Yamaha GP1800r HO Questions

[captainhook]

Thank you all for the replies. I think we're going to go with the GP1800r HO. Which color do you guys think I should go with? (Picture for reference) Both look so good.

Also, which dealer do you guys think has them? It would be nice to see both side by side. I live in the Portland, Oregon; Vancouver, Washington, area. I am willing to drive as far as Texas to get one. I've been searching, but haven't had much luck with a dealer that has both.

Thanks y'all.

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That’s a tough choice. Either would be great in my opinion. I like the black slightly better in your pics but I LOVED my red SeaDoo. Also the red may wear better vs the matte trim on the top of the black one.

 

[Ronnie]

I went with the black one because it better matches the ski it replaced and does not look like my wife’s ski (2021 FX HO).


Good luck with your search whatever color you select.

 

[jocolo21]

you can always change the color these are a few of the kits i have done for the VX/GP

 

[1WetBoat]

you can always change the color these are a few of the kits i have done for the VX/GP

Do you have the templates for the new 2021 GP's? I'm specifically looking to do something in the area near the footwells. It changed from previous years GP's from the looks of it.

 

[jocolo21]

Do you have the templates for the new 2021 GP's? I'm specifically looking to do something in the area near the footwells. It changed from previous years GP's from the looks of it.

as far as i know only the front change but the templates arent available yet

Seadoo RXT 2020

 

[Ronnie]

Posting this here just in case those with new VX and GP1800s don’t already know. Summarily a recall related to the start and stop switch (they sometimes leak and subsequently fail).

 

[Toby]

Got my recall notices yesterday as well. Not sure when I would be taking them in though. Probably would be more concerned immediately if they were in Salt water all the time like the boat. Idk. Good looking out Ronnie

 

[Ronnie]

My notice came in while I was out on a multi day Waverunner trip and my local shops have been closed until today, so I suspect a lot of other owners have scheduled their appointments already.
I plan to call as soon as they open, if I can take it in today or anytime this week I will.

I didn’t have any issues during my last trip but the line near the end of the notice which states don’t use the ski until the bad part is replaced has me concerned. Hopefully they have the part in stock and time to do the work this week.

thankfully yamaha recognizes the problem and is doing something about it. I just read another thread in which the tr1 engines in the EX line have failed and the cause hasn’t been identified. Not just one person but several and one is a mechanic who had about a dozen with the same problem. So far yamaha has done little or nothing according to the posters on that thread.

interstingly when I bought my ski one of the service reps said that they just completed recall work on seadoo new / yet to be sold skis with true transmissions (have a mechanical reverse), they didn’t have the replacement parts readily available and could not sell the skis until the recall work was performed.

 

[Toby]

I just emailed my dealer to find out if the parts are available. Being a Ford Parts Manager, we get recalls announced all the time with parts months away. I will chime in when i get a response.

 

[1WetBoat]

I called my dealer like two weeks ago when I first heard of this recall and was advised there is a backorder on the parts. Looks as if unofficially priority is going to waverunners not sold yet since they cant sell them with the faulty part. I guess its a 50/50 chance it will affect you. I've taken mine out a few times and test the switch each time just in case prior to launching.

 

[Ronnie]

@Toby , your message above is very timely.

I called the power sports shop I bought my ski from and almost had a stroke. They told me basically what you said. That is, they don’t order the part until I bring the ski in, I would have to leave it there until the recall work is completed and they have no idea as to how long it will take to get the part. It could be 5 business days, 5 business weeks or longer. I asked if I could call back afterthey take care of someone else with the same problem so I can’t get a better estimate of how long it will take to get the part. I was told not to bother because on a prior recall three customers came in the same day, two got their parts that week the third had to wait 5 weeks. They also would not send me the part so I could install it myself. I understand it’s a safety thing and am glad Yamaha is handling it but losing a ski that I just bought for an unknown period of time is BS especially since they don’t offer loaners or compensate me for loss of use. For comparison the last time I brought my 2010 expedition in for extended warranty work they lent me a 2020 expedition max for several days.

Anyway, I called the closest Yamaha boat dealer to me and they put me at ease. They ordered the part and will call me when it comes in to schedule a day/hour that I can have the work done.

I still plan to use the ski until the recall work is done but am not concerned since I usually ride with a someone else on their own pwc so getting a tow back is not an issue. I may try and seal the start / stop switching housing a little with some silicone, not sure yet.

 

[Toby]

Very cool that they will order it for you. I am still waiting for word on mine. Still going to use them. We take them to a 200 acre ski lake with plenty of help available if one would be stranded. Will keep testing beforehand though.

