Did Yamaha's answer to the SeaDoo Spark come 20 years too early?

[Ronnie]

Alright, let me try this again.

I'll preface this post by stating that have been a PWC (more commonly known as jetski or ski) rider and owner for over 25 years. My first was a Kawasaki X2 with a 650 cc motor, I've also owned a Kawasaki 550 and Yamaha FX1 (standup/freestyle skis) as well as numerous SeaDoo water craft, all two strokes. Currently I own two Yamaha FX Cruisers which are four strokes, hold 3 people and weigh in at just under 900 lbs. dry.

I'm looking to buy something that is quicker and more responsive for me, easier for my 11 year old son to drive as well as something we can work on/modify together. I considered the SeaDoo Spark but the only one I've seen was the most basic version and it was new at the dealer with a price of around $6,500 including dealer prep, excluding taxes and a trailer. I estimate that my out the door cost would be a little over $8K. I've read great reviews of this thing but at $8K it's out of my budget for what I want to accomplish plus there isn't much wrenching to do on a new ski so I wouldn't be able to bond with my son as much over it.

Enter the Yamaha WaveBlaster, specifically the WaveBlaster 2. It has the same or better specs than the Spark so I'm thinking it should perform about the same. Yamaha discontinued these models in the mid-90s so used is the only option which means that there will almost certainly be some wrench time involved for my son and I to get it and keep it seaworthy. I'm comfortable working on two strokes so that is a plus but the kicker is that they are easy to find online for $1,000 to $2,500. With the above in mind, I may pick up a WaveBlaster 2 this weekend along with a 3 seater and trailer for under $2,000. The specs for the Sparks and Wave Blasters are below.

What do you think? Am I living in a fool's paradise or is it reasonable for me to think that I can get new SeaDoo Spark like performance from a nearly 20 year old ski that's been discontinued for close to 20 years at less than 20% of the cost of a new low end Spark?
NOTE: I have never ridden either.

Spark specs
Rider Capacity 2 to 3 (350 to 450 lbs)
Fuel Capacity 7.9 gallons
Length 110" to 120"
Width 46"
Dry Weight 405 to 421 lbs (+6 with IBR)
HP 60 to 90
Power Plant 899 cc, 3 cyl. rotax 4 stroke

WaveBlaster specs
Rider Capacity 1 to 2
Fuel Capacity WB2= 13 gallons (including 3 in reserve)
Length WB1=96", WB2=107"
Width WB1=35"
Dry Weight WB1=320, WB2=385
HP WB1=63 to 73, WB2 90
Power Plant WB1=701 cc WB2=760 cc 2 stoke



Wiki description of WaveBlaster and pics of WaveBlasters 1 and 2:

The WaveBlaster is a personal watercraft (PWC) made by Yamaha Motor Corporation. Part of their WaveRunner line of watercraft, the Yamaha WaveBlaster 700 (Marine Jet 700TZ) made its debut in 1993. As a one-person personal water craft with a motorcycle-like ride that let riders enjoy sharply banked turns, tailstands, combined with its powerful engine, semi flat-bottomed hull, and chrome-alloy piston rings, this is a model that still has many devoted fans today.




I think and hope that Yamaha is considering reviving this model and modernizing it with a 4 stroke engine, multi-function gauges, etc.

 

[Gym]

Type faster @Ronnie. I'm on the edge of my seat.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

If you do not plan on riding with a passenger EVER then this could be a fun ski, There are several really good skies from that era, my suggestion would be a sea doo G S X it is more stable and a better choice for riding it with a second person on occasion. Those were very simple, stable and reliable.

 

[GiddYupJoe]

Wow @Ronnie that brings back some memories!! I had a poster of that ski (in purple) on my bedroom wall when I was 13!

 

[Geiger41]

Was thinking about picking up one of these. One is down the street from me for 300 !!!

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

I occasionally see one of those out on the water, the guy fishes off it all the time. That would be fun just to have something different, just inspect the hull closely look for soft spots in the bottom around the intake grate.

 

[Skysurfer2010]

Ronnie I owned a modded blaster 1 (along with 10 other skis over the years) and had a friend with a blaster 2. Hands down get a b1. It's handling is much far superior to a b2 and way more fun. The b2 isn't a bad ski and it has a 760cc vs the 701cc, but it's a bit heavier and larger which makes it feel way more sluggish.

So many mods out there in the used market for both thanks to the superjet (the king of all pwc ever made). Also stay away from a used Doo. You're asking for a headache with them. Such a shame too, I'd kill for a reliable XPL.

Geiger- a very unique ski from Kaw, but if you jump a wake you'll get bad whiplash from only your lower back being supported.

 

[Ronnie]

I don't anticipate ever putting more than one person on a wave blaster if I buy one. We already have fx cruisers for that.

I have way to many memories of wrenching on 2 stroke seadoos when I should have been riding them to ever buy another one. The 1997 spx w 110hp 787 cc motor was one of the best skis I've ever owned but it's three siblings wih the same engine were the worst.

