New to buying an XP, any tips?

[Papermaniac]

Hello there Seadoofourm! I'm a just-turned 18 guy who's been riding a gti for as long as I can remember, and it's always been fun but I want something lighter, faster and more fun. I think a 96 XP would fit the bill perfectly, and I think I have juuuuuussst enough to buy one but is it a good idea for someone new to really owning a seadoo? I'd love an XP but if its going to be loads of maintenance I might not have the skill level yet to get it running easily. Are these skis generally reliable in running condition? Or is it alot of tinkering and labor? I wouldn't mind the tinkering if I had more experience working with engines, but being as I'm going to college I might not have the time to be figuring that out after every lake trip. To sum it up, would it be a good idea to buy the XP of my dreams now, or would I be better off waiting or just buying a spark sometime in the future?

 

[Matt Braley]

If you let us know what the price and description are we can tell you how good of deal it is. They are a great (best) model to own and normally you can pick them up this time of year for a lot less then they would sell for 3-4 months from now.

Once you get them right they can be quite reliable but service and various repairs should be expected. There is going to be a bunch of work up front bringing things up to speed in most cases. If you can post pics and ask questions then you can always find people here willing to keep you on the right track.

 

[mikidymac]

And a 96' XP will be way faster than a Spark.

 

[Papermaniac]

If you let us know what the price and description are we can tell you how good of deal it is. They are a great (best) model to own and normally you can pick them up this time of year for a lot less then they would sell for 3-4 months from now.

Once you get them right they can be quite reliable but service and various repairs should be expected. There is going to be a bunch of work up front bringing things up to speed in most cases. If you can post pics and ask questions then you can always find people here willing to keep you on the right track.

Thanks! That's good to know, I've been on the hunt for one of these for about a month now. If I wanted feedback on a deal I found, would I just post a new thread about it or is there a special place for that on here?

 

[mikidymac]

Take a look at this thread.
Buying a used ski.

 

[glsmohio]

Thanks! That's good to know, I've been on the hunt for one of these for about a month now. If I wanted feedback on a deal I found, would I just post a new thread about it or is there a special place for that on here?

Just post it here , we can help. Where r u from?

 

[Papermaniac]

Just post it here , we can help. Where r u from?

I'm from California, I've been looking at some deals and this looks the most promising so far, only downside being no trailer as part of the offer.

 

[Ankeneyou]

I would stay away from modified skis if you aren't into constant wrenching and want reliability. There is probably a reason that ski has a new topend.

 

[Matt Braley]

Exactly. I have worked with both models of those Coffman pipes and one doesn't perform well and the other does but requires racing fuel. They likely burned up the last engine from it not being tuned correctly and/or too low of octane fuel.

A guy with parts and wrenching experience could do well selling those aftermarket parts to race guys and returning the ski to stock form. I would not want to take all that on if it were my first ski. The value is there for sure but it would be anything but reliable.

 

[Grnbeano]

That’s not a 97 XP

 

[mikidymac]

This one might be better...
1996 XP
Where in California are you?

 

[Major Woody]

I know you can do math but it's important to remember that this is a 24 year old machine. Parts wear out, corrode, deteriorate from age, are abused and/or are damaged by shade tree mechanics. If you have decent mechanical ability, you should be okay as all the manuals are available and there is a great online community supporting that ski and its engine.
Do you have the TIME to do the preventative maintenance now if you buy it? Do you have the money? Do you have a sheltered spot to store the ski and work on it?
I do think that you could buy one of these skis and have it in tip top shape for a fraction of what a Spark costs, and it's going to be way more fun than a Spark.

 

[Papermaniac]