 

[Ronnie]

I’m just wondering how Yamaha let this happen, to their best selling (in the world) line of pwcs (the VX not GP). I understand the controls have been redesigned just this model year but still, they managed to design a start/stop switch that leaks and is therefore subject to failure? Somebody or a group of somebodies should be fired for this.

I know, first world problem but ... I did just drop $18k for this vehicle which the manufacturer is now telling me not to use until it is fixed. If I could get my money back until it is fixed i bet it would get fixed a lot faster.

 

[Toby]

Is it the start/ stop switch? Or lanyard switch? I have seen things like this on so many new vehicle launches, I may be numb to it. It also may not be a design flaw. Sometimes you have suppliers building switches with low quality control. I think we all stay with Yamaha because they get it right more often than they get it wrong. The failure rate could also be low, but since it is a safety item, they have to tell you not to ride it for liability reasons. I definitely understand the frustration with the amount I have tied up in two skis though.

 

[Ronnie]

@Toby i interpret the recall notice to mean it’s the start/stop switch but it could be the lanyard switch. I may try to seal the cases of both with clear RTV silicone but am frustrated that I am even considering this. I understand that it’s not a massive problem but as you know it sucks when your one of the customers impacted. Like being the one in a million to contract a rare disease.

Seems like a little more testing should have been done by Yamaha before mass production and distribution began on the VX and GP lines start and stop system. It’s more frustrating for me since my wife’s higher model FX is sitting next to my GP, it was $1,000 less out the door and it’s not subject to a safety recall. I feel like I paid more for less. Still I’m grateful that Yamaha recognizes and is addressing the problem and that the problem has not affected my ski, yet anyway.

 

[1WetBoat]

@Toby i interpret the recall notice to mean it’s the start/stop switch but it could be the lanyard switch. I may try to seal the cases of both with clear RTV silicone but am frustrated that I am even considering this. I understand that it’s not a massive problem but as you know it sucks when your one of the customers impacted. Like being the one in a million to contract a rare disease.

Seems like a little more testing should have been done by Yamaha before mass production and distribution began on the VX and GP lines start and stop system. It’s more frustrating for me since my wife’s higher model FX is sitting next to my GP, it was $1,000 less out the door and it’s not subject to a safety recall. I feel like I paid more for less. Still I’m grateful that Yamaha recognizes and is addressing the problem and that the problem has not affected my ski, yet anyway.

Its the lanyard switch guys. The start/stop is fine, no issues there. The start/stop on the VX/GP's was moved over to the starboard grip so there is a new design for the lanyard switch on the port side. What is happening is that when you pull the lanyard it doesn't shut the engine off. You can still turn it off via the start/stop switch but if you were to fall there is the potential that the engine wouldn't shut off.

The other models still have the original start/stop on the port side so no issues.

I was out this weekend and yanked the lanyard several times and had no issues. So for now im going to keep riding until the parts are in and there is no backlog.

 

[Ronnie]

@1WetBoat , thanks for clarifying the problem. It’s both worse and better than I originally thought. That is, if I start experiencing the problem on my ski at least I should be able to start and stop the engine but if the lanyard doesn’t kill the engine like it’s supposed to that could lead to collision should i somehow fall off the ski at speed. I think I’m more likely to get thrown off in a sharp high speed turn though at which point the ski should be going a lot slower but ... I do feel better that it’s a lanyard issue not a start / stop switch issue so thanks again.

 

[Ronnie]

I found a string on this at greenhulk site which contained this video, footage of a Waverunner with the problem starts at around the 6 minute mark, there is not much to see. Interestingly the string started on April 23rd but the video was posted on February 11th.

 

[us17094]

Originally my dealer said they would probably need about a week to ten days. I called yesterday after a week to get an update and they were VERY vague. They said the parts were ordered to repair a bunch of new skis and they were going to do them all at once. I tried to get them to tell me when they expected the parts to arrive but they would not provide details. I have a bad feeling parts are on back order and I won't see my ski (with zero hours) any time soon. I wonder why Yamaha would send out a recall notice without having parts ready to ship .

 

[captainhook]

Originally my dealer said they would probably need about a week to ten days. I called yesterday after a week to get an update and they were VERY vague. They said the parts were ordered to repair a bunch of new skis and they were going to do them all at once. I tried to get them to tell me when they expected the parts to arrive but they would not provide details. I have a bad feeling parts are on back order and I won't see my ski (with zero hours) any time soon. I wonder why Yamaha would send out a recall notice without having parts ready to ship .

Since it’s a safety recall, they probably wanted to get it out ASAP regardless of having the parts or not. I would also expect them to fix new ones first, probably prioritizing those currently being built.