2022 YAMAHA VX Owners Manual

General and important labels
8
EJU44221Other labels
F1B-U41F5-11
F1B-U41F5-21
6EY-43394-10
E5
B4F-F817K-00
E10
0499
XXX-XXXXXX-XXXXXX-XXX
PFD
NEOPRENE1
2
XXX-XXX
6
78
9
10
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General and important labels
9
VX-C / VX / VX CRUISER
B16-F811S-01
11
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Safety information
10
EJU30683
The safe use and operation of this water-
craft is dependent upon the use of proper
riding techniques, as well as upon the
common sense, good judgment, and ex-
pertise of the operator. Before using this
watercraft, make sure that its use is per-
mitted under local laws, bylaws, and regu-
lations, and always operate the watercraft
in full conformity with any requirements
and limitations imposed. Every operator
should know the following requirements
before riding the watercraft.
Before operating the watercraft, read this
owner’s/operator’s manual, the Riding
Practice Guide, the Riding Instruction card,
and all labels on the watercraft. These ma-
terials should give you an understanding of
the watercraft and its operation.
Never allow anyone to operate this water-
craft until they too have read this own-
er’s/operator’s manual, the Riding Practice
Guide, the Riding Instruction card, and all
labels.
EJU30743
Limitations on who may operate the watercraft
Make sure that the operator is 16 years of
age or older and has taken a boater safety
course.
Adults must supervise use by minors.
This watercraft is designed to carry the op-
erator and up to 2 passengers. Never ex-
ceed the maximum load limit or allow more
than 3 persons (or 2 persons if a wake-
boarder or water-skier is being pulled) to
ride the watercraft at any time.
Do not operate the watercraft with any pas-
sengers on board until you have consider-
able practice and experience riding alone.
Operating the watercraft with passengers
requires more skill. Take the time to be-
come accustomed to the handling charac-
teristics of the watercraft before trying any
difficult maneuvers.Maximum load:
240 kg (530 lb)
Load is the total weight of cargo, op-
erator, and passengers.
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Safety information
11
EJU44481
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.
VX-C: Take early action to avoid collisions.
Remember, watercraft and other boats do
not have brakes.
VX-C: Avoid sharp turns or other maneu-
vers that make it hard for others to avoid
you or understand where you are going.
VX / VX DELUXE / VX CRUISER / VX
LIMITED: Take early action to avoid colli- sions. Remember, watercraft and other
boats do not have brakes. In addition, the
Reverse with Intuitive Deceleration Elec-
tronics (RiDE) system is not a braking de-
vice for avoiding dangerous situations. The
RiDE system is an electronic system for
controlling the engine speed and reverse
gate, which is located 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 water-
craft moves in reverse or is in neutral. The
RiDE system assists the operator when
slowing down and during slow-speed ma-
neuvering, such as launching, beaching,
and docking.
VX / VX DELUXE / VX CRUISER / VX
LIMITED: Avoid sharp turns, slowing down rapidly by squeezing the RiDE lever force-
fully, and other maneuvers that make it
hard for others 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.
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Safety information
12
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-
tercraft, otherwise you increase your chan-
ce of hitting a submerged object, which
could result in injury.
This watercraft is not equipped with light-
ing required for night operation. Do not op-
erate the watercraft after sunset or before
dawn, otherwise you increase the risk of
colliding with another boat, which could re-
sult in severe injury or death.
Follow navigation rules, and state/provin-
cial and local laws that apply to watercraft.
EJU43131
Operation requirements
All riders must wear a personal flotation de-
vice (PFD) that is approved by the appro-
priate authorities and is suitable for
personal watercraft use.
Wear protective clothing. Severe internal
injuries can occur if water is forced into
body cavities as a result of falling into the
water or being near the jet thrust nozzle.
You must wear shorts with neoprene (wet-
suit material) to keep water from being
forcefully injected into the rectum or vagina
during a fall backward. Riders not wearing
neoprene shorts have received severe rec-
tal, vaginal, and internal injuries resulting in
permanent damage. Normal swimwear
does not offer adequate protection.
Eye protection is recommended to keep
wind, water, and glare from the sun out of
your eyes while you operate your water-
craft. Restraining straps for eyewear are
made which are designed to float should
your eyewear fall in the water.
Footwear and gloves are recommended.
You must decide whether to wear a helmet
while you ride for recreation. You should
know that a helmet could help protect you
60 cm (2 ft)
1Authority-approved PFD
2 Wetsuit bottom
1
2
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Safety information
13
in certain kinds of accidents and that it
could injure you in others.
A helmet is designed to provide some head
protection. Although helmets cannot pro-
tect against all foreseeable impacts, a hel-
met might reduce your injuries in a collision
with a boat or other obstacle.
A helmet may have potential safety haz-
ards, as well. Falling into the water could
risk the chance of the helmet catching wa-
ter, commonly known as “bucketing”, and
the resulting strain on your neck could cau-
se choking, severe and permanent neck in-
juries, or death. A helmet could also
increase the risk of an accident if it reduces
your vision or hearing, or if it distracts you
or increases your fatigue.
