97 speedster?

[Goudax3]

Hi, first post. I am looking at a 97 Speedster and have some questions about it. It’s a twin engine 2 cycle, 170 hp. Maybe they all are, I am not sure. This one is extremely clean and well cared for near as I can tell. My concern is that it is 21 years old and there is no hour meter so I have no way of knowing how much use it has had in total. Current owners have had it 5 years and not used it very much maybe 40 - 50 hours. Is there a easy way to evaluate the condition of the engines and jet pumps? What else should I be carefull about? I am not afraid of working on it, just don’t want to waste my money on something that will be broken constantly. Any advice would be helpful.

 

[racerxxx]

Compression test will tell you the health of the engine. You're looking for 140-150psi in each cylinder. To check it just remove the plugs thread in the comp tester, hold the throttle wide open and turn the engine over. Then do the other cylinder. A water test would be a must, it should get right up on plane, if not you'll need pump work, possibly. Just remember, it's old and anything can happen

 

[ronmold]

It may look complicated but it's actually quite simple and very important to check/ change the oil of the rear jet pump bearing. Hard to do before you buy it but make sure it gets done as it may have never been changed. Good time to check the impellers & wear rings too.