I want to get a pair...I've looked over the charts, model reference guide, as well as browsed this forum and others for the last 3 weeks...I know what year and model I want. Just interested in hearing what other think would be the best pick...If you were looking to buy a pair of 90's era Doo's this summer. What year and model? Why?
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90's era Seadoo GSX or XP...?
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skewba98z28
Active Member
You really need to decide what you as a rider are looking for in a watercraft. If you want a fast hot rod that will peel your eye lids back and try to yank the bars out of your hand get a 96 XP. If you want the same top speed as a XP, but more stable and easier to ride two on get a GSX. Better yet buy one of both :thumbsup:
Myself personally I like a hot rod single person ski that keeps you on your toes such as a XP or SPX
Myself personally I like a hot rod single person ski that keeps you on your toes such as a XP or SPX
mattydipps
New Member
i love LOVE my spx 20 bucks of gas fills her up and shes a rocket ship ... i cant keep it in the water .. one small wake and im air born, quick as all hell too i pull on my 1100 fxho
Dr Honda
Well-Known Member
The GSX is a bigger hull, and easier to ride. SO... it's up to you. If you get the same sized engine... they will be about the same speed.
One thing to think about.... the XP, SP, SPi, SPx hulls are really only a one person ski. Yes, you can legally put 2 people on it... but it's not fun to ride with 2... and if the riders have any size at all... it's hard to stay on. Last summer, my 150 Lb Nephew, took his 100 Lb girlfriend out on my 96 xp... and they spent most of the day in the water. With that said... when I put my 240 Lb butt on that ski... I'm fine... but I only have to worry about my balance. Consider the "X4" hull Seadoo's as a water dirtbike.
The GSX won't cut corners as hard... but it does handle the rough water a little better... and, it's still fun with 2 people.
Since you are buying a pair of skis... I would consider buying 2 different skis. That way, you can ride the ski that suits your mood. I personally keep 3 skis around. One stand up, one "hot rod" and one "Old Man" ski. That combo right now is a Yamaha Super Jet, A 96 XP 800, and a Polaris Genesis. (the last of the 4 seat PWC)
The superjet.
The XP
The Genesis. There is still room for one more... and it's stable with 3.
One thing to think about.... the XP, SP, SPi, SPx hulls are really only a one person ski. Yes, you can legally put 2 people on it... but it's not fun to ride with 2... and if the riders have any size at all... it's hard to stay on. Last summer, my 150 Lb Nephew, took his 100 Lb girlfriend out on my 96 xp... and they spent most of the day in the water. With that said... when I put my 240 Lb butt on that ski... I'm fine... but I only have to worry about my balance. Consider the "X4" hull Seadoo's as a water dirtbike.
The GSX won't cut corners as hard... but it does handle the rough water a little better... and, it's still fun with 2 people.
Since you are buying a pair of skis... I would consider buying 2 different skis. That way, you can ride the ski that suits your mood. I personally keep 3 skis around. One stand up, one "hot rod" and one "Old Man" ski. That combo right now is a Yamaha Super Jet, A 96 XP 800, and a Polaris Genesis. (the last of the 4 seat PWC)
The superjet.
The XP
The Genesis. There is still room for one more... and it's stable with 3.
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Spimothy Leary
Well-Known Member
prettty much agree with all the posts above, depends on needs and riding style.
i started out with a big xl yamaha, then an 01 XPL, then a GSX, and gradually worked my way down to a 96 xp and I love it
partially this was due to a change in my riding habits (got tired of going in a straight line) and ride buddies, and the fact that my wife lost interest so i no longer had a need to have a 3 seater, or large 2 seater.
if your getting two, i'd get one of each, a 96 XP or a SPX, and then a GSX, and personally i'd get a 787 in both, so you'll have two identical engines, (lots of reasons for that) and I think the 787 is an excellent powerplant. Take your 96 XP, put a single gauge hood on it, then make some mods after riding it for a while, spec1, water injection, F/A's, Prop, etc, but do nothing until you ride it a few times, you might like it just the way it is, or you might NOT like the ride, so be sure first that you like the ski before you do anything since you might decide you want a different hull.
