To sell 2006 RXT or not??

[TplusR]

Can't make up my mind so I figured I would get some opinions.

I have a pair of 2006 RXT's and am not sure what to do with one of them.

The first one has 55 hours on it and is currently having the motor rebuilt due to a snapped timing chain which bent all the valves and damaged a piston. Doing a complete rebuild on it (as well as the supercharger) and plan on keeping it for several reasons including the excellent condition it's in, the money I've invested in it, and the fact that the motor will basically be brand new.

Now onto the other one. It has 149 hours on it and is in absolutely mint condition, never had any major issues with it, just the regular BS stuff (starter solenoids, hose clamps, wear ring, etc). I never had the supercharger rebuilt on it so if I decide to keep it I will be doing another rebuild this winter. I know I am lucky to have put 150 hours on the SC without issues. My problem is deciding whether to hold onto this ski or sell it and get into a much more reliable non-supercharged ski such as the Yamaha VXR. I know these Sea Doo 4-tecs can be hit or miss, and my fear is that I hold into it and something major goes wrong, like I drop a valve next season and need to spend more money on an 8 year old ski.

I am torn on this one. I love the RXT but am not sure what to do. Reliability has become a major sticking point for me

 

[Coastiejoe]

You KNOW if you sell it you will want another ski. And then you will have to gamble and buy someone else's that may or may not run well.

Even if it needed an engine I'd keep the RXT.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TplusR]

You are absolutely right about that. I stated in my post that if I sell it I would get into a new Yamaha VXR (high performance, more reliable non-supercharged ski).

I have zero intentions of selling it and buying a used ski, or worse, only having one ski.

 

[KK40384]

I got some seat time on a VXR and I was pretty disappointed. Stock it's nothing impressive. Handles very loose and slides easy not to mention it's real rough and shaky. It feels like and entry level ski that someone stuffed a bigger motor in it and didn't iron out all the quirks. However for a normally aspirated ski, it does move but anything boosted will leave it behind short of maybe the older 185 4 tecs

 

[red2blue]

I wouldn't trade for a lesser ski...jmho.

Also...I'd invest in a coupla eye-bolts for the outside of the trailer and a u-bolt for between the skis...get some shorter ratchet straps.....maybe $50 and an hr of your time...clean up that look and be a lot easier on your mind moving those skis down the road.

 

[TplusR]

Those pics were taken back in June when I bought the double trailer and loaded them both onto it for the first time (you can see the single trailers in the pics).... I have since installed eye-bolts and a u-bolt for the tie downs, as well as new taillights and a license plate haha


Is it really accurate to say that going from an 06 RXT to a 2014 VXR is moving to a lesser ski? Performance wise, stock for stock, it outruns an 06 RXT. If we were to compare it to a 2014 RXT then things change a bit....


I don't think my concerns of something major going wrong with my RXT are unwarranted. Yes, the ski is maintained and cared for, but that doesn't mean it won't drop a valve or snap the timing chain next season at 160 hours. Being that I am currently dealing with a complete rebuild on one RXT motor, I really do not feel like repeating it again next season

 

[red2blue]

I have 230+ hrs on my ski. I had an sc touchdown at around the 170hr mark...I guess. (I cheaped out on just a washer swap instead of a full rebuild). Anyhow...I change the oil/filter/plugs every spring...I don't winterize my ski...anymore than to blow out the exhaust and fire it up every few weeks to keep the battery up. I treat that last tank of fuel with SeaFoam....and the good sht all year long.

Having said all that...I don't worry about dropping a valve...losing the flywheel...ect....ect....ect.

But that's just me.

Are you telling me that 1800cc normally aspirated Yamaha will outrun our scic1500's? Even Yamaha's site lists...

“As you would expect, the boat boasts an advantageous horsepower-to-weight ratio. Grab a handful of throttle and you’ll reach 30 mph in as little as 1.8 seconds. Keep that throttle pinned and you’ll top out at 65 mph…just like the big boys. But you’ll do it for an investment of only $11,699. A significant amount for sure, but consider that you’d normally have to spend nearly $3,000 more to play in this arena.”

So...your peace of mind is gonna cost you another $12K.

That's on you.

 

[TplusR]

I'd love to run these things til they have 230 hours like yours and beyond. I too never worried about any of these possible issues until my other 06 RXT snapped its timing chain this past July at only 55 hours and it caused significant damage to the motor which is now being rebuilt. I suppose that could just have been a stroke of bad luck. Now I am paranoid that I am going to run into major issues on my other 06 RXT. It doesn't help that my buddy who is my mechanic is always telling me how many 4-tecs he has coming in with problems, and the Yamaha 1800cc NA motors are so great and yada yada.


