2008 Yamaha FX Cruiser HO Preview

Redesigned hull and deck boast nanotechnology for reduced weight, added strength

Yamaha has redesigned its FX Cruiser HO for 2008 with a brand new hull and deck made with nanotechnology.

The only personal watercraft manufacturer using nanotechnology, Yamaha says the innovative and award-winning NanoExcel provides a 25% reduction in weight in the hull, deck and liner.

With the lighter components, riders will find improvements in performance and handling, acceleration, top speed and power-to-weight ratio, according to the company.

“This process really allows us to have a material that is more dense, stronger and cuts the weight significantly,” Yamaha’s marine product manager Jean-Francois Rioux told PersonalWatercraft.com. “By bringing a lighter weight to the machine, we’re changing the whole characteristic and handling of the unit.”

Powering the FX Cruiser HO is a Yamaha MR-1 4-stroke, 1,052cc engine—a configuration the company says delivers more power in a lighter package than any other full-size, 4-stroke, normally aspirated PWC available. It certainly has ample get-up-and-go, but it’s quite a drop in power from the 1,812cc engine of the FX Cruiser SHO.

Riders can change the handling of the FX Cruiser HO on the fly with Yamaha’s quick shift trim system (QSTS). The QSTS offers an instant change in the attitude of the watercraft, allowing for tighter turns and quicker acceleration. The system provides 24 degrees of total trim range.

With the touch of a button on the remote controlled transmitter, you can activate the digital Yamaha security system. With the security system activated, the FX Cruiser SHO can’t be started. The remote can also control the low RPM mode, which cuts the top speed by about 30 per cent.

Yamaha provides foot chocks on the FX Cruiser HO, which, when combined with the cruiser seat and handlebars, helps create a three-point contact system to reduce tension on the driver’s arms and legs.

Speaking of handlebars, Yamaha has included a five-step adjustable tilt steering system that allows the driver to adjust the steering column angle from 55 to 35 degrees. This comes in quite handy when you’ve got a couple of passengers behind you and you’re pressed up closer to the bars.

As with other WaveRunners, the FX Cruiser HO comes equipped with features such as slant detection switch (SDS) and off throttle steering (OTS). The SDS will cut the engine and oil pumps immediately if the watercraft becomes overturned. OTS comes into play when you release the throttle and attempt to steer while decelerating.

You can get a quick read on speed, RPM and fuel level with the multi-function electronic information center. The easy-to-read digital display also features low fuel warning, low oil pressure warning, overheat warning, battery voltage, hour meter and check engine light with self diagnostic function and the industry’s only audible warning system. Compass direction, air temperature, water temperature and fuel consumption rate are also visible.

The FX Cruiser HO has an MSRP of US$11,399. It’s a nice vehicle with plenty to offer, but if given the choice, we’d save up a little longer, buy cheaper groceries and cough up the extra $1,400 and upgrade to the FX Cruiser SHO, which has an additional 760 ccs of power and enviable standard options such as cruise assist, no wake mode and reverse with traction control.