Off to the Dark Side

[rookie101]

Well big weekend for changes. Sold my house and ended up with a new boat. My best friend sold his lake cabin and decided he had no need for his boat anymore, and I decided I did. I helped him pick this boat up brand new (it's an 06) and have given him a hand with the maintenance over the years so I know it's still like new.

I was really leaning toward one of the new 210 Challengers, but after talking to the local dealers at the boat show there was no way in heck I was going to shell out 50,000 for a boat :ack:. When my buddy decided to sell his cabin he called me to see if I wanted his boat and discus a long term friend price :rofl:, and right away I knew I'd be taking it.

It's an 06 Yamaha AR230. Twin engine 320hp (no superchargers:hurray. The biggest advantage over my little 185 Utopia is the huge swim platform.

Most likely won't have a chance to get it out before the end of May, but here are a couple of pictures of it from previous years.

Aaron:cheers:

 

[Dr Honda]

Nice boat, and just like some of the other turncoats here... we will still welcome your input. :rofl:

To me... you are leaving the darkside. I really don't like the Merc drives. I would like them more if there was some support from SeaDoo. It's almost like it's there bastard step kid. They know it happened, but don't want anything to do with it.

Anyway... I was a loyal Yamaha guy until 2005. I bought an FZ6 when the new version first came out... and they have a bunch of electrical gremlins, and Yamaha wasn't taking care if it under warranty. But once the R6 and R1 started having the same issues... they finally fessed up... but that was late 2006. After that... I started looking elsewhere for my toys. I went from a stable full of Yamaha's to only having 2. My Superjet, and my XL. But I don't have any of their bikes anymore.


I guess that got a little off topic. The boat looks great !!!!

Are you selling the 185?

 

[rookie101]

What... you don't like the Mercury's, I've never noticed.:rofl::rofl:

I'm actually going to miss my little 200, it's been the most reliable engine (actually anything) I've ever had. Other than regular maintenance all I have ever had to do is add gas and oil, and not much of either. The 185 gets about double the fuel mileage that any of the other boats around me seem to get, so hopefully the bigger AR isn't too bad (yeah right).

Yeah I'm planning on getting rid of the Utopia, but for the first time ever I decided to spring for indoor storage so I could park in my own garage this last winter and it's paid up till the end of May, so I'll just leave it there for at least another month. I don't need to have two boats in the way at home when I'm trying to move.

As for Yamaha, I've owned nothing but for quads (Warrior, Banshee, Raptor and now a YFZ450), but all my two wheelers have been other (1 CR250, 2KX250, and a 600 Ninja).

Aaron:cheers:

 

[Sikiguya]

Aaron,

You are a trusted resource and like Craig, offer very honest and valuable inputs. We would be lucky if you decide to stay. I get what you said about the Challenger 210. It is such a new boat, you are not going to find a deal. Apparently, Yamaha changed up their lineup as well. I do think the Yamaha is a sharp boat as well. I think you did the right thing. I am sure that your friend treated you well. Enjoy your boat. I think a comparison post is in order!!:cheers:

 

[RFoster130]

Sweet lookin boat!!

 

[rookie101]

Thanks. I've always thought that Yamaha had a better swim platform design until Sea-Doo came out with the 210, but unfortunately I'll have to wait until they get a few years old before I take another serious look at them. I still really like the closed loop cooling idea.

As far as comparisons it's kind of hard when the AR dwarfs my little Uboat, but the one thing that Sea-Doo has always done better is the low speed handling. The Yamaha's when stock are atrocious at best. My buddy was seriously looking at getting rid of this one the first year he had it, until I did some research and found the Yamaha forum and read up on Cobra Steering Fins, which I installed on this boat two summers ago.

Aaron:cheers:

 

[Craigmri]

Aaron,

That is one of the sharpest loking boats on the market. I'm green with envy!

Craig

 

[ausgezeichnet7]

I sold my 2003 Sportster last spring before I bought a house and am now looking to buy again... the Yamaha 4-stroke line is fantastic and the looks are definitely improved from their 2-stroke boat days. If money wasn't an object I'd have an AR210 or 242 Limited S right now, but in the interim I'm looking for a good Utopia 185. If you were closer I'd offer to buy your boat!

Enjoy the AR, and get some Cobra Fins to help with the low-speed steering if it doesn't have them already.

 

[rookie101]

I'm looking for a good Utopia 185. If you were closer I'd offer to buy your boat!

Enjoy the AR, and get some Cobra Fins to help with the low-speed steering if it doesn't have them already.

I drove eleven hours each way to pick it up, you just need to be adventurous. Besides North Carolina can't be more than what........... thirty hours each way.:rofl:

Already have the fins on the AR. I put them on myself for the guy I bought it off two summers ago.

Aaron:cheers:

 

[UNYboater]

I drove eleven hours each way to pick it up, you just need to be adventurous. Besides North Carolina can't be more than what........... thirty hours each way.:rofl:

We just did a 16 hour (each way) run to pick up the '99 Challenger, as a replacement for the '02 205 Utopia. Loved the U-boat but when the M2 died an awful death, I couldn't deal with the thought of a $6000 empty block or $8000 complete powerhead.....so the replacement had to have engines that could be replaced 'reasonably'. (I too felt like both SeaDoo & Merc seemed to orphan these drivelines.....)
Anyway, my price range had me looking at 10-year-old boats, with the Challanger 1800's & the Yamaha LS2000's topping the list; both had powerplants that could be replaced with a rebuilt for under a grand. It seemed like any of the M2's that died were well beyond rebuilding, so no one was really in that business. And if yours died, a replacement was going to be expensive.
The Challenger is awesome !!! But the Utopia was one of the nicest handling boats I'd ever owned; I do miss it.
So Yamaha isn't really 'the dark side', just a different side. ;-)