How should you decide if a helmet’s poten-
tial safety benefits outweigh its potential
risks for you? Consider your particular rid-
ing conditions. Consider factors such as
your riding environment and your riding
style and ability. Also consider the likeli-
hood of traffic congestion, and the water
surface conditions.
If you decide to wear a helmet based upon
your riding circumstances, choose one
carefully. Look for a helmet designed for
personal watercraft use, if possible. If you
will be engaging in closed-course competi-
tion, follow the helmet requirements of the
sanctioning organization.
Never operate the watercraft after consum-
ing alcohol or taking other drugs.
For reasons of safety and proper care of
the watercraft, always perform the pre-op-
eration checks listed on page 68 before op-
erating the watercraft.
The operator should grip the handlebars
firmly with both hands and the passengers
should hold on firmly, either to the person in front of them or to the handgrip provid-
ed.
The operator and passengers should al-
ways keep their feet on the floor of the foot-
well when the watercraft is in motion.
Lifting your feet increases the chances of
losing your balance,
or hitting objects out-
side the watercraft with your feet. Do not
give a ride to children if their feet cannot
reach the floor of the footwell.
Never allow a passenger to ride in front of
the operator.
Always consult your doctor on whether it is
safe for you to ride this watercraft if you are
pregnant or in poor health.
Do not attempt to modify this watercraft.
Modifications to your watercraft may re-
duce safety and reliability, and render the
watercraft unsafe or illegal for use.
Attach the engine shut-off cord (lanyard) to
y o u r l ef t w r is t an d k ee p i t fr e e f r o m t h e h an -
dlebars so that the engine stops if you, the
operator, fall off. After riding, remove the
engine shut-off cord (lanyard) from the wa-
tercraft to avoid accidental starting or un-
authorized use by children or others.
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Safety information
14
Scan carefully for swimmers and stay away
from swimming areas. Swimmers are hard
to see and you could accidentally hit some-
one in the water.
Avoid being hit by another boat. You
should always take the responsibility to
watch for traffic; other boaters may not be
watching for you. If they do not see you, or
if you maneuver more quickly than other
boaters expect, you risk a collision.
Maintain a safe distance from other boats
and watercraft, and also watch for ski
ropes or fishing lines. Obey the “Safe boat-
ing rules” and be sure to check behind you
before making a turn or slowing down. (See
“Safe boating rules” on page 18.)
EJU30841
Recommended equipment
The following items should be carried on
board your watercraft:
Sound-signaling device
You should carry a whistle or other sound-
signaling device that can be used to signal
other boats.
Visual distress signals
It is recommended that a pyrotechnic de-
vice, which is approved by the appropriate
authorities, be stored in a waterproof con-
tainer on your watercraft. A mirror can also
be used as an emergency signal. Contact a
Yamaha dealer for more information.
Watch
A watch is helpful so you will know how
long you have been operating the water-
craft.
Towline
A towline can be used to tow a disabled
watercraft in an emergency.
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Safety information
15
EJU44610
Hazard information
Never start the engine or let it run for any
length of time in an enclosed area. Exhaust
fumes contain carbon monoxide, a color-
less, odorless gas that may cause loss of
consciousness and death within a short
time. Always operate the watercraft in an
open area.
Do not touch the hot oil tank, muffler, or en-
gine during or immediately after engine op-
eration; they can cause serious burns.
Do not place magnets or objects with a
strong magnetic force near the throttle le-
ver or RiDE lever (VX / VX DELUXE /
VX CRUISER / VX LIMITED). The electronic
throttle mechanism of the levers can be ad-
versely affected, which could cause loss of
control. In addition, do not place objects
susceptible to magnetic forces (i.e., credit
cards, watches, etc.) close to the throttle
lever or RiDE lever.
EJU44971
Watercraft characteristics
Jet thrust turns the watercraft. 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.
This model is equipped with the Yamaha
Engine Management System (YEMS) that
includes an off-throttle steering (OTS) sys-
tem. It will activate at planing speeds
should you attempt to steer the watercraft
after releasing the throttle lever. The OTS
system assists in turning by continuing to
supply some thrust while the watercraft is
decelerating, but you can turn more sharp-
ly if you apply throttle while turning the han-
dlebars.
The OTS system does not function below
planing speeds or when the engine is off.
Once the engine slows down, the water-
craft will no longer turn in response to han-
dlebar input until you apply throttle again or
you reach trolling speed.
Practice turning in an open area without
obstacles until you have a good feel for this
maneuver.
VX-C: This watercraft is water-jet pro-
pelled. The jet pump is directly connected
to the engine. This means that jet thrust will
produce some movement whenever the
engine is running. There is no “neutral” po-
sition.
VX / VX DELUXE / VX CRUISER / VX
LIMITED: This watercra ft is water-jet pro-
pelled. The jet pump is directly connected
to the engine. This means that jet thrust will
produce some movement whenever the
engine is running and the “F” (forward) or
“R” (reverse) shift indicator is displayed.
When the “N” (neutral) shift indicator is dis-
played, the forward and reverse thrust are
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