The Yamaha SuperJet stand-up watercraft has returned to Australian showrooms for 2021, however the first batch has sold out before being delivered to showrooms – and dealers are now scrambling for more stock.
The 2021 Yamaha SuperJet is now powered by a four-stroke, three-cylinder 1.0-litre engine, replacing the previous two-stroke model which was phased out at the end of 2018 due to new emissions standards.
The price of the 2021 Yamaha SuperJet is $13,999 not including registration. This is $2000 dearer than the previous generation SuperJet cost in Australian showrooms in 2018, when it was $11,999 not including registration.
However, the 2021 Yamaha SuperJet is a completely new, more compact design and comes with significantly more power than before.
Yamaha’s diminutive 1049cc four-stroke three-cylinder TR-1 engine replaces the previous model’s 701cc in-line twin-cylinder two-stroke.
The TR-1 engine is widely used in Yamaha’s small to medium-sized sit-down watercraft – and a high output version of this engine powers Yamaha’s entry-level performance sit-down model, the EXR.
Yamaha doesn’t usually nominate engine power for its watercraft, however the 2021 SuperJet is understood to be equipped with the 101ps (71kW) version of the TR-1 rather than the 110ps (81kW) version from the EXR. That said, this amount of power in such a light and nimble watercraft will be a formidable combination.
The 2021 model is the biggest change to the Yamaha SuperJet since the original arrived 30 years ago, when most personal watercraft were of the stand-up variety.
As the personal watercraft market has shifted to two-seater and three-seater sit-down models, the stand-up category has pivoted towards closed-course racing, professional surf riders, and freestyle riders.
With the new model, Yamaha is aiming to broaden the SuperJet’s appeal outside the racing and stunt riding community, including “aging tricksters who will find the athleticism and excitement of riding the new SuperJet to be a similar challenge as wake surfing, which sees continued interest and growth among this audience”.
The 2021 Yamaha SuperJet’s TR-1 engine is accompanied by a larger, 18-litre fuel tank to extend riding time, and now has a “low fuel” meter on the deck. By comparison, the Kawasaki SXR stand-up has a 23-litre fuel tank, however that craft is 60kg heavier than the 2021 Yamaha SuperJet.
The handlebar on the 2021 Yamaha SuperJet is extendable in three positions, and a new “learner mode” for novice riders trims power to 85 per cent of its peak output, and limits top speed to 64kmh. Riders can click out of novice mode with by pushing the Engine Stop/Learner Mode button three times.
The deck and hull of the 2021 Yamaha SuperJet are 19 centimetres longer, 8 centimetres wider, and 13 centimetres taller than the previous two-stroke SuperJet.
The bigger engine has increased weight compared to the SuperJet’s predecessor by 31kg (to a claimed 170kg dry weight), although overall the 2021 Yamaha SuperJet is 60kg lighter than its direct rival, the Kawasaki SXR (listed at 250kg with a full tank of fuel and all fluids).
The SuperJet’s new hull is said to have been inspired by the award-winning Kommander GP1, a specialist racing hull made in the US.
Yamaha says the new SuperJet hull was designed for “greater static and dynamic stability while maintaining … thrilling turning abilities”. The turn angle of the adjustable steering nozzle can be set at either 16 degrees or 19 degrees.
2021 Yamaha SuperJet Specifications
Price: $13,999 (not including registration)
Engine: Type: 4-stroke, 3-cylinder, TR-1
Displacement: 1049cc
Impeller: 3-blade, stainless steel
Length: 2.43m
Beam: 0.76m
Height: 0.79m
Dry weight: 170kg
Fuel Capacity: 18 Litres
Person Capacity: 1 rider
Assembled: Japan