First off, I cant thank you guys enough for helping me out here, you reply way faster than I thought you would! Also, that one mikidymac sent actually looks like a good deal, I'm going to look into buying that one, and that's not too far from where I'm at (antelope valley area)
I was suspecting a modded ski would be hell to repair, I've had similar experiences with a tricked out mini sand rail I used to have, my dad would have spend so long fixing it only to have it break as soon as we took it out. Speaking of that, my dad is great with engines, I've been meaning to learn more from him and I could probably get him to help me out with certain repairs (or at the very least teach me the ins and outs) so regular maintenance wouldn't be a huge issue.
I have a 97 gti, and I have a pretty solid idea on how to take care of it, and even though XPS oil is an unholy level of expensive, its kept it running perfect for years.
I plan to get another job once I can get my truck fixed, so I'll put aside a good amount of money for gas and repairs. Hell, at my last summer job I saved all but 100 dollars of my earnings just to buy an XP, and hopefully now I can buy one and tear up the water. I wish I had the garage space, but I can definitely keep it outside under a few tarps like I do with the gti, I always winterize it when necessary, remove the batteries and charge em every now and then etc. But is keeping it outside still a bad move?
And since I've been blabbering, I'll cut to the chase; would buying my first ski at 18 come back to bite me in the ass? I definitely think I'll have the time to take care of it and ride it, but I've been told buying my own ski fresh outta high school would be a stupid move. My parents like to roll with the "if it's old you won't want it" excuse so I dont get alotta positive feedback when I say "Hey mom, I'm gonna buy an XP!" Alrighty sorry for writing the whole gettysburg adress here, but you guys seem to know way better than I would about owning one!

 

[Major Woody]

As long as you can care for it and store it in a way so the weather doesn't deteriorate it, buy it and have fun! Wish I had one when I was 18. Lots of time later in life to be responsible. You'll really enjoy this now and so will your friends. Find a good one but have realistic expectations about care/reliability.

 

[Papermaniac]

As long as you can care for it and store it in a way so the weather doesn't deteriorate it, buy it and have fun! Wish I had one when I was 18. Lots of time later in life to be responsible. You'll really enjoy this now and so will your friends. Find a good one but have realistic expectations about care/reliability.

I sure will! I almost put the GTI to death with how much I throw the thing around, so finally riding something DESIGNED to be thrown around is gonna be great. I'm sure I'll be able to take good care of it, but If for some reason I think I can't, I'll sell it, and NOT let it sit out and rot away like I see far too many people do. In the meantime, I'll read up on common issues and tips. From what ive heard, rule number one around here is REMOVE THOSE GRAY FUEL LINES!! Ha! Once again, I really appreciate all the help.

 

[Matt Braley]

The value is there and they won't depreciate any more but you could always lose an engine costing $1000ish so it's not risk free. You have the HUGE advantage of being the only buyer this time of year so use that to negotiate a few hundred dollars off.
Outside storage can be done right, sounds like you've already made it work for you. I'd offer 1300 and go up to 1400. It will be worth 500 more then that in season if it's indeed ready to run. That makes it a fairly sound financial decision I think. You mom should like that.

 

[Ankeneyou]

We should also warn you about the addicting and inevitable desire to start upgrading the ski once youve ridden it for a while. I expect we'll see you on here in 6 months looking for UMI steering, sponsons, trim tabs, and steering nozzles lol.

Good luck, that ski looks pretty clean save for some faded decals. I assume you know the common things to look for before purchase since you have the GTI already.

 

[mikidymac]

I bought my first ski at 16 and still buying them at 43 so be careful if you get bitten by the Seadoo bug.

Expect to put a few hundred bucks getting it reliable. The most important thing is going to be checking the compression before you buy it.

 

[Papermaniac]

You got a point Matt, I'll see if I can bargain with the guy and hopefully I can shave off a few hundred. I think getting my mom to help is gonna be the hardest part! I can guarentee I've already been bitten by the seadoo bug, if not multiple times, at this point its not a matter of I'm gonna buy an XP but when. I've heard to always run a compression test on these things, but dont you need a special tool for that? I do have one of those hose adapters to run the ski out of water, so that's a start. I'm not super sure of the less obvious things to look out for, but I think you guys have a section devoted to that, so I'll have to take a look.

 

[mikidymac]

You need to buy a compression tester and not the Harbor Freight junk ones.
Install in one spark plug hole at a time and ground the plug wire on the ground lug on the engine. Then with the fuel off hold the throttle wide open and crank until the needle on the gauge stops climbing.

150 psi per cylinder is perfect, 130 the engine is tired and at 120 it’s time for a rebuild. Also more than about 5 psi difference between cylinders and there’s a major mechanical issue.

A $50 compression gauge can save you from a $1,000 engine rebuild.

Finally there’s no reason to run it on the hose. Perfectly fine to run it dry for less than a minute to make sure it runs and responds to throttle.

