ROTAX ENGINE

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

I spend hundreds of hours every year on the water and having owned Kawasaki, sea doo and Yamaha both 2 and 4 stroke skies from all three makes, NOTHING comes close the reliability of my Yamaha skies.
I personally will NEVER BUY ANOTHER KAWASAKI, I would ONLY BUY A SEA DOO if YAMAHA STOPPED SELLING SKIES.
The only things I liked about the doo was the closed loop cooling and the strength of the hull, The motor mounts , pumps, exhaust systems, seals, electronics, all failed on the doo and by 500 hours it was worn out.
After 500 hours on a Yamaha S H O I needed a heat sensor that was covered under the warranty, a few bolts on the intercooler that should have been made of better grade stainless, and a intermediate drive shaft bearing. I ssold it with 651 hours on it and it was running just fine.
The down side for Yamaha in my experience is the NANO HULLS, sea doo and Kawasaki have much stronger hulls. If they could just put a Yamaha pump and engine in a sea doo hull it would be great. As for the Kawasaki, forget that, it barley made it to 350 hours let alone 500. I cringe when I see someone riding one of those in salt water. Just my experience with those skies. I absolutely love the reliability and ride of the Yamaha non supercharged 180 hp fx cruisers .

 

[Reno Rob]

In the process of buying a 2017 Scarab 195 HO Impulse Wake Edition, and it has the single engine, 1503 Rotax 4 Tec turbo with 250 HP. Really excited to get this boat on the water. We will be the second owners, and the first owners had this in a slip in a northern California lake. They have a total of 27 hours on it is all. I also have a 2003 Kawasaki STX12F JetSki, so I understand some of the concerns I will need to be cautious of.

I have a couple of question I am hoping some of you may know about.

1 What is the reliability of this powerplant over all? And I have read the turbo may need to be rebuilt frequently, but I am not sure at what frequency.

2 Should I use dino oil or synthetic? I am a Harley guy and love synthetic in my Ultra Classic, but not sure with a Rotax (first experience with one).

3 I am hoping to get it on Lake Tahoe soon, but there is a lot of concern and regulation regarding invasive species of muscles there. What areas of the Scarab should I focus on for cleaning and what should I clean them with?

4 How should I best winterize this since we have deep freezes from November through February?

5 Where do you find fishing rod holders for a wake tower? Stainless?

6 Also we do not have a Scarab dealer anywhere close, closest is about 3 hours away. Can a dealer who works on a Chap (which has the same Rotax) work on these as well?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give, it is very much appreciated.

Reno Rob

 

[Winerocks]

Welcome!
1) My experience with Rotax engines has been great. I have 2 x 250’s, and zero issues at close to 100 hours. Superchargers on the 2017 engines should be rebuilt every 200 hours.
2) Recommended oil is a synthetic blend suitable for wet clutches. This is due to the clutch mechanism on the supercharger. Lots of threads here on oils. I’ve been using Rotella T6 5W40 and have been very happy. Others swear by BRP XPS oil. I think you can’t go wrong with either.
3) Focus on the back end of the boat. Lots of nooks and crannies where muscles could potentially hide.
4) I’m in IL, so winterization for me is a must. Start engine, pump around 3/4 gallon of plumber’s antifreeze into the flush-out ports on the stern while it is running, shut it down and you’re set. Takes around 1 minute. There are threads on this forum that go into detail. Easiest winterization ever!
5) can’t help with rod holders.
6) If you’re not under warranty, any Seadoo or Chap dealer should be willing to work on the drivetrain.

Post some pics when you get your sweet new ride!

 

[Reno Rob]

Here we are on Stampede in Northern California. 6,000 ft elevation. New impeller is on the list of must do's. 27 mph with 1000 lbs and a full tanks was not great, but we still had an awesome time. Grand babies LOVED the transom jumps into the water. Also need to upgrade the stereo. Have solar panels but thinking of sticking another battery in it as well.

 

[Nexus]

Here we are on Stampede in Northern California. 6,000 ft elevation. New impeller is on the list of must do's. 27 mph with 1000 lbs and a full tanks was not great, but we still had an awesome time. Grand babies LOVED the transom jumps into the water. Also need to upgrade the stereo. Have solar panels but thinking of sticking another battery in it as well.


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Only 27 mph? I agree, that seems slow. Especially since Scarab lists the 2019 having a top speed of 43mph. I believe the 2017 has the same engine so I can’t see the weight having that much of an effect.

Adding a second battery is almost a must! It's worth it just for the peace of mind knowing you'll still be able to start your boat after a day of playing tunes while anchored! I'd suggest going with an Add-a-Battery setup.

Congrats on your new boat!

 

[Reno Rob]

Others have said to 6000 ft altitude causes it. Getting a new impeller for $400 they say will solve it. And 43 is listed as the top end, but at altitude I would be thrilled if I could get to 40 with the new impeller.

 

[Nexus]

Others have said to 6000 ft altitude causes it. Getting a new impeller for $400 they say will solve it. And 43 is listed as the top end, but at altitude I would be thrilled if I could get to 40 with the new impeller.

I didn't think of that. I guess that make sense, but it is a super charged engine and I would think that would minimize it.