power steering YAMAHA VX CRUISER 2022 Owners Manual

Page 20 of 122

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.
UF4N71E0.book Page 11 Thursday, August 5, 2021 11:58 AM

Page 27 of 122

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.
UF4N71E0.book Page 18 Thursday, August 5, 2021 11:58 AM

Page 80 of 122

Pre-operation checks
71
EJU40182Engine unit check
Check the exterior of the engine unit for dam-
age or other problem.
EJU41561Engine oil level check
Make sure that the engine oil level is between
the minimum and maximum level marks on
the dipstick attached to the oil tank filler cap.
(See page 63 for information on checking the
engine oil level.)
EJU32456Bilge water check
Make sure that no bilge water has collected in
the engine compartment. If bilge water has
collected in the engine compartment, drain it.
(See page 65 for information on draining the
bilge water.)
EJU32488Battery checks
Make sure that the battery terminals are not
damaged and that the battery leads are con-
nected properly. WARNING! Never operate
the watercraft if the battery does not have
sufficient power to start the engine or if it
shows any other signs of decreased pow-
er. Loss of battery power may leave you
stranded.
[EWJ01242]
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.
1 Oil tank filler cap/Dipstick
1 Dipstick
2 Maximum level mark
3 Minimum level mark
1
213
1Negative (–) battery terminal: Black lead
2 Positive (+) battery terminal: Red lead
2
1
UF4N71E0.book Page 71 Thursday, August 5, 2021 11:58 AM

Page 90 of 122

Operation
81
VX DELUXE / VX CRUISER / VX LIMITED
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.
VX / VX DELUXE / VX CRUISER / VX
LIMITED: Take early action to avoid col- lisions. The RiDE system is not a braking device for avoiding dangerous situa-
tions.
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, so
the 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
1“F” (Forward position)
14.3V
km/h
RPM
1
UF4N71E0.book Page 81 Thursday, August 5, 2021 11:58 AM