Purchasing Seadoo,,Yea I know
 

I know how much we all hate them, however my 1994 you can hear the bearings in the motor tumbling around so I am upgrading before she blows, Thinking of a 1997-2000 Seadoo XP, the yellow fast one I have been told they do about 65-68mph. Any experience with this model would be appreciated, :p

Will

I dont know why everyone hates ski's so much. I dont have one but theres nothing like hitting 10-15 foot waves on a waverunner/seadoo. I wouldnt want one for the lakes but in the ocean with some big surf they are the sh!t!!
Just thought I'd share that with ya! :D

there are only two kinds of seadoo Rotax engines, ones that will blow up and ones that are blown, I would go to Kawa or Yama before considering a weedoo!!

my 2 cents

Thats funny, I've owned 3 SeaDoo XP's with never a problem. Wouldn't own one of those other brands myself. Why be last when you can be 1st? ;)

Thats funny, everone of my friends that have had the Seadoo's have had numerous problems with them. In fact, the only brand that they have not had a problem with is Polaris. None of them have owned a Tigershark though so I can say how they would be.
Good luck on your purchase!

Will,
I have had a LOT of expereince with skiis. I used to race IJSBA Region 8. I have news for everyone... they ALL blow engines. I think I have ridden just about every model 2 seater that has been made since 1996. Advice(s):

1. Definately buy a Yamaha or Sea-Doo. Polaris and Kawasaki make great skiis, but they are not the market leaders. Because of this one of these two will be the next to leave the PWC market, (just like Arctic Cat/Tigershark). Also, because they are not the M/L, there are less aftermarket parts available.

2. DON'T BUY USED!!! If you want to ride whenever, keep it at the lake, and have it be reliable; you have to buy new. Otherwise you are just losing time on when it will blow the engine. I guarantee they all will. If you buy used, you do not know how much life was taken out of that motor on those previous hours. All water vehicles have a lot tougher time showing their abuse/hour, than automobiles show abuse/mile.

3. Sales were in the toilet this year. ALL the dealers have left over models; some a few years old. You can swing GREAT deals on these at this time of year. Late fall is the best time to buy, but this is the second best time to buy. They all come with the original factory warranty, even if they are leftovers.

4. The Sea-Doo XPs are some of the most popular selling skiis of all time. There are a lot of them out there. I do like them, but prefer the stability of a Yamaha, even though the riding ergonomics are more comforable on a Sea-Doo. The big dogs of the market and racing are now high-performance 3 seaters. Specialty shops can now squeeze over 200HP out of relatively stock engine setups. I would go with a three-seater of the 'big-dog' variety, and have a blast.

If you need anymore advice, please let me know. Most of the PWC magazines will have a buyers guide coming out soon, if not already.

Brian

I didn't think of a new one that may be a year or two out. I think the hp and performance is the same from 1998 until now, just diff grfx. :rolleyes:

If you can save big bucks by buying used-here is another option. SBT has reman engines for 899-if you get a tired one cheap, pop the motor out(a whole lot easier than a big block), send it to them and put in a fresh one, add a new wear ring in the pump and freshen the impeller if necessary and voila-better than new. Sea Doo is the only way to go-we got 3 with many hours and little maintenance and they keep going strong.

I too have raced IJSBA and have owned about eight Sea Doo's and one Yamaha. I own a 97 Sea Doo GTX with the 110hp right now. I like the 110hp carb motor the best. They seem to be more reliable for me. Plus you can take a 110 and add a set of NOVI carbs and dry out the exhaust and a three seater will run about 63 to 64 on stalker radar gun. It will run 57 to 58 with stock carbs. The 130hp is a good motor but Ive seen several motors on the bench that have leaned out and seized. I have heard its because the exhaust and intake are on the same side of the block and the exhaust draws the fuel/oil charge out before it has time to fully burn thus causing the motor to puke.
If you want to go really fast, buy one of those 1200 Yamahas and call Riva Yamaha. They have their race boats running in the low 70's.
These are just my opinions. I love my Sea Doo for those early morning, glassy lake, need to get over a hangover ride.