You are right, 12k is a lot to spend on peace of mind and I am not leaning towards doing it, but I am considering it. That's why I posted this in the first place, to get some opinions, and I appreciate them all

 

[red2blue]

...I too never worried about any of these possible issues until my other 06 RXT snapped its timing chain this past July at only 55 hours and it caused significant damage to the motor which is now being rebuilt. I suppose that could just have been a stroke of bad luck. Now I am paranoid that I am going to run into major issues on my other 06 RXT...

Correct me if I'm wrong here....you weren't the original owner though. No?

 

[TplusR]

No, you're right about that. I am not the original owner of the one that snapped the timing chain at 55 hours. I am the original owner of the one that has 150 hours with no problems.....

I see what you're getting at here.....probably wasn't a stroke of bad luck.

Well, maybe it's not such a bad idea to hold onto them both. One with 149 hours that I know has been meticulously maintained because I bought it new, and another with a completely rebuilt motor by a guy who lives locally and I know to do top notch motor work..... :cheers:

 

[KK40384]

Those pics were taken back in June when I bought the double trailer and loaded them both onto it for the first time (you can see the single trailers in the pics).... I have since installed eye-bolts and a u-bolt for the tie downs, as well as new taillights and a license plate haha


Is it really accurate to say that going from an 06 RXT to a 2014 VXR is moving to a lesser ski? Performance wise, stock for stock, it outruns an 06 RXT. If we were to compare it to a 2014 RXT then things change a bit....


I don't think my concerns of something major going wrong with my RXT are unwarranted. Yes, the ski is maintained and cared for, but that doesn't mean it won't drop a valve or snap the timing chain next season at 160 hours. Being that I am currently dealing with a complete rebuild on one RXT motor, I really do not feel like repeating it again next season

If a stock VXR ouruns your 06 RXT or any 215 ski for that matter then there's something wrong with the 215. My RXT 215 I just sold was pretty much stock save impeller and intake/exhaust and I would blow those VXRs away. And I would also consider stepping down from an 06 RXT to a VXR after riding one. I thought they were a cool concept till I rode one for about an hr. After that I never wanted anything to do with them. I wouldn't trade my old 03 GTX for one other than the speed factor compared to the 03.

 

[TplusR]

I think you might be confusing the VXR for another ski. The stock VXR does 68mph all day long (just got about 4 hours on one last week), whereas a stock 06 RXT is at 66-67......I'm not sure how you conclude that your stock RXT 215 "would blow those VXRs away"

I understand you are partial to Sea Doo's SCIC 4-tecs, but the numbers are the numbers....

Nevertheless, I am not selling it. I'll hold onto it and keep the matching pair. One with 149 hours in great shape physically and mechanically and the other with 55 hours and essentially a brand new motor. Both SC's will be rebuilt and I'll ride them hopefully well into the 200's

 

[red2blue]

I think you might be confusing the VXR for another ski. The stock VXR does 68mph all day long (just got about 4 hours on one last week), whereas a stock 06 RXT is at 66-67.....

Curious...were those numbers gps'd? And if so...well then...I'm looking forward to running up next to a VXR someday.

aside....ask your buddy about timing chain probs with the vxr, svho and the sho.

 

[KK40384]

Those are not gps numbers. I'm not sure what they gps at but I can promise you it's less than that. My RXT would gps at 69.8 and I'd pull away from them hard under acceleration and up top just kept pulling slowly away. I'd guess they probably run 64-65 gps tops stock. I'm really not that big of a fan of the scic 4 Tecs. Just sold mine in favor of a 2 stroke. Oh an I also think that the new drive by wire system Yamaha just released seems to blow the iBR out of the water when it comes to low speed control. Time will tell and I hope I get to have some seat time next season. That said I still would keep an 06 RXT over a new VXR based on my personal experience. The 2015 models may change my mind but I doubt it since I happen to not like the styling Yamaha is leaning towards.

 

[TplusR]

The 2015 models may change my mind but I doubt it since I happen to not like the styling Yamaha is leaning towards.

I definitely like the styling of the RXT over the VXR, even my 06 RXT has nicer styling than a 14 VXR IMO. My main reason for considering a VXR was reliability of the motor

I'm keeping the RXT. Rebuilding the SC this week and gonna try not to worry about something going wrong.