flapjack

Hey Gang,
I'm test driving an 05 VX Deluxe with less than 200 hours. The low hours actually concern me.

What should I look for particular to this machine?
- should it smoke at all during initial start up?
- any potential leak I should look for?
- How dry should the hull be after a testride?
-etc.

Thanks in advance. I'm not familiar with Yamaha machines at all.

pwcpro

The vx deluxe is a dependable choice. You should get a top speed around 50 mph. Look at the oil on the dipstick to see if its clean. The hull should be totally dry inside. Be sure to inspect the hull because hull damage on yamaha waverunners can be quite difficult and expensive to repair. Also, look for signs of corrosion from saltwater inside the engine compartment. I would recommend having a experienced waverunner mechanic check compression and look it over before you buy.

Ernest T

-The only time I've ever seen a MR-1 engine smoke is when it is overfilled with oil (which is actually a common mistake on this dry-sump engine)
-Look for it to hit 8000 rpms at WOT at around 50-52 mph as pwcpro said. If it does that I say you can skip the compression check on this ski.
-Look at the metal plate the drive shaft passes through for signs of leakage......just had a recent post about that problem which is not uncommon on the VX. Shouldn't be much water in the hull unless you plow the nose. I think the VX has a siphon type of bilge pump, so you shouldn't see much water after a ride, but an inch or so is normal.
-If used in salt, really spend some time with a good flash light looking for corrosion.
-Get a maintenance history
-The VX is the most reliable and fuel efficient ski on the market. Not too much that can go wrong with this model. You have to work to screw it up.

__________________
2008 Yamaha FX HO Cruiser
2010 Hurricane Sundeck 2100