2012 YAMAHA VX engine

Operation
63
B. Less throttle produces lower thrust, so
the watercraft will turn more gradually.
C. Releasing the throttle lever completely
produces only minimum thrust. If you are
traveling at speeds above trolling, you will
have rapidly decreasing ability to steer
without throttle. You may still have some
turning ability immediately after releasing
the throttle lever, but once the engine
slows down, the watercraft will no longer
respond to handlebar input until you ap-
ply throttle again or you reach trolling
speed.
At trolling speed, the watercraft can be
turned gradually by handlebar position
alone using just the amount of thrust
available at idle.D. If the engine is stopped while riding, there
is no thrust. The watercraft will go straight
even though the handlebars are turned.
You need throttle to steer.
This model is equipped with the Yamaha En-
gine Management System (YEMS) that in-
cludes an off-throttle steering (OTS) system.
It will activate at planing speeds should you
attempt to steer the watercraft after releasing
the throttle lever (see condition C above).
The OTS system assists in turning by continu-
ing to supply some thrust while the watercraft
is decelerating, but you can turn more sharply
if you apply throttle while turning the handle-
bars. The OTS system does not function be-
low planing speeds or when the engine is off.
Once the engine slows down, the watercraft
will no longer turn in response to handlebar in-
put until you apply throttle again or you reach
trolling speed.
EJU33294Stopping the watercraft
The watercraft is not equipped with a sepa-
rate braking system. It is stopped by water re-
sistance when the throttle lever is released.
From full speed, the watercraft comes to a
complete stop in approximately 100 m (330 ft)
after the throttle lever is released or the en-
gine is stopped, although this distance will
vary depending on many factors, including
gross weight, water surface conditions, and
wind direction. The watercraft slows down as
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Operation
64
soon as the throttle lever is released, but will
coast for a distance before fully stopping. If
you are not sure you can stop in time before
hitting an obstacle, apply throttle and turn in
another direction.
WARNING
EWJ00744

Allow adequate stopping distance.

Take early action to avoid collisions. Re-
member, watercraft and other boats do
not have brakes.

Operate defensively at safe speeds and
keep a safe distance away from people,
objects, and other watercraft to give you
time to stop.

Do not shut the engine off when slowing
down in case you need engine power to
steer away from a boat or other obstacle
that comes into your path.

