Need advice on a new(er) machine

[Grizz]

I'm new to the sport and am trying to gather as much information as possible prior to making a decision on purchasing a new(er) Seadoo for my wife and I. Any opinions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Currently I am looking at a 2006 Seadoo RXT.....the online ad is listed below.

2006 Seadoo RXT
ONLY 23 HOURS, less than 5 hours a summer.
Comes with cover and a brand new easy loader trailer with less than 300 km.

Be the first to have your Seadoo for the spring.

Basically brand new have done all required services and have paperwork.

$8900.00....Don't miss your chance!!!!!

My immediate questions are....

1. What is everyone's opinion about the 2006 RXT?
2. Is there anything I need to do to make the engine "bulletproof"?
3. I've been told by some that the ceramic washers and bearings need an immediate upgrade while other have said the issue was corrected in 2005. Which opinion is true???
4. Is there anything else I may need to know that I have no idea about??

We will ride this machine at my cabin on a small lake (about 3 minles in each direction) in Alberta. A "rough" day on the water would be a 3-4 inch natural wave coming into the shore. I like to go fast and jump wakes off my boat while my wife enjoys 180 degree turns. We also have a 98 Seadoo GS which is why I was looking at a larger 3 seater......also, I am 6'3 and 290 lbs. I am getting sick of trying to climb on the GS when I fall off!!! A bigger machine would definately be nice. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Grizz]

Anyone???? You can't tell me no one wiling to help a guy out.

 

[Carguy89]

I'm new to the sport and am trying to gather as much information as possible prior to making a decision on purchasing a new(er) Seadoo for my wife and I. Any opinions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Currently I am looking at a 2006 Seadoo RXT.....the online ad is listed below.

2006 Seadoo RXT
ONLY 23 HOURS, less than 5 hours a summer.
Comes with cover and a brand new easy loader trailer with less than 300 km.

Be the first to have your Seadoo for the spring.

Basically brand new have done all required services and have paperwork.

$8900.00....Don't miss your chance!!!!!

My immediate questions are....

1. What is everyone's opinion about the 2006 RXT?
2. Is there anything I need to do to make the engine "bulletproof"?
3. I've been told by some that the ceramic washers and bearings need an immediate upgrade while other have said the issue was corrected in 2005. Which opinion is true???
4. Is there anything else I may need to know that I have no idea about??

We will ride this machine at my cabin on a small lake (about 3 minles in each direction) in Alberta. A "rough" day on the water would be a 3-4 inch natural wave coming into the shore. I like to go fast and jump wakes off my boat while my wife enjoys 180 degree turns. We also have a 98 Seadoo GS which is why I was looking at a larger 3 seater......also, I am 6'3 and 290 lbs. I am getting sick of trying to climb on the GS when I fall off!!! A bigger machine would definately be nice. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

IMO it's priced fairly high, even though it's got such low hours. But maybe things are different in Canada.

1. It's a nice hull with a great motor once you replace washers. Good speed and plenty of room to upgrade if you so desire down the road.
2. Change the s/c washers ever ~100 hours or so.
3. Not all skis were changed - only some were.
4. Not really.

The boat will not even notice those waves are there. It won't really like to do 180s though - it's a pretty heavy, supercharged 4 stroke ski. It's not as tossable as a GS.

It's definitely way more stable due the same things that make it less tossable - more weight, lower center of gravity (lower seat, for example), and wider hull.

Also, thanks to the characteristics I just listed above, it's also much easier to reboard (I have a 97 GTX and an 08 RXT-X so I have both to compare to).

Hope this helps!

 

[Grizz]

IMO it's priced fairly high, even though it's got such low hours. But maybe things are different in Canada.

1. It's a nice hull with a great motor once you replace washers. Good speed and plenty of room to upgrade if you so desire down the road.
2. Change the s/c washers ever ~100 hours or so.
3. Not all skis were changed - only some were.
4. Not really.

The boat will not even notice those waves are there. It won't really like to do 180s though - it's a pretty heavy, supercharged 4 stroke ski. It's not as tossable as a GS.

It's definitely way more stable due the same things that make it less tossable - more weight, lower center of gravity (lower seat, for example), and wider hull.

Also, thanks to the characteristics I just listed above, it's also much easier to reboard (I have a 97 GTX and an 08 RXT-X so I have both to compare to).

