Which GP1800 Waverunner should I buy?

[Ronnie]

My wife recently got a 2021 naturally aspirated Yamaha FXHO Waverunner, now I want a new Waverunner to replace my 2006 FXHO.

The GP has been refined this year and includes an auto trim feature/launch control among other things. The Super Charged version is $2k more than the Naturally Aspirated version. Accelerates faster and tops out at about 70 mph (v about 60 mph on the other version). It also calls for super unleaded fuel, which I’ve read it burns through quickly.

I rarely use a Waverunner so much that I have to refuel on the water but when I do I usually cannot get super unleaded. Will using lower octane fuel cause any permanent damage or will the Waverunner just not perform as well? I don’t want to have to carry my own spare fuel on the Waverunner.

Anyway, I’m just trying to figure out which one to buy. The black and red naturally aspirated one or the black and green super charged one.

 

[swatski]

My wife recently got a 2021 naturally aspirated Yamaha FXHO Waverunner, now I want a new Waverunner to replace my 2006 FXHO.

The GP has been refined this year and includes an auto trim feature/launch control among other things. The Super Charged version is $2k more than the Naturally Aspirated version. Accelerates faster and tops out at about 70 mph (v about 60 mph on the other version). It also calls for super unleaded fuel, which I’ve read it burns through quickly.

I rarely use a Waverunner so much that I have to refuel on the water but when I do I usually cannot get super unleaded. Will using lower octane fuel cause any permanent damage or will the Waverunner just not perform as well? I don’t want to have to carry my own spare fuel on the Waverunner.

Anyway, I’m just trying to figure out which one to buy. The black and red naturally aspirated one or the black and green super charged one.
View attachment 138072View attachment 138073

This sounds like a @Neutron or @Cobra Jet Steering LLC question! Or, @veedubtek.
I don't think you would damage anything, it would just detune itself with lower octane but not sure you would feel a difference unless you race.
Would they let you sea trial to two?

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[Neutron]

With using a lower octane in a SC ski will cause long term issues, i wouldn't advise it
In my opinion buy the NA version of the GP1800, not sure the exact model
It will handle just as good and still reach close to 65

 

[Betik]

frankly speaking, I am not sure why you would want the SC! It is cool and everything, but our age, comfort is more important than speed. The NA will give you more flexibility and more range, to me and our family's objectives we will never buy an SC. We are on the market for a ski and if it was not for the possibility of riding it to Bimini, I would most certainly get the VX cruiser. The only reason why I am hesitant is because the FX will be more stable.

PS. Knowing that in 4 years my son will be riding solo on the ski, I am almost certain I will avoid a supercharged.

 

[2kwik4u]

The big question.....Which one will give you more smiles per dollar spent? That's the real goal here right? Will the extra 10mph make enough of a difference in the number of smiles you get versus the 65mph one? Will any of those smiles be replaced by frowns with expensive and/or hard to find fuel, or using more fuel?

For me, on a waverunner, I suspect I would have equal amounts of fun between either. Get the one that makes you happier

 

[Neutron]

There is nothing but smiles on any waverunner

 

[anmut]

I have questions on Waverunner speeds. My cousin bought a new Yamaha last year and was out with us a lot. On long open stretches he would be WOT, and so would I. My 212S would leave him in the dust at 49mph, verified by my Connext speedo and my Ride Steady unit. He would tell me that, while he's lagging behind, his speedo would claim he was doing 53mph. How is mph determined on a WR? I didn't seen any paddle wheel, but it was for sure off by quite a bit. Is it a guess based on RPM?

To the OPs question: I would go NA, save the $$ on gas, save money on maintenance, and it'll have a better resale.

