Yamaha | 2015 Melbourne Boat Show
Yamaha F130A outboard motor was almost “specifically designed on request from for the Australian market”.
New RiDE (RiDE Reverse Intuitive Deceleration Electronics) handling featured Yamaha WaveRunners.
New Yamaha WaveRunner VX models released.
Yamaha F130A outboard motor
The Yamaha F130A four-stroke outboard motor was officially launched in Australia in March 2015, with stock readily available at Yamaha dealers in April. One of the most anticipated new marine engines to hit the Australian market in a long time, it is surprising that this four-stroke engne wasn’t released earlier.
“It’s been such a highly anticipated engine. We had our Yamaha 115 hp and 150 hp, which are great engines,” Grant Binskin from Yamaha Australia told Trade-a-Boat at the 2015 Melbourne Boat Show.
“If you look at the statistics, there’s a big spike in that range, especially in Australia where that 5-6m boat range is so popular… The interesting thing was there really was no demand for anything between that power range in the US. So the fact that we were able to get this Yamaha F130A outboard was a massive buzz for Yamaha Australia,” he says.
Since launch, the Yamaha F130A outboard motor has received almost universal acclaim in the boating media — something Yamaha Australia must be very happy with, given how vocal the company was in making it available in Australia.
“It’s almost been specifically designed on request from us for the Australian market. The European market will also get it but the US isn’t taking it at this stage. We were probably the most vocal in requesting it,” he says.
New Yamaha WaveRunners
Fresh from the 130 hp Yamaha outboard motor launch, Yamaha has also introduced new WaveRunners.
Yamaha RiDE
More than just the latest buzzword, RiDE stands for Reverse Intuitive Deceleration Electronics. Fitted to the latest Yamaha WaveRunners, RiDE is a dual-throttle system: a forward throttle on the right, and reverse on the left throttle.
“You can turn on the spot and what’s really unique about it is, no matter which way you point the handle bars, that’s the way the nose of the craft is going to go. It makes it very easy to predict where it’s going to go and control, so you can literally turn on the spot in forward and then reverse — and then take off really quickly,” says Grant Binskin.
New Yamaha WaveRunner models were also present at the 2015 Melbourne Boat Show.
The redesigned Yamaha VX range sports a new hull that’s a bit bigger than its predecessor, with more features. It comes in two versions: the Yamaha WaveRunner VX Deluxe with an 1100cc engine; and the Yamaha WaveRunner VXR, with a 1.8lt engine.
“The Yamaha WaveRunner VX Deluxe is what we call a recreational ski. It’s really good for families and people who are just starting to get into the sport or just want an easy way to enjoy the weekends,” says Grant Binskin.
“The Yamaha WaveRunner VXR is more of a sports machine, with the bigger engine. It doesn’t have a supercharger but it still performs probably just as well as some of the supercharged skis. With that extra horsepower the new hull is just a blast to ride.”