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the reply, that actually helps out a lot!!! It sounds like, despite it's shortcommings with the supercharger, I should not have any reservations about getting it. I've been a little nervous about the RXT because of the supercharger issue as I currently do not know how or if I can do the 100 hour service. That being said, it sounds like I am far better off paying to have someone do it professionally for me as apposed to screwing it up myself.....it's just a little tough to take at $800.00 a pop at my local dealer!!

Two questions though.....After I upgrade to the steel washers and the ceramic bearings (so I am told...not sure about the ceramic bearings) will I still need to do this again in 100 hours or is this a one time kind of thing?? Also, someone mentioned adding a blow off valve to the supercharger or somehting to that effect. Can someone explain to me what that is and why I need one.

As for the performance and 180's, I actually want a bigger, heavier machine. I am growing tired of not being able to haul my A$$ up on the GS because it is standing near straight up. I have the GS if I want to flick one and to the 180's but can ride the RXT to go fast and jump wakes....do I need to let off the throttle in the air or can I keep it pinned like the GS???

As for the price, it is pretty much on par with everything else comparable in my area.

 

[purple_people_eater]

the main problem on the sc'ed skis is that when the pump and motor becomes unloaded it beats the crap out of the sc. so yes when you come out of the water let go of that throttle, you should do that on your gs too. i've never seen a ski with a blow-off, those are mainly for turbos. a SC works differently and slows down with the motor quicker than turbos do. i believe who ever told you that had the reasoning of when you come out of the water, and the load comes off the pump that the blow off valve would releive the excess boost, but if you let go off the throttle, you should not have an issue. and to me $800 every 100 hours is cheep insureance so you don't drop washer pieces into your motor.

 

[Grizz]

the main problem on the sc'ed skis is that when the pump and motor becomes unloaded it beats the crap out of the sc. so yes when you come out of the water let go of that throttle, you should do that on your gs too. i've never seen a ski with a blow-off, those are mainly for turbos. a SC works differently and slows down with the motor quicker than turbos do. i believe who ever told you that had the reasoning of when you come out of the water, and the load comes off the pump that the blow off valve would releive the excess boost, but if you let go off the throttle, you should not have an issue. and to me $800 every 100 hours is cheep insureance so you don't drop washer pieces into your motor.

Makes sense......now I am starting to think maybe the 2001 Seadoo RX I was also looking at for 5000 may be a better choice. I agree 800 dollars every 100 hours is cheap insurance but the whole supercharger thing just seems like too much of a gamble for me after coming on here. Plus, I do like to jump the wakes.

 

[purple_people_eater]

5 grand seems way to steep on an 01 rx... those are like 3000-3200 around me.

 

[Carguy89]

Thanks for the reply, that actually helps out a lot!!! It sounds like, despite it's shortcommings with the supercharger, I should not have any reservations about getting it. I've been a little nervous about the RXT because of the supercharger issue as I currently do not know how or if I can do the 100 hour service. That being said, it sounds like I am far better off paying to have someone do it professionally for me as apposed to screwing it up myself.....it's just a little tough to take at $800.00 a pop at my local dealer!!

Two questions though.....After I upgrade to the steel washers and the ceramic bearings (so I am told...not sure about the ceramic bearings) will I still need to do this again in 100 hours or is this a one time kind of thing?? Also, someone mentioned adding a blow off valve to the supercharger or somehting to that effect. Can someone explain to me what that is and why I need one.

As for the performance and 180's, I actually want a bigger, heavier machine. I am growing tired of not being able to haul my A$$ up on the GS because it is standing near straight up. I have the GS if I want to flick one and to the 180's but can ride the RXT to go fast and jump wakes....do I need to let off the throttle in the air or can I keep it pinned like the GS???

As for the price, it is pretty much on par with everything else comparable in my area.

I pay $550 for a supercharger rebuild. And yes you have to do it every ~100 hours with the new clutch washers. The original washers that came with it are horrible and are a ticking time bomb. Depending on how often you ride, it'll last you 2+ years, so think of it that way.

BOV isn't really suited for our kind of superchargers. More often than not, they just leak boost and are more of a headache than a solution. You can add one but make sure it's a good (read: expensive) one installed properly - but that just ensures that it won't cause more problems. It's use is sort of debatable, but don't bother unless you do it right. Blow off valves bleed boost from the system when you let off the gas.