 

[Neutron]

Paddle wheel on a waverunner. Very inaccurate

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

I have had both, am currently looking for 2 new skies but can't find any and I have been offered several that are supercharged been there done that forgetabout it not for me and I have been offered the shorter hull version I was also offered the one with the NA 1800 but no cruiser seats and I passed. I will only buy the fx ho cruiser NA or I will start looking at sea doo's lineup to each their own but I like not having all that stuff crammed into the hull and needing to buy more expensive fuel , I burn a lot of fuel now with the 1800 engines usually 6 gal an hour just cruising and a lot more pulling tubes and water skiers etc. I also like the larger hull for stability because it is easier to stand on the seats no hands when pulling 2 tubes with 5 people and with 11 grand children most in high school I need the big hull for all the rides I give but they are getting so big so fast I even have a tough time fitting them on my fx ho cruisers and they still flip us over occasionally when they lean the wrong way. But to each their own I do a lot of riding on the skies so I know what I want.

 

[Ronnie]

Thanks for the replies so far guys.
I’m still on the fence. The practical side of me is saying go for the NA version, what’s left of the child in me is saying get the SC version.

@swatski , thanks for brining the “vets” into this.

@Neutron , please elaborate on the long term issues I could face if I use 87 octane instead of 91 octane on occasion. FYI most of the new videos and reviews I’ve seen of the NA gp1800 ho indicate that it tops out at about 60 mph, this is inline with my wife’s new FXHO with the same engine. The reviews of the SC GP1800 reflect a top speed of 68 to73 mph.

@Betik , I know what you mean on the comfort factor but I’ve been riding FX machines for over 10 years now and my wife’s new waverunner is the fourth one we have owned In this time. I chose the 2021 gp because it’s a little lighter and shorter but also because it is currently the only waverunner that has auto trim (I.e., launch control). If my wife is not riding with me I can always choose to ride her Fx over the gp 1800.
I started my son riding on waverunners when he was just 3 or 4 years old, he has been solo piloting them (fx 140 And fx 160) since the age of 10 just started towing them to the water solo last summer When he was 17. I have total faith that he can And will handle either Version of the gp 1800 with no problems whatsoever. My wife and I plan to activate the valet mode of both machines if/when we let friends use them.

@2kwik4u, the child in me is siding with you. I don’t always plan to be racing other PWCs or riding at WOT but when I do I am sure I will smile a lot more when I win or if my top speed is better than it was on my current or previous waverunners.

@anmut, I don’t know how speed is measured on the new waverunners, my 2006 has a paddle wheel integrated into the Ride plate, my wife’s 2021 does not but there is no gps antenna on it either, at least not that I know of. It does have Connext for what it’s worth. My point being that the last time out both machines topped out at 57/58 MPH according to each machines gauges and we were both neck and neck during these speed runs. The NA gp1800 should be a little faster than the NA fx as it’s a little lighter/shorter plus it was auto trim to help maintain speed after turns.

@Cobra Jet Steering LLC , I hear you on the comfort level of the FX but if I’m going to be towing people around doing wake sports or want to entertain a large group I will take my 242 out instead of waverunners. I also preferred the cruiser seats to the standard seats until we bought the 2021 fx. There were no cruisers available Plus my wife didn’t like the colors they came in this year (blue and white or green and white, only the supercharged cruisers come in red). I also realize the the cruiser seats mostly help the passengers since the pilots seat effectively has a cruiser seat bolster on the newer models. The same is true on the new gp 1800 for the pilot and the seat is a little thinner for enhanced leg/knee gripping purposes. As for my passengers comfort, I have I have to be cold but clear, “F them”unless they are paying the upgrade costs. The “P” in PWC does stand for personal afterall and at over $15k out the door each I’m primarily concerned about my/the payor’s comfort. Have you ever had to use low octane fuel in you SC FXs? If so, did you experience any long term issues?

I have 5 or 6 months to decide which one to buy. Right now I’m thinking that although I will cry about the increased price of the SC for a little while, I may regret not getting it for as long as I own the NA. This may be the last vehicle I buy new ever, I don’t know if I would forgive myself for not getting the sc with a slightly larger pump and impeller (i.E. For not going all the way, the distance, the full meal deal, super deluxe). I do like the colos of the na over the scs and the fact that that na performance better matches that of my wife’s new fx.

Finally, here is a pic of the out the door cost of the na gp1800. If I go for the sc I would need to add about $2,200 to the total cost (I.e. $2k for the sc and $200 incremental sales taxes).

