about poor reliability of SeaDoo PWC, but never once did I say anything negative about rotax engines.

My experience comes from nine years as a member of a 100+ jet ski club of Southern California. I was also friends with the owner of the PWC rental outfit in Santa Barbara who switched from SeaDoo to Yamaha and Honda due to poor SeaDoo reliability costs. In years of riding I was never on a ride with several other club members where a ski failure occurred that wasn't a SeaDoo. Not one time did a Honda, Yamaha, or Kawasaki (heck even a few Polaris skis either) fail. I would say that two to four times a year our club ride would either be held up or terminated by the failure of a SeaDoo. But every time it was something other than the actual engine mechanics.

In most cases it was a non-engine mechanical failure or an electrical failure. It was never because of the pistons, rings, valves, crankshaft, or other mechanical parts of the engine. But the ECU, simple electrical connectors, switches, or other electrical problems were by far the biggest failures. Most of the time failures were on stock skis but sometimes the ski had been modified which added to the problems. I will also add that I don't remember a single club ride where any ski failed on fresh water. All SeaDoo problem in my memory were on salt water. Perhaps the electrical systems of the non SeaDoo skis are better designed to keep moisture out of the electrical systems. On the other hand about 75% of the club rides I participated in were on the ocean.

It seems SeaDoo skis are easy to modify for the purpose of making them go faster. Perhaps it is the higher volume sold that contributes to the plethora of after-market parts being available. But SeaDoo seems to be the ski of choice for racing.

It also seemed to me (just guessing here) that SeaDoo put more energy into new features than reliability. Also it seems SeaDoo tends to push their designs to the limit while the other major vendors de-tune and limit their engine performance to err on the side of reliability.

The club started in 2005 at which time about 1/2 of the members had SeaDoos. By 2014 about 80% are Yamaha or Kawasaki skis with the remaining 20% SeaDoo. The club now has about 130 members and rides almost every weekend.

My good friend and club member Tom on his SeaDoo about 1/2 mile off Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California. Tom had more than one ski failure that held up club rides over the years.
 

MikeyL

Passed Away
In Memoriam-RIP
Messages
2,729
Reaction score
1,358
Points
222
Location
Lake Oconee, GA (Greensboro)
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2016
Boat Model
242 Limited S E-Series
Boat Length
24
My SeaDoo's AND Especially the IBR feature are THE BOMB !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Riding them heavily since 2007 and have not experienced ANY problems !
Ride mine almost daily. 'Jes for FUN !
'Nuff said. The pundits who wanna bash BRP powerplants ....... Do THEY ride every day ?
I own a LOT of "Yamaha products" and promote them heavily !
If my CHAP dealer had actually for once taken his head outta his a**, I woulda owned a CHAP right now, and traded in my 242 LS jet boat for the Vortex. Why ? Because Chap had the design "right" ... AND Chap IS using BRP powerplants something I actually wanted.

Well, wudya know ? Chap stumbles, doesn't release their 24 foot boat "in time," and Yamaha makes MAJOR mods/changes/improvements to their 24 foot line-up for whatever reason.
I do not care WHY Yamaha did it ....... Just that they did ........ And Voila !!!!!!!! My entire attitude has changed - Permanently.

More on that later. Life is kinda funny many times ..... and there are some interesting twists and turns that happen. We are enjoying one of those right now.
Best Wishes to all - Mikey Lulejian

PS - If you're confused right now ........... It's OKAY ! Cuz I stay that way. But I do LOVE my BRP Rotax powerplants, Make no doubt about that !
 

Zarrella

Jetboaters Admiral
Messages
2,170
Reaction score
1,996
Points
287
Location
Lake City, Florida
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2008
Boat Model
Limited
Boat Length
23
Sounds like this is no different than the Ford vs Chevy opinions. Even though we all know Ford wins that one!:winkingthumbsup"
 

SilentShooter

Jet Boat Addict
Messages
30
Reaction score
9
Points
87
Boat Make
Boatless
Year
NA
Boat Model
HO Impulse
Boat Length
NA
While I actually like the new yamaha SVHO power plant over the Rotax 1503 HO, the 1503 is still a great engine. I think the jet pump for the scarabs could be better designed and I prefer the open loop cooling of the yamaha over the rotax.

I have lots of friends that run sea doo's and they tend to run into more issues than the yamahas. Biggest is when we are dealing with seaweed. The sea doo's start to overheat as the heat exchanger gets blocked. Also the plastic wear ring has been an issue that is easily fixed with a SS ring but still the factory ring does suck. Motor wise once you start modding I really can't blame failures on BRP or Yamaha as you are not within designed parameters. Only thing that worries me on the Rotax is that they run very advanced timings to get the TQ numbers out of the smaller engine so when you are modding them detonation normally is what kills them.
 

ScarabMike

Jetboaters Admiral
Messages
2,216
Reaction score
2,044
Points
302
Location
Green Cove Springs, FL
Boat Make
Scarab
Year
2014
Boat Model
HO Impulse
Boat Length
19

The Rotax 1503 engine is an engineering masterpiece, the only 4 stroke engine specifically designed for watercraft use, the only watercraft engine with a closed loop cooling system. It is now available in several variations from the new 135hp found in the 2006 GTI range right up to the wopping 215hp supercharged intercooled monster found in the SeadooRXP/RXT/GTX LTD and is also available in various Sea doo jet boats.

It has 1503cc 3 cylinder’s single overhead cam pushing 12 valves. The engine is a dry sump variety running with twin oil pumps and a tip over protection system to stop the oil from flowing to unwanted areas in the case of the watercraft being inverted. Valve timing is designed in such a way that every time you turn off your 4 tec equipped Sea doo the engine will stop with all 12 valves firmly closed to make water ingression almost impossible.