 

[AKnarrowback]

Nothing wrong with buying one at 18. It sounds like you have a good base of knowledge for what it takes to earn a dollar, just make sure the needed bills are paid for before buying a toy.

Get a stock machine. Modded units, in my experience, are loved by the original owner but fall out of repair with any secondary owners until they are a running time bomb.

That XP is going to be pretty thirsty if you run wide open a bunch so figure the extra fuel costs into the daily price of riding.

Storing them outside is not going to hurt them. It's -30F outside my house right now and my fleet of four DOOs is winterized and hibernating just like they have done for 25 years without a problem. But since you are where the sun does shine keep the cover on it to protect the finish.

There are tons of guys on here with experience and advice, it is an active forum.

I would take the older XP over a Spark, or any modern machine, any day. I just like the hull that is a little more forgiving, the ease of maintenance, parts are still around and I can play just like a spark. The only area I can't compete is fuel economy.

 

[Papermaniac]

You need to buy a compression tester and not the Harbor Freight junk ones.
Install in one spark plug hole at a time and ground the plug wire on the ground lug on the engine. Then with the fuel off hold the throttle wide open and crank until the needle on the gauge stops climbing.

150 psi per cylinder is perfect, 130 the engine is tired and at 120 it’s time for a rebuild. Also more than about 5 psi difference between cylinders and there’s a major mechanical issue.

A $50 compression gauge can save you from a $1,000 engine rebuild.

Finally there’s no reason to run it on the hose. Perfectly fine to run it dry for less than a minute to make sure it runs and responds to throttle.

Thanks for letting me know, glad I asked around here, I woulda hated to buy a ski only to need a rebuild immediately after. I'll go get a tester once I get the OK from my parents on finally getting that XP. Let's hope they're cool with picking it up, or its gonna be at least a few more months before I can get one.
Having some towing experience and a working truck of my own would sure come in clutch right now, but I guess that's just the struggle of being a teenager. I'll definitely be able to pull the thing by the time summer rolls around, but I haven't gotten to practice towing or unloading yet.
Either way, I've had my heart set on an XP ever since I jumped my first wake, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna stop now!
My parents dont seem to really understand why I'd want an xp when we got the gti, despite the fact we had one long ago (I was too young to ride it!) My parents have the mentality that if they think what I'm doing is stupid, I can go out and buy it if I want, but if I need their help in any sort of way, I'm out of luck. I'll report back once I can beg my mom to give me a hand here.

 

[mikidymac]

I know the feeling. My parents were always there for me also but if I wanted something like a motorcycle or PWC I had to earn the money and buy it myself because they thought it was a stupid way to spend money. It made me appreciate it even more and since I had very little money it made me figure out how to work on and fix them myself. Pretty good life lessons in the end.

I'm a few hours north of you but come down to Orange County about once a month to visit my wife's family so give me a shout if you ever need anything. I'll keep and eye out for other skis also.

 

[Papermaniac]

I know the feeling. My parents were always there for me also but if I wanted something like a motorcycle or PWC I had to earn the money and buy it myself because they thought it was a stupid way to spend money. It made me appreciate it even more and since I had very little money it made me figure out how to work on and fix them myself. Pretty good life lessons in the end.

I'm a few hours north of you but come down to Orange County about once a month to visit my wife's family so give me a shout if you ever need anything. I'll keep and eye out for other skis also.

Yep, I'm in a very similar situation here. One of the neat parts of owning my own ski would be the mechanical experience I'll get from working on it, so I'm looking forward to that. I've pretty much made all the money to afford one, and whatever I'm lacking in the end my sister might be able to help with (She really wants an XP too). I still have yet to talk with my mom about it, I probably will tonight though. I just gotta find a way to ask her where she wont shut me down the second I say XP, so she can see ive got it mostly figured our this time. I really appreciate you offering to help me out looking for skis and stuff, I might just have to hit you up once you get down here! As my way of saying thanks, take this drawing I whipped up for ya! I hope you enjoy your holidays and I'll be back here with news on what my mom says.

 

[mikidymac]

That’s awesome and thank you for the new avitar. We’ll be down this weekend. PM me and I’ll give you my private number in case you have questions.