Advice on seadoo's

[Thurston]

Hi all,

New to the forum and jet ski world, have ridden dirtbike's all my life.

I'm now looking into buying my first ski, figured I'd go straight to the experts on seadoo's and just wondering if people could give me advice on the following:

Whats the difference between GSX, GSX limited, XP and XP limited?

Theres 3 ski's I'm interested in as follows:

1998 GSX Limited - Owner claims it has less then 100 hours although it has been sitting for a few years.
He also said it has a slightly sticky spot on full lock left and thinks a new cable is needed.
He also said that the water pump is not working and causing it to overheat?

1998 XP - 800cc motor, new battery, claims he doesn't know how many hours said it doesn't have an hour meter.

1998 XP Limited - Mechanically good, No trailer, Aftermarket bars.


I'm more interested in the GSX limited although it needs work the price seems right, and it comes with a trailer. How much work and cost is there in what I've stated?

All in all is there anything I should be looking for when purchasing a second hand ski?



Thanks appreciate any advice or help.

- Scott

 

[nammer]

hi thurston, welcome to the forums,

as you can probably see the biggest difference between the gsx models and the xp models are the hull designs. I've never ridden the xp but it is a smaller hull so less stable (probably more fun) and is probably not as well suited for 2 riders than the gsx's. mechanically here are the main differences

http://www.seadoosource.com/fueleconomy.html

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

If you like the way a bike rides, get the XP, however that year XP should have the 951, which I prefer. the 97 XP had a 800 (787).

The XP does not have an hour gauge. it does have an hour meter, readable by a dealer.

I'd look for a 99-02XP as there were some changes from the 98-99 951 engine. Nothing too major, but some small improvements.

The 951 has a 200-300 hour engine life if well cared for, that may not sound like much, but the reality is it's 10-12 years of use. And the skis you are looking at are 14 years old... (soon to be 15).

All of those skis will have issues w/age. Most of them easily solved if your willing to do some work (fuel lines, carbs, filters, etc). all wear out

Anyway; I own both an XP, and GSX (and several others) (and have ridden more). The XP is the best for all on hard turns, however you will never get 2 adults on it, especially if this is your first ski. My wife and I, ridding for years, can, but good luck

The GSX however won't corner like an XP, but it is almost 40 lbs lighter, turns crazy flat (slides), and JUMPS like you stuck a bottle rocket up it's azz....

and will fit 2 adults without tipping over...

just something to think about.

Either that or get a double trailer... it's actually EASIER to tow two skis and backup the wider trailer...

 

[Minnetonka4me]

He's spot on with his comments...


The only thing I can add is the 98 XPL has alot of one off parts on it...like the exhaust hose, the oil inj linage, etc. There is no water pump; the pump would have to be totally busted to overheat. Its more than likely sand in the cooling area of the motor that may or may not clear by flushing it the normal way.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

agree, but if it was me i'd go for the GSX, but assume the worst, and IMO if you just buy it and try to run it, expect it to let you down fast,,, if the price was right (really really right, like $600 or less) i'd buy it, tear down, inspect, rebuild. if you buy & ride, bad things will happen

my reasoning behind gsx vs that xp model, i'm not a fan of the parabolic hull, it won't hold 2 people well at all, its a little tippy IMHO, doesn't jump well, and if it does't have the 951 it will be sluggish and under powered. it may look like it will do more, but IMHO it won't.

 

[Strizzo]

i agree with spim on the parabolic hulls (i have one) although they are fun to ride, they are not much fun to climb onto or try to ride 2-up on. they don't have the pop off of waves like the shorter/wider hulls do, but they still jump better than any of the three seaters, and they ride much better than the x4 hulls.

where i will disagree is that an 800 powered parabolic hull will be sluggish and under powered. i'm sure the extra 20 horses is welcome in the 951, but i wouldn't call my 97 sluggish or underpowered. i'd leave that designation for the 718 and under powered 3 seaters. i've ridden 657x powered spx which were a lot of fun, but my gtx is like riding a harley. smooth ride, comfy seat, but doesn't corner well and is slow out of the hole.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

i agree with spim on the parabolic hulls (i have one) although they are fun to ride, they are not much fun to climb onto or try to ride 2-up on. they don't have the pop off of waves like the shorter/wider hulls do, but they still jump better than any of the three seaters, and they ride much better than the x4 hulls.

