SX 190 quality

[chaseingpucks]

Hey everyone I’ve been doing my research for months on Yamaha boats and I’m seriously considering buying a new SX 190 at the time where we can get our hands on them and I was wondering how many people have had any quality issues with things outside of the motor. I know Yamaha stands behind how reliable their motors are but I’m curious of the quality of seats, hardware, storage doors etc. Thanks!!

 

[jetblueWI]

We bought a 2019 SX190 brand new in late 2018, our first Yamaha. We live in Wisconsin, so we've used it for a little more than two full seasons. As far quality goes, the only complaint I have is that I've lost a few of the trim rings used to cover the screws on the lip of the drink holders. The twist-lock action that holds them down doesn't really secure them too well (either that or my kids keep loosening them).

Everything else, mechanical or otherwise, has been rock solid for us -- no issues with seat adjustments, seat materials, carpet, carpet snaps, latches, engine bay hatch/lift, etc.

 

[dbfl]

New, the strap that holds the windshield open or closed - the snap button pulled through because the strap was too short. I just replaced the entire strap and snaps - not worth taking to dealer. That's QC. Design: the stock bow roller is made of a material that scuffs the boat. Replaced that with a Stolz.

Since then: I noticed the ring around a drink holder over the engine hatch was a little loose. Soon afterwards it flew off (and away) before I could secure it. The rubber strip that seals the middle windshield "door" also started to come loose. A bead of silicone caulk took care of that.

That's literally "it" in about 9-1/2 months and 40 hrs of operation, and engine has been flawless. On advice here I also checked all accessible bolts/screws incl. the big hose clamps in the back access hatch. Surprisingly, everything was tight.

Call me a happy camper. I also made several improvements, e.g. Cobra fins, full Sea-Dek and replaced the speakers - all optional and personal preference though.

 

[chaseingpucks]

New, the strap that holds the windshield open or closed - the snap button pulled through because the strap was too short. I just replaced the entire strap and snaps - not worth taking to dealer. That's QC. Design: the stock bow roller is made of a material that scuffs the boat. Replaced that with a Stolz.

Since then: I noticed the ring around a drink holder over the engine hatch was a little loose. Soon afterwards it flew off (and away) before I could secure it. The rubber strip that seals the middle windshield "door" also started to come loose. A bead of silicone caulk took care of that.

That's literally "it" in about 9-1/2 months and 40 hrs of operation, and engine has been flawless. On advice here I also checked all accessible bolts/screws incl. the big hose clamps in the back access hatch. Surprisingly, everything was tight.

Call me a happy camper. I also made several improvements, e.g. Cobra fins, full Sea-Dek and replaced the speakers - all optional and personal preference though.

Okay awesome thank you very much. Did changing the speakers make a big difference without adding an amplifier to push more volume through them?

 

[dbfl]

A worthwhile improvement. The new ones (Kicker 6.5" - see model in my signature) accentuate the upper bass and high treble ranges. The stock speakers are "OK." If you buy a new one of these boats, first give the stock setup a listen. While the stock speakers had a fairly balanced sound, they were to my ear lacking in the low and high ranges. I've read more than once these Kickers need an amp to make them sound their best, and haven't yet decided on that.

I usually have the tunes on only when putting through favorite areas/canals at no-wake speed, and what I have sounds quite good. Cruising on plane, the stock Jensen head unit barely drives them loud enough at max volume. An amp could take that further.

BTW the stock speakers installed on mine (new in Aug of last year) were branded "ASA" - just lowish-end 6.5" marine models with a paper cone tweeter and maybe 8 oz. magnet. I note ASA claims to be an OEM supplier for Jensen.

 

[chaseingpucks]

Yeah I hear that at cruising rpm or of course WOT that you definitely can’t hear your tunes. Are the engines in these unbearably loud at cruising speed? I see some people have installed some noise dampening foam but is that necessary?

 

[dbfl]

Unbearably loud? Without the carpet installed - yes. The high frequencies bounce around too much in the cockpit. Carpet or Sea-Dek helps.
This is my first Yamaha, and I can only imagine what older models reputed to be louder, sound like.