VX Deluxe / VX Cruiser: Do not use the
reverse function to slow down or stop
the watercraft as it could cause you to
lose control, be ejected, or impact the
handlebars.
EJU41580Operating the watercraft in reverse
(VX Deluxe / VX Cruiser)
Pull the shift lever rearward to the reverse po-
sition. The watercraft will move in reverse.(See page 30 for information on the reverse
system.)
Make sure that there are no obstacles or peo-
ple behind you before shifting into reverse.
EJU36086Boarding the watercraft
WARNING
EWJ01111
Be sure the operator and any passengers
have practiced boarding from the water
while still close to shore before riding. A
person who has made many unsuccessful
attempts to get back on the watercraft may
become fatigued and suffer from expo-
sure, increasing the risk of injury and
drowning.
Board the watercraft in water free from weeds
and debris and at least 60 cm (2 ft) deep from
the bottom of the watercraft. NOTICE: Never
1Shift lever
2Reverse position
1
2
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Operation
65
run the engine in water that is less than 60
cm (2 ft) deep from the bottom of the wa-
tercraft, otherwise pebbles or sand could
be sucked into the jet intake, causing im-
peller damage and engine overheating.
[ECJ00472]
TIP:
VX Cruiser: This watercraft is equipped with a
reboarding step, which can be lowered and
used to assist in reboarding. (See page 39 for
information on operating the reboarding step.)
EJU36353Boarding alone
(1) From the rear of the watercraft, place
both hands on the boarding platform, pull
yourself up, and then grasp the handgrip
with one hand.(2) Pull yourself up to a kneeling position on
the boarding platform, and then move to
the seat and sit astride.
(3) Attach the engine shut-off cord (lanyard)
to your left wrist, and then attach the clip
to the engine shut-off switch.
(4) Grip the handlebars with both hands and
place both feet on the floor of the footwell.
(5) Look in all directions, start the engine,
and then start off slowly.
EJU33169Boarding with passenger(s)
WARNING
EWJ00660
Severe internal injuries can occur if water
is forced into body cavities as a result of
being near the jet thrust nozzle. Do not ap-
ply throttle until the passengers are seated
with their feet on the floor of the footwell
and are securely holding on to the person
60 cm (2 ft)
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Operation
66
in front of them or to the handgrip provid-
ed.
The heavier the total weight of the operator
and passenger(s), the more difficult it will be
to balance the watercraft. Do not operate the
watercraft when the total weight exceeds 240
kg (530 lb) including any cargo.
To board at a standstill:
(1) Board as noted in the previous section
“Boarding alone”.
(2) Attach the engine shut-off cord (lanyard)
to your left wrist, and then attach the clip
to the engine shut-off switch.
(3) Grip the handlebars with both hands and
place both feet on the floor of the footwell.
(4) Have the first passenger move to the rear
of the watercraft.
(5) Have the first passenger board using the
same procedure as the operator, placetheir feet on the floor of the footwell, and
securely hold on to the operator.
(6) Have the second passenger follow the
same procedure. When the second pas-
senger is boarding, try to balance the wa-
tercraft together with the first passenger.
(7) Make sure that the passenger(s) have
their feet on the floor of the footwell and
are securely holding on to the person in
front of them or to the handgrip provided.
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Operation
67
(8) Look in all directions, start the engine,
and then start off slowly.
To board when it is difficult to balance at a
standstill:
(1) Have the passenger(s) steady the water-
craft, and then board as noted in the pre-
vious section “Boarding alone”.
(2) Grip the handlebars with both hands,
place both feet on the floor of the footwell,
and balance there.
(3) Have the first passenger board using the
same procedure as the operator, place
their feet on the floor of the footwell, se-
curely hold on to the operator, and bal-
ance there.
(4) Attach the engine shut-off cord (lanyard)
to your left wrist, and then attach the clip
to the engine shut-off switch.
(5) Look in all directions, and then start the
engine and operate at trolling speed.
(6) Have the second passenger pull them-
selves up onto the boarding platform into
a kneeling position and balance there.
Look in all directions, and then gradually
accelerate. Then, have the second pas-senger crawl onto the seat while main-
taining their balance.
(7) Have the second passenger sit astride
the seat, place their feet on the floor of
the footwell, securely hold on to the per-
son in front of them or to the handgrip
provided, and balance there.
(8) Make sure that the passenger(s) have
their feet on the floor of the footwell and
are securely holding on to the person in
front of them or to the handgrip provided,
and then gradually increase the speed to
balance the watercraft.
EJU33082Starting off
WARNING
EWJ00711
To avoid collisions:

Scan constantly for people, objects, and
other watercraft. Be alert for conditions
that limit your visibility or block your vi-
sion of others.
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Operation
68

Operate defensively at safe speeds and
keep a safe distance away from people,
objects, and other watercraft.

Do not follow directly behind watercraft
or other boats. Do not go near others to
spray or splash them with water. Avoid
sharp turns or other maneuvers that
make it hard for others to avoid you or
understand where you are going. Avoid
areas with submerged objects or shal-
low water.

Take early action to avoid collisions. Re-
member, watercraft and other boats do
not have brakes. Do not release the
throttle lever when trying to steer away
from objects—you need throttle to steer.
NOTICE
ECJ01340
Never run the engine in water that is less
than 60 cm (2 ft) deep from the bottom of
the watercraft, otherwise pebbles or sand
could be sucked into the jet intake, caus-
ing impeller damage and engine overheat-
ing.
EJU40592Starting off from a trailer
VX Sport:
(1) Launch the watercraft, and then turn it
around so that the bow faces the direc-
tion you wish to go.(2) Attach the engine shut-off cord (lanyard)
to your left wrist, and then attach the clip
to the engine shut-off switch.
(3) Look in all directions, start the engine,
and then start off slowly.
VX Deluxe / VX Cruiser:
(1) Launch the watercraft, and then move the
shift lever to the reverse position. (See
page 30 for information on the reverse
system.)
(2) Attach the engine shut-off cord (lanyard)
to your left wrist, and then attach the clip
to the engine shut-off switch.
(3) Look in all directions, start the engine,
and then start off slowly.
EJU33113Boarding and starting off from a dock
(1) Board the watercraft from the side.
(2) Attach the engine shut-off cord (lanyard)
to your left wrist, and then attach the clip
to the engine shut-off switch.
(3) Push the watercraft away from the dock,
grip the handlebars with both hands, and
place both feet on the floor of the footwell.
(4) Look in all directions, start the engine,
and then start off slowly.
EJU33235Capsized watercraft
WARNING
EWJ00671
Improper uprighting can cause injury.
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Operation
69