Also, dont believe anyone when they start telling you how fast there PWC is until you see it run on radar. PWC speeds are exagerated everywhere.

sunsation, where do you normally boat?
Norman might be a little far or do you go to Va?

I have never raced and never owned a PWC. Most of my friends have though and I've been riding since 1992. Most of them were Seadoo's and every one of those blew motors within the first 2 season's. Some of them blew them in the first month of riding, under 25 hours on them. There have been a few Yamaha's in the group and they seem to be the most reliable, no blown engines to date. The Seadoo XP is a fun machine to ride. It was fun back when it only had 85hp, at 110hp it was more fun and the 130hp was awesome. I really like the Seadoo GSX Limited as well. The 1200cc Yamaha's are great too. I agree that they will all break someday it just seems the Yamaha's stay together better. My .02.

I've owned almost every top of the line SeaDoo 3-seater made since '94... Every 2 yrs I upgrade...Never had a problem with any one of them... maybe I'm just lucky... but my kids and thier friends are on them all the time... & they are anything but easy on toys... if it can be broke... thsy can brake it... Go with Sea-Doo... my .02... ;)

I've had 3 sea-doo xp's in the past a 92xp then a 93 which I blew up once when it was about a month old, the dealer fixed it, and was perfect afterwards for 3 seasons till I sold it. Then I got a 96 or 97 xp, it was fine too other than I ripped the motor out of the hull while jumping huge cruiser wakes in one of the channels. On my 93 I snapped the steering neck off and ended up in the water with the handlebars in hand and the ski 50 feet away, Really no problems mechanically ever other than the one motor which exploded a piston, and it was perfect after they fixed it under warranty, all my problems were related to me being too crazy on it. I have two kawasaki stand up's now that just wont die, one blew up a few years back so I built that up, and if the other one ever dies I'll build it too. I paid $500 for both of the Stand-ups. I'd like to get another XP an old tired one that needs pistons, rings and honeing, and bearings would make a nice cheap too fix project.

Ain't that the chits. Over half of the fastest things on most inland waters are PWC.
Or should that be stated as there are way to many slow boats? ;)

www.swiftoceanics.com
Check out this 275lb aluminum cat hull jet ski, 175hp 1100cc 4cyl street bike motor, 90+mph, loks like fun, but it's $13,000 and I've never heard or seen anything about them other than this web site someone showed me about a year ago, but I'd love to take one for a spin some time, I know I'd have to get one if I rode one. It's just pure stupidity to go that fast on a jet-ski and that's got my name all over it.

Hey the link works, thats wierd?

[ 12-27-2001: Message edited by: advantage_ROB ]

Towel Boy, I boat on Lake Hartwell. We sometimes go to Lake Murray and would like to visit Norman. Ive been on Smith Mtn. Lake one time and would like to go back.

Who is SBT? Do they have a web site? How can I get more info on this $899 engine?

Mike

Sunsation 32, I live on SML right now. Let me know when you come up. I got a private beach w/ beer on tap. :D
I also have been to lake murray, pretty lake Great people, the Wiggins, Curt, Brad, Jan,..... all a blast to hang with. :D

http://www.sbtontheweb.com
Short Block Technologies.
1401 N Myrtle Ave.
Clearwater FL, 33755
727-443-0373

I have bought some motors from them. Very nice people to work with, however, I am unsure of their quality. I bought a Polaris 1050 motor from them, and it blew up because someone at a lousy dealer sabotaged my oil pump delivery. This blow up was not the fault of SBT. I had a new SBT motor installed after the court settlement, and sold the ski immediately afterward. I was later told that motor blew up too; not sure of the hours on it. They do come with a short limited warranty.

Brian

Most of the SBT stories I have heard have been good as long as the engine is stock. If you are going to build it up I would have a motor custom made, but the SBT motors seem to do well when left stock.

I have a 1997 Sea-Doo Speedster ,twin Engine Jet Boat, to take out when i don't want to drag the Cat to the River, it has been a great little boat!
Just make sure you change the jet pump oil every year, I learned that the hard way! :eek:

Hey 27 Fountain, Do you know Tim Ayers?