Many people have reported improvement with various types of foam. At this point it's not so bad I want to put in the effort to do that yet, including the likely trial and error required. I might try it at some point because it's a little annoying sometimes. No passenger has yet complained. These jets rev considerably higher than a prop boat, the pitch of the whine is higher, and nothing will change that.

 

[chaseingpucks]

How is the ride quality on a fairly rough lake? A lot of people say a 21’ boat makes a huge difference over a 19’ but that’s coming from a stern drive 19’ boat.

 

[rbarthur21]

No problems here…
But seriously, other than what others have said, just small wear and tear stuff and nothing I can’t fix myself if I want to. The vinyl seats have held up great and the engine runs like a champ after 1 year/50 hours in salt water. I do flush it every time. As I’ve said in other threads, the biggest issue for us is handling chop, but I understood that would be a problem when I bought it. This was a starter boat for my family. Eventually we’ll go bigger.

 

[dbfl]

How is the ride quality on a fairly rough lake? A lot of people say a 21’ boat makes a huge difference over a 19’ but that’s coming from a stern drive 19’ boat.

We were on the St. John's River and Lake Monroe this past weekend (near Sanford, FL), and the latter was a little windy. I'd call it light chop. The ride was comfortable at 30 mph. Keep in mind these jet boats do not have as deep of V hulls as stern drive. That means they jump on plane more quickly, you feel the bumps more and they tend to slide around with lateral wind and wakes absent stabilizers like Cobra Jet fins or TVs. That applies to all of them.

I seriously considered a new SX210 and made my own comparison sheet to help decide. They're attractive. Why not? Primarily because +$14K didn't justify the benefits - a little more room (we usually have 2-4 and rarely up to six), extra/redundant engine, better chop handling (+800 lb boat), and tandem trailer is safer from a blowout standpoint. The negatives were: 1,100 lb more to tow, double the gas usage, and more difficult to get in and out of my driveway. TowBoat US service is included with my GEICO insurance. If that single engine unexpectedly dies on the water, I'll anchor and call on the cell or portable VHF for a tow. That's an acceptable alternative to paying once (purchase price) and recurring basis (gas and 2x maintenance costs) for an extra engine. Those two models of boat have almost the same top speed.

If more choppy water was the norm, we had more people going, and/or regularly went out into the ocean vs. sticking to inland lakes and intracoastals, I would have opted for the 210 and paid to store it somewhere. I'll revisit if needs change. For now the SX190 is almost perfect. You'd probably like the 21 footer. If money and convenience (storage) were no object, I might well have just grabbed one. Matter of priorities.

 

[chaseingpucks]

We were on the St. John's River and Lake Monroe this past weekend (near Sanford, FL), and the latter was a little windy. I'd call it light chop. The ride was comfortable at 30 mph. Keep in mind these jet boats do not have as deep of V hulls as stern drive. That means they jump on plane more quickly, you feel the bumps more and they tend to slide around with lateral wind and wakes absent stabilizers like Cobra Jet fins or TVs. That applies to all of them.

I seriously considered a new SX210 and made my own comparison sheet to help decide. They're attractive. Why not? Primarily because +$14K didn't justify the benefits - a little more room (we usually have 2-4 and rarely up to six), extra/redundant engine, better chop handling (+800 lb boat), and tandem trailer is safer from a blowout standpoint. The negatives were: 1,100 lb more to tow, double the gas usage, and more difficult to get in and out of my driveway. TowBoat US service is included with my GEICO insurance. If that single engine unexpectedly dies on the water, I'll anchor and call on the cell or portable VHF for a tow. That's an acceptable alternative to paying once (purchase price) and recurring basis (gas and 2x maintenance costs) for an extra engine. Those two models of boat have almost the same top speed.

If more choppy water was the norm, we had more people going, and/or regularly went out into the ocean vs. sticking to inland lakes and intracoastals, I would have opted for the 210 and paid to store it somewhere. I'll revisit if needs change. For now the SX190 is almost perfect. You'd probably like the 21 footer. If money and convenience (storage) were no object, I might well have just grabbed one. Matter of priorities.

