A few questions...

[Dr_Zao]

Hi,

Looking to possibly get an AR192, probably a 2016. A few things stick out that I'd like to clear up from some actual owners. I've owned pretty much everything except a jet boat. PWCs, I/Os, outboards, and inboards. Looking for a general jack-of-all trades 19ft that will fit in my garage. My main reason for looking at jet is the bigger interior for the LOA. Compared to something like a Chaparral 19ft bowrider, the jets are much roomier. I would use it year round on both lakes and ocean (Florida), mostly lakes though.

1) The bench seat thing (passenger seat by the glove box). What's the deal with that? It seems a bit awkward. Where do you sit on it? In what case would you ever fold it? Is it comfortable to sit facing the side of the drivers head?

2) Range. Jet boats burn more fuel that most from what I've read, I'm worried about the overall range and available hours on the water without refueling. Boattest has it burning the entire tank in 1 hour at WOT. We go places that lack gas stations so being able to go for a long time without fueling is important. With typical mixed use (wakeboard a bit, cruise around, stop at a beach and chill)... can it last a half day or day on 1 tank? Some anecdotes would be great since the test numbers don't match typical use.

3) Tower speakers. Seems like none have them stock... is that a reasonably easy and affordable add-on to make?

4) What are the main differences between 2015, 2016, 2017 models?

5) How badly does salt affect the engine? One of the things I like about seadoo vs yamaha PWCs is the internal cooling from seadoo. Is it not really an issue?

6) Maintenance. Would you compare it to other engine types? Less than an I/O?

Thanks so much the any answers!

 

[AndyD]

I'll chime in on the easiest question and let the experts chime in on others. In regards to the bench seat, it's only on the AR series boats with the towers and is meant to be a rear facing seat for your spotter while towing tubers or wake boarders. The SX series have a traditional swivel chair but no tower if that's more to your liking.

 

[haknslash]

Welcome to the forum!

1. Seeing as the AR is the water sports version it's going to have a bench seat for the spotter just like on traditional ski boats. Sitting sideways is what some do on my boat but most usually sit in the rear and lounge out or at the bow. If you like the AR tower but want a captains chair you can install one as others have.

2. Boattest.com numbers are stupid time and time again. Real world I can go all day without refueling when mixed with spirited driving, floating, pulling surfers, etc. it's a 30 gallon tank so it's not intended to be a weekend getaway boat. Nobody rides WOT all day either so I'm not sure what they tried to achieve with that lol. I boat for fun and not fuel economy otherwise I wouldn't own a boat hehe. You get a lot of smiles per gallon with this boat!

3. Tower speakers seem like an easy add-on. My main concern would be headroom.

4. Main difference is they added a new forward swept tower as well as the rudder/Keel ride plate for 2016 models. In 2017 they put in the SVHO engine and 160mm pump versus 155mm from previous years. Also in 2016 Yamaha updated the timing chain components for all 1.8L boats.

5. These boats can handle salt fine as long as you do a good flush. Look at how many Yamaha PWC's are rentals at the beach. Not an issue IMO. There are sacrificial anodes to help as well.

6. Maintenance is minimal. Change the oil and filter at the beginning or end of season and a fresh set of plugs. Grease and lube trailer points and main shaft seal. That's about it.

 

[OCMD]

6. Bulletproof as far as reliability. Change the oil and plugs once year. Truly, that is it....

Now, added 2 cents.....buy a used twin, you will be happier in the long run. Would a 21 foot twin 212 fit in your garage?

 

[Ilmmct]

Will supply the salt feedback. The only issue I've seen in the 2 yamaha's I've owned and my exclusive use in saltwater, is that vigilant care of your control cables is important.

My boat sits on a dock exposed to salt air 12 months a year and I have never had any issues except the throttle and steering cables. I've had warranty service for fogging in the gages and a thermostat issue on my 2013, but I am not sure these issues were salt related.

 

[captras]

Most of your questions have been addressed.....I am not that familiar with the 19 footers. I can tell you that I came from a 21' Four Winns I/O with a 260 HP GM 350 engine. I now have twin 180 HP, so 100 more HP than I had, and my fuel burn is higher, but not when you consider the diff in performance and power. My Four Winns burned an average of about 8 gals an hour, combination of cruising, skiing, tubing, wakeboarding. My 242 burs and avg of about 10-11. Like somebody said, if you are looking to save gas....dont buy a boat......but I will tell you I get ALOT more smiles to the gallon with my 242 than I ever got with my Four Winns, and I dont have to worry nearly as much about hitting anything, and will never have to change bellows, ujoints, lower units, propellers, or pay several hundred dollars every year to have them all serviced. I can do most any service needed on my 242 myself. I dont think you can go wrong, and you will not regret it.