 

[Neutron]

Thanks for the replies so far guys.
I’m still on the fence. The practical side of me is saying go for the NA version, what’s left of the child in me is saying get the SC version.

@swatski , thanks for brining the “vets” into this.

@Neutron , please elaborate on the long term issues I could face if I use 87 octane instead of 91 octane on occasion. FYI most of the new videos and reviews I’ve seen of the NA gp1800 ho indicate that it tops out at about 60 mph, this is inline with my wife’s new FXHO with the same engine. The reviews of the SC GP1800 reflect a top speed of 68 to73 mph.

@Betik , I know what you mean on the comfort factor but I’ve been riding FX machines for over 10 years now and my wife’s new waverunner is the fourth one we have owned In this time. I chose the 2021 gp because it’s a little lighter and shorter but also because it is currently the only waverunner that has auto trim (I.e., launch control). If my wife is not riding with me I can always choose to ride her Fx over the gp 1800.
I started my son riding on waverunners when he was just 3 or 4 years old, he has been solo piloting them (fx 140 And fx 160) since the age of 10 just started towing them to the water solo last summer When he was 17. I have total faith that he can And will handle either Version of the gp 1800 with no problems whatsoever. My wife and I plan to activate the valet mode of both machines if/when we let friends use them.

@2kwik4u, the child in me is siding with you. I don’t always plan to be racing other PWCs or riding at WOT but when I do I am sure I will smile a lot more when I win or if my top speed is better than it was on my current or previous waverunners.

@anmut, I don’t know how speed is measured on the new waverunners, my 2006 has a paddle wheel integrated into the Ride plate, my wife’s 2021 does not but there is no gps antenna on it either, at least not that I know of. It does have Connext for what it’s worth. My point being that the last time out both machines topped out at 57/58 MPH according to each machines gauges and we were both neck and neck during these speed runs. The NA gp1800 should be a little faster than the NA fx as it’s a little lighter/shorter plus it was auto trim to help maintain speed after turns.

@Cobra Jet Steering LLC , I hear you on the comfort level of the FX but if I’m going to be towing people around doing wake sports or want to entertain a large group I will take my 242 out instead of waverunners. I also preferred the cruiser seats to the standard seats until we bought the 2021 fx. There were no cruisers available Plus my wife didn’t like the colors they came in this year (blue and white or green and white, only the supercharged cruisers come in red). I also realize the the cruiser seats mostly help the passengers since the pilots seat effectively has a cruiser seat bolster on the newer models. The same is true on the new gp 1800 for the pilot and the seat is a little thinner for enhanced leg/knee gripping purposes. As for my passengers comfort, I have I have to be cold but clear, “F them”unless they are paying the upgrade costs. The “P” in PWC does stand for personal afterall and at over $15k out the door each I’m primarily concerned about my/the payor’s comfort. Have you ever had to use low octane fuel in you SC FXs? If so, did you experience any long term issues?

I have 5 or 6 months to decide which one to buy. Right now I’m thinking that although I will cry about the increased price of the SC for a little while, I may regret not getting it for as long as I own the NA. This may be the last vehicle I buy new ever, I don’t know if I would forgive myself for not getting the sc with a slightly larger pump and impeller (i.E. For not going all the way, the distance, the full meal deal, super deluxe). I do like the colos of the na over the scs and the fact that that na performance better matches that of my wife’s new fx.

Finally, here is a pic of the out the door cost of the na gp1800. If I go for the sc I would need to add about $2,200 to the total cost (I.e. $2k for the sc and $200 incremental sales taxes).
View attachment 138276

Here is a better explanation of the damage done.

"Without getting too technical, the octane rating is determined by the compression ratio of the engine. The higher the compression ratio, the higher the octane rating and higher ignition point needed to get a proper fuel burn. If you cheap out and use a lower octane rating than recommended, you'll notice knocking and pinging from the engine, which is the fuel detonating before the proper moment. Other than the noise and possible reduced power caused by using a lower-than-recommended octane rating, you'll risk overheating your engine if the uncontrolled detonation is too great. If your vehicle requires high octane fuel, you should use the fuel grade recommended by your manufacturer."

