2021 YAMAHA FX HO power steering

Safety information
11
EJU43323
Cruising limitations
Scan constantly for people, objects, and
other watercraft. Be alert for conditions
that limit your visibility or block your vision
of others.
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, go too close to other
boats, or go too fast for the traffic condi-
tions.
Take early action to avoid collisions. Re-
member, watercraft and other boats do not
have brakes. In addition, the Reverse with
Intuitive Deceleration Electronics (RiDE)
system is not a braking device for avoiding
dangerous situations. The RiDE system is
an electronic system for controlling the en-
gine speed and reverse gate, which is lo-
cated near the jet thrust nozzle. The RiDE
lever located at the left handlebar grip can
be used to change the direction of the jet
thrust so that the watercraft moves in re-
verse or is in neutral. The RiDE system as-
sists the operator when slowing down and
during slow-speed maneuvering, such as
launching, beaching, and docking.
Avoid sharp turns, slowing down rapidly by
squeezing the RiDE lever forcefully, and
other maneuvers that make it hard for oth-
ers to avoid you or understand where you
are going.
Avoid areas with submerged objects or
shallow water.
Do not release the throttle lever when trying
to steer away from objects—as with other
powerboats, you need throttle to steer. Al-
ways check throttle and steering controls
before starting the watercraft.
Ride within your limits and avoid aggres-
sive maneuvers to reduce the risk of loss of
control, ejection, and collision.
This is a high performance boat—not a toy.
Avoid aggressive operation, sharp turns,
and unexpected acceleration that can cau-
se you to be thrown off. Do not jump waves
or wakes—jumping can cause injuries such
as back or spinal injuries (paralysis), facial
injuries, and broken legs, ankles, and other
bones. Improper operation can result in se-
vere injury or death.
Do not operate the watercraft in rough wa-
ter, bad weather, or when visibility is poor;
this may lead to an accident causing injury
or death. Be alert to the possibility of ad-
verse weather. Take note of weather fore-
casts and the prevailing weather
conditions before setting out on your wa-
tercraft.
As with any water sport, you should not op-
erate your watercraft without someone else
nearby. If you operate further than swim-
ming distance from shore, you should be
accompanied by another boat or water-
craft, but make sure you stay a safe dis-
tance away. It’s good, common sense.
Never operate in water that is less than 60
cm (2 ft) deep from the bottom of the wa-
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Safety information
18
er’s or water-skier’s ability, as well as water
and weather conditions.
When preparing to pull a wakeboarder or
water-skier, operate the watercraft at the
slowest possible speed until the watercraft
is well away from the person being pulled
and slack in the ski rope is taken up. Make
sure that the rope is not looped around
anything.
After checking that the wakeboarder or wa-
ter-skier is ready and that there is no traffic
or other obstacles, apply enough throttle to
raise the person.
Make smooth, wide turns. The watercraft is
capable of very sharp turns, which could
exceed the abilities of the wakeboarder or
water-skier. Keep the person being towed
at least 50 m (164 ft), about twice the dis-
tance of a standard ski rope, away from
any potential hazard.
The operators of boats and other water-
craft may not be aware that you are pulling
a wakeboarder or water-skier. Together
with the spotter, pay attention to others
around you and cruise at safe speeds.
Be alert to the hazard of the ski rope handle
snapping back at the watercraft when the
wakeboarder or water-skier falls or is un-
able to get up.
Towing heavy or bulky objects other than
wakeboarders or water-skiers, such as an-
other boat or watercraft, can cause loss of
steering control and create a hazardous
condition. If you must tow another boat in
an emergency situation, operate slowly
and cautiously.
EJU30971
Safe boating rules
Your Yamaha watercraft is legally considered
a powerboat. Operation of the watercraft
must be in accordance with the rules and
regulations governing the waterway on which
it is used.
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Pre-operation checks
68
shows any other signs of decreased pow-
er. Loss of battery power may leave you
stranded.
[EWJ01241]
Make sure that the battery is securely held in
place.
EJU32614Steering system checks
Turn the handlebars to the right and left sev-
eral times to make sure that operation is
smooth and unrestricted throughout the
whole range, and that the free play is not ex-
cessive.
Turn the handlebars as far as possible to the
right and left to make sure that the jet thrust
nozzle moves as the handlebars are turned,
and that there is no difference between the right and left fully turned positions of the jet
thrust nozzle.
EJU40363Adjustable tilt steering system checks
Operate the adjustable tilt steering system
several times to make sure that operation is
smooth throughout the whole range. Also,
make sure that the handlebars are securely
1
Negative (–) battery terminal: Black lead
2 Positive (+) battery terminal: Red lead
12
Difference between fully turned posi-
tions of jet thrust nozzle (distances A
and B):
Maximum 5 mm (0.20 in)
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Operation
77
(idle) position. (See page 30 for shift system
operation procedures.)
EJU43423Turning the watercraftEWJ01783
Do not release the throttle lever when
trying to steer away from objects—as
with other powerboats, you need throt-
tle to steer. A collision could result in se-
vere injury or death.
When operating at higher speeds, make
gradual turns or slow down before turn-
ing. Sharp high-speed turns may cause
the watercraft to slide sideways or spin,
throwing the operator and passenger(s)
overboard, which could cause an injury.
Take early action to avoid collisions. The
RiDE system is not a braking device for
avoiding dangerous situations.
Steering control depends on the combination
of handlebar position and the amount of
throttle.
Water sucked in through the intake grate is
pressurized by the impeller in the jet pump.
As the pressurized water is expelled from the
pump through the jet thrust nozzle, it creates
thrust to move and steer the watercraft. The
higher the engine speed, the more thrust pro-
duced.
The amount of jet thrust, in addition to the po-
sition of the handlebars, determines how
sharply you turn.
A. More throttle produces higher thrust, sothe watercraft will turn more sharply.
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
1“F” (Forward position)
0
F13.6Vx100
RPM
100%
km/h
1
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