Umh what do you mean I think most jet ski's are "open loop water cooled" meaning they suck lake/ocean water straight into the block. I know the new yamahas are.

6/16/2008 8:29:10 AM

^ for some reason I though the Sport was a closed system, I don't know why...thanks for that catch

My bad for the mix up.

6/16/2008 8:37:16 AM

Quote :

"DO NOT get a 1300. 3 cylinder, 2 stroke!!! waste of money, they are heavy, and waste gas, powerful though! "

huh?

6/16/2008 9:04:40 AM

ok sounds good. So Sea-Doos are kind of like the honda accord of the PWC world?

I wish I could get an old school stand-up but that would have to be an personal purchase later on down the road. Are there any older models I could keep an eye out for that would be a good find? I'm almost 90% sure we'll go used, probably a year or two old unless we find a gem somewhere

6/16/2008 9:05:09 AM

Dude i would go yamaha VX110, FX140 or FX140ho you can get any of them used now for around 5k i listed them in order of speed too... 53, 56, 60 mph ish seems to be what people are getting.
Seriously though seadoos are cheaper than honda's I'd say.... more like Hyundai you have a decent warranty but you're going to need to use it. I think the slow 4tec ones hold together pretty well though.
Yamaha just converted motorcycle engines over to marine engines soo they're pretty well built

6/16/2008 4:45:21 PM

yeah, i was just saying. I'd like to avoid them as well. They just dont look as sharp as the others.

6/16/2008 4:54:23 PM

hahaha ok...

6/16/2008 6:38:08 PM

can anyone tell me anything about the Yamaha XL760?


There is one close by being sold, i think its a 99', along with an 06' Sea-Doo RXP (215mph version)


thoughts?

6/16/2008 10:12:42 PM

The 215 hp rxp is better than the 185 due to an intercooler... but the supercharger will probably fail


http://greenhulk.net/forums/

great research site if you're looking for a performance ski.


[Edited on June 16, 2008 at 10:19 PM. Reason : .]

6/16/2008 10:16:21 PM

I'd pick up the 99, built better but older, much older. the rxp is pretty quick from what I heard, but the again it's a Doo.

6/17/2008 4:00:32 PM

what are the pros and cons of a 2 stroke on the water?

6/19/2008 1:20:29 PM

Pros: Faster lighter more "stunt worthy"

Cons: Burn oil, if you don't remove it oil injection can fail and kill the motor, if you do remove it you have to mix fuel before you play, they're less efficient too.. 2 stroke skis that go 70 usually use more gas than a larger heavier 4 stroke ski going 70.

6/19/2008 1:43:14 PM

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/boa/724002435.html

anyone have a seadoo SPX?

6/19/2008 2:36:11 PM

^^ no stock ski runs 70.

the closest thing I can think of for a 4-stroke is a Sea-Doo RXP, and even it needs light mods.

My friend has a (stock) RXP. it burns about as much (probably even a little more) than my Ultra 150 did.


i would expect 4-strokes to GENERALLY be more fuel effecient...I'm not sure it makes a helluva lot of difference once you get to the high performance stuff.

6/19/2008 4:18:55 PM

I should have said 60 you're correct its another one of those "gentleman's codes" Like the germans have with the 155 thing...

6/19/2008 4:22:39 PM

so if i live around new bern or newport/morehead city, will there be good places to ride close by?

is the neuse so filthy that i won't wanna jet ski or waterski in it? is the intracoastal gonna be too rough to ride for any distance and/or overly plagued by no-wake zones?

...or am I gonna have a good time out there on the water?

7/11/2008 3:29:13 AM

^Generally you'll have a good time in the morning when it's glassy (usually).
^^ I've seen stock polaris skis hit 71 on glass. My friends SLH hit 72 max a while back. I was somewhat shocked. thing flies.

7/11/2008 10:02:28 AM

I want a powerful standup ski. Anyone seen any for sale lately?

7/11/2008 10:47:42 AM

^ I see super jets on the CL at times, on Wilmington's mostly. Check there. Really tough to find one in decent shape.

7/11/2008 3:24:42 PM

Not really interested in most saltwater run vessels unless I know they have had immaculate care.

7/11/2008 5:16:09 PM

^^^^ glass is fun sometimes...i don't mind some chop, though...but i do like it to be smooth enough most of the time where you can actually GO somewhere at a reasonable pace without completely beating yourself silly.

