Thinking of buying jet ski. Need advice.

[elcue]

Look for a 96 sea doo xp. Thank me later.

Love that ski was my second ski XP800 was a blast! I went through motor mounts like crazy though haha...My First ski was a Kawasaki SC side by side two seater. Im dying to get another one now that im older. Back then I thought it was dorky

 

[Ronnie]

I just sold a Waveblaster 2 that shared many of the sparks specs. I owned a 97 Spx and regret selling it to fund my waverunners. It was the most agile and quickest pwc I’ve ever owned it also matched the top speed of my 06 fx ho. I’ve been looking for a 97 110 hp or 2002 135 hp xp but can’t find one for less than $2k and I won’t pay more than that for such an old ski. Either of these would blow the spark 90 hp away in all respects. One thing the spark has going for it is that it is the only currently available pwc in its light weight class. I’m sure the ex is lighter than an fx but it’s heavier than a 3up spark.

Here are some additional specs for those that care:
Seadoo 3up Spark, 90 hp (max)
First gen FX ho, 160 hp
Second gen FX (1.8 L motor, N/A), 180 hp estimated

 

[biffdotorg]

This is the big reason the OP needs to describe what they are going to use these things for. Jeff puts on big miles, and it makes sense that he wants comfort/range/reliability. Others have expressed their love for the old XP hull for its fun factor. (i'm with them)

We keep two on the lifts at the lake for just that, having fun. We don't cruise for hours. But I also wanted minimal maintenance and reliability. After owning 3 of the Yamaha 2-strokes in the past, I knew how reliable they were and what it took to maintain and winterize them. (this does not include 8 Yamaha Sleds, a motorcycle and ATV over the years) People that ever say any Yamaha, let alone a two stroke is unreliable bought a very rare lemon, or one that was abused and not properly cared for.

I was able to purchase 2- GP1300R, 2-PWC Lifts and a double trailer for less than the cost of a SeaDoo Spark. Both GP1300r's had less than 60hrs on them. So in my opinion, unless I am going to go cruise the Mississippi for a hundred miles, I'm not buying new PWC. We don't use them enough to justify them. The OP may be different.

On the other hand, we have two of the fastest, and best hull design Yamaha 2-strokes they ever made. There is a reason that GPR hull was around for so many years.

 

[veedubtek]

I put my new-to-me XP in the water this past Sunday. It tried to sink, rapidly. LOL. I'll reserve judgement on the XP's until I get mine sorted.

 

[Ronnie]

@veedubtek , when they (last models of the XP) are running they are awesome. The xp you have is a little heavier than it’s predessesor because it has a bigger more powerful engine. Seadoo had a lot of initial problems when they dropped the new engine into it that should have addressed in your model. I’m sure there are a lot of posts about it on greenhulk . Hopefully it’s something simple like a loose hose or a worn carbon ring. That’s an awesome ski. I saw one locally on Craigslist going for $1k w/o the trailer but it hadn’t been started or covered in two years so I didn’t even bother to call on it.

 

[veedubtek]

Yeah, I'm finding lots of good info on it. Hope to tear back into her this weekend and compile a nice parts order to give me something to look forward to post-bimini.

 

[Ronnie]

If you aren’t as graceful In the water as you used to be or would like to be consider installing a boarding step. I knew teenagers that could not reboard that ski from deep water.

 

[elcue]

Yeah, I'm finding lots of good info on it. Hope to tear back into her this weekend and compile a nice parts order to give me something to look forward to post-bimini.

What year is your XP? From your previous post on this thread said you got rid of VXR for FX HO...I love my FX but I’m curious what year XP you having issues with. I’d love to get one again. I have a 16 VXR and love the playfulness. It’s not like the old skis but it’s fun. My FX Svho is like a big fast couch

 

[veedubtek]

Sound advice, @Ronnie . I'm certainly not as graceful as I never was.

It's just a cheap toy I picked up @elcue . 2000 model I scored on the cheap last week because I like a good reclamation project and I'm a sucker for a deal.

 

[elcue]

Is that when the brought it back with the shock seat? Those were def totally different.

 

[veedubtek]

I don't know if that's when, but it definitely has it.

 

[elcue]

I just looked it up looks like they changed in 1997. Good luck. I wish I was able to rebuild an old ski.

 

[Ronnie]

Seadoo only produced two pwcs with a shock or spring supported seat, the hx which had the 717 cc motor (80 hp I think) and the XP’s going to 2003 or 2004. The first XP’s had a 787 cc 110 ho motor and the 947/951 cc 135 hp motor was offered in 1999 eventually only the 135 hp model was offfered before it was discontinued entirely. The first 135 hp models had a lot of water ingestion problems as I recall. Pre 97 the XP’s had a standard hull/no shock or spring to support the seat. A few years ago Seadoo tried to bring the shock absorption back by making a ski with a floating deck. I don’t know how that worked out but assume that it didn’t since that feature is no longer offered by Seadoo on any of its Pwcs.

Bringing this thread back on point. If the 13 fx has a brake definitely go with it. Yamaha seems slow to develop and adopt new features into is pwcs and boats so it wouldn’t surprise me if the 13 does not have brakes. The 13 should have cruise assist/no wake mode though.

 

[veedubtek]

It doesn't. RIDE came out in 2015.

 

[biffdotorg]

Boy you guys bring back memories.

It's the summer of 2000, and I have my 1997 GP1200, which was the epitome of a lake rocket as the new GP1200r Millenium was released in 1999. My buddy had an XP Limited which was the shock seat 135hp. Since both of us were 135hp, he could just outrun me due to lightness.

I thought that was the coolest PWC until it came time to give girls rides on the sandbar. They could just hop on my GP1200, but they would get on and immediately fall off his XP. It was always a hoot to watch. And forget about deep water boarding with strangers. Only the experienced could load 2-up offshore.

Good times!

 

[Jgorm]

The xp is as stable as a canoe! We caught 10'+ if air on those many times. We would float in the bay waiting for larger yachts to roll by, and jump their wake until they went to the ocean or port. Good times. Kinda makes me want an xp, only after i fix the boat, and the fx140, and buy a superjet, and buy a 70mph jet boat. Ok, probably never, but thanks for the memories