Be sure to shut the engine off by pulling
on the engine shut-off cord (lanyard) to
remove the clip from the engine shut-off
switch.

Do not put your hands in the intake
grate.
If the watercraft capsizes, turn it over immedi-
ately.
To upright the watercraft:
(1) Remove the clip from the engine shut-off
switch.
(2) Swim to the rear of the watercraft. Turn
the watercraft over clockwise by pulling
on the ride plate with your left hand while
pushing down on the gunwale with your
right hand or foot.
If the port (left) side of the capsized wa-
tercraft is tilting up, push down on the
gunwale so that the port (left) side is
down before turning the watercraft clock-
wise. NOTICE: Do not turn the water-
craft over counterclockwise,
otherwise water can enter the engine,which can result in severe damage.
[ECJ00541]
(3) Start the engine and operate the water-
craft at planing speed to drain the bilge
water from the engine compartment.
(See page 47 for information on draining
the bilge water. If the engine does not
start, see “Towing the watercraft” on
page 87 or “Submerged watercraft” on
page 87.) NOTICE: Do not run the en-
gine at full throttle for at least 1 minute
after the engine has been restarted.
Bilge water in the engine compart-
ment can splash into the engine,
which can result in severe damage.
[ECJ00553]
EJU35962
Beaching and docking the watercraft
To beach the watercraft:
(1) Make sure that there are no boats, swim-
mers, or obstacles near the beach.
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Operation
70
(2) Release the throttle lever to reduce
speed about 100 m (330 ft) before you
reach the intended beaching area.
(3) Slowly approach the beach and stop the
engine just before reaching land.
WARNING! You need throttle to steer.
Shutting the engine off can cause you
to hit an obstacle you are attempting
to avoid. A collision could result in se-
vere injury or death.
[EWJ00601] NOTICE:
Never run the engine in water that is
less than 60 cm (2 ft) deep from the
bottom of the watercraft, otherwise
pebbles or sand could be sucked into
the jet intake, causing impeller dam-
age and engine overheating.
[ECJ00472]
(4) Get off the watercraft and pull it up on the
beach.
To dock the watercraft:
(1) Make sure that there are no boats, swim-
mers, or obstacles near the dock.
(2) Release the throttle lever to reduce
speed about 100 m (330 ft) away from the
dock.
(3) Slowly approach the dock and stop the
engine just before coming alongside it.
WARNING! You need throttle to steer.
Shutting the engine off can cause you
to hit an obstacle you are attempting
to avoid. A collision could result in se-
vere injury or death.
[EWJ00601]
(4) Come alongside the dock and get off the
watercraft.
EJU37193Operating in weeded areas
Always avoid using your watercraft in areas
where weed growth is thick. If operating in
weeded areas is unavoidable, alternately
squeeze the throttle lever and relax your grip
on the throttle lever to vary the engine speed.
Weeds tend to become clogged more when
operating at a steady speed and at trollingspeed. If weeds may have clogged the intake
area, clean the jet intake. (See page 84 for in-
formation on the jet intake.)
EJU40241After removing the watercraft from the
water
NOTICE
ECJ01310
Do not run the engine over 4000 r/min on
land. Also, do not run the engine for more
than 15 seconds without supplying water,
otherwise the engine could overheat.
After operating and removing the watercraft
from the water, promptly discharge the re-
maining water from the cooling water passag-
es.
To discharge water from the cooling water
passages:
(1) Make sure that the area around the wa-
tercraft is clear, and then start the engine.
(2) Discharge the remaining water out of the
cooling water passages by alternately
squeezing and releasing the throttle lever
quickly for 10 to 15 seconds.
(3) Stop the engine.
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