7/11/2008 5:53:43 PM

how is Bogue Sound (for jetskiing)?

is the Neuse gonna be too filthy to jet ski or water ski in?

7/13/2008 3:03:07 AM

^ I've swam in the Neuse before. It's really nasty. I would imagine you could run up and down it but I wouldn't, just my opinion though.

7/13/2008 12:56:36 PM

yeah, there's tons of places to ride down there duke. especially if you're talking right down by water in newport/swansboro/morehead. as for conditions, it just depends on the weather and exactly where you're riding. anything from big chop/waves to smooth as a pond...

you wouldn't catch me in the neuse either, at least in that area but a lot of people do it.

Quote :

"I've seen stock polaris skis hit 71 on glass. My friends SLH hit 72 max a while back. I was somewhat shocked. thing flies."

no way. maybe on the dreamometer, but i'd be extremely surprised if that was on radar/gps.

7/13/2008 3:03:21 PM

I am looking to buy a ski with my brother. We have narrowed the search down to a Yamaha because they seem to have the most reliable engine. Is there a great difference between a GP1300R , FX140 or 1200XLT when it comes to performance and reliability? We are completely new to the jet ski world, so we will be keeping them stock for a while.

7/13/2008 7:31:23 PM

not so much reliability, but there is a decided difference in performance between those models.

7/13/2008 7:40:24 PM

yeah, the GPR is a very different sort of ski. it's like saying..."I've decided to buy a car, and have narrowed it down to BMW. I can't decide between a 525i, 530i, or an M3-CSL."

7/13/2008 9:45:22 PM

Quote :

"no way. maybe on the dreamometer, but i'd be extremely surprised if that was on radar/gps."

That's the problem with jet ski speedometers. They're pretty much worthless. My dad's Yamaha will not go over 53MPH according to it's speedo, but I walked past a guy on a Sea Doo who swore he was running 68. I tried explaining that the little paddle wheel speedometer is one of the least functional pieces ever invented and it has no place on a jet ski, but he wasn't hearing it.

7/13/2008 11:07:25 PM

In general, PWC's still suck ass.

7/14/2008 12:03:08 AM

ahh maybe so, but still fun.

7/14/2008 8:47:56 AM

The 1200XLT was a 2001 and the others were 2003 - 04 models. I wasn't sure if one was above and beyond the others. I have also considered several of the GP1300R's. When it comes down to it, I want the best ski for my $.

7/14/2008 9:06:48 AM

The Neuse around New Bern and downstream towards Oriental isn't bad at all. The water is about like Jordan Lake is as far as cleanliness goes.

PWCs? They're fun, but they always seem to get boring after about 15 minutes if there's nowhere cool to go on them.

7/14/2008 10:39:07 AM

best part about boating is stopping dropping anchor and turning up the stereo.

7/14/2008 10:48:16 AM

if by turning up the stereo you mean screwing on the back of the boat then yes, i agree

7/14/2008 11:00:16 AM

you can do that on a jet ski

just takes more balance

[Edited on July 14, 2008 at 11:20 AM. Reason : balance]

7/14/2008 11:20:03 AM

lol i saw a video once a coast guard guy took in the helicopter..they were flying over a couple on a jetski going at it haha

7/14/2008 11:33:48 AM

hahah so would you/ do you stop ?

7/14/2008 11:39:12 AM

^^ I remember seeing that as well.

7/14/2008 12:49:40 PM

jetskis are much more fun if you have a place on the lake. Go out and ride for an hour and then come back and dock em. I couldn't imagine being on a lake for an entire day strictly for pwc riding. I love the two we got but a boat trumps all.

7/14/2008 4:46:06 PM

it's all about where you ride as to how much fun it is and for how long. the level of craft you're on makes a big difference also.

i enjoy a full, hard day of riding at the coast and will frequently ride for 4-6 hours straight taking 5-10 minute breaks here and there. there's a huge variety of stuff to keep you busy in the area i ride 75% of the time though (southport/oak island). you can be back in a cove off the intercoastal on glass laid out doing speed runs and in 10-15 minutes be in the ocean hitting breakers. there's two ferries to chase, fishing boats running back and forth through the channel, etc. not to mention an endless supply of empty beaches and a couple of open air restaurants to dock at if you want to just stop and hang out.

on lakes, i get bored pretty quickly. if it's just the two skis out, 1-2 hours and i'm ready to go. if we have a boat out as a "home base" it's a lot better.

