Rental fleet - convenience package and/or manual brakes?

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M

meedz

Member
Hey all,

I've got a new venture coming up in the spring - PWC tours on the local river.

That being said I'll be pre-ordering the 2016 2up Sparks for delivery in April. I'm trying to figure out what add-ons I should be looking for.

My understanding is that the sparks all come with the smaller compartment under the handlebars for a cell phone or camera etc. I don't think I'll need the convenience package..... But i do think I'll need the reverse. Instead of iBR, I was looking into the manual reverse lever, and wanted to get some opinions. Any issues with this? Continued use causing the wire to stretch etc?

Any inputs would be much appreciated!
 
I love my IBR. I have a 2007 RXT with a manual reverse for a N00B I would choose the IBR over a manual reverse. My easier to use and more intuitive.
 
IBR is a GREAT option, but,,, it can be tricky to diagnose if/when there is a failure. From the perspective of maintenance and affordability, the manual reverse is the way to go. From the ease of use and the realistic use of the rider, the IBR is the better way to go. People just seem to "get" the brake and reverse thing. where the manual they may or may not "get"...

The 2-up ski is MUCH less stable than the 3-up. Your riders will for sure enjoy the 3-up over the 2-up if this is something you can fit into your budget..
 
xintersecty said:
I love my IBR. I have a 2007 RXT with a manual reverse for a N00B I would choose the IBR over a manual reverse. My easier to use and more intuitive.
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I also figured the same, but then that introduces extra costs to me for the IBR itself, as well as maintenance costs for when it fails (which seems to be often based on the # of threads I see on the forums).

For a rental unit I think it may be justified, but for a supervised tour I really don't see there being much of a need for a reverse except for when they'll be docking.
 
Coming at it from an end users perspective, I would 2nd the IBR, I love mine, and you really need to think lowest common denominator for your patrons. If it even avoids one or 2 mishaps per season, especially if it avoids a personal injury, it will have well paid for all it's additional costs for the entire fleets lifespan. Never underestimate the... 'inexperience' of your customers, or you may be unpleasantly surprised one day. Just my .02, and best of luck with your new business.
 
Soon I'll be installing manual reverse on mine, to be super honest though, I have never needed it, one time I felt it would've been nice a little reverse action, but the spark is so light and small I managed without it..
 
Thanks for all the inputs!!

Maybe I'm crazy, but when I first got my GTI130, It took me a while to grasp the idea of having to pull IBR lever and the throttle at the same time. My mind automatically told me it's one or the other, much like a car with brakes and gas.

That being said, I never had that issue with my ol' 92 GTX. Pulled that manual reverse lever with the throttle no problem. Am I the only one lol?
 
No, of course you're not! ;-) I guess my thought is that more often than not, your ppl will have little to no PWC experience, so not having to take your hands off the bars to reach for a lever might be enough to help someone avoid an incident. Of course, I've been riding bikes since I was 11-12, so the 2 levers to me are 2nd nature, though the right one is the clutch in my case. Not sure the right answer is for you, but let us know what you finally decide.
 
I believe the IBR on the spark manages the engine speed if you slam it on at speed giving you a soft brake regardless of the position of the throttle. Of course I need to confirm that again as that was last season since I did any braking.

I am excited about your river tours idea. Keep us informed and I will be glad to spread the word.
 
xintersecty said:
I believe the IBR on the spark manages the engine speed if you slam it on at speed giving you a soft brake regardless of the position of the throttle. Of course I need to confirm that again as that was last season since I did any braking.
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I believe that is the case with any of the IBR systems.
 
Personally I would think you'd want to look at keeping them as idiot-proof and bullet proof as possible. The KISS method as you can not
underestimate the idiotic things renters will do whether you are right beside them or not. Less options, less things to go wrong or repair.
 
having rented a few times in my life, i'd go simple, skip the IBR. Most of the time's we just beached anyway, never docked on a rental before.
 
Update on this: we ended up going with the new green 2up sparks with re-boarding step as well as manual reverse. No convenience package!
 
meedz said:
Update on this: we ended up going with the new green 2up sparks with re-boarding step as well as manual reverse. No convenience package!
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That's great congrats, you can always add the front storage bin later for $129, I didn't have it for 2 years, but since I've added it, I love it, throw all my stuff in there lols... :)
 
Hey all,

Wanted to give an update on the machines now that we're nearing the end of the season.

First of all - THANK GOD we chose to go with the sparks! I must say, they are one hell of a beast when it comes to taking a beating.

The sparks are 2016 2UP - on average all have about 150 hrs with the highest count at 165HR and still running strong. No issues to report whatsoever aside from:

1) Exhaust temperature sensor failed on a few machines.
2) One machine I think was a lemon from day 1. When it was first put in the water it would not fire (would crank but no fire) - it finally started however to this day has a rough idle on a cold start and will shut off 5-6 times in the morning until it's warmed up. I had this in at the dealer for a few days and they could not figure it out. I will have it back to them once the season is over.
3) The biggest issue we've had this season is collisions - yes, collisions!

The machines are still running strong, no oil or coolant being burnt. I'm very curious to know how long these motors will go for. They seem to be pretty bullet proof. We're hoping to get another season out of them.

One thing we lack and really do need for next season is a GPS tracking system for the fleet- if anyone has any suggestions please send them my way!

Cheers.
 
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