1st post / new to group - 2024 AR220

[mtudb24]

Hello all.
New to the forum but have been a long time boater. Owned many center consoles and walk around cuddy cabins like Pursuit and Wellcraft etc. Current boat is a Bennington high performance pontoon boat. Both of my own Yamaha jet boats (SX210, SX 230) and as of last week one of them bought a 2023 AR250. that was a left over model year.
We all have cottages in the thumb of Michigan and boat on Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron and as I watch the water levels keep decreasing, I'm thinking of trading the pontoon in for a Jet boat due to water level concerns.
I found a beautiful 220AR for sale near me at a great price but I can't seem to find any performance numbers for this boat. I understand the TR1's are not like the 1.8L HO's or even the new 1.9L motors in the other models.

Does anybody have any top end numbers or a best cruise numbers for this boat / motor combination? My gut feel is this is probably a 42-45mph boat at optimal conditions.
Thanks
Todd

 

[VitaminSea]

Welcome aboard!

Yes, data points on the new 22ft models with the TR1s is limited. But, I would speculate based on how the TR1s performed in the prior 21’s, you will be more in the 38-42mph range depending on load and conditions.

If top end is important to you, I would step it up to the 222 or even the AR250.

Both of my own Yamaha jet boats

I couldn’t get the full gist of your statement above. (children, neighbors, brothers).

Good luck in your quest!

 

[mtudb24]

Welcome aboard!

Yes, data points on the new 22ft models with the TR1s is limited. But, I would speculate based on how the TR1s performed in the prior 21’s, you will be more in the 38-42mph range depending on load and conditions.

If top end is important to you, I would step it up to the 222 or even the AR250.



I couldn’t get the full gist of your statement above. (children, neighbors, brothers).

Good luck in your quest!

Hahahha. Yes, ommitted a couple of words. Both of my cousins currently own Yamaha jet boats. 1 is a SX230 and the other one just sold his SX210 for the AR 250

 

[VitaminSea]

What year was the sx210? That might be your best baseline. However the newer hulls are heavier and and a larger wetted surface; from what I have seen on boattest and boating.com reviews the 22’s with the 1.8L seem to plane at a higher speed than the prior 21ft hull. This is my inference based on the rpm/speed curves I recall seeing.

 

[Corsair21111]

2023 AR220 owner here. The are rated at 230hp (115hp per TR-1). I put 62 hours on it last season. With a few people and gear on board you’ll be in the 36mph range. The fastest I’ve ever gotten mine is 41mph with both ribbons deleted, air filters removed, two people, 15% fuel on a glass smooth lake at 270 feet above sea level this past August.

The AR220 is a great boat but it is not fast. A couple of us on here are working on doing camshaft upgrades with the hopes of getting these motors close to 135hp each. See “Tuning a TR-1”thread.

We really love the size of ours and it fits our needs great. I wish when I bought my budget was $15,000 more and I would have bought the 222S and gotten the 1.8’s (2023) or even better if I was buying now getting a ‘24 model with the 1.9’s.

My $0.02.

 

[VitaminSea]

@Corsair21111 - what’s your cruising speed/rpms?

 

[Corsair21111]

That’s a great question. I’d be lying to you if I threw out an rpm because I honestly can’t recall. Last time I had it out was Labor Day weekend and that was the end of the season for us with kids starting school back up and sports going on.

To the best of my memory it’s optimal cruising speed was around 26mph and I think the rpm’s were around 6,000.

Our AR220 does everything we need it do. It’s really the perfect size and has plenty of storage. Tubing, wakeboarding, cursing with friends etc. If you ask my wife she would say the boat is perfect. I’m a gear head at heart and love to modify anything with an engine so to me it’s only shortfall is it lacks top end. If the camshaft swap is successful I should be able to get it up to 260-275hp and that should satisfy me.

