Yamaha WaveRunners have 100-250 HP depending on the engine option. Entry-level WaveRunners typically have 100-110 HP, while the models in the Recreation category have 125-180 HP. The most powerful WaveRunners are arguably the “performance” (GP) series, which deliver no less than 250 HP!
If you want to learn about the newest Yamaha WaveRunners and their performance numbers, this post is for you!
Without further ado, let’s see how much horsepower WaveRunners have in each category!
How Much Horsepower Does a WaveRunner Have?
Yamaha EX Horsepower
Yamaha EX WaveRunners offer 100 HP, while the sporty EXR puts out 110 HP. You can find all of these models in the Rec-Lite category, which are the entry-level WaveRunners in Yamaha’s fleet. All of these tiny crafts share the same 1049cc, 3-cylinder, 4-stroke Yamaha Marine engine, cooled by an open-loop cooling system.
You can find these models in this category:
- Yamaha EX: 100 HP
- Yamaha EX Sport: 100 HP
- Yamaha EX Deluxe: 100 HP
- Yamaha EX Limited: 100 HP
- Yamaha EXR: 110 HP
Yamaha VX Horsepower
On Yamaha VX WaveRunners you can expect 125-180 HP depending on their engine displacement. The lower-performance models in this category are powered by a 1049cc, 3-cylinder engine, which puts out 125 HP. If you are looking for more power, you should take a look at the ‘HO’ models, which come with a bigger engine. This 1812cc, 3-cylinder, non-supercharged power source delivers no less than 180 HP.
The VX line is considered to be the best WaveRunner for beginners and families. That’s why the best-selling WaveRunners are in this category!
The available models in this family are as follows:
- Yamaha VX: 125 HP
- Yamaha VX Deluxe: 125 HP
- Yamaha VX Limited: 125 HP
- Yamaha VX Cruiser HO: 180 HP
- Yamaha VX Limited HO: 180 HP
Yamaha FX Horsepower
If you are in the market for a Luxury WaveRunner, you should take a look at the FX family. Yamaha FX WaveRunners not only deliver an amazing 180-250 HP, but also feature a ton of convenient accessories. Even though all of these crafts are powered with the same 1812cc, 4-cylinder, 4-stroke engine, their horsepower ratings are different. Why?
This is because the engine in SVHO models is boosted with a supercharger, while HO WaveRunners don’t feature this addition.
Here’s a list of the available FX WaveRunners:
- Yamaha FX HO: 180 HP
- Yamaha FX SVHO: 250 HP
- Yamaha FX Cruiser SVHO: 250 HP
- Yamaha FX Limited SVHO: 250 HP
Yamaha GP1800R Horsepower
The most powerful WaveRunners are arguably the “performance” models, namely the GP1800R series. You can expect 180 HP on the GP1800R HO, while the supercharged GP1800R SVHO delivers an amazing 250 HP.
The GP1800R SVHO is arguably the flagship WaveRunner in Yamaha’s fleet. It’s a worthy opponent of the Kawasaki Ultra 310R and the Sea-Doo RXP-X 300! If you want to compare these legendary muclecrafts, don’t miss our comparison post!
4-Stroke Superjet Horsepower
The all-new 4-stroke Superjet offers no less than 100 HP. As its 2-stroke predecessor delivered only 74 HP, this is a noticeable increase in power! The new Superjets share not only the engine but the pump as well within the EX family.
Yamaha WaveRunner Comparison Chart
| Family | Horsepower |
| EX family | 100 |
| EXR | 110 |
| VX family (1049cc) | 125 |
| VX HO (1812cc) | 180 |
| FX HO | 180 |
| FX SVHO | 250 |
| GP1800R HO | 180 |
| GP1800R SVHO | 250 |
| Superjet | 100 |
Yamaha WaveRunner Engines
Let’s take a closer look at the famous Yamaha Marine engine, which can be found in every WaveRunner.
1049cc to HP
Yamaha’s 1049cc engine offers 100-125 HP depending on the model. The Superjet and the EX family delivers 100 HP, and you can expect for 110 HP on the EXR, while VX WaveRunners (Except the HOs) offer 125 HP.
This 1049cc, 3-cylinder, 4-stroke engine features a fuel injection system, and utilizes an open-loop cooling system.
1812cc to HP
Thanks to the bigger displacement, the 1812cc WaveRunner engine delivers 180-250 HP. This 4-stroke, 4-cylinder power source can be found in higher performance Yamaha PWCs. All these models labeled with “HO” come with a non-supercharged (180 HP) version of this engine. The most powerful WaveRunner engine right now is the supercharged version of this 1812cc power plant, which delivers 250 HP. You can find this in every SVHO WaveRunner.
Are you wondering what the HO and SVHO terms stand for? In a nutshell:
- HO stands for: “High Output” (models with a 1812cc, 180 HP, naturally-aspirated engine option)
- SVHO stands for: “Super Vortex High Output” (models with a 1812cc, 250 HP, supercharged engine option)
If you want to learn more about these amazing power sources, don’t miss this great video:
Conclusion
Yamaha WaveRunners have 100-250 HP depending on the model.
As a rule of thumb, Yamaha WaveRunners are available with two displacements. The 1049cc triple offers 100-125 HP, while the naturally-aspirated 1812cc, 4-cylinder engine puts out 180 HP. The latter is available with a supercharger as well, and you can expect 250HP from this power plant.
Speaking of these models, the entry-level EX series and the Superjet deliver 100 HP, while you can expect 110HP on the EXR.
The VX family offers 125-180 HP, while the FX WaveRunners produce 180-250 HP.
The aggressive and powerful GP1800R SVHO also comes with a 250 HP supercharged engine, while its smaller brother, the GP1800R HO has a non-supercharged, 180 HP engine option.
This is our short Yamaha WaveRunner horsepower comparison. We hope you find it useful!
References:
https://www.yamahawaverunners.com/
