Whats the best jet ski out there ?!what would you recommend

[trx450119]

I am in the market for a new 2011 ski i had wanted honda but they have stopped production on them.price Dosent matter!


Not sure weather to get a kawi or sea doo??

Sea doo has to many choices i like the 260s and the 215 wake ?

Kawi i like the 300 ?

I am new to jet skis but not power crazy things which is what i want
thanks in advance

 

[MonkeySea MonkeyDoo]

Welcome to the forum. I'm a new Sea Doo owner and thus far the experience has been positive. I've only rented Yamaha in the past (which is not a "real" experience as the throttle on most rentals is governed) and I've never been even near a Kawasaki. There's plenty on this forum that have owned various brands over the years and I'm sure will weigh in. My observations when I was shopping was that power wise Sea Doo can beat or at least compete with most. Where Sea Doo REALLY excels is innovation. Hands down, nobody touches them. Active suspensions, Braking/Reverse systems, Fly By Wire, they have it all. On the matter of quality...you'll find an argument for every brand made. Suffice to say that they are all maintenance whores to some degree, especially when the model has a supercharger. If you're looking for the high end power, then a super charger will be on every model you look at. I'll venture an educated guess and say that if you ride any of them with a degree of respect and perform preventative maintenance RELIGOUSLY, your experience should be good regardless the model. I'm not sure but I think Sea Doo has a lot more variety to choose from than the Kawasaki's do.

Sorry, this isn't that informative a post but like I said, I'm new to the game myself. I've had mine less than a year and my sister owned one for several years back in the nineties and based on that I cast my vote with Sea Doo, but what did you expect on this particular forum? Research the hell out of it and the choice will become obvious.

 

[dsw222]

I'm also looking into a new hot rod ski... I want a 3 seater so i'm between the Yamaha FZS, SeaDoo RXT-X 260, and Kawasaki 300x. I'll list a few of my findings

The RXTX is a half foot longer than the FZS and 300x... and seadoo tends to inflate horsepower numbers higher than they really are. But its 200 lbs lighter than the 300x.

It sounds like the RXTX has a more fun ride than the FZS, and will be more agile, turn better, etc.

The RXTX's supercharger has to be rebuilt every 100 hours for a few hundred dollars, and the 300x/FZS apparently does not

2011 is obviously the first model year for the 300x... and that's a reason you might want to avoid it. But there are numerous reasons NOT to avoid it like the Eaton supercharger, 300 horses, awesome design, tons of storage space, etc

Speed-wise, it sounds like the RXT-X will be a faster, more fun ride than the FZS... but if seadoo inflates HP numbers, and kawasaki is claiming 300 on the 300x (even though it is heavier)... the 300x might be a lot faster. Its still too soon to tell since it just came out

Such a tough decision!

 

[Dr Honda]

Yes !!!! buy one of the new 300 HP skis. I want a test ride !!!!!!

 

[djredman99]

Both the RXT-X and 300X will be limited to the 68-70 mph window for Coast Guard regulations (unless you modify) and both will get there at roughly the same timeframe. So I would consider performance close enough to be a tie.

So you gotta look at other things to compare, like gas usage. I know the Kawi 260X burns about 3 gallons per hour more than the RXT-X at high RPMs. I am not sure about the 300X, but that gap may increase.

 

[dsw222]

Both the RXT-X and 300X will be limited to the 68-70 mph window for Coast Guard regulations (unless you modify) and both will get there at roughly the same timeframe. So I would consider performance close enough to be a tie.

So you gotta look at other things to compare, like gas usage. I know the Kawi 260X burns about 3 gallons per hour more than the RXT-X at high RPMs. I am not sure about the 300X, but that gap may increase.

Thats very true, they will both be limited to 65-67ish... but I know Riva makes a plugin module for the RXT-X that removes the GPS governor which gives an instant 3mph (members on GH say a stock T-X should be getting around 70 with the governor removed)... and that module is $250 so it would be cheap considering the 3mph gain.

I am curious what would happen if the 300x's governor would be removed, since it has 40-60ish more horsepower than the seadoo. BUT it is the first model year so who knows what kind of problems they might run into (like how seadoo had supercharger clutch issues with the early model supercharged skis)

I'd also be interested in the playfulness of the different hulls. I love gadgets, so the brake/reverse design on the RXT-X is a big plus for me. Plus the style is awesome.

Have you looked into the cost of extended warranties from SeaDoo? I never bought a new ski, so I don't really know what other fees to expect. I just know that this is a huge investment!

And Doc... you can test drive it anytime you want!

 

[djredman99]

And Doc... you can test drive it anytime you want!

Speaking like you already own it!

 

[dsw222]

I also wanted to point something out that i just noticed.

The RXT-X has a DRY weight of 855 lbs. The 300x has a FULLY LOADED weight of 1050 lbs

quote from Kawa's website - "Includes all necessary materials and fluids to operate correctly, full tank of fuel (more than 90% of capacity) and tool kit (if supplied)"

So when you assume gas weighs ~6.2 pounds per gallon, and the 300x has a 20.6 gallon tank.... the 300x REALLY weighs closer to 930 lbs or so.

 

[djredman99]

Have you looked into the cost of extended warranties from SeaDoo? I never bought a new ski, so I don't really know what other fees to expect. I just know that this is a huge investment!

Well, I am waiting for the "right" incentive from Seadoo. I know last Spring (May-June), Seadoo offered a 4 year warranty on their "new" and "new old stock" machines. I have not priced extended warranties. There latest promotion is a 2 year warranty. this promotion runs through the end of April I believe.

 

[dsw222]

Speaking like you already own it!

haha... i can dream!

he's still welcome to the GPR or boat (and you too of course)... SeaDoo Forum is like a big happy family so "sharing is caring" :rofl:

 

[97HXFpipe]

Buy My 1997 Sea Soo HX! It's cheaper think of all that money you could save for somthing else.

 

[hdchevydoo]

Hey Guys, I too am a Total Noob to these but, I just Purchased an 05 Seadoo RXT Supercharged 215 and me & the Ol Lady took it out for the first time yesterday. Completely Stock with 143.5 hours on it and with the both of us on the Ski & was reaching 70 MPH with ease! It was Very Windy yesterday and I was Very impressed with the way this Ski took on the Choppy Water and was a smooth ride! I haven't rode the other Models so I can't tell you if they ride better than the those but I can tell ya that I couldn't Believe the Throttle Response and how quickly we reached 70 MPH! I weigh 220lbs. and she's about 105lbs so, I could only imagine how fast this beast would be with only her on it! I took a Risk buying this last Winter from a Local on Craigslist as I could only start it & I performed a Compression test, other than that, I only had his Word that it was All Good. The Ski Looked New and was sitting on what looked New as well, on a Yachtclub Trailer. He had all the paper work where he bought it New in 05. I Purchased it for 4 Grand! There seems to be some Very Good Deals out there, unless you just want a Brand New one..... Good Luck on your Purchase as I have 2 other Seadoo Models (96~XP) Which have been Great Ski's after I worked the Bugs out with the Help of these Very Knowledgable Folks here at the Seadoo Forums!

 

[KNUCKLE BUSTER]

I have 2 seadoos a 99 gtx limited, 2011 gti se 130 and yamaha fx sho hands down the yamaha is the most reliable best built pwc around. Just my 2 cents love my seadoos though. If i could just keep the 951 together it likes to break down.