 

[mtudb24]

What year was the sx210? That might be your best baseline. However the newer hulls are heavier and and a larger wetted surface; from what I have seen on boattest and boating.com reviews the 22’s with the 1.8L seem to plane at a higher speed than the prior 21ft hull. This is my inference based on the rpm/speed curves I recall seeing.

It was a 2009.

 

[mtudb24]

2023 AR220 owner here. The are rated at 230hp (115hp per TR-1). I put 62 hours on it last season. With a few people and gear on board you’ll be in the 36mph range. The fastest I’ve ever gotten mine is 41mph with both ribbons deleted, air filters removed, two people, 15% fuel on a glass smooth lake at 270 feet above sea level this past August.

The AR220 is a great boat but it is not fast. A couple of us on here are working on doing camshaft upgrades with the hopes of getting these motors close to 135hp each. See “Tuning a TR-1”thread.

We really love the size of ours and it fits our needs great. I wish when I bought my budget was $15,000 more and I would have bought the 222S and gotten the 1.8’s (2023) or even better if I was buying now getting a ‘24 model with the 1.9’s.

My $0.02.

Thank you very much for the honest review. I'm running 40mph on our pontoon, so this will be taking a step back (also gear head and jeep guy), but with our dwindling water levels, I'd rather make a move to a jet boat and the wife is all for it. This will be a much better boat for water sports with the kids etc then the toon.
I did find a somewhat new (100 hours) on a 2023 AR250 for about another $10K from a private seller, so might have to look at that on the used market.

 

[Dixemon]

2023 AR220 owner here. The are rated at 230hp (115hp per TR-1). I put 62 hours on it last season. With a few people and gear on board you’ll be in the 36mph range. The fastest I’ve ever gotten mine is 41mph with both ribbons deleted, air filters removed, two people, 15% fuel on a glass smooth lake at 270 feet above sea level this past August.

The AR220 is a great boat but it is not fast. A couple of us on here are working on doing camshaft upgrades with the hopes of getting these motors close to 135hp each. See “Tuning a TR-1”thread.

We really love the size of ours and it fits our needs great. I wish when I bought my budget was $15,000 more and I would have bought the 222S and gotten the 1.8’s (2023) or even better if I was buying now getting a ‘24 model with the 1.9’s.

My $0.02.

Ill second that, my FSH210 with TR-1's plane about 18-20mph, cruise around 30-35 and top out on my best day 43mph. Typically cant get much above 38 with any weight in the boat. But is sips gas and drafts real shallow on plane, probably 10 or less inches depending on weight.

 

[HangOutdoors]

I boat in Saginaw Bay, Lake Michigan, A lot in Lake St. Clair and inland lakes. I have an AR210. Its modded pretty good with features. It handles the water fine. If I had to do it all over again, it would be either an AR250 or a 252 FSH. I have ridden and driven all Yamaha's except for current year 2024 in the Great Lakes. The 25' boats are noticeably better when you get is some of the big chop. A 22' will be fine, a 25' is better.

 

[Corsair21111]

Thank you very much for the honest review. I'm running 40mph on our pontoon, so this will be taking a step back (also gear head and jeep guy), but with our dwindling water levels, I'd rather make a move to a jet boat and the wife is all for it. This will be a much better boat for water sports with the kids etc then the toon.
I did find a somewhat new (100 hours) on a 2023 AR250 for about another $10K from a private seller, so might have to look at that on the used market.

What part of the country are you in?

You also may want to consider a low hour AR240 or a 242 Limited. Those things rip with the 1.8’s.

Only drawback in my opinion for the 240/242 is they don’t have the walk through transom like the newer 22’ and 25’ boats. That’s definitely a huge deal for us when we take our parents out with us. They are all in their mid 70’s and not having to worry about them stepping over the rear seat/engine cover is a big plus.