So to sum it up, it will eventually ruin your engine. So dont do it

As far as top speed of an NA, a FX model is heavier, longer and had more drag than the VXHO
That was my comparison. If you are set on a FX then and you want more top end than 60 then its a SC model

 

[Neutron]

On a side note I do own a modded 80mph FZS SVHO
And 95% of the time I am running under 45mph
My wife has a EX Deluxe with a top speed of 52mph and is as much fun in its own way

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

haaaa choices, I live on these things 180 hp is plenty for an 11 foot boat, I never ran regular in either of my supercharged engines I usually ran mid grade from the pump
. I had a non cruiser seat on my supercharged ski but now my left hip is really bothering me.
Back in my mid 30's I was rear-ended by a van as I was sitting at a traffic light on my full dressed , had my left foot down, wrecked the Electra glide full dresser that I had custom built and my left hip.
Hip appeared to be healing and a while later I was working midnights saw a drunk passed out in a large flower box in front of a Winn Dixie when I checked on him I saw he was being attacked by red ants, I tried to get him out of there but he woke up in fight mode and we both fell out of the box on to the pavement with him and I landing on the left hip thus doing more damage.
Now 30+ years later this is coming back to haunt me . For anyone who parks their boat at the sand dollar sand bar at Fort Desoto , if you see someone get off their jet ski and then you see the girl with him pulling hard on his left leg it's ok it's just me having my hip pulled back out.
So I have found that sitting on the cruiser seat is more comfortable for me and if you ever had a bad hip you will understand what torture feels like. As for your decision, I stay away from all supercharged engines, the unwritten rule is if the manufacturers make a stock ski that hits 70 they chance having their coastguard exemption pulled, because if you hit the water at 70 or more you run a serious risk of having a limb ripped off.
I usually cruise around with my Jeff cruise set at 35 . I wonder how the nano hull will hold up to harder forces being placed on it, My super charged was only 210 HP.
I have posted several times how I always have to repair those hulls. So for a few more top M P H and a faster acceleration out of the hole you get to buy a lot more fuel, last year I burned 1,890 gallons of fuel and spent $4492 on the water.
My personal assessment for a family ski is keep it simple and reliable and 180 hp is no slouch by any means.
I recall when Sea doo first came out with supercharged engines and that was about what they produced. Also I am not a fan of electronics on the water, I stopped buying sea doo when I started having a lot of electronics issues with them and then the 4 stroke pumps were not my favorite nor the carbon seal, it's a trade off, but I do love their hulls.
Saying that I did rip the sponsons off the side of the GTX LTD I owned when I went out in the gulf jumping hurricane waver on year." see pic below" that was just the warmups my camera person became sea sick and she never told me that she wasn't taking any more pictures so that was it after 30 minutes out in the real swells in front of shell key I learned that there were no pictures and she was really feeling sick.
In any event it's only money and if you don't like what you purchased you can always sell it and chalk it up to experience, I did thay with the ultra 250 kawasaki I hated that ski.
I am not going to be buying many more boats in my lifetime either but I sure had a lot of fun. When you start knocking on the door of 70 like me you have to accept reality.

 

[ZGhost]

@Ronnie I have one of newer Super Charged GP1800 models, and if I had to do it again, I would get the naturly aspirated one, more of a cruiser and less on the power side to enjoy riding as someone else mentioned earlier. Don’t get me wrong the SC is a hell of machine and I love it but it’s way too powerful and fast. My 14 and 16 year old refuse to ride it. They prefer our turbo charged Aquatrax which has enough power to be fun and fast but does not leave feeling scared to ride it.

I have to admit, I only ride at full WOT when conditions are pristine which is to say the least rarely, it needs to be glass water surface and not crowded, etc. because as soon as I squeeze that trigger, I’m already halfway thru the lake and need to slow down. It’s a fun machine but extremely extremely powerful, I knew that when I bought it because this is the racing ver of Yamaha’s skis.

