Lookin’ to fill that need for speed? Then 1997 is your lucky year – at least in the watercraft world. Yamaha has revved up its new line with the WaveRunner GP1200, the newest and most potent fish in the PWC school.
“The GP1200 is for whoever wants to be the fastest on the water,” boast Yamaha execs, who say it’s one of the company’s most innovative vehicles yet. “It’s going to set the industry standard for the next century,” adds Steve Lawler, P.R. and race manager. “At 60 mph, it gets with the program – fast.”
He’s not kidding. The GP1200 features a highly responsive throttle that seems to blast off the instant you even think about taking it for a spin. So when you say “go” on a GP1200, you better mean it.
Bred on the race course, the GP1200 pulls ahead with the highest horsepower and water displacement of any production craft on the aqua trail. With 135 hp at 6,750 rpm, three-cylinder 1131-cc Yamaha marine engine with a 155 Hyper-Flow pump, the GP1200 might make you forget all about your lust for 400 hp limited-edition inboards.
Well, maybe not completely. But in states where it is legal to ski behind a two-seater, the GP1200 is overflowing with enough power and out-of-the-hole acceleration to pull up the most stubborn skiers, and cruise them along at challenging speeds.
But the nice thing about the GP1200 is that it’s not just power run amok. We found smooth, stable control. Along with its semi-V hull is a new Yamaha Adjustable Sponson system, which allows the rider to adjust the handling characteristics from a high-performance ride to a lighter, more recreational feel. Yamaha also added two more positions to its handy Quick Shift Trim System (for a total of five), which allows riders precise handling depending on their situation. This feature is great for when you really want to get that nose up and catch some serious air off swells or when you would rather nose it directly into some tight turns. Either way, the GP1200 adapts like a charm.
Though the seat is rather wide for small riders, it rides two quite comfortably. The new, softly contoured seats help riders stay put, and are an added bonus for long rides. Along with the updated (but not so splashy) graphics, the GP1200 also features a digitally programmed security system and a newly designed, multi-function electronic information center that gives the operator a quick read on speed, rpm, fuel and oil levels, overheat warning, time, trip distance, hour meter and trip time. Also included are side-mounted, adjustable mirrors, nonskid foot wells, a padded mounting platform, a 13.2-gallon fuel tank and 11.4 gallons of storage space – more than any other two-passenger craft.
The winners still remain to be seen, but the GP1200 is sure off to a quick start. – Shellie Frey
For more information, call 714-761-7473.
