Yamaha WaveRunner Fuel Consumption Specs
Personal watercrafts (PWCs) are famous for burning tons of gas; you can expect to use 20-25 gallons of gas in a single hour if you ride them aggressively! But the final amount of the gas you’ll burn will depend on several factors like the WaveRunner’s performance, your speed and riding style, or even the weather conditions.
Are you wondering how much fuel a WaveRunner uses?
We at JetDrift have gathered the most relevant, available information about the current models’ fuel economy. But first, take a short look at the factors that can affect these numbers!
What Does a WaveRunner’s Fuel Consumption Depend On?
Before we go into the details, it’s important to clarify that it’s impossible to give exact fuel consumption numbers for any of WaveRunner models.It can be surprising at first glance, but as you’ll see, there are some different reasons for this, and the first is the nature of riding a WaveRunner.
Unlike cars which run at the same speed for many miles, the use of a PWC is very mixed. You sometimes only ride them at idle speeds, sometimes you perform aggressive accelerations, and sometimes you even ride at full throttle for a while.
Because of this, you’ll burn a different amount of gas every single hour! That’s why boats’ and WaveRunners’ fuel consumption are measured by gallons/hour instead of miles/gallon, as with cars.
The other reason there are not exact fuel consumption specs for each model is that the amount of gas of used hourly surprisingly doesn’t depend on just your riding style!
Weather conditions like wind, temperature, or the waves can all affect your fuel usage, so this means your WaveRunner’s fuel consumption can change even within a day depending on the weather.
That’s why is important to not empty your tank completely, and follow the 1/3-1/3 fuel management rule every time.
For instance, if you go for a tour, you should use only 1/3 of your gas for the way there, and another 1/3 of that for the return trip. The rest of the 1/3 has to be left in the tank for emergency situations like bad weather or navigation failures.
Always keep in mind this important rule when you plan your next trip!
It’s also important to know that the curb weight of the watercraft affects fuel consumption. The more equipment on you, (or if you ride with passengers) will also require more gas!
Without further ado, let’s check the WaveRunner’s fuel consumption numbers by category!
Yamaha WaveRunner Fuel Consumption by Category
When it comes to WaveRunner fuel consumption specs, beyond the external circumstances, the numbers obviously depend on the engine’s performance.The rule of thumb is that the higher displacement and more performance means higher fuel consumption numbers.
As Yamaha WaveRunners arrive in different categories by their performance, size and features, we can check and compare these families by their performance and fuel consumption!
Rec-Lite
Rec-Lite WaveRunners means the Yamaha EX family and the more sporty EXR.
All of these models are equipped with the same 1049cc, four-stroke engine, that offers 100-110 HP depending on the model.
These WaveRunners burn around 3-4 gallons of gas if you ride them at best cruise speed, while at full speed you can expect around 8-9 gallons/hour.
Recreation
Recreation WaveRunners are powered with slightly stronger engines; you can expect for 125 HP if you choose VX Waverunner.
But as these engines are still only 1049cc, you can expect slightly higher gas consumption like on a Rec-Lite model, which means 3-5 gallons at best cruise speed, and 8-10 gallons at full throttle.
The only exception in the Recreation category is the Yamaha FX Cruiser HO, as this model has a larger, 1812cc (non-supercharged) engine. Thanks to the bigger displacement, you can expect better performance (180 HP) and higher fuel consumption as well on this model.
If you ride it hard, be prepared for burning around 13-14 gallons of gas every hour!
Luxury and Performance
Luxury and Performance WaveRunners are all powered with the same, 1812 cc engine, but while some models are naturally aspirated (non-supercharged) other’s performance are increased with supercharger.The non-supercharged models all offer 180 HP performance uniformly, which means they will burn more or less the same amount of gas like the FX Cruiser HO.
Are you wondering which WaveRunners use the most of gas? As you’ve assumed,the supercharged WaveRunners have the highest performance (250 HP), so they need the most gas as well!
This means they burn around 4-5 gallons at best cruise speed; if you go with full speed, they can burn as many as 20-22 gallons every single hour. Yes, this is a lot of gas, but you have to feed those horses!
SuperJet
When it comes to the stand-up PWC category, Yamaha is still manufacturing its legendary SuperJet. Surprisingly, this model is still powered with a two-stroke, 701cc, 2-cylinder engine, so you have to mix the gas and the oil before you put in in a tank.
Yamaha SuperJet’s fuel consumption could vary widely depending on how hard you ride it, but as this model has only 4.8 gallons of fuel capacity, don’t be surprised if you can play around less than an hour before you have to refill!
Conclusion
How much gas does a WaveRunner use?The fuel consumption of each Yamaha WaveRunner depends on several factors. The rule of thumb is that higher performance requires more gas, so this means the entry level WaveRunners use around 3-8 gallons, while the most powerful supercharged WaveRunners can use 4-22 gallons of gas per hour.
But again, these numbers depend on many factors like your speed, riding style, or even the weather conditions.
Wind or choppy water can increase the WaveRunner’s fuel consumption;that’s why it’s so important to follow the 1/3-1/3 fuel management rule if you go offshore.If you’d like to learn more about PWC’s fuel consumption, or want to compare WaveRunners with the competitor models, don’t miss our other post about the Sea-Doo’s fuel economy, or this comparison post with all the current models on the market!____________Related Articles:Jet Ski vs. Sea-Doo vs. WaveRunner Fuel Consumption Specs in One ChartJet Ski vs. Sea-Doo vs. WaveRunner Horsepower Chart [2020]All 2020 Jet Ski, Sea-Doo, Krash and WaveRunner Prices