 

[Dr_Zao]

Great answers, thanks so much everyone! You guys are awesome.

4. Main difference is they added a new forward swept tower as well as the rudder/Keel ride plate for 2016 models. In 2017 they put in the SVHO engine and 160mm pump versus 155mm from previous years. Also in 2016 Yamaha updated the timing chain components for all 1.8L boats.

Will the 2017 have noticeably more power with those engine changes?

 

[Dr_Zao]

Would a 21 foot twin 212 fit in your garage?

I don't think so, sadly. My height clearance is 7ft and the depth is 22 ft. Even the 192 will be snug fit.

 

[haknslash]

Great answers, thanks so much everyone! You guys are awesome.



Will the 2017 have noticeably more power with those engine changes?

Yes the 195's have a higher top speed and overall performance. I'd say the biggest performance difference is the 160mm pump. One thing to consider is the 192's come with the SHO intercooler which can be inadequate for cooling efficiency resulting in heat soak robbing you of power. Lots of info here on that topic. To resolve heat soak we either go with aftermarket intercooler or upgrade to the SVHO intercooler which is what I did. If buying new no brainier go with the 195. With your garage size it's same size as mine and the boat will fit but you will need to do the tower stop washer removal mod. I have a video on how and what it does to lower the tower.

 

[Dr_Zao]

Yes the 195's have a higher top speed and overall performance. I'd say the biggest performance difference is the 160mm pump. One thing to consider is the 192's come with the SHO intercooler which can be inadequate for cooling efficiency resulting in heat soak robbing you of power. Lots of info here on that topic. To resolve heat soak we either go with aftermarket intercooler or upgrade to the SVHO intercooler which is what I did. If buying new no brainier go with the 195. With your garage size it's same size as mine and the boat will fit but you will need to do the tower stop washer removal mod. I have a video on how and what it does to lower the tower.

Interesting. Dealers around me have (new) 2016 192s and 2017 195s within a few thousand of each other... you would think the price difference would be bigger. 192 = 195 right? They just decided to change the number but its essentially the same thing I assume?

Dealer new '17 195 website list price is 35,299. '16 192 is 34,799. Makes no sense to me to have only 1500 buck difference, especially when one has a more expensive engine and hasn't been sitting in the sun on the lot for a year. I'd like to be around 30 flat, which is why was checking out used 2016s.

How much is it to upgrade to the SVHO cooler on the 2016?

 

[haknslash]

I paid $150 + shipping for my SVHO intercooler. Some have paid cheaper and others paid more. There was a big RIVA sale of them a while back so most jumped at the opportunity. You don't have to swap the intercooler right away to enjoy a 192 and if you don't care to go full throttle you may not have even have known of heat soak until I mentioned it lol.

The 192 and 195 are the same boat except the 195 has:
Larger supercharger wheel
Larger intercooler
High performance oil cooler
160mm pump
Grab handles are different inside the cockpit

If you're looking to spend around 30k buy a used 192 and add mods as you see fit over time. If you were buying new the difference in cost of a 2016 192 and 2017 195 is moot IMO as your payment wouldn't be much different.

 

[OCMD]

Or spend that 30K on a bad ass used twin ready to go - don't worry about power as you will have plenty, and find an indoor storage place for the off-season! Buy your second boat first!

 

[haknslash]

Or spend that 30K on a bad ass used twin ready to go - don't worry about power as you will have plenty, and find an indoor storage place for the off-season! Buy your second boat first!

He's already said it won't fit in his garage. Why is it that you go into every one of these threads and slam against 19' boats every single time? Give it a rest...

