2000 Speedster, things i should know?

[Hildy]

Well i may be going to look at a Speedster on sat morning that hasnt seen any water since last june. It is a pretty good deal at $11900 canadian, hover I cant take it for a water test, because it is uninsured, and quite a ways from a lake, however he says he can start it up no prob for me. Are there any things i should be looking at specifically for this boat, it has the 240hp merc v-6 in it, but i live a ways away from this guy, and i dont want to buy this thing and have it turn out to be a dud, from the pics it looks very nice, and it has been stored indoors, i dont know how else i could properly check this boat out without a water test, thanks in advance, Hildy...

 

[timmyboy76]

$$$$$$.......

money talks Hildy,...If I knew boat was perfect, I'd take the buyer to a lake, if he hesitates, then something up.....

 

[seadoosnipe]

Pass......

I hate to be the party pooper here, but don't by it. You can find another good deal.

This boat is a hybrid. By that, I mean it's comprised of two different companies.........hull from Seadoo, motor from Mercury.....

Although the motor has been known to be a good motor, those that have had problems, have had tough times finding support.

If you take it to a Mercury shop, they'll say they dont' work on jet boats. If you take it to a Seadoo dealer, they'll tell you they don't work on Mercury's. If they dont' say that, I'd still not let them work on that engine.

Your best bet is to continue to shop around, look for a nice boat with the Rotax engine, where you can find all the support you'll need, which, with the right boat, will be minimal................:cheers:

 

[olsonn]

I purchased a 2000 Speedster SK in May and have had only very very minor problems with it and absolutely love it. I paid $7650 for mine, I bought from a guy that lives about 6 hours away from me. I had the guy take it to a sea doo dealership and had them do a full inspection on it for $150. Thats the only way that i believe that you can get a good idea of what kind of shape the boat is in. Hope this helps

 

[Hildy]

Alright guys thanks alot for the advice, i am a fully licensed auto service tech., but dont know seadoos, there was something up because i told the guy i could get a dealer plate, and he still didnt want to water test it, and actually got a little annoyed with me when i told him how stupid it was that he was selling a boat that he refused to put in the water. ON top of that it was at a "friends" compound LMAO, and he said when I bought it i should take it to a dealer and have it fully serviced. IMO if you are selling a boat, it is usually a pretty good selling feature if it runs and floats, then he tried telling me the boat was worth $17000, and that at "60 MPH it is unflippable", and that he tried many times to flip it. Yea right buddy im gonna really wanna buy it now. Not to mention seadoos advertised speed was 53mph tops iirc...

Anyways guys the point is thanks for your advice, and i took it all, and feel more comfortable now that i have,

as a side note am i kinda getting the idea that the rotax is a little more favored to the merc.... as far as parts and service is concerned?

also a few of the boats that i have been eyeing have twin motors and jets, now i have no problem servicing my own stuff, and have already got a base knowledge of these things, but i am wondering, between the 2, which is more favorable, the 240hp merc, or a dual rotax setup? thanks:cheers:

 

[jareaver]

also a few of the boats that i have been eyeing have twin motors and jets, now i have no problem servicing my own stuff, and have already got a base knowledge of these things, but i am wondering, between the 2, which is more favorable, the 240hp merc, or a dual rotax setup? thanks:cheers:

I am fairly new to this forum and by no means an expert, but from what I have gathered from reading many posts is that if you buy a twin rotax setup, and want to do work on it yourself, you are better to go with an older 2-stroke vs. the newer 4-strokes. To do any in depth repair work on the new 4-strokes you would need BUDS (proprietary computer linkup) to troubleshoot the problems, that only Seadoo dealers have.

With that said, the Mercury engine is a very good engine that if you are mechanically inclined you could service yourself The only negative I have come across about the Merc is the cost of replacement parts for M2 jet unit. Eg: The wear ring on the M2 is not the normal wear ring that a rotax engine has, but rather a 'wear ring kit' that runs for $490 USD.

I'm sure others will chime in, but that's my .02 cents. Either way you go, I think you'll be happy and enjoy any of the seadoo jet boats regardless of engine setup.