where i will disagree is that an 800 powered parabolic hull will be sluggish and under powered. i'm sure the extra 20 horses is welcome in the 951, but i wouldn't call my 97 sluggish or underpowered. i'd leave that designation for the 718 and under powered 3 seaters. i've ridden 657x powered spx which were a lot of fun, but my gtx is like riding a harley. smooth ride, comfy seat, but doesn't corner well and is slow out of the hole.

just going by comparisons of riding the wishbone hull with a 787 and riding them with a 951, (i owned both before switching to the X4 hulls) I owned the 951 model (2001 i think) for 6 months, and there is a noticeable difference, especially in the mid range pull, and in my experience a prop upgrade on the parabolic hull is really worth it, you really notice the difference. so IMO if you go with the wishbone, try to budget in a solas concord. for that matter the prop helps the gsx as well, especially the holeshot.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

The Solas Concord 15/20 is the prop of choice for any 951 stock ski. It's also what I run on all 4 of mine.

And the wishbone hull will JUMP...

Finally; the easiest way to re-board an XP is sidesaddle... start it beside the ski, and hit the throttle, jumping up on it I do it all the time w/the XP and HX. I've even done it w/a GTX.

Closed course racing, nothing will keep up w/a XP. It just eats turns. You ride almost completely underwater. I have a vid, but FB keeps deleting it for the audio (nickeback song) I'll try to strip that and upload it.

 

[tshaw]

Ive got a 98 gsxl but prefer to ride my xp its a 96 so a different hull. Everyone thats posted above ive learned multiple things from so they all have good advice. I guess it would depend on if you were going to ride solo or with someone on the back. Id go also based on shape of ski compression, if tempo fuel lines have been changed. Even though the gsxl might sound like a better deal it could need more work

 

[Strizzo]

just going by comparisons of riding the wishbone hull with a 787 and riding them with a 951, (i owned both before switching to the X4 hulls) I owned the 951 model (2001 i think) for 6 months, and there is a noticeable difference, especially in the mid range pull, and in my experience a prop upgrade on the parabolic hull is really worth it, you really notice the difference. so IMO if you go with the wishbone, try to budget in a solas concord. for that matter the prop helps the gsx as well, especially the holeshot.

makes sense, and i have a concord in mine, so maybe that has something to do with why i am not unhappy with the performance of mine.

Sqrl, i'd like to see that vid if you can get it uploaded somewhere

 

[Spimothy Leary]

and back on topic,,, "how much work and cost"

answer...

Lots... if it was me i'd strip it down completely inspect, and rebuild but its not that easy of a task, some special tools needed, and mechanical background. during the process you keep your fingers crossed that the crank is ok, cross them tightly.

if somebody else is doing the work, budget $500 minimum: if your doing the work, budget would be gaskets and time. but trust me, i know this from experience, you'll get nickle and dimed to death with misc things, an old ski is never ever ever in 100% working condition unless you owned it yourself and you know its perfect.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

I downloaded the vid from FB; then had to reencode it as WMV, then use movie maker to strip the audio. anyway, the quality is crap. I filmed it at 720p, and believe I have the originals at home. Let me grab those to use tonight or this week, then I'll make them public on YouTube or something....

 

[Minnetonka4me]

Sabr...just upload your original to vimeo.com they dont mute audio...

And to get completely off topic...my favorite vid ever...

[video=vimeo;32863936]https://vimeo.com/32863936[/video]

 

[Thurston]

Thanks for the replies everyone, well then it sounds like I'd be better of trying to get a GSX as I want a ski that is fast and reasonably stable and can jump as well as carry a passenger and pull maybe one person behind it.

Can someone explain to me a bit more in depth how the cooling system works on a GSX and what could possibly be causing it to overheat?

The price for the GSX that needs work is $3500 AUD with trailer and all the other ski's around this mark are older or more expensive and don't come with a trailer.

I am somewhat mechanicaly minded however I'm a carpenter by trade not a mechanic! Can do basic task's like oil changes and stuff and dismantle things but not to keen when it come's to cracking motors apart and all the internal stuff.

My plan is to buy a ski that needs minimal work in good condition for the right price.

How expensive/hard is it to change things like the fuel lines and steering cables? As the owner mention it has a sticky spot on full lock left? What could that be?

I understand that if I just want to buy a ski and stick it in the water It'll end up giving me trouble which is why I want to get one and get it up to scratch.