Look, everyone would obviously love to get the largest boat they can afford but sometimes it's not just about money but other things like actually being able to store the boat at your own house and not pay for storage fee'$$$. $tore the boat in the off season? And just where are you supposed to put it during the season? Many of us have HOA's that don't allow for boats or trailers to be parked outside. Who wants to pay for storage when it's most secure at your house? Not me, therefore I made some sacrifices to allow that to happen and I love my 19' boat. I can walk right into my garage at any time and start working on my boat. I don't have to travel to some crap storage lot and hope nobody has messed with my boat so I can work on it. I don't have to worry about that at all and there's something to be said for being able to do garage boating on your own time. One day I'll get a larger boat when I have a larger house and another day I'll get an even larger one I'm sure. My realistic dream is to one day live on the coast and have a big Sundancer. The saying 'buy your second boat first' assumes you're never going to upgrade in the first place which is just asinine. My .02

 

[Dough]

I would buy a boat sized boat. Not a car sized boat. @OCMD is right.

 

[OCMD]

Wow....hit a nerve.......Slam? Just an opinion. We all have them. That's why we have an open forum.

 

[haknslash]

I've had 3 full sized adults, two teenagers + gear and coolers in rough gulf water on my boat without issue. A 19' Yamaha jet boat has more space than your traditional 21' I/O runabout.

 

[itsdgm]

I don't think so, sadly. My height clearance is 7ft and the depth is 22 ft. Even the 192 will be snug fit.

I'm not trying to talk you in or out of any sized boat, but it might still be possible to fit the 21' boat in there. My 21'er is 21'6" long sitting on the trailer. Also, some guys lower the front end of the trailer onto a caster wheel under the tongue and push it in from there. Imho, it would be tough to do every weekend, but still possible. Good luck with your decision, either way you'll be out on the water having fun

 

[haknslash]

Before I removed my stop washers for the tower I tried deflating the tires and lowering the trailer on a floor jack and that was not enough to clear a 82" opening, not to mention a freaking bear to maneuver with air out of the tires even on a 19' boat. Larger and heavier boats would be even more of a chore and I could see that getting real old after the first few times out in the season. No way it would work on newish Yamahas with higher freeboard hull than the older ones at least not ones with a tower.

When I was shopping for boats I really wanted the 212X but it wasn't going to fit. Even trying to compromise, skip the tower and go with a 212SS with Bimini top it sits much higher on the trailer than a SX or AR 19' boat does. Length wouldn't be as big of the issue as height would since you can usually angle a boat in a garage to eat up a few inches. It's the height that's usually a deal breaker especially if you can't modify your header.

 

[Jharrisok]

I added tower speakers for about $550 including amp. I installed the amp on the wall under the glove box, I actually took off the bolts that hold the seat up and the bolts for the handle and used them to hold a pice of wood that my amps are mounted to. (I think it turned out great!)It was a lot easier to install than I thought it was going to be, you do have to drill holes in the tower. I used a thick piece of copper wire to "chase" the speaker wires through. Someone commented that they were worried about head room but it's no problem and all.

 

[Seadeals]

Size does matter. For me, my 8' door, 3+ car garage let me get a 21' no problem. It fits with room to spare without ever getting in the way of anything. Most important to me is having it right there at home. I have owned it for 5 years now and I still look and smile every time I walk into the garage (something that also happened as a kid when we got our first family boat). For whatever reason it is more than a boat to me, it is a way to dissolve stress ("Rapid Decompression"), make priceless family memories and serve as a creative outlet for both my imagination and hard earned money.

Yes, I have sat in the boat drinking beer, listening to music and staring at the led lighting with friends (even the in-laws) as it floats firmly on the bunks in my garage. Yes, I have contorted my body into nameless yoga moves stretching deep into the darkest bowels of the hull assuring it will still float and making new visual and auditory magic possible on the water. Yes, I think a new 24' would be awesome; but if I can't enjoy it every day I am not on the water, it just becomes a boat again.

I don't care why it makes me so happy; but it does, and I am going to keep rolling with it. So, get what works for YOU. If fitting it at home is important, get one that fits. Garage and tow vehicle DO matter. If you can't buy a new car or build a new house, stick to what makes sense now.

If I upgrade tomorrow (which I won't) it would be a 223 VRX. Why? Eventually time to try something different, mine has all the mods I can justify for a 2006, and the Chap is +1' while still leaving inches to spare. A 24' Yami would take up more money and space at the storage facility next to the travel trailer I already pay for. Most importantly though, it would deprive me of all the off-lake happiness I get from having it at home.

Yami Life, Chap Life, Scarab Life or whatever. Whether you have a 19', 21',22' or 24', just do it right and enjoy the ride.

Now how about a Jetboaters "Hell yeah!". Boat on. (Sound of microphone dropping)