Yeah I’m not a huge fan of having to pay 14k more for the boat. We would have 6 pretty regularly but not every time because my friends we go to the lake with have their own boat so we wouldn’t all be piled into one. I have a small driveway too so the 21’ kind of worries me with that like you said. Having to do twice the maintenance is not something I’m interested and Yamaha is so known for reliability that you shouldn’t have to worry about that one engine taking a crap on you in the middle of the lake. I know their 19’ boats have room in them more like a non Yamaha 21’ boat so I think it would be enough room but I guess my main concerns were the ride quality on a busy lake and if the sound at cruising speed or WOT were unbearable.

 

[poordealguy]

Yeah I’m not a huge fan of having to pay 14k more for the boat. We would have 6 pretty regularly but not every time because my friends we go to the lake with have their own boat so we wouldn’t all be piled into one. I have a small driveway too so the 21’ kind of worries me with that like you said.

I know their 19’ boats have room in them more like a non Yamaha 21’ boat so I think it would be enough room but I guess my main concerns were the ride quality on a busy lake and if the sound at cruising speed or WOT were unbearable.

The points you make is why we bought the 190.

1. It fits comfortably in the garage: having to spend additional minutes to pick up boat from storage takes away from lake time and would have likely resulted in less boat use.
2. It has a ton of space for only being 19.5’: 4 not-small adults and 3 very tall tweens fit comfortably with room for a couple more kids or an adult.
3. It handles wake crazy Lake Erie just fine: 30 ft water depth with plenty of 30+ ft stern/outboards zipping around, passenger/car ferries and the occasional barge all churning the lake up, the ride was bumpy but no water came even close to coming over the bow

Stock sound system is not audible at cruising speed but the engine sound is not unbearable by any means.

 

[Robconn]

The dash on my boat started to blister at the end of its first boating season. The salesperson said at time of purchase that the warranty covers the whole boat, bow to stern. Well when the service manager placed a claim through Yamaha it was denied. Due to yamaha considering it a “blemish” and not a defect in material. That was convenient for Yamaha to classify it that way! Since then, the timing chain had a malfunction, at year two, while in use causing total engine failure. That claim they 100% covered. However, with back order part issues and Yamaha requiring the service manager to justify every part ordered added to the delay of repairs. That was 3 years ago and no further issues to note.
P.S. the service manager added the dash along with the engine parts and was able to replace it under warranty.

 

[chaseingpucks]

The dash on my boat started to blister at the end of its first boating season. The salesperson said at time of purchase that the warranty covers the whole boat, bow to stern. Well when the service manager placed a claim through Yamaha it was denied. Due to yamaha considering it a “blemish” and not a defect in material. That was convenient for Yamaha to classify it that way! Since then, the timing chain had a malfunction, at year two, while in use causing total engine failure. That claim they 100% covered. However, with back order part issues and Yamaha requiring the service manager to justify every part ordered added to the delay of repairs. That was 3 years ago and no further issues to note.
P.S. the service manager added the dash along with the engine parts and was able to replace it under warranty.

Is there anything you can do to possibly prevent that from happening to the dash?

 

[Robconn]

At the time, the boat was stored in a garage in the winter and docked at a fresh water covered slip in the summer. As a first boat, lack of overall marine experience , and over confident of warranty coverage I didn’t think so at the time. The boat had maybe 20hrs on engine.
these days, when we drop anchor, either a towel or a shirt covers my dash. I have considered using a carbon tint for the window as well.

 

[mcp9044]

No problems here…View attachment 153350
But seriously, other than what others have said, just small wear and tear stuff and nothing I can’t fix myself if I want to. The vinyl seats have held up great and the engine runs like a champ after 1 year/50 hours in salt water. I do flush it every time. As I’ve said in other threads, the biggest issue for us is handling chop, but I understood that would be a problem when I bought it. This was a starter boat for my family. Eventually we’ll go bigger.

My letters started doing that on my 2021 too.