I normally wouldn't consider a tandem ski like the Kawasaki pictured but for $300 I'd probably buy and try it as long as it runs. If it comes with a trailer it may be worth more than the ski.

@Skysurfer2010 , thanks for the feedback. The deal or the wb2, another ski and trailer isn't locked yet but I'm tempted to go for it since I think I can recover some of my costs buy selling the other ski and trailer which I don't want or need. Although the wb2 is heavier than the wb1 it's still lighter than a spark and it's got more hp which usually means better performance. It's also a lot lighter than the fx cruisers we are used to. What is the top sped of a stock wb1? With 63 or 73 hp?

I want to go used to give my son and I something to work on together but I don't want to end up rebuilding the engine immediately either.

On paper the wb1 matches up well against the spark 2up and the wb2 against the spam 3 up. I'm guessing the performance difference, if any, is attributable to the shapes of th hulls. Anybody have any thoughts on this. Does anybody have Rodin experience on both wins and sparks?

 

[Skysurfer2010]

I'll tell you this, there is a cult following for the wb1 and superjets for a reason. They also are much easier to sell. The wb2 is still fun, just nowhere close to the wb1. Also if you modify the wb2 there isn't much of a following for that ski so you're much less likely to recoup your money when you sell. The wb1 is a different story.

 

[Julian]

A neighbor bought an OLD (late 90's early 2000's) Yamaha Jet Ski (don't have the model - sorry), and when I rode it I realize just how much they've adjusted the hulls and weight to make them more stable. His one is like getting on a tetter totter....it will roll really easily in waves and tracks like crap.....just something to consider.....

 

[Skysurfer2010]

Julian- that's what makes the old school skis fun! What they make now is for the majority of over weight Americans that just want to sit on a miniature boat and pull a trigger and go. I'll take the old school over these tanks they make now any day!!

 

[Ronnie]

Thanks for all the responses guys. I'm looking at several WaveBlasters now. Here is a link to the bundle i mentioned . By disclosing it I'm chancing that one of you will buy it out from under me but I will add that it's been very difficult to reach the seller, that the seller is either a student or the father of a student and that the seller may not be at the same location as the skis/trailer. This may be a scam as I've offered to leave a 10% deposit for the seller to hold it for me through this weekend. I won't drive 7 to 8 hours without at least a tentative deal in place.

@ Julian , I think the lack of stability is the trade off for being more agile. @Skysurfer2010 , I'm not concerned with resale, just want a more agile ski than what I have that can also keep up,with or stay close to what I have (I.e., fx cruiser ho that tops out at 59 mph). I've recall that the early waveblaster 1s with 63 hp couldn't break 35/40 mph and the wb2 can hit about 55 mph stock. Do you know if this is true?

 

[Skysurfer2010]

Stock wb1 is good for around 42 while a modded will hit close to 50. A stock wb2 will Prob be around 48mph. Any help you need feel free to send me a link. I use to resell skis and also worked on them and modded them. I loved blaster ones.

 

[Ronnie]

@Skysurfer2010 , agreed (with your response to Julian). That's why I think The waveblaster is the closest thing to a spark that is also not a Seadoo. My guess Is that Yamaha would sell a lot of them if they revived and modernized the model.

 

[Skysurfer2010]

They would sell a ton if priced right due to the cult following of that ski as well. However considering how much they want for a new superjet I doubt they'll be on board. They shouldn't be selling the sj for a penny more than $6000. They haven't made any significant changes to it since 96 yet the msrp is up almost 3k.

 

[Ronnie]

I hear you on the superjet. A few years ago I saw one at the dealer. Technically it was used and from out of state but the dealer was asking $1k over the new msrp claiming he couldn't get or sell them new in ca b/c they don't meet the state's emission standards (as you know its a two stroke). He may have been full of bull but the not about his asking price. Someone did eventually buy it.

 

[wardial]

I have got to think that Yamaha is brewing up a modern response to the Spark. They simply can't just let the entire small + flickable, market go. 2016 model perhaps? With that said... still having a *blast* on my HO Orange Spark. I highly recommend!

 

[Icatfish247]

I have got to think that Yamaha is brewing up a modern response to the Spark. They simply can't just let the entire small + flickable, market go. 2016 model perhaps? With that said... still having a *blast* on my HO Orange Spark. I highly recommend!

Honestly, if Yamaha re-released the WB1 with only a few slight changes and kept the price reasonable, I would scoop one up right away. I rode a lightly modified one a couple years ago and that may be the most fun ski I've ever been on, possibly more so than my stand up.

With that said I'm not holding my breath for one considering it actually takes a little skill to ride them and most people today probably aren't interested in something unstable and slower in a straight line race than the mini race boats on the market today. Profits may not outweigh the R&D and production of a new ski.

Or Yamaha could just be waiting to get ahold of some of SeaDoos numbers since the Spark likely brought more people into the market at a lower price point but may have also hurt sales on their more expensive models.