If it has less than 100 hours it wouldn't require a rebuild would it? Maybe new oils, service and a tune up?

Also can someone explain to me what fogging is?


Thanks

 

[gazza2010au]

Thanks for the replies everyone, well then it sounds like I'd be better of trying to get a GSX as I want a ski that is fast and reasonably stable and can jump as well as carry a passenger and pull maybe one person behind it.

Can someone explain to me a bit more in depth how the cooling system works on a GSX and what could possibly be causing it to overheat?

The price for the GSX that needs work is $3500 AUD with trailer and all the other ski's around this mark are older or more expensive and don't come with a trailer.

I am somewhat mechanicaly minded however I'm a carpenter by trade not a mechanic! Can do basic task's like oil changes and stuff and dismantle things but not to keen when it come's to cracking motors apart and all the internal stuff.

My plan is to buy a ski that needs minimal work in good condition for the right price.

How expensive/hard is it to change things like the fuel lines and steering cables? As the owner mention it has a sticky spot on full lock left? What could that be?

I understand that if I just want to buy a ski and stick it in the water It'll end up giving me trouble which is why I want to get one and get it up to scratch.

If it has less than 100 hours it wouldn't require a rebuild would it? Maybe new oils, service and a tune up?

Also can someone explain to me what fogging is?


Thanks

hey mate i see your from south oz im in sydney :thumbsup: the 97+ xp's are becoming cheap over here if they are anything like the seadoo HX stay well away from them for a first model :lol: got a missus? little bro or sis? family want a double? forget it lol they are really one seaters since this will be your first jetski a GSX or XP (before 97) or SPX are all great models the GSX is great jumping i never doubled on mine but it rode well i had the 1996 SPX green model owned it for 4 years was the best jetski ive ever owned it had the 717cc engine at one point even 3 of us jumped on it for a short ride that little ski was a beast

when u buy a ski down here just assume u will need a rebuild we have a very harsh environment,crap fuel,boiling hot summers 45c and freezing winters -3c (celsius) so the jetskis cop a floggin a seadoo would be your best option to buy from all the brands the parts are just everywhere and dirt cheap a rebuild kit including crankshaft,pistons,rings,gaskets the lot will set u back around $700 shipped most shops in the USA require your crankshaft be sent back before they will send out your order but u can find shops who dont need a crankshaft core returned

and us aussies are kind of in luck we have a australia SBT distributor http://sbtaustralia.com.au/engines/seadoo/main.htm but u wont see me paying $1550 for a 580cc engine

 

[Thurston]

Hey mate! ah nice been to Sydney a couple of times before nice place!

I've seen a few ski's interstate but by the time I add up the costs of courier/freight or driving there and back + re-rego for SA it's not really worth it! Aha I know what your saying but I want a ski that can occasionally take a passenger. I'd really want to get the 951cc motor for obvious reason and I can only seem to find 1 GSX with that motor for sale in SA - That being the one that needs work!

I don't see how it would need a rebuild if it has less than 100 hours seeing so someone said they last for about 200-300hrs.

Here is a copy of what the owner has written:

I bought this about 6 years ago for $7000 and have only managed to take it out once but now it just gets in the way it had about 92 hours when i bought it so it should still be under 100 hours total running time,the previous owner looked after it very well, but sitting around never helps, it has a slight sticky spot on full lock left so id say a new cable is needed. also the water pump is not working causing it to overheat, so a new pump will take care of that problem.


Opinions?

 

[gazza2010au]

Hey mate! ah nice been to Sydney a couple of times before nice place!

I've seen a few ski's interstate but by the time I add up the costs of courier/freight or driving there and back + re-rego for SA it's not really worth it! Aha I know what your saying but I want a ski that can occasionally take a passenger. I'd really want to get the 951cc motor for obvious reason and I can only seem to find 1 GSX with that motor for sale in SA - That being the one that needs work!

I don't see how it would need a rebuild if it has less than 100 hours seeing so someone said they last for about 200-300hrs.

Here is a copy of what the owner has written:

I bought this about 6 years ago for $7000 and have only managed to take it out once but now it just gets in the way it had about 92 hours when i bought it so it should still be under 100 hours total running time,the previous owner looked after it very well, but sitting around never helps, it has a slight sticky spot on full lock left so id say a new cable is needed. also the water pump is not working causing it to overheat, so a new pump will take care of that problem.


