Jet Ski's?

[Guest mike]

Iam currantly looking at buying a jet ski and was wondering if anybody could tell me which to avoid and which are worth a look (seadoo,polaris,yamaha)? I was after quite a cheap one, was thinking £2000 region? any thoughts much appreciated dont want to end up with a dog constantly breaking down! Or something thats sat in the garage in bits broke down like my westfield or plastic canoe as jim calls it!

 

Mike

[Guest micky bigthumbs]

try Jetskijase

[Guest Battery Bill]

Mike

I think if you have

£2000

 

To spend on a "Jet ski" you would be better posting the question on Cateringvan or Westfield site.

I doubt if there is many folk on this site that would spend that much on a toy.

Is there ?

[Guest micky bigthumbs]

or two OR THREE

[Guest jetskijase]

oooh ooh oooh I know this one!!

 

Bill My toy was £6500

 

Mike, I've always had seadoo, a gsx limited and then an rx. 130hp 69mph on windemere them where the days.

 

£2000 i think will get you decentish ski, but might need tidying up and a good service.

It all depends what sort you want, a seadoo xp 110hp 720 rotax is the racer ski, has a very narrow hull so it can be banked over, not very stable at all and just a riot trying to go 2 up!! can still pull toys though.

 

For a family ski stick with a yamaha 3 seater good for pulling and really stable.

 

Polaris.....crap. maybe the new one's are ok but thats upto £10k

 

Kawasaki's are good realiable ski's but tend to look a bit dated.

 

£2000 you should be looking at a 2 seater seadoo or yamaha, polaris will be a bag of nails.

 

If it's a stand up jet ski then either yamaha super jet or the kwak 700, the kwak being the more stable but the yamaha having more goody's available.

 

Jase

[Guest Battery Bill]

Jase

Bill My toy was £6500

 

So was ours but it belongs to Joey :boohoo: :boohoo:

[Guest Stuart Ainslie]

I've owned a fair few jet ski's over the years.

 

I'd agree with jetskijase - Get a Seadoo but just try to make sure that it has been well looked after.

 

Look for a good 1996 model XP, 800cc Rotax. 110HP and handle like a dream, even better with a decent set of Beachhouse sponsons fitted. I hade one of those and it was the best of many that I owned.

Newer XP's are OK - I also had a newer shaped XP Limited. 135HP but no quicker than the '96 model and didn't handle as well.

 

If you are feeling brave and don't want to carry the family about, buy a stand-up ski. Also had a highly modded Kawasaki 750SXi, serious arm-wrenching acceleration and crazy handling. Caused me 2 dislocated shoulders in the end...

 

Most of the newer ski's give massive amounts of HP but weigh a ton which takes the edge off the performance -2K should buy you a nice earlier model.

[Guest jetskijase]

It's a shame really, as stu say's they all seemed to have gotten the size of boats, yes the hp went up and over to 4 strokes but there's no way it's a one man job pulling them out of the water anymore And they all went upto 10k!!

 

Back in the olden days you got serious hp but in a bit of fibre glass the size and weight of a nosecone

 

 

 

One for stu............rxp dribble dribble dribble.

 

 

 

(can you post a pic of one stu??)

[Guest mike]

Was actually currantly looking at a 1998 polaris 1050cc but from what you've said thats not a good move! Luckily no family just me and my friends messing round. I have been told different things about seadoo some people say need a lot of maintenance? The polaris sounds well looked after and is'nt far from me but he wont take less than £2300.

 

Is there anything in general to look for on jet ski's???

 

Mike

[Guest mike]

Would i be better saving myself a few quid and buying one of the old yamaha 650T as they seem to go for around 1000-1200 mark but obviously dont look as good and i assume wont be as fast but it will be my first jet ski so could be somewhere to start??? just want something pretty fast and as reliable as possible dont want to have it sat in the garage broke like the westfield curranly is!

 

Mike

[Guest captn Pugwash]

billy you tight ar*e whos got 2 cars and building a third. THe man who put a price on his hobby, hasnt got a hobby - he has a guilt feeling.

