1997-2002 Sea Ray 190 Bow Rider Specs and Review [Video]

Sea Ray marketed their 190 Bow Rider (190 BR) for many years, but the last two generations (‘97-‘98, ‘99-‘02) were arguably the most popular. Their larger brothers were the more spacious 200 BR and 210 BR.

In this post, we’ll review the latest generations of the iconic 190 BR.

1997-1998 Sea Ray 190 Review

Hull and Top Deck (’97-’98)

The first Sea Ray 190 Bow Rider (190 BR) was manufactured from ’89-’90 but the model was re-introduced in 1996.

After only one short year of production, she was redesigned again for a refreshed look and more advanced features.

Manufactured from 1997 through 1998, this 190 BR was built on a deep-V fiberglass hull featuring a 20-degree deadrise at the transom.

She measured in with an overall length of 18 feet 10 inches with a beam of 8 feet 2 inches.

The listed dry weight of the boat was 2,750 pounds, which increased up to about 3,000-3,200 pounds with the liquids and some gear.

Loaded on a tandem-axle trailer, the total weight of the rig was in the ballpark of 3,800-4,200 pounds.

Designed with a fiberglass-lined floor, the cozy forward lounge was fitted with cushioned wraparound seating, cup holders, and side panel storage.

Protected by a curved and tinted wrap-around windshield, the cockpit could be ordered with three seating plans.

The standard seating plan was designed with two swivel bucket seats, an aft bench seat with storage beneath, and a large aft sun pad.

The optional seating plan came with a hinged motor box, two Hi-Low aft bench seats that formed a sun lounge, an adjustable port back-to-back lounger seat, and a swivel helm seat.

However, the latter could be opted for a second back-to-back lounger seat.

Standard features of each configuration included grab rails, beverage holders, anchor storage, and an advanced dashboard.

Fitted with a full-beam integrated swim platform, the aft also utilized a reboarding ladder, a ski hook, and a grab handle.

Engines (’97-’98)

The standard power of the 190 BR in the ’97-’98 era was a 4.3LX MerCruiser Alpha I sterndrive.

This carbureted gasoline V6 marine engine delivered 190hp out of the box.

Its optional alternatives included a 5.7L MerCruiser Alpha I in both carbureted and fuel-injected configurations.

These were rated at 210 and 220hp, respectively.

Specs Chart (’97-’98)

Overall Length w/ Swim Platform	18’ 10”
Maximum Beam	8’ 2”
Height – Waterline to Top of Windshield	2’ 10”
Height – Keel to Top of Windshield	4’ 6”
Draft (stern drive up)	17”
Draft (stern drive down)	34″
Dry Weight	2,750 lbs.
Est. Trailering Weight*	3,800-4,200 lb.
Dead Rise	20°
Fuel Capacity	33 gal.
Usable Fuel Capacity	31 gal.
Std. Engine	4.3LX Alpha I (190hp)
Opt. Engines	5.7L Alpha I (210hp) 5.7L EFI Alpha I (220hp)

*(w/ std. engine, liquids, basic gear, and trailer)

1999-2002 Sea Ray 190 BR Review

Hull and Top Deck (’99-’02)

For the 1999 season, Sea Ray entirely redesigned the proven 190 Bow Rider.

The successor returned with a larger body, greater capacities, more powerful engines, and a refreshed interior.

What exactly changed?

In terms of dimensions, the overall length was increased by 2 inches and the beam was widened by 3 inches.

Due to the larger body and some new bells and whistles the boat gained 250 pounds and the fuel capacity increased from 33 to 38 gallons.

Hence, the dry weight and estimated trailering weight of the new BR 190 were increased to 3,000 and 4,000-4,500 pounds, respectively.

Rated at 8 passengers, the revamped top deck enjoyed more space and a fresh design, but the floor plans were carried over unchanged from the previous year.

The cockpit interior was massively upgraded with more comfortable seatings, enhanced side panels, and relocated grab handles.

Redesigned from scratch, the new helm featured a much more modern switch panel and a new instrument layout.

The awkward radio/CD player was removed from the dash and replaced with a small stereo remote control.

In return, the all-new helm lacked a beverage holder.

Besides the cockpit, the forward lounge was also upgraded with newly designed cushions.

The outdated gunwale-mounted grab rails were replaced by interior grab handles that fit the design better.

Engines (’99-’02)

Besides its much more modern interior and more deck space, another key advantage of the ‘99-’07 190 BR was its new optional 5-liter engines.

The list of them included a MerCruiser 4.3L EFI (210hp), a carbureted 5.0L (220hp), and the top-of-the-line 5.0L EFI (240hp).

The standard power remained the proven 4.3L rated at 190hp.

Each of these was paired with an Alpha I MCM sterndrive propulsion.

Specs Chart (’97-’98)

Overall Length w/ Swim Platform	18’ 10”
Maximum Beam	8’ 2”
Height – Waterline to Top of Windshield	2’ 10”
Height – Keel to Top of Windshield	4’ 6”
Draft (with stern drive up)	17”
Draft (with stern drive down)	34″
Dry Weight	2,750 lbs.
Est. Trailering Weight*	3,800-4,200 lb.
Dead Rise	20°
Max persons/Weight	8 / 1,100 lb.
(MWC) Max Weight (Persons/Gear)	1,200 lb.
Fuel Capacity	38 gal.
Usable Fuel Capacity	31 gal.
Std. Engine	3.4L Alpha I MCM (190hp)
Opt. Engines	4.7L Alpha I (210hp) 5.0L Alpha I (220hp) 5.0L EFI Alpha I (240hp)

*(w/ std. engine, liquids, basic gear, and trailer)

Takeaways

The 190 BR was a midrange model in Sea Ray’s Bow Rider runabout fleet.

Even though she was marketed for many years in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, the most well-built variants were offered from 1997 through 2002.

These are common targets for used boat buyers, and with good reason.

The 190 BR series built her reputation on a high-quality body and features, and reliable MerCruiser engine packages.

Because of this, you will find that the asking prices of these aged Sea Rays are in the neighborhood of $7,000-$15,000.

Disclaimer: Specifications in this post are for informational purposes only. For further information, please refer to the operator’s manual.