Should be called SEA-DON'TS, everyone I know blows up sea-doo's. certain year motors were mounted on too much of an angle and were constantly sucking water throught the intake and blowing motors. The newer ones like 99 and up are supposedly fixed. I personally have a 99 kawi ultra 150, it does 68 on radar and has been pretty reliable. 97 yamaha gp's had weak hulls and 98's and 99/s were about the best. The last model year yamaha's had power valve problems and breakage's and lots of blown motors... They are making an upgraded power valve to correct the problem but you cant be sure if the used one you purchase will be fixed. Sea-doo's make a lot of HP using a 2 cylinder motor, the kawi's and yami's have 3 cyliders making the same HP, less wear and tear and overall abuse on the yamaha's and kawasaki's. pwctoday.com and jetski.com have message boards for all brands and I did a lot of research before I bought and there were just toooo many problems with the sea-doo's... good luck..

27Fountain, I currently own a GTX and XP with no problems,owned about nine since 93 mostly Sea Doo and they have all been almost trouble free! Also when it comes to resell you wont have any problems!

Buy a Sea Doo and run Red Line Synthetic oil or Sea Doo oil. When you get it take the oil injector off and pre-mix your fuel. You wont have a problem. When you start doing mod's any of them will blow up if not done right. Quest engineering is in my back yard and they do research and developement for Sea Doo and they also build NOVI carbs. They test everything to see how they compare to the Sea Doo's. Ive seen all models engines on the dyno, how they are built and I wouldn't own anything but a Sea Doo. Also, a stock Kawasaki Ultra 150 will not do 68 on radar, maybe on its speedo. Ive seen two radared new and with 30 plus hours and the best radar speed was 64.8 at 700ft. elevation in 59 degree weather.

Sunsation32,

Yea I think I am going to go with a new /late model XP. Also I think I have heard of the name Tim Ayers, but cannot place it. I feel like I have meet everyone on SML, but maybe not.

Will :rolleyes:

BRRRRRRRRRRR :D

I have a Kaw Ultra 150 99mod no problems 66.4 on gps way to fast in the ruff stuff. Big gas tank lots of fun holds almost 20 gal of gas looses 1 or 2 mph when full. :rolleyes:

My 99 ultra has an ADA head, solas prop, shredmaster ride plate and aftermarket sponsons. Stock it did 65 with the mods it now does 68 ( radar ) It will blow away most any BBC, in anything less than a light chop of course. I personally would try and find a 98 yamaha GPR 1200, almost as fast and better in the rough stuff...

Ive seen those 1200 Yamaha's radar in the mid 70's. They were just trying to jet it right and it was running that fast. If I wanted speed only, thats what I would buy!!

diligaf, Yamaha did not make the GPR 1200 until 1999. In 1998 they were still designated a GP 1200. BIG difference between the two. Different hull and motor. The GPR is by far the way to go.

Stay away from Sea Poo. I too have raced in the IJSBA for ten years now. The XP or XPL, depending on what year it is, are great handling craft. They are NOT known for their reliability. If you want reliability, go w/ Kawi or Yamaha. I prefer Yamaha. But that's just my opinion.

Do yourself a favor and stay away from Rotax.
This much is a fact, not an opinion. Being around watercraft and racing as much as I am I have good contacts. Buddy is a Service Manager at a very large dealer on Grand Lake in Grove, OK. They sell both Yamaha and Sea doo. They keep track of warranty work they do on these units. I have seen proof of this on paper. If they sell 100 Sea Poos and 100 Yamahas, they will see twice as many Sea Poos come back for motor work then Yamaha. Hard facts to face, but true.

Look at it this way. Yamaha and Kawi are both putting triples in their skis. Sea Poo is still putting twins. Sea Poo tweaks their motors for more horsepower from the factory. They run good when they are running. If a twin and a triple are putting out about the same horsepower, which one would be more reliable? The triple, it's not working near as hard to make that power is it?

The 951 the Sea Poo started putting in the XPL is known as one of the biggest flops for motors in a watercraft ever. Several problems w/ water ingestion. All kinds or factory recalls. Not to mention lawsuits high and low.


Buck
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