 

no pockets in Shrouds. Cannot take it with you.

 

Bet joey drinks 2 grands worth of beer a year, and hes not hobby, or is he

 

Captn

[Guest jetskijase]

Mike,

I think the yam 650t, is this the one that you step into like an old scooter, and not throw your leg over? if so NOOOOO it will be slow beyond belief and social suicide !!!!

If you drop down to 1000-1200 then it has to be an old seadoo xp, dead easy to repiar etc and plenty out there for bit's

 

Now it goe's against my judgement but if the 1050 is clean then it's a good buy for a 98 model for 2300, from memory, correct me if i'am wrong, it's a 3 cylinder motor which make's it a very quick ski and your getting alot of bang for ya bucks, it basically didn't have the handling but that's only if you've had the chance to ride all the others.

 

It was the muscle craft entry for polaris against the seadoo gsx and xp in 98. (xp won )

 

It's a westfield as apposed to a caterham r400

 

 

 

Things to look for is generally how well you think the guys looked after it, asking things like how do you flush it out? how do you store it for winter? if he does'nt know then it hasn't been looked after. Good one is, has it been in salt water, then later on ask how it handles in the sea?? Just to get an idea

With it being a 98 though you'll see the white crusty salt around the pump if it hasnt been washed and flushed after salt use.

 

Physical checks are, take a torch and look down the end of the jet and the impellor and the ring it sits in, you dont want any chunks or nicks, if it has then get some cash off and put an uprated prop in it. everything should be greased if looked after. check trailer wheel bearings, a winch is handy to have. checked all the underside it will be scratched to hell but what you dont want is chunks exposing the fibreglass as it'll eat away at it.

Also check he has a flushing attachment on the engine. Check the spark plugs just to get an idea of maintanance.

If it looks sound then you won't be disappointed with the 1050

 

For ref go to watercraft illustrated.com i think (google it it's an american jetski mag)

[Guest DGAV]

Mike,

I think the yam 650t, is this the one that you step into like an old scooter, and not throw your leg over? if so NOOOOO it will be slow beyond belief and social suicide !!!!

If you drop down to 1000-1200 then it has to be an old seadoo xp, dead easy to repiar etc and plenty out there for bit's

 

Now it goe's against my judgement but if the 1050 is clean then it's a good buy for a 98 model for 2300, from memory, correct me if i'am wrong, it's a 3 cylinder motor which make's it a very quick ski and your getting alot of bang for ya bucks, it basically didn't have the handling but that's only if you've had the chance to ride all the others.

 

It was the muscle craft entry for polaris against the seadoo gsx and xp in 98. (xp won )

 

It's a westfield as apposed to a caterham r400

 

 

 

Things to look for is generally how well you think the guys looked after it, asking things like how do you flush it out? how do you store it for winter? if he does'nt know then it hasn't been looked after. Good one is, has it been in salt water, then later on ask how it handles in the sea?? Just to get an idea

With it being a 98 though you'll see the white crusty salt around the pump if it hasnt been washed and flushed after salt use.

 

Physical checks are, take a torch and look down the end of the jet and the impellor and the ring it sits in, you dont want any chunks or nicks, if it has then get some cash off and put an uprated prop in it. everything should be greased if looked after. check trailer wheel bearings, a winch is handy to have. checked all the underside it will be scratched to hell but what you dont want is chunks exposing the fibreglass as it'll eat away at it.

Also check he has a flushing attachment on the engine. Check the spark plugs just to get an idea of maintanance.

If it looks sound then you won't be disappointed with the 1050

 

For ref go to watercraft illustrated.com i think (google it it's an american jetski mag)

Bloody hell jase next you will tell him what colour to buy

the peas are next to the beans in section 4

Duncan

[Guest jetskijase]

I'am trying to get him to up his budget to 10k to buy an rxp 215hp ski,so i can have a go

[Guest tegwin]

Pfft....Why spend that kinda money on a jetski.....

 

Get a hovercraft! Just as much fun on water, even more fun on land