2006 Yamaha WaveRunner® FX Cruiser

WHY The hell don't you own one already?

Yes, I would be out on my jet ski if it wasn’t blowing a gale outside. Not to mention I can’t move a muscle in my arms or legs. My body doesn’t know what normal feels like since I bought a jet ski. One day of recovery and we were back out on it punishing our bodies again.



The problem is yo...u don’t feel pain over the unbelievable sense of freedom and the feeling of speed as the wind blows in your face, as the waves wash up over the front of your ski and as the land passes by at speeds that - on land could really cause you pain if you were to jump to the ground for some unapparent reason. Due to the lack of sense - you are using the once sore muscles without even realising it which cause you some grief as you try to climb out of bed for work the next day.

So, the motivation for writing this review isn’t to try to convince you that my jet ski - the ( Yamaha FX140 Cruiser ) is the best jet ski to buy and none others compare, but rather to convince you that if you don’t have a jet ski WHY THE HELL NOT.

The question; “should I buy a jet ski?” hung around in my mind as days passed. I wasn’t 100% convinced, or I can’t even say that I was 50% convinced, had someone explained to me what I am about to tell you then maybe my mind would of been made up sooner, and I wouldn’t of spent the last 7 years living at the beach and going out bush for the weekend on motor bikes and in cars.

I am lucky that I have a dad who spent his days skiing behind a boat for the good part of his early 20’s, he had decided that we should try out a jet ski for our training ( I race downhill mountain bikes) as it could strengthen our mid section and shoulders, and it was something fun and different. So I didn’t have to be convinced, i just nodded in agreement as he is usually right about training ideas. Had it not been for him I wouldn’t own my jetski.

What I didn’t know; the ocean isn’t just a pretty blue thing that brings waves to shore, no” its much more. With the right motor powered machine in an instant that wave bringing beach houses an endless sea of jumps. Well cry me a river if the waves are big enough, the first day I rode my jet ski in the windy swelled up ocean was the first day I’d cried laughing in a long time. As I rode into wave after wave and flew through the air with eyes wide open all I can say is “ MIND BLOWN “ not only was every single wave a jump but every single jump was different, and they didn’t stop coming.

What else didn’t I know; What if someone sat you down and this is what they said to you - you don’t wear a helmet but you will crash, you have a seat but no seat belt, you have an engine but no speed limit and your friends can come along but theres no traffic. The only traffic lights you stop at are the ones on the way to put your jet ski in the water.

What I still didn’t know; looking out the window of my car and the breeze blowing in my face was for the smaller minded. It gives you a whole different perspective, the part where your looking at the earth and driving on the sea with the ocean spraying and the sea breeze in your face. It is the most exhilarating experience you will ever know. Have you ever seen a dolphin in the wild, or fish jumping within meters of where you are.

There is no feeling of freedom like the one when you look ahead to an endless ocean. The endlessness of the ocean through the horizon gives you a sense of freedom, reality lives on the shore but freedom lives on the waves.

The Yamaha FX140 is just perfect for me. I have never owned a jet ski before however I grew up riding motor bikes and I race mountain bikes professionally. So the balance and coordination weren’t a problem for me. It was a tough choice to go for this jet ski after reading on some forums that it was the motor bike equivalent of a “ moped “. Haha’ hesitant we went for a test drive and I was sold on the first burst.

I really enjoy the fact that I can tell my friends I’m riding a ski that has a powerful R1 engine inside, I haven’t held her full throttle yet but no doubt when I do my cheeks will flap around like a dog out the car window. The power output of this ski is very even, when you hit rough water your finger doesn’t seem to swap around too much. The ski has variable trim which means you can adjust your ski to sit up for the rough days or in the lower position for the more calm, smoother days.

On a smooth day its comfortable and fun, the fuel gauge will start to fatigue after 3-4 hrs of buzzing around but before the fuel runs out you probably won’t be able to hold on anymore, pain is a good gauge in relation to when the fuel will run out. If your out with friends don’t forget to bring the wishing well for them to make donations toward fuel costs, and good luck with that.

The hull of this ski is very stable in the water, you can take 2 of your biggest cousins and as long as they climb on and off the back you should have no problems keeping upright. However a little warning from personal experience, don’t stop sideways against the swell of the ocean because that can cause one to tip over.

The Fx140 handles directional changes really well, pull the throttle and you’ll whiz around with no problems, just a point to make; if you don’t pull the throttle when you turn then you will hit your head on the front of your ski, and if your arms aren’t stretchy then you will potentially go flying off also.

Honestly, I love this ski, i believe its great for anyone looking to buy a comfortable, reliable, fast going, powerful and practical ski.
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