With a GSX i'd do nothing to it except fill the gas & oil, and go ride, its a good cruising ski, but still turns on a dime, but she does NOT jump out of the water, but she will handle chop much better than the x4 hulls.
our opinions mean little since we are not you.
But if I was buying a 2nd ski now for my wife, it would be a GSX (stable), for my daughter it would be a SPX (motocross), if it was me, it would probably be a 4 stroke for long river runs since I already have my "dirtbike", i'd like a cruiser.
I've flipped quite a few ski's over the last year or two, so i've had a chance to ride pretty much everything except polaris models and I still prefer the mid 90's seadoo's over everything, I just love how they handle.
summary: your ride preferences overtake all, will you be riding a small lake and towing a few tubes, will you be doing river runs, do you live on the ocean, are you a mild mannered rider that pretty much goes in a straight line, make's a u-turn then repeats, or do you zig zag around like a drunk teenager looking for wakes to hop...
i'd avoid any yamaha 800/1200 models, i'd avoid any SD 720's (lack of power), Polaris (lack of parts). and i'm indifferent to Kawi's, can take them or leave them.
i started out with a big xl yamaha, then an 01 XPL, then a GSX, and gradually worked my way down to a 96 xp and I love it
partially this was due to a change in my riding habits (got tired of going in a straight line) and ride buddies, and the fact that my wife lost interest so i no longer had a need to have a 3 seater, or large 2 seater.
if your getting two, i'd get one of each, a 96 XP or a SPX, and then a GSX, and personally i'd get a 787 in both, so you'll have two identical engines, (lots of reasons for that) and I think the 787 is an excellent powerplant. Take your 96 XP, put a single gauge hood on it, then make some mods after riding it for a while, spec1, water injection, F/A's, Prop, etc, but do nothing until you ride it a few times, you might like it just the way it is, or you might NOT like the ride, so be sure first that you like the ski before you do anything since you might decide you want a different hull.
With a GSX i'd do nothing to it except fill the gas & oil, and go ride, its a good cruising ski, but still turns on a dime, but she does NOT jump out of the water, but she will handle chop much better than the x4 hulls.
our opinions mean little since we are not you.
But if I was buying a 2nd ski now for my wife, it would be a GSX (stable), for my daughter it would be a SPX (motocross), if it was me, it would probably be a 4 stroke for long river runs since I already have my "dirtbike", i'd like a cruiser.
I've flipped quite a few ski's over the last year or two, so i've had a chance to ride pretty much everything except polaris models and I still prefer the mid 90's seadoo's over everything, I just love how they handle.
summary: your ride preferences overtake all, will you be riding a small lake and towing a few tubes, will you be doing river runs, do you live on the ocean, are you a mild mannered rider that pretty much goes in a straight line, make's a u-turn then repeats, or do you zig zag around like a drunk teenager looking for wakes to hop...
i'd avoid any yamaha 800/1200 models, i'd avoid any SD 720's (lack of power), Polaris (lack of parts). and i'm indifferent to Kawi's, can take them or leave them.
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SL - Why don't you like the Yamaha's 800/1200 models?
SabrToothSqrl
Well-Known Member
The GSX will easily leave the water... trim up from idle, punch it and pull back! the 951 makes it dance. Love the GSX... Love my XP more, but still 
...
My wish list (in addition to my current 02 XP and GTX)
99 GSX LTD
'99 SPX (same as '96 XP, but 3 years newer)
01 RX (carb)
and, long as I'm dreaming here; a RXX
find a friend with some skis and ask to tag along and see what you like.
here in PA you need a boater's license to operate a PWC (thankfully). so make sure you are legal / legit, and don't ride like a *&^$ .... it hurts us all when people disrespect others on the water.
but I'm sure your a nice person
Looks Like I'm gonna need a 6 PWC trailer...
speaking of RXX:
http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/boa/2815604137.html
never titled?!
