The New 212X is here! Hard Tanks, Connext, Stereo upgrade and more!

[Julian]

I got to spend a lot of time on the 212X at the Yamaha preview and it is a beautiful boat! It looks and feels like a smaller 242X, but drives much more aggressively! It turns quickly, but tracks well at slow speed, and cuts through wakes well with little to no walking or wiggling! If I were to compare this to the car market, I'd say this boat (212X) is a Porsche Cayenne vs. a tricked out Toyota Landcruiser...a very sporty SUV that drives and tracks really well and has the capability to handle multiple roles for its owner, but isn't the huge model with all the storage and toys.

Here is a quick approx 1 min video I made of the 212X including surfing shots behind it!

So what do I like about this boat above and beyond the changes described in the Base 210 Model Review and the Limited models:

1. The integrated ballast is good and fills fast. It has 2 inlets, one for the two rear tanks in the floor of the engine compartment, and one for the ski locker bag-in the ski locker. They claimed a 6-7 minute fill time, but we couldn't confirm this as they were having technical challenges on the prototype boat.
2. The two rear ballast are solid tanks with over flows. This is a much better approach than just using bags in those storage lockers. But it does mean they aren't as big (only 28 gallons each). The total ballast is 1100 lbs from the 75 gallon ski locker and dual hard tanks. The wake thrown is nice, but in my opinion a wake shaper of some sort is still needed if you want an nicer cleaner wake for wake surfing. When you look at the video, the wake does clean up when you put the boat into a slow turn inwards on the side of the surfer.
3. All the nice touches are on this boat that they put into the 242X - Big mirror, flip in board racks, really nice fabric on the seats, carbon fiber style insets.
4. It has a nice Polk stereo with polk speakers in the bow, cockpit and swim deck and a 10" subwoofer behind/next to the helm seat, and a 10 speaker Wetsounds bar on the tower.
5. They outdid the 242X in two regards:
   1. They added snap in SeaMat (think Seadek) thoughout the boat! (Not snap in on the swim deck) They even put it on the table! (this is a Limited in the photo)
   2. They put in webbing in the cockpit seat to hold phones etc. - this is a nice touch!
6. The 212X comes in 2 colors...and yes...they look similar to the 242X don't they!

So my thoughts on this boat:

• The single biggest item they did NOT put on the 212X that is on the 242X is it is NOT an E-Series boat, and that is not an option on any 21 foot boat. The big downside to that for wake sports enthusiasts is that means no GPS speed control and no launch/acceleration control. This will keep the price lower, but force those who love GPS speed control to have to buy PerfectPass as an add on. Those that love doing subs will be happy to hear that there are no electronic throttles and reverse RPM over ride.
• As with their other models and sizes....there is still no garbage can on this boat. Apparently Yamaha Product Managers have no kids and don't eat or drink on their boats! We (Yamaha Product Manager and I) had a long chat about this and he suggested I come to one of their build events to prototype my idea (which is a slight modification of the cup holder garbage can idea). I'd love to go play at this....!
• Like the 242X it has the same big mirror, but I'd prefer one that was higher and tower mounted.
• I love the swing in rack...they are really solid!
• I like the location of the cooler....better than under a seat! Just not sure that putting it in that compartment is ideal. It will be interesting to see what owners do/think of that location.

 

[Julian]

Sorry they posted in the order we wrote them in....bumping to push this to the top.

 

[jcyamaharider]

GEEEZZZ Danny was pumping the crap out of the thing to stay going.

 

[Joe Hellaby]

Awesome looking boat. And awesome write up and video

 

[GTBRMC]

Has Yamaha widened the door to the compartment behind the dashboard?

Apologies if this is covered in video or elsewhere... I am not in broaf band right now, picking my way through all the great 2017 content!

 

[haknslash]

Damn that's nice!

 

[Julian]

Has Yamaha widened the door to the compartment behind the dashboard?

Yes they have! Makes getting the cooler in much easier!

 

[GTBRMC]

Yes they have! Makes getting the cooler in much easier!

Can't wait to see that! Was one of my few remaining unresolved design beefs.

 

[haknslash]

I'm still not fully onboard with Connext but hopefully they are more reliable in 2017.

 

[GTBRMC]

I'm still not fully onboard with Connext but hopefully they are more reliable in 2017.

Anyone know if they fixed the Connext voltage display problem in the '17s?

 

[Julian]

Anyone know if they fixed the Connext voltage display problem in the '17s?

That is a great question, and one that I was kicking myself for not asking the tech guys while I was there! But I suspect it isn't fixed....I will ping my contact and ask...

 

[mraz72]

did you hear anything about changes to connext? For example, I have a cadillac with the CUE system, its been in the cars for a few years now, but the newer models have a few different features that my '13 doesn't have.

 

[Julian]

did you hear anything about changes to connext? For example, I have a cadillac with the CUE system, its been in the cars for a few years now, but the newer models have a few different features that my '13 doesn't have.

Did see or hear about any changes to the Connext system. They said the 212X Connext was identical to the 242x minus the drive controls (gps speed and acceleration).

 

[RightStuff]

I like the new features here, all very good upgrades. I'm sure our next boat will be a wake boat of some sort, so this is getting closer to the territory, yet still having the benefits (and disadvantages) of a jet.

2 thoughts/questions...

1) Sounds like both hard tanks are plumbed together? If so I wonder if there is a valve (or a way to add one) to shut off one side so only one tank fills (load up that surf side!).
2) Is the helm side door only for the wind block, or does that open into that compartment now, like the 24'-ers?

 

[seadude]

Very surprising they didn't put the e-throttles on this boat... bet I can predict a 2018 enhancement!

 

[dansshin]

Does the tower fold down? I saw a picture that showed a pin at the base of the tower.

 

[RightStuff]

Does the tower fold down? I saw a picture that showed a pin at the base of the tower.

Yeah, they do fold according to Yamaha's website ("Aluminum Folding Wakeboard Tower"). However I can't find a picture of it folded anywhere online...

I'm sure it folds forward just behind the windshield like the previous models with the forward sweeping tower (pic below that I found online). Not like ours that just basically goes straight down.

 

[Julian]

1) Sounds like both hard tanks are plumbed together? If so I wonder if there is a valve (or a way to add one) to shut off one side so only one tank fills (load up that surf side!).
2) Is the helm side door only for the wind block, or does that open into that compartment now, like the 24'-ers?

You can fill each hard tank independently. This is controlled by the connext screen - 0-100% on each of the 3 containers (2 tanks, 1 bag). The bags have resistors that sense back pressure and stop filling. The tanks are based on time pumping, but you can add more at any time as each tank has an overflow (unlike the bags).

Here is a photo of the helm side door....it acts as the door to the compartment AND the wind block.

Does the tower fold down?

Yes the tower folds down.

 

[dansshin]

Yeah, they do fold according to Yamaha's website ("Aluminum Folding Wakeboard Tower"). However I can't find a picture of it folded anywhere online...

I'm sure it folds forward just behind the windshield like the previous models with the forward sweeping tower (pic below that I found online). Not like ours that just basically goes straight down.

Cool. That looks easier too. You must just pull the two pins and it folds down unlike now where you have to unscrew 6 bolts and remove the support bars. I was thinking of selling mine and getting the new one but I think I would want the "E" features and also have some type of integrated automated wake shaper functionality.

 

[Darin]

I wonder if we will see a 212X e-series for 2018?

How about the wake tanks vs. bags. Surely the tanks would last longer.

D.