Reliability explained from other communities.
http://www.jetboating.net/jetboating/common/forums/threadview.aspx?forumid=4&page=2&threadid=15281

Rebuild parts site. (one of many)
http://www.4-tecperformance.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=18_10

Im not going to debate what engine is better, or what engine lasts longer. But if this thread is about the engine, then lets help the people that have it, not make this into a pissing contest.

@Simon Bedard You can make your points without making it sound like your claiming superiority over other engines. This forum consists of many manufacturers, and people are proud, and love their boats. Remember we own products from the new kids in town. Lets just show everyone more about our experiences, and help new and future Scarab owners learn from it. At the same time, we can open the minds of past owners, and people that have had issues with the Rotax, or clear the air about some of the myths about the engine if we can. Its still too early to pass judgement on the new catalyzed and updated 1503 engine.
 
Last edited:

SilentShooter

Jet Boat Addict
Messages
30
Reaction score
9
Points
87
Boat Make
Boatless
Year
NA
Boat Model
HO Impulse
Boat Length
NA
That is outdated info.. just FYI and marketing fluff for the most part.
 

ScarabMike

Jetboaters Admiral
Messages
2,216
Reaction score
2,044
Points
302
Location
Green Cove Springs, FL
Boat Make
Scarab
Year
2014
Boat Model
HO Impulse
Boat Length
19

SilentShooter

Jet Boat Addict
Messages
30
Reaction score
9
Points
87
Boat Make
Boatless
Year
NA
Boat Model
HO Impulse
Boat Length
NA
I like this! " in the case of the watercraft being inverted" I hate when that happens....lol
Yea, if that happens in a boat then you have a lot of other things to worry about other than water in the engine.. But for a PWC that can be a daily occurrence
 

0627Devildog

Jetboaters Admiral
Staff member
Classifieds Moderator
Messages
3,223
Reaction score
2,516
Points
372
Location
Acworth, G.A.
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2014
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
24
I love my rotax engines. ;)
View attachment 11815

Seriously though, I've had great success with all of the rotax engines that I've owned. From a 95 SeaDoo SPX to our 98 Sportster 1800 and my Go Kart engines. Rotax engines have yet to let me down. All of mine were 2 strokes so maintenance was a bit higher than my Yamaha 4 strokes, but that because they're 2 vs 4 stroke. I've never owned a Yamaha 2 stroke, but they did have a checkered past with oil line failures. I'm sure they are great engines, but a poor design of the cheapest part of the engine would cause catastrophic engine failure. So either way no manufacture is perfect. I don't have any firsthand experience with the newer 4 stroke Rotax engines but hopefully they prove to be reliable too.

Who's the ugly guy driving?
 

0627Devildog

Jetboaters Admiral
Staff member
Classifieds Moderator
Messages
3,223
Reaction score
2,516
Points
372
Location
Acworth, G.A.
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2014
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
24
My SeaDoo's AND Especially the IBR feature are THE BOMB !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Riding them heavily since 2007 and have not experienced ANY problems !
Ride mine almost daily. 'Jes for FUN !
'Nuff said. The pundits who wanna bash BRP powerplants ....... Do THEY ride every day ?
I own a LOT of "Yamaha products" and promote them heavily !
If my CHAP dealer had actually for once taken his head outta his a**, I woulda owned a CHAP right now, and traded in my 242 LS jet boat for the Vortex. Why ? Because Chap had the design "right" ... AND Chap IS using BRP powerplants something I actually wanted.

Well, wudya know ? Chap stumbles, doesn't release their 24 foot boat "in time," and Yamaha makes MAJOR mods/changes/improvements to their 24 foot line-up for whatever reason.
I do not care WHY Yamaha did it ....... Just that they did ........ And Voila !!!!!!!! My entire attitude has changed - Permanently.

More on that later. Life is kinda funny many times ..... and there are some interesting twists and turns that happen. We are enjoying one of those right now.
Best Wishes to all - Mikey Lulejian

PS - If you're confused right now ........... It's OKAY ! Cuz I stay that way. But I do LOVE my BRP Rotax powerplants, Make no doubt about that !
Mikey, you are the funniest cat out here man.
 

0627Devildog

Jetboaters Admiral
Staff member
Classifieds Moderator
Messages
3,223
Reaction score
2,516
Points
372
Location
Acworth, G.A.
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2014
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
24
All I will say is I never modded my 2000 Sea-Doo Sportster LE. . . . It was BONE stock until the day it disintegrated. Thats right, disintegrated. As anyone on here who knows me should be able to verify, I am METICULOUS in the care of my things. I am hoping the Yamaha Pwr Plants gives me better longevity and reliability than the Rotax did. As it left us stranded on MORE than one occasion. Which is actually the main reason I went with a boat that had twin screws. . . . (now I just gotta install those tow valves)
 

Big Shasta

Jetboaters Captain
Messages
1,884
Reaction score
1,529
Points
227
Location
Panama City Beach, FL
Boat Make
Boatless
Year
NA
Boat Model
Other
Boat Length
NA
(now I just gotta install those tow valves)
In the meantime just throw a couple of these onboard. Hose pinch clamps. I threw 2 of them in a heavy ziplock bag (to prevent rust) about 3 years ago and had to use one when my impeller bearing went out at the lake this summer. It was easy to install behind the engine and didn't hurt the hose one bit. I got mine at Mcmaster Carr. for something you don't use often, I think this covers me completely.
 
Top