...My wish list (in addition to my current 02 XP and GTX)
99 GSX LTD
'99 SPX (same as '96 XP, but 3 years newer)
01 RX (carb)
and, long as I'm dreaming here; a RXX
find a friend with some skis and ask to tag along and see what you like.
here in PA you need a boater's license to operate a PWC (thankfully). so make sure you are legal / legit, and don't ride like a *&^$ .... it hurts us all when people disrespect others on the water.
but I'm sure your a nice person
Looks Like I'm gonna need a 6 PWC trailer...
speaking of RXX:
http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/boa/2815604137.html
never titled?!
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Yup Im late to the party but I fully agree...GSX and a XP (or 97-99 SPX...same machine) with the 800 motor.
The only thing that sux on the 800 GSX is that they changed them all around between 96 and 97 models so the parts are a bit more expensive if say the MPEM, gauge, or body parts need to be replaced. Engine and pump are identical so no worries there. The GSX sponsons are pretty fragile too...thats the first part that sells when I get one in.
The only thing that sux on the 800 GSX is that they changed them all around between 96 and 97 models so the parts are a bit more expensive if say the MPEM, gauge, or body parts need to be replaced. Engine and pump are identical so no worries there. The GSX sponsons are pretty fragile too...thats the first part that sells when I get one in.
Spimothy Leary
Well-Known Member
A combination of cost to repair, which is high, and the fact that an un-modded 800/1200 is kind of a dog, they weren't really that much fun to ride... they're ok for a beginner and for my dad (who's 65) to ride.
I owned an XL760, XL800, and the GP1200 ,
I found the 800 to really just have no POP inside that big hull, just a little better than my 760 but nothing to get excied about, it was a nice distance cruising ski but i definitely couldn't turn on a dime.
the GP1200 wasn't really that much faster, just a little more on the top end, had to mess with it to resolve the horrendous porpoising issues (poor hull design) and of course a top end on a 1200 is pricey...
they were ok for long distance cruising, and the XL models do handle chop well, and offer TONS of storage but the fun factor just wasn't there...
After buying the XL800 pretty cheap and putting a crank/top end in it, I thought it was going to be my #2 ski, but at the time my buddy had a GSX and we used to trade back and forth now and then, the only thing my 800 was good for is keeping all the extra stuff, cooler, tools, towels, etc... the GSX was SO much more fun to ride.... so I sold the XL800 and got a XPL with the wishbone hull, it was better, and had great top end, but still wasn't that much 'fun', so I sold the XPL and continued my search...
Then i stumbled across a GP1200, got it super cheap and it only cost about $400 to get it water ready, and I thought, wow... this is going to be awesome... and it was just plain awful !!!! my buddy's were literally riding circles around me on their XP's while i puttered along, the only thing I had going for me was that I had all the beer and sandwiches in my storage bin so they wouldn't splash me cuz they didn't want the "beer guy" mad at them...
bottom line, I was always asking my buddies with their 96xp's to let me take a spin, and i'd go zip around, do 180's, 360's, jump wake, get tossed the ski, climb back on and repeat, I was yeeeehaaaaing, and whooooooping when I rode the X4 hulls, and after 10 minutes i was breathing heavy, completely soaked and had lost my hat
, now.. thats FUN !!!When I was on my yamilogs, i was taking in the scenery, sipping my water bottle, and pretty much just puttering along in a straight line.. that's fine when your wife is on the back and you want some cuddle time... but lets face it, cuddle time isn't what a ski is designed for...
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Dr Honda
Well-Known Member
I have to dissagree with both of those statments.
The Seadoo 720 is probably the best 2-stroke they made. It's absolutely bullet proof, and the fuel consumption is low. The boat in my avatar has a single 720 for power, and I can pull a tube or a wake board without any issues. AND... the boat will get into the mid 40's. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a 720 powered X4 hull.
