Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/164037
34 • September 9, 2013 • Powersports Business YAMAHA PAGE 32 CONTINUED FROM fuel flow and added high-performance forged pistons to deliver peak power. "Any time we work with Japan on something like this, it's a big deal," said Andrew Cullen, digital marketing and communications manager for the WaterCraft Group, Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A. "It's the same 1.8-liter block we've been using for a few years on the WaveRunners, but everything's been revamped to be bigger, better, faster, more efficient. It's already the largest displacement engine in the industry, but we've done a lot to it to crank up the power. The main performance parts have been maxed out. Now that performance is coming straight out of the box, and you can keep your warranty instead of trying to hop it." The 160mm pump — up from 155mm — accounts for the 60 percent increase in boost. "You can try to unhook it from water, but you can't," Cullen said. "The handling is going to be the biggest surprise for riders. The engine PWC www.PowersportsBusiness.com The flagship 2014 FX Cruiser SVHO cruiser, with two-tone Hydro-Turf, offers all the amenities, including Yamaha's proprietary NanoXcel hull and deck. is fast as can be, but you ride and you feel the pump; you feel the suction." LUXURY PERFORMANCE FLAGSHIP Two all-new luxury performance models — FX Cruiser SVHO and FX SVHO — add extravagance to the high-powered engine. "The hulls are different than the FZ, which is like a riding-on-rails, high-speed turn hull. This FX Series is about stability. You can be on one side and I can be on the other, and we wouldn't be able to flip it. It's geared for getting the kids out and tubing, having some running around when the kids are ready for a break. It's like the dad who was really into powersports before he got married and had kids. Now the kids want to go on shore and have a picnic, and dad wants to tear it up. You can do all that." The flagship FX Cruiser SVHO cruiser, with two-tone Hydro-Turf, offers all the amenities, including Yamaha's proprietary NanoXcel hull and deck. "It's for the buyer who comes in and says 'Give me the most expensive thing you have,'" Cullen said. "It doesn't make a difference if it's $2,000 more. We wanted to give him even more." The FZR and FZS have always been known for their race-inspired performance, and they get a double-digit power boost from the SVHO engine. The new 160mm, eight-vein pump, new sponsons, new ride plate and new top loader intake grate combine to keep them glued to the water during high speed turns. EVEN MORE VALUE For the value-oriented buyer, the VX line now includes the NanoXcel hull and deck. The VX Cruiser and VX Deluxe are 65 pounds lighter, and the OEM claims it makes them the lightest three-person watercraft available today. The VX Sport, which doesn't have the NanoXcel hull, takes a price decrease to $7,999 MSRP. "We are pushing new boundaries with this lineup in 2014. We are upping what was already the largest displacement engine in the industry, and taking it to a whole new level. And with nanotech engineered hulls and decks on our VX models, entry level buyers will have amazing experiences on the water," said Bryan Seti, Yamaha's national marketing manager. The VX Cruiser and VX Deluxe, by shedding the weight, is now in the high600 pounds thanks to the addition of NanoXcel. "That 65 pounds is like the difference between having a person on the back and one that just came off," Cullen said. "It's a mile or two better on the top end, and the mid-range is better. The focus you will see from us in the coming years is lighter, lighter, lighter." The 2014 Yamaha WaveRunner line is Yamaha's largest ever with 14 distinct models when including the competition-only Yamaha SuperJet. With a theme of lightweight, power and luxury, Cullen said Yamaha's 2014 models "have it all. Dealers will know they have an option for every type of rider." PSB The supercharger boost on the 2014 FX Series increased by 60 percent compared to the old engine. The 2014 WaveRunner FZR aims to maintain its ability to bring smiles to the faces of WaveRunner riders. View a photo gallery of the new Yamaha WaveRunner lineup and engine CAD drawings on the Powersports Business digital edition. Don't receive the digital edition? Subscribe today at www.PowersportsBusiness.com/subscribe PWC sales continue slowdown in July Continuing a soft patch that started at the beginning of 2013, PWC sales growth was negative for the second month in a row in July for Bellwether states — only slightly below zero sales growth, however — continuing a slowdown for the PWC market. The news is according to the latest figures released from Info-Link Technologies. Shrugging off industry malaise caused by a less-than-stellar summer weather season, sales of 15-foot or greater powerboats have shown P32x34-PSB11-PWC.indd 34 a slight gain in year-over-year sales growth by edging up closer to 10-percent growth. Ski boat sales growth has shown no signs of slowing down, continuing its strong sales growth just below 10 percent compared with the previous 12-month period. Ski boat sales growth has steadily increased for the past four years, and remained at its current pace since the tail end of 2012. It's much the same for outboards, which showed a slight uptick for July that brought year-over-year sales growth to the 10-percent mark compared with the previous year. Sportfishing sales, which were very strong from late 2012 into early 2013, have cooled down back toward 10 percent growth compared with the previous year. The data is based on new U.S. boat registrations. Bellwether states are geographically dispersed states representing roughly half of the US boat market (which varies by market segment and time of year). PSB 8/28/13 11:07 AM