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Yamaha Waverunner® FX140 Wins Popular Science Award
World's first four-stroke PWC named "Best of What's New" in the recreational
products category

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Bob Gonsalves or Kari Miyamoto
ICBM Communications
(909) 778-9160

KENNESAW, GA - Popular Science magazine named the Yamaha WaveRunner® FX140, the world's first four-stroke PWC, as their 2001 "Best of What's New" award recipient in the recreational products category.

The editors of Popular Science magazine review thousands of new products and technology developments each year and select the best designs and innovations as their "Best of What's New" award winners. The 100 "Best of What's New" award winners will be featured in the December 2001 issue of the magazine, with a readership of over 1.2 million.

The Yamaha FX140 utilizes leading edge four-stroke technology that delivers exceptional power per displacement, provides excellent fuel economy, and due to its four-stroke design, produces low exhaust emissions.

Four-stroke technology is important to the personal watercraft industry because it is the first long-term solution to many of the issues posed by industry critics citing emissions and noise. The FX140 is exceptionally cleaner than conventional two-stroke engines, surpassing the most stringent federal and state exhaust emissions requirements currently on the books, while saving consumers up to $1,000 or more annually on fuel and oil costs. In addition, the FX140 is substantially quieter in sound volume and offers a pleasing four-stroke sound quality compared to conventional two stroke engines.

"We are excited to be recognized by such a prestigious magazine as Popular Science," said Yamaha WaterCraft Group Company president Mark Speaks. "The FX140 is the world's first four-stroke personal watercraft and is a technological breakthrough for the industry. It is a no-compromise watercraft that delivers the fun and exhilaration that our customers demand while addressing all environmental concerns - it is exceptionally quiet, it features a very low emission engine, it is fuel-thrifty, and it does not utilize an exposed propeller."

The Yamaha FX140 is a three-person recreational watercraft, capable of towing a water skier or wakeboarder. A complete review of the WaveRunner® FX140 will appear in the February 2002 issue of Popular Science.

This is not the only award that the Yamaha FX140 has received. Popular Mechanics magazine recently named the FX140 as a recipient of their 2002 Design & Engineering Award for excellence in design, engineering and innovation.