You should always let off the throttle in the air - even on the GS. It's not good for it, especially if you're hitting the rev limiter.

 

[rford09]

i bought my rxt for the same reasons i a wanted a big fast ski that i could board easily. I am 6 foot 6 about 360 pounds. And the rxt is exactly that. I can stand on one side of the ski and it will barely rock.
When i bought i didnt do enough research and i knew nothing about the supercharger problems, i was lucky that the washers were intact and i had no damage to the motor. I did some online searching and found a company online that would rebuid the charger, so i pulled it and sent away got it back about five days later, put it back in and had no problems. The whole thing cost me about 400 bucks.
All in all i loved my rxt but as the others had said dont expect this ski to ride and handle like your gs, it is a big ski and it is made to go fast, not spin and turn.

Rob

 

[Grizz]

Thanks for all the replies and advice, I really do appreciate it!!!

rofrd09 - I am definitely looking for a bigger ski. I do like the GS and am keeping it for when I want that flick-ability but thought it would be nice to have a beast as well. It sounds like the two of us are relatively the same size so its a plus for me to know that you are happy with how it responds to you while trying to re-board etc. Outside of that, what are your overall thoughts about the RXT? Would you buy a supercharged machine again?

The two biggest concerns making me second guess this machine is

1. 100 hours to me does not seem like a lot of time. Granted I am fairly new and have never tracked how many hours I used the GS each year so it was a little comforting to know that rofrd09 equated it to ~ 2 years give or take.

2. I like to jump wakes!! I get the feeling that, due to the SC, this is not a good idea at all with the RXT. I know some have said all you have to do is let off the throttle while in he air but I have already developed the bad habit of not doing that with the GS as I did not know one should. Now I am worried I will damage the RXT while trying to learn not to keep it pinned withing the literally 3-4feet in the air and about 4-6 feet of distance.......again, there is not much to jump at our lake.

I was also looking at the 2001 RX but have now read a ton of bad press on this Seaddo as it has the 951 DI. I am starting to feel like every ski comes with a multitude of issues, getting skittish, and am wondering if I should just keep my money in the bank.

 

[Carguy89]

If you don't jump that often it should be fine, especially if you work on not throttling both skis in the air over time, to change you ways. It's not going to kill it instantly if you do that once in a while anyway.

2001 RX won't be much more stable or easier to reboard than your GS. I think you'd be happy with the RXT. 50 hours per year on a jet ski is a LOT. Most people average 15-20 hours. Many less than that even. Plus you have your other ski still, so you'll be splitting the hours per year between 2 skis, so it'll likely last you way more than 2 years between supercharger rebuilds.

As the saying goes, you gotta pay to play!

 

[purple_people_eater]

1. 100 hour of actual engine run time is actually a lot of time for the average guy. i only put like 4 hours on my ski total in a weekend at the lake.

2. the unloading of the pump/engine is a common thing for skis. in other words its expected for it to happen a little bit. go look at the sc'ed 4tec boats. no where near as many SC problems as the the skis. IMO it because the boats "free-spin" less than the skis. there is a guy that rides one of my local lakes has a 06 rxt, he's the fastest guy on the lake and loves it. as far as i know all he does is keep up on the SC maintenance, change the oil and thats it.

if i where you i'd stay away from any fuel injected 2 stroke. those things are a PITA. the 951 carbed is a pretty good motor, just requires more maintenance then the 787/717.

i'll tell you straight bud, get what you want and we'll help you get it straight. :cheers:

 

[Grizz]

Thanks guys, all your advice does help. Prior to finding out about the SC rebuild and the no throttle in the air thing, it was pretty much a done deal in my mind. After discovering that, I definately had my doubts. After speaking with the two of you, I do feel better about it. I am not adverse to paying for maintenance......it's not the money.....I just did not want to have to shell out 800 dollars each year as that cost would mount up extremely soon. Every 2-3 years I am OK with.

If I am able to "learn" how to let the throttle off while in the air without damaging it then that is fine as well. I've been riding the GS for 5 years now and have never let it off so I am not sure if I am just lucky or if it not as bad with the 717. Anyway.....I do think I will go for it as I really do like the RXT and the fact it will be far more stable for someone of my stature.......Maybe I can learn over time to re-build the SC myself? Is it really hard or is it one of those things you are far better off the let a professional do?