 

[mtudb24]

We originally looked at the FSH series last year had heard about nightmares with quality issues, etc and the wife wasn't "all in" like she is with a AR or SX model. Sounds like most quality issues have been solved so that's a plus. We have a couple of left over 2023 AR 250's at the dealers and we still have a couple boat shows left, so maybe we'll see if we can stretch the budget a bit, if they are willing to come down from MSRP, and if I can get more from a private sell on the Bennington pontoon boat vs trading it in.

 

[mtudb24]

What part of the country are you in?

You also may want to consider a low hour AR240 or a 242 Limited. Those things rip with the 1.8’s.

Only drawback in my opinion for the 240/242 is they don’t have the walk through transom like the newer 22’ and 25’ boats. That’s definitely a huge deal for us when we take our parents out with us. They are all in their mid 70’s and not having to worry about them stepping over the rear seat/engine cover is a big plus.

Michigan's thumb. So Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. Wife has a bad knee and that is one thing she really liked was the clean walk through on the 23's and 24's.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Go see Ryan and Wonderland Marine in Waterford. I would recommend the AR250

 

[Corsair21111]

Agreed. Sounds like the AR250 is the way to go.

 

[mtudb24]

What part of the country are you in?

You also may want to consider a low hour AR240 or a 242 Limited. Those things rip with the 1.8’s.

Only drawback in my opinion for the 240/242 is they don’t have the walk through transom like the newer 22’ and 25’ boats. That’s definitely a huge deal for us when we take our parents out with us. They are all in their mid 70’s and not having to worry about them stepping over the rear seat/engine cover is a big plus.

so it looks like we have targeted a low hour used 240AR with the 1.8L HO's and keel system. 1 factory travel cover, 1 factory mooring cover, and both snap in bow cover and cockpit cover. Just need to decide if we want the dealer to install jetboatpilots thrust vectors or cobra fins etc?
Deal should be finalized this weekend if al goes well.

 

[VitaminSea]

Congrats! Once you ink the deal, post some pics! You could always take delivery of the boat as is, and then after a few outings determine if you feel you need the fins. This might also assist you in determining what fins would better mitigate your concerns.

Also if this is your first dual motor vessel, spend some time acclimating yourself with splitting the throttles to spin the boat in tight quarters.

Outside of fins, highly recommend SeaDeck/MarineMat over the snap in carpet or textured fiberglass.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Always drive it stock first then see if you want just slow speed assistance or all speed assistance and then you can make a more educated decision , also look at the second tie rod as that is very important to the reliability of the system and the longevity as well as redundancy.
Plus take a serious look at where the fins sit in relation to the rudder and if they are adjustable to let you choose the perfect level of influence.
Also run on plane and make a turn while you rapidly decelerate and see what happens, do you maintain control or loose it ?
Upgrading your steering is a very important decision as it can greatly improve the boating experience you , your family and friends get from your time on the water.
Also pay close attention to what features and benefits you receive and how the systems operate.
And additional factors like if you want to allow others to operate the boat with ease and confidence. Do you want excellent control during water sport activities?

 

[mtudb24]

Always drive it stock first then see if you want just slow speed assistance or all speed assistance and then you can make a more educated decision , also look at the second tie rod as that is very important to the reliability of the system and the longevity as well as redundancy.
Plus take a serious look at where the fins sit in relation to the rudder and if they are adjustable to let you choose the perfect level of influence.
Also run on plane and make a turn while you rapidly decelerate and see what happens, do you maintain control or loose it ?
Upgrading your steering is a very important decision as it can greatly improve the boating experience you , your family and friends get from your time on the water.
Also pay close attention to what features and benefits you receive and how the systems operate.
And additional factors like if you want to allow others to operate the boat with ease and confidence. Do you want excellent control during water sport activities?

Both of my cousins that have the 210SX and 230SX have the cobra fins. The one with the 210 drove it 1 summer and then installed them, the one with the 230 had the dealer put them on before he even took delivery after his brothers experience. I'd be curious as to how the new "keel" system works and would most likely add something.
Thanks for the response