97 seadoo speedster

[Motorboatin]

I just purchased a 97 sea-doo speedster form a local dealer. The boat to me is in mint shape. No watermarks, no rust on trailer, original seats look fantastic. The dealer said it was a 1 boat owner who traded it in for a new one. The engine looks clean.

My question is….. Is this a good reliable boat? Being 13 years old? I’ve been looking all winter long for one on the street, and have yet to find one in this good of condition. It looks brand new. Do these boats usually hold up pretty good and etc? I bought it because it was affordable, and I hear parts are always available and inexpensive. And I want to pull my daughter around on a tube this summer….
Thanks in advance...

 

[voodoo]

The motor parts are widely available, the speedster is a twin motor so when things do go wrong it will cost close to double depending on the combination labor but if you can tinker with hand tool this should give ya years of fun, make certain to get compression tests when things do not feel right with power, and always keep the fuel/oiling system in good working order, the 90's 2 strokes are lightwieght powerhouse machines but they can fail quickly if lean running conditions develop, if you compared the twin to the single engine the speed factor would prolly be around 5-7 mph slower with less fuel used. The single engine challenger is almost identical hull and overall length/beam, many parts are direct interchange.

 

[Dr Honda]

First... can we asked what you paid for a good condition boat at a dealer?

Second... if it was taken care of... it will last you many years... and be reliable. The drive train parts are all available since it shares most of the parts with it's PWC brothers of the same era. The only things that get hard to find are things like the seats, trim, and cables. But if you look around... they can be found.

Good luck, and don't worry about the boat.