With that said... there is nothing wrong with the 800. There is a little more maintenance, and it drinks more fuel... but it's a very good engine.
As far as Polaris parts... they are EASY to get. Actually... up until last summer... Polaris was still making parts for the early, to mid 90's skis. Seadoo doesn't even do that. For example... I needed (wanted) a new gasket for the glovebox on my Genesis. One call to partspitstop, $5 and 3 days later... I had one in my hand. Polaris has some known (very fixable) issues... but they are good skis.
If you find a Polaris with a domestic (black and red) carbureted engine... and it's a good price... get it. (Stay away from the fuel injected machines)
It's because they sucked. Well... they were OK... but Yamha fed into the BS of needing to use TC-w3 oil. Because of that... the 800 and 1200 were known to only last a few seasons if they were used hard. If you feed them a good API-TC oil... they will last a long healthy life.
FYI... not to make this an oil thread... but Polaris recommended Synth TC-w3 for a few years... but then they had so many warranty issues... they changed back to API-TC oil.
On a final note... the 700 and 760 Yamaha engines were great. They last a long time... but they were only 70hp and 75hp. (Seadoo's 720 was 85hp)
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Spimothy Leary
Well-Known Member
i'll admit my statement re: the polaris models in a generalization, but myself i wouldn't buy one, actually i have a great condition 900 polaris engine in my shop that i've been too lazy to take pic's of and sell.
as far as the 720, yes its a great engine, but your statement here says it all... AND... the boat will get into the mid 40's there is a HUGE difference between mid 40's and mid 50's when your riding... although granted most of my cruising is in the mid 40's on my xp, but there is PLENTY of throttle left when i'm riding at that speed. so i'd much rather own a ski that is capable of more than "just" mid 40's... that's really not that fast, (well i'd go as far as saying, that's "slow") especially by today's standards.
my xp runs in the 56-57 range, there is no way i'd be happy with a 45mph ski, but some people are happy with that...
heck my two ride buddies on xp's run 59 (96/787) and 65 (93 with a 951) and both of them rag on me for being the slow guy
If I had a 720 in my ski they'd have to take up smoking so they'd have something to do while waiting for me to catch up.
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SabrToothSqrl
Well-Known Member
my 02 XP runs a solid 65. All modern PWCs are limited to 70 MPH by law from the factory. I only run 65 maybe 5% of the time...
for that extra 5 MPH, my ski is easy to work on with cheap parts.
newer skis can top $16,000 and are 5 MPH faster lol. no thanks... for $16k, I can rebuild my engine every 2 years with a 2 year no fault for...16 times.. or.. 32 years....
for that extra 5 MPH, my ski is easy to work on with cheap parts.
newer skis can top $16,000 and are 5 MPH faster lol. no thanks... for $16k, I can rebuild my engine every 2 years with a 2 year no fault for...16 times.. or.. 32 years....
mattydipps
New Member
my 720 spx pulls on my 1100 fxho ..... my speedo on my fxho says 55 and im pulling on that and im 190 lbs on my spx.... and that was with a busted motor mount and two carbs in diar need of a rebuild ... not gps confirmed tho but still ... i dont agree with lack of power .. maybe theres just slow skis in my area but i have never found my self not keeping up with anything, except the supercharged ones
Big problem with the yami cranks (at least the triples) is they only come apart one direction and their webs arent reusable. Thats a huge expense if you need to rebuild the crank.
Spimothy Leary
Well-Known Member
if your 720 spx is pulling away from your 1100 fxho, then your fx is stuck in learning mode... my brother in law had the HO, which easily runs low 60's or very high 50's, its much faster than any hull with a 720 in it.
he had absolutely no problem running me down when i was riding 51-52mph.
there is no comparing a 720 spx to a fxho
purple_people_eater
New Member
we've kinda went off on a tangent here.... to OP: i agree with the others here. x4's are super fun, if you don't know what your doing you can not ride 2 people on them, i have done it alot but only to ferry people from the launch ramp to an island we claim while we're at the lake. a gsx is pretty much like a Toyota Avalon or any other "sport sedan." it mixes stability with speed and performance. but nothing but a stand-up ski will give you the heart pounding ride of a x4.
