O/T New SeaDoo Jet Ski issues
 

NO IT IS NOT MINE! I hate them, but my closest friend (next door neighbor) bought one, here is the situation, all and any comments welcome.
2002, SeaDoo BOMBADIER, best they sell, (SUNRISE in Va Beach, Va.) they promised, 3 people 60mph, SeaDo says 65 mph (Ithink they smoke crack personally!) anyway, that damn thing is
45.2 mph GPS at 7400 rpm's (1 person), after the 10 hour break in they took it back, dealer said nothing was wrong with it! If they water tested they wanted another $120 bucks, the 10 hour check up was $180! These Jet Ski dealers seem to be boat dealers with better scams to rip folks off!

I feel my friend is getting the hose job for a $10,200 cash purchase... I was gone when he bought it, or I would have help him write a deal with a water test/contract, it was his fathers day gift.... Hind sight is 20 - 20 this time for them....

Anyone own one?
Preformance?
Advice?
Comments?
Etc?

Thanks in advance if you help my pal.
Bryan

Which model was it? Is it the new four stroke?

The fastest skis in production today are running 62-64mph. And the only one of these that is a 3 person craft is a Kawi. You should be seeing speeds in the mid 50s anyway.

Remember, Sea Doo is not known for reliability. They are the Bayliner of PWC IMO.

No offense.

Buck
#183

Yep, he has the new Marone color Bombadier, 1500CC, 155 HP.

Great friend and my 1st mate in Poker runs.
I told him I would ask the OSO bubbas for info....
Thanks for replying.

I just hate to see a friend get the shaft.
I know every boater, jet ski owner, salesman etc over brags MPH, I told him at 60 to 68 on GPS in our Donzi I have NEVER been passed by a jet ski....... some do run 60, that is for sure.

I think he will take it the shorts overall.... to bad.....
Thanks again.
Still open for inputs.....
Bryan

Ive owned 13 wave runners and 2 jet skis in the last 8 years, by far in the least amount of problems have been the Sea Doos, the most problems I have had are the Yamaha's. I also own a Sea DO X-20 Jet SKI BOAT With the tower, too new to rate, but have been on it every day for a week, no problems, I couldnt wait any longer till my A.T. was finished, had to get back on the water, and its also fun watching the kids enjoy themselves, especially tubing and this weekend teaching them how to ski, thats what its all about.:D

JASSMAN, good on ya, but you didn't give up any data that applied.
Bryan

i think it was the reliability comment

Bryan, you asked if anyone owned one, performance, advice, comments, etc. Performance wise and reliability wise never have had a problem. The Sea Do xp, the one with the shock, ours does 61-63, that is the fastest I can get it to go, and its stock. The RX DI/RX is about 1 mph slower. We are looking at the 155hp 3 seater, but the Sea Doo dealer down hear tells me tops will be around 54-55, don't know if this helps, but your friend needs to take it back for misrepresentation, and get a new one, or his money back, he did get ripped off, and its definatly not running right, and to top it off it also sounds like his dealer is running a scam, its free to water test down here. I hope his luck changes, Good Luck:)

Bryan,

I won't be much help on the new four stoke. I think it's called 4-tec of something like that. Might want to go to rec.sport.jetski, it's a newsgroup, and get some feedback. You might also try pwctoday.com, great group of people there. Like here, you will have to sign up, but that keeps the rif raf out. They have an awesome chat room that is full just about every night.

mxz800 is right, I did make a reliability comment. It's pretty much a preference kind of like the boats we buy. The only difference is that most of us have motors made by the same company. Not the same with PWC. There's a reason most PWC rentals don't rent Sea Doo.

I have raced regionally and nationally for over ten years. The guy that builds mine and my sisters motors is the service manager for the largest Sea Doo/ Yamaha dealer in Oklahoma. I won't tell you some of the stories he's told me. I'll just say that it's not in Sea Doo's favor.

I have heard good things about the new four stroke though. the forums that I mentioned will give you real world facts that may help you.

Buck
#183

I have ownership in a motorcycle/boat/jetski repair and maintenance shop. Let's just say that we refer to the "Sea Doos" as "Sea Don'ts".

Sea Doo has done a fantastic job in media marketing. They should spend more of their advertising money on their engines. Their skis look good, perform great, and are fast with good features. They are also the least reliable of the big three.

The only stuff we ever do to Yamahas is carb rebuilds, impellor replacements, adjustments, trim system cables, and paint/decal/glass repairs from damage. Even substantially modified and hopped up Yamahas are stone reliable. Only bottom end issue was a nitrous motor that ran lean and grenaded.

We do a fair amount of Kawi motors, but usually the stockers hold up well and are reliable like the Yammies. The hopped up Kawis come in for trouble issues (melted pistons, broken cranks, overheat meltdowns).

We run into numerous SeaDoo motor issues. We replace crankshafts regularly. The cranks have a chrome plate issue. If the motor has not been fogged and stored properly for layup, then the chrome can flake off the journals. Then you have 5 to 20 hours until the rod bearings lock to the crank and you break a rod and punch the bottom out of the crankcase. 3 out of 5 bad cranks also take out the block. Replacement cranks never run true to the same timing pickup reference and retiming is necessary and can only be accomplished with a SeaDoo specific computer. Rotary valve gearsets out of time, crank seal issues, you name it.

If it were not for Sea Don'ts and their expensive servicing requirements, I guess we would have a hard time making a good profit on Yamaha and Kawasaki service. I should count my blessings.

I have ridden the 4-stroke Sea Doo you speak of. I think it is the best ski they have built to date. Reliability is a big question mark, though, and I would never advise anybody to buy a 4-stroke ski in the first year of production...

Mike

Speed
 

I also just purchased a top of the line 02 Seadoo XP stock the ski will do approx 62. I have modified it with the rossier Engineering Stage one with smaller pump $1500. It will now do 64.5mph for an addl 1500 I can add the pipe with will give me about 67. I'm highly skeptical any other Sea Doo stocker (other than the RXX) will come anywhere near theses types of numbers.

Maximus

I've owned my XP for 6 years and only a minor problem or two. Runs about 60 (truely). Sea Doo's are much faster, sporty than the other models. Won't buy anything else, except the Fountain I just got.

4 strokes will be a bit slower than two strokes, but you can ride them anywhere.

The two fastest current production models are made by Yamaha and Kawi.

Buck
#183

UH did I step into the water gnat site by accident???? Just kidding...

Yep, you sure did CowBoy!
I am in a good mood so I won't blast ya!


See ya soon, hope you guys had a great holiday.
Bryan