I’d say if you have a chance to ride the models you are considering before buying, do it. It will put things into prospective.
I know you have a teenager like mine so consider which model you would be comfortable letting him go on alone when you are not around. If you don’t want to the ski to do 78MPH, they have a power limiter to 35 or 40 MPH and that’s something you can factor in your decision making. I activate this feature whenever I let anyone other than me ride this beast. Which also cuts down on the monkey arms you get when you‘re done for the day ?

Edit: I forgot to mention the SC SVHO gallops premium gas. I usually fill it every outing compared to my Aquatrax which is every two to three outings for the same trip. Get ready to use those long monkey arms to reach deep in the wallet for gas. Can’t put a price on fun, not me anyway.

No regrets though, just a different thought process if I had to do it again. You will love either one so just go with what you are leaning more towards, you already know what that is and we do too.

 

[jocolo21]

if you want to go fast but be more stable get the FX svho, if you want fast but loose ride get the GP svho. for longevity get the HO version of any of those. want a hell of a ride? find a late model gp1300r.

 

[14SX190]

I had the SHO and a VXR

I never rode in straight line enough to say I needed the faster acceleration but same top speed.
The SVHO is a different animal which for my recreational riding the NA would still be my choice.

I burn too much fuel and ride long trips where I dont want fuel restrictions to interfere with that.

 

[1WetBoat]

A little late to the post here but I have a new 21 GP1800R SVHO. Granted this is my opinion, but no way would I ever go back to a non-SC ski if it was up to me. I used to own an older 2 stroke, and obviously its apples to oranges so I cant compare, but I also thought 50mph was fast enough. I have ridden friends that are not SC and I thought the same thing " I'm not going to need a SC ski to have fun", but I went with the "buy your second boat first" and opted for the SC GP.

I do not regret it one bit and im so glad I opted for the SC version. The grin i get from punching that throttle and hitting 70 in secs does not go away. Gas hasn't been a problem for me yet so i cant comment on that. I can ride all day without having to refuel, maybe that will change so we will see.

My 19 yr old loves it, my other two younger kids dig it and the wife hates riding the non-SC ski when we are out together. It's a beast of a machine and can be dangerous, but as ZGhost mentioned, you can tone it down for novice riders.

 

[Ronnie]

I appreciate all the feedback, right now I’m leaning towards the na gp. Here is an interesting observation, only 1 of 12 voted for the supercharger, me. Aside from that, the costs of the supercharger as far as I know are; $2k for the unit itself, $200 (10%) sales tax. Call it $0.50 to $1 more per gallon of gas and and a tbd in incremental insurance premium. My wife’s 2021 fx ho first year premium is about $350, if I estimate $150 more for the super charger I’m looking at $2,350 plus gas premium.

The Angel on my right shoulder is begging me to choose the NA. The Devil on my left shoulder is pumping his fist yelling “BUY THE SUPERCHARGED ONE!”

 

[Toby]

Faced with the exact same decision, i have a deposit on an N/A Red GP1800R. Actually when i decided to go naturally aspirated, we were getting a VX Cruiser HO but my wife likes the Red...so the 1800R HO it is. The devil is THE ONLY reason i was considering the SVHO. Haven't had a fast car in a while. Won't be on a bike while i have a young kid at home. So, this will be what helps the junkie itch hopefully for fast and fun at the 200 acre ski lake our friends live on. The boat is strictly Gulf now that we are in the Marina. The devil is still trying to talk me into the SVHO tho....lol

 

[1WetBoat]

Faced with the exact same decision, i have a deposit on an N/A Red GP1800R. Actually when i decided to go naturally aspirated, we were getting a VX Cruiser HO but my wife likes the Red...so the 1800R HO it is. The devil is THE ONLY reason i was considering the SVHO. Haven't had a fast car in a while. Won't be on a bike while i have a young kid at home. So, this will be what helps the junkie itch hopefully for fast and fun at the 200 acre ski lake our friends live on. The boat is strictly Gulf now that we are in the Marina. The devil is still trying to talk me into the SVHO tho....lol

Do it, SVHO all the way, lol.