7/14/2008 5:19:58 PM

yeah, that sounds like where i lived in FL.



great place for a PWC. i covered almost every bit of water on this map on my Ultra 150 (minus the northern halves of the two big bays). I lived at the red "A" marker, and usually put my ski in the water about there the "G" in Gulf Beach Highway is to the NE, or just below the "292" to the SW. I went as far as Mobile Bay to the west (shown on the left edge of the map), and out to Pensacola Beach to the east (past the right edge of the map). I went in just about every little cove and stream, went out into the Gulf of Mexico (went through the big inlet south of Fort Redoubt) to go to Pensacola Beach, put the hammer down the whole way from Orange Beach to Mobile Bay through that narrow stretch--it was glass the whole way...jumped wakes, jumped breakers, dodged boulders in shallow water, checked out the U.S.S. Oriskany while it was in port at the Navy base waiting to be taken out and scuttled as a reef, etc.


so yeah, with the right ski in the right area, you can stay entertained as long as you can afford to keep putting gas in it. shit, i jet skiied in January down there every time the temperature cracked 70 degrees (just put on my 3mm wetsuit)

[Edited on July 14, 2008 at 6:31 PM. Reason : Ivan, how long until you'll be recovered enough to ride a ski?]

7/14/2008 6:29:53 PM

Quote :

"Ivan, how long until you'll be recovered enough to ride a ski?"

i could ride now and cruise around, but nowhere near the level of what i would enjoy or what i was at. as i'm sure you know, it takes a good amount of strength and stamina to ride one balls out for hours on end regularly and you've got to have a lower body in top working order. i've still got a long way to go before my left leg is back to supporting anything like that. it'll definitely be one of the last things to come as i progress through the physical therapy side of my recovery.

i'd love to be back out there by the time it gets warm next spring, but i hate to speculate after all the orthopedic setbacks even though it seems like i'm finally past them. there's the issue of pain also, as it is now there's only so much i can stand of anything that introduces that kind of repeated shock/vibration. it's an unmeasureable chance that i'll hit a wall at some point where that just doesn't get any better, even though the range of use, etc. might be fine.

in short, there's just too many unknown variables that remain. i'm in very limited/uncharted territory. it's extremely rare for appendages to get rebuilt to the extent mine has been, and the few that have been are all over the place in how they've faired. there's a lot of people that might be candidates for it as medical technology has gotten to this point, but they can't handle such an open ended recovery for mental reasons or other life circumstances. so, amputation and a prosthesis becomes their only option since recovery time and level of use are fairly dialed in for that.

7/14/2008 7:29:23 PM

I think we found the ski we are gonna purchase. $5500 for a 2005 1200 XLT Yamaha. Includes ski, trailer, wake board, cover, tube and rope. (90 hours)

This seems to be one of the best engines on the market. What do you guys think?

7/15/2008 12:25:35 AM

sounds like a decent deal to me. that's a solid all around ski that does everything pretty well. how many hours on it?

7/15/2008 12:28:05 AM

^90 Hours

It will be our first of two. We will buy another one next year. We were looking for reliable, quick and an all around good ski. I hope we have found it.

Also, if any of you guys are up for a ride let me know. Where are the best place to go around Raleigh?

7/15/2008 12:41:44 AM

i prefer falls lake putting in at the upper barton creek ramp. jordan is good too though, just a little longer ride from most areas in raleigh.

7/15/2008 12:49:48 AM

so with a GPR, what are the pros and cons of building big power and speed with a big-bore kit versus the "conventional" approaches?

7/15/2008 2:01:03 AM

it's simple. if you want a ski that's still going to be reliable, don't touch the bottom end. everything else is fair game. if reliability isn't a big concern and you want a strictly race type ski, go for the whole package.

i hate to admit it, but i'm getting real curious about these monster displacement 4tec motors that are starting to get stuffed into gp hulls...

7/15/2008 2:51:24 AM

yeah, i don't want it to be an asspain or have an unusually large appetite for cash...i guess that crushes my dreams of a GP1200 punched out to 1390 (or better yet, with GP1300 cylinders installed and then bored out some more)

how fast was yours in the last couple of incarnations, and what all was done to it?

7/15/2008 3:00:01 AM

^^ geez Ram what happened to you? I was reading the posts above and it doesn't sound good. Motorcycle accident?

7/15/2008 8:14:18 AM