@squarl look for your self a 98 spx, it has the best power/ weight ratio of all the x4 hulls.
@larry 717s are great man. easy to work on and with a few upgrades can run low 50s in a ski. my still semi-fresh 717 with an impeller in it will almost run with my xp.
@squarl look for your self a 98 spx, it has the best power/ weight ratio of all the x4 hulls.
@larry 717s are great man. easy to work on and with a few upgrades can run low 50s in a ski. my still semi-fresh 717 with an impeller in it will almost run with my xp.
mattydipps
New Member
maybe your talking about a fx SHO? top speed for the 2004 fx HO is only around 52-55 GPS confirmed those speedos are notorious for being off a few give or take so if the speedo on the dash says your going 60... your really going 55 tops ... and for a machine that hasnt had a tune up is all stock and weighs considerably more than the spx, i was pulling on it... granted they are two different machine built for two different reasons but if you were running 51-52 gps confirmed and the stock fxho is running 52-55 with an PERFECTLY running engine... then your going to be running pretty darn close to one another in reality all it needs is the trim to be off on the fxho and the trim to be set right on the spx to unbalance the scale.... just throwing my two pennies out there lol
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Spimothy Leary
Well-Known Member
perhaps the 04 was significantly slower than the 06, I don't recall any significant changes, but if that's correct i stand corrected and I apologize for sticking my foot in my mouth, but are you sure your getting max rpm there ?
I remember the fx being in the low 50's (i could keep up with the FX models on my 760) but not the HO... always high 50's or low 6's.
but i guess its not critical, the OP isn't looking at 4 strokes, but now i'm curious...
but i'm pretty sure the SHO was a notch above that... more like 65-66 bone stock
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mattydipps
New Member
lol yeah man we could go on all day about this .. dont forget the 760 although a "bigger" motor has less power then the 717s ... and yes you are right the sho is the 1300....? supercharged i guess when you take all the factors and add them together anything is possible ... my spx with a 717 and 40 hours up against my 1100 fx ho with 175 hours and hasnt had a plug change in over a year ... anything could happen
harryb
New Member
Had to add my two cents; We have two XP's and have had a great time with them over the years. The '95 needed a rebuild after 16 years of pretty faithful service, the '96 still goes strong but will be do soon. They are single person skis unless you want to take one of the kids with you, not two adults. Oh, Spimothy I'm 64 and still ride my XP, can't keep up like I used too but still impress some of the "kids" with my antics.
I know I'm late at this party, been on vacation. I really think I have the best of all worlds. I have a 96GTI, big ski (for a 2-stroke), it's a cruiser, I affectionately call it the Buick, you can ride this ski all day and not get tired, very reliable, 720 bullet proof motor.
I also have a 96GSX, fast, agile, fun to ride, it's a true 2 person ski, I have been having trouble getting it away from my wife, I would probably compare it to a Camaro.
And a 96XP, guess I'm stuck in the 96's, the XP is a blast to ride, but at times I think it's trying to kill me, but you can't top this ski for jumping wakes. It will wear you out after a couple of hours. So I guess my answer would be get an XP and a GSX, and think about getting a larger ski, later.
Lou
I also have a 96GSX, fast, agile, fun to ride, it's a true 2 person ski, I have been having trouble getting it away from my wife, I would probably compare it to a Camaro.
And a 96XP, guess I'm stuck in the 96's, the XP is a blast to ride, but at times I think it's trying to kill me, but you can't top this ski for jumping wakes. It will wear you out after a couple of hours. So I guess my answer would be get an XP and a GSX, and think about getting a larger ski, later.
Lou
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