Yamaha Reveals Big Plans for 2014 WaveRunner Lineup

New engine and a reborn FZ Series highlight model announcements

“Some of the rumors you’ve been hearing are very, very true. And I think they’re probably going to be even better than you’ve heard.”

Thus began Yamaha’s presentation of its lineup for 2014. After widespread speculation about what the company plans for the coming year, Yamaha put the rumors to rest, revealing a line that embraces three themes – light weight, power, and luxury. No, there are no completely new boats in the line. Yamaha is sticking solidly to the current FZ, VX, and FX family lines. Refinements and expansions within those lines, however, promise to give the brand a whole new look and feel.

Power Grab

Yamaha promises its new Super Vortex High Output engine offers five percent more “actual” horsepower than the Sea-Doo RXP-X 260.

Probably the biggest news is the development of a new Super Vortex High Output (SVHO) engine. Yes, it’s based on the current 1.8-liter, but the company reveals that nearly every component has been upgraded, outright changed, or enhanced in some fashion to allow the SVHO to deliver 20% more power and 60% greater boost than the current SHO powerplant.

COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2013 Sea-Doo RXP-X 260

The most notable change is the addition of a new supercharger, with a larger, 25% more efficient intercooler. Other improvements include larger fuel injectors for greater fuel flow, stronger forged pistons, and an exponentially more efficient oil cooler. Horsepower? Come on, you know Yamaha won’t reveal that detail, but it promises it’s 5% greater than the “actual” horsepower of Sea-Doo’s RXP-X 260. More on that comparison shortly.

Along with the new engine comes a new “race-inspired,” eight-vane pump, now bumped up to 160mm in diameter for increased thrust.

Faster Flagship…and an RXP-X Killer?

Two model lines will get the new engine. One is the FX series, where the SVHO will complement the current HO and SHO models in both normal and Cruiser format, giving the brand a new high-end flagship capable of more speed and acceleration. The SVHO models, however, should also handle more aggressively thanks to redesigned hull components, including an extended rideplate and a switch to a top-loader scoop grate.

Yamaha’s FX series benefits from the new SVHO engine.

Cruiser SVHO models – along with Cruiser HO and Cruiser SHO models – also get a redesigned seat with more lower-body support, better finish, and two-tone vinyl, along with upgraded, two-tone Hydro Turf mats.

COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2013 Yamaha FX SHO

The FX SVHO is certainly a worthy use for such an engine, but you can’t help but get the feeling that the real excitement is centered around the placement of the powerplant in the existing FZ series. Here, Yamaha is fashioning a boat that takes direct aim at Sea-Doo’s aforementioned RXP-X 260. In addition to the more powerful engine, the company has also extended and reshaped the FZ rideplate, switched from a standard four-blade intake grate to a three-blade scoop-style grate, and reworked the sponsons. The end result, according to Yamaha reps, is the “best-performing musclecraft on the market today.” Those are big claims given the RXP-X’s success, but Yamaha backs them up with numbers. In a direct comparison between the two craft, the company claims the new FZR/FZS feature 5% more actual horsepower, bigger displacement, more torque, and as a result feature quicker acceleration and higher top speed. Yamaha also claims the FZs offer the best power-to-weight ratio of any craft in the class.

Is the Yamaha FZR SVHO an RXP-X killer?

As to the RXP-X’s renowned handling, Yamaha contends the FZs excel on this front as well, and corner harder and more aggressively than the competitive Sea-Doos. Only an actual test ride will tell if that’s true, but Yamaha reps certainly ooze confidence. Yamaha even hint that the boat is similar to what’s being raced on a professional level, noting the FZR has lighter-weight handling – and more championship titles – than its Sea-Doo counterpart.

“We virtually touched every performance part of this watercraft,” noted Yamaha Marketing Manager Andrew Cullen. “The goal? To create excitement, to create the ultimate musclecraft.”

VX Performance Boost

Even the VX line is getting a performance-oriented boost. Both the VX Deluxe and VX Cruiser (a duo that perennially finish as the industry’s best-selling models) receive the lightweight NanoXcel hull treatment for 2014, enabling them to shed about 65 pounds from their total weight. The weight reduction enables Yamaha to offer both increased performance and greater fuel efficiency on the two models, as well as again tout some Sea-Doo-related specs.

Both the VX Deluxe (pictured) and VX Cruiser receive NanoXcel hull technology, which helps shed nearly 65 pounds.

Compared to Sea-Doo’s GTI 130, the VX Deluxe boasts a 75-pound weight advantage. Yamaha also notes acceleration to 30 mph improves by about half a second, fuel efficiency at cruising speed improves by 23 percent, and top speed nudges about a mile-an-hour faster.

The goal? Again, “to make the experience for the entry-level guy even more exciting,” says Cullen.

COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2013 Sea-Doo GTI 130

The VX Sport also gets some attention. In an effort to be more attractive, Yamaha has dropped the price to $7,999, hoping to further entice rental buyers, as well as work in conjunction with the brand’s certified pre-owned program. The Sport, however, will retain the traditional hull material.

As to the remaining boats in the line, virtually everything else returns, including the VXR and VXS models, and even the “competition-use-only” SuperJet.