Opinions?

there are a lot of factors that can determine how long a engine will last engine seals wont last from 1998 to 2012 thats 14 years mate the engine would have been rebuilt by now a brand new jetski will last 100 easy but not over 14 years

 

[Thurston]

I Suppose when you put it that way it would require new seals and maybe a top end, how much more would it cost to do the bottom end whilst it's all appart?

 

[gazza2010au]

I Suppose when you put it that way it would require new seals and maybe a top end, how much more would it cost to do the bottom end whilst it's all appart?

the 951 should be under $700 if u do it your self

 

[Thurston]

Hmm maybe I should just look for a ski that's running already and had a rebuild. Haven't got the knowledge or the time to do it myself!

 

[gazza2010au]

Hmm maybe I should just look for a ski that's running already and had a rebuild. Haven't got the knowledge or the time to do it myself!

u should be able to find one thats had a recent rebuild easy enough jetskis blow up all the time the last thing u want to do is spend money on a jetski you've just paid good money for

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

You don't want to do just a top end / seals on a 14 year old engine.

$900-1200 gets you a rebuild w/a 1-2 year no fault warranty, I'd go that route.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

You don't want to do just a top end / seals on a 14 year old engine.

$900-1200 gets you a rebuild w/a 1-2 year no fault warranty, I'd go that route.

i think shipping would kill that deal... unless there's a shop over there that does it.

i'll summarize with my opinion.

if you buy a 951, assume the worst, hope for the best, they are not known to last a long time, especially the crank/cases, the number of hours on a ski is nothing more than a guideline, it depends on how well it was taken care of and protected from the elements. If its overheating due to cooling lines, then that's a quick and easy fix, and you'd be very lucky, but its probably something else.

I'd rather see you in a 787 with issues than a 951 with issues, given your limited mechanical background.

a 787 would in general be more reliable, cheaper to fix, easier to mod if you chose to, and IMO more than acceptable for big bodies of water. The 951 will give you more mid range power, and better top end (5-7mph) but it has its downsides, mainly the fact that it is prone to water ingestion failure, and when the crank blows, it generally takes the cases with it, so it doubles your rebuild cost.

If I were you, i'd start with a nice clean 787, ride it for a season and see if you feel the need for more speed and power, you might like it just the way it is. And honestly with a dirtbike background, i'd try to steer you towards a smaller model like the X4 design, which will replicate a dirt bike on the water just a tad more than a GSX or a XPL.

however, if your plan is to ride open water and 2-4ft seas on a regular basis, the little x4's might prove to be fun, but only for about 15 minutes, since you won't be able to cut through the waves, you'll be bouncing over them big time. So for open water, a bigger hull is probably more desirable.

it might be time to search out a good mechanic/helper for this decision that's local, you don't want to start out in over your head and have to search for somebody after the fact. Its very important to have a qualified, but reasonably priced mechanic, or even a skilled ride buddy. Also.. find a good set of ride buddies, don't ride alone its not safe.

I started out myself with a big heavy 3 seater yamaha, and 4 ski's later I worked my way down to a single seater XP as I felt the need for something less boring. And there are still times where I wish I had my big 3 seater back, especially for open water runs and long distance cruising.

 

[Thurston]

Thanks for the reply Spimothy,

I really want a ski that can jump waves and be reasonably stable and fast, which is probably why ill steer away from the XP's.

Is there a huge difference between the 787cc (that would be like GSX 800 right?) and the 951cc? As I want to be able to launch of waves and have good take off speeds. I plan to ride mostly river (fresh water) and sometimes the ocean for waves.

When you refer to x4's, wishbone and parabolic hulls what are they?

I think Ill just have to try find a ski with a recent rebuild in good cond for the right price as I want a ski for the summer. I noticed only some models have the VTS is it really worth it?

I found a 1997 GSX 800 with recent rebuild, 40 hours, recently service, new prop, wear ring and sponsons but not sure whether i want the 800 motor.

 

[gazza2010au]

I found a 1997 GSX 800 with recent rebuild, 40 hours, recently service, new prop, wear ring and sponsons but not sure whether i want the 800 motor.

jetskis are pretty quick mate expect to see around 85-100kph my little 720 engine hit top speed around 85kph in around 4 seconds from idle to flat out also my GSX 800 was jumping 1.5m waves in sydney at the mouth of the port hacking river it jumped beautiful never fell off where as the SPX 96 smaller hull was a bit sketchy but still heaps of fun