Super Jet Help deciding on a stand up jet ski, is the Superjet good for a new rider?

[jonnyd330]

I have just moved to the west coast of Florida in Sarasota and now that I live near the water I would like to get a stand up jet ski. I don't know much if anything about ski's and was looking for some recommendations as to what I should look for. After reading through the few threads I could find about the different ski's I think my best bet is to get a superjet since they are inexpensive and parts are abundant. Also it sound like these are the best handling and easier to learn how to ride.

But I am not sure what I should be looking for and what kind of price range I should be looking at. Also how hard are these to work on? Is there a good site for how to's to replace typical failed parts? I looked through some of the build threads and it makes me want to rebuild one from the ground up, but I think doing that would be pretty expensive even if I did all the work myself. Is there a good place to get inexpensive replacement parts?

Oh and is it okay to run these jet ski's in salt water? Where can I get a flush kit to wash the salt out after riding?

 

[Vumad]

Yes you can run them in salt water but you MUST clean them after.

Minor maintenance is easy. Rebuilding a blown engine can require more skill. The average job can easily be done by someone with just a little mechanical sense. Many of your questions about maintence can be answered by doing a search on this forum.

Ball park...

650sx 800-1000
X2 800-1000
Kawi 750 series 1000-1500
SXR 3500-6000

SJ 95 or older 1200-2000
SJ 96-07 2500-3500
SJ 08+ 3500-6000

 

[Vumad]

Oh, and what you should buy depends on your budget and your patience. If you have the time and money, wait for a like new 2000 or newer superjet or SXR for around $3000 (more for newer, cleaner skis with more aftermarket parts). Superjet for tricks, SXR for racing.

If you are impatient and don't have the money, look for a 650sx or X2 for $1000 OR a 750sx/sxi/sxipro or older superjet for about 1500.

Whatever you do, don't buy a worn out corroded up piece of crap because it's cheap or because you are impatient. Spend a few extra bucks and wait a few extra weeks if you have to so you can buy something with less headaches.

 

[jonnyd330]

Great advice thanks for the info. Any advice on good places to look for a jet ski besides craigslist?

 

[Vumad]

Ebay, the for sale section here. There is a freeride in Daytona the second weekend of January. Riders will be bringing skis from all around the country to Daytona. If you can make the trip over there, you might be able to get a seller from out of state to send their ski down with one of their friends.

Whatever you do, do not buy anything that doesn't have a perfectly in order title, especially if it's out of state! Don't fall for the old gimicks. It must be a valid blue title, in their name, with NOTHING written anywhere but the fields that involve you buying the ski. Any old names of goofiness, walk away!

I've been seeing 2 squarenoses in Pinellas recently for I think $1600. An orange one and a white one. The orange one looked nicer to me. I didn't look too close because I wasn't interested, but I'd take a clean stock ski over a rough performance ski anyday.

Also look into the Waveblaster 1. They a pretty cool, but too big for my tastes.

BTW, I mentioned an X2. I own an X2, it's been my primary ski for 3 years (until now I bought my SJ) and I do NOT recommend an X2 as your 1st ski.

 

[B3IS]

Go Vumad way to represent. That is an incredible amount of info in a small space. Very funny last line.

 

[mr.fixitman760]

All skis have their own little problems, certain models are prone to certain problems, they vary from electrical to mechanical, as long as you keep watch on everything and go through it frequently you should be fine. my best advice would be when in doubt, LEAVE IT STOCK! cant stress it enough. unless your a power hungry freestyler doing backflips and barrel rolls you dont need any mods. ofcourse there are some simple things such as steering and handling but engine and electrical wise just leave it alone. if you just want something that runs and is fun to play around on but dosnt require tones of maintenence then just buy a stock ski. i would suggest a 1996+ superjet. parts for superjets are everywhere and very easy to find. for a stock ski i personally would not go over $2500 but how much you spend is up to you. good luck and hope you find something you like

 

[Vumad]

All skis have their own little problems, certain models are prone to certain problems, they vary from electrical to mechanical, as long as you keep watch on everything and go through it frequently you should be fine. my best advice would be when in doubt, LEAVE IT STOCK! cant stress it enough. unless your a power hungry freestyler doing backflips and barrel rolls you dont need any mods. ofcourse there are some simple things such as steering and handling but engine and electrical wise just leave it alone. if you just want something that runs and is fun to play around on but dosnt require tones of maintenence then just buy a stock ski. i would suggest a 1996+ superjet. parts for superjets are everywhere and very easy to find. for a stock ski i personally would not go over $2500 but how much you spend is up to you. good luck and hope you find something you like

I just bought my SJ for $2800. A clean RN is going to most likely cost over $2500 in our area, and is worth the extra money. I had to drive to Daytona for mine.

I agree all skis are going to have problems. The exception is the X2, which will have the same problems except the poor design makes mantainence very difficult. I had to pull my motor to replace a bad bilge. That's rediculous. That's why I suggest avoiding it as your 1st ski. They are very hard to work on. Any other ski is a good choice.

 

[mr.fixitman760]

i found out by experience that older yamaha stators tend to shake loose and fall off, mine fell off and got totally shreded in the flywheel. and yamaha ignition switches go bad. atleast if the ignition switch goes bad you can unplug it and plug a new one in and just make sure the screws on the stator are tight.

 

[jonnyd330]

thanks for all the good info.

 

[mr.fixitman760]

and if you want to keep the salt out, rinse the ski of as well as you can after every time it comes in contact with salt. if you dont take good care getting the salt off youll have terrible corrosion on anything metal. WD40 is your best friend, if you know that you wont be useing the ski for a while, spray everything metal with WD40. it helps ALOT. i used it when i took a vacation down to the keys and there isnt a single bit of corrosion on electrical or my motor, there was a waterbox clamp that didnt really get any wd40 and it practically fell apart over the summer from corrosion but it was easy to replace. i also stopped by Riva South and bought a "salt away" kit which plugs into your flush kit and runs solvant through your cooling rather than normal water. also works excellent.

 

[Vumad]

and if you want to keep the salt out, rinse the ski of as well as you can after every time it comes in contact with salt. if you dont take good care getting the salt off youll have terrible corrosion on anything metal. WD40 is your best friend, if you know that you wont be useing the ski for a while, spray everything metal with WD40. it helps ALOT. i used it when i took a vacation down to the keys and there isnt a single bit of corrosion on electrical or my motor, there was a waterbox clamp that didnt really get any wd40 and it practically fell apart over the summer from corrosion but it was easy to replace. i also stopped by Riva South and bought a "salt away" kit which plugs into your flush kit and runs solvant through your cooling rather than normal water. also works excellent.

I use heavy duty spray silicone. WD40 doesn't seem to prevent rust on steel.

 

[FearMyWrX]

To give yourself a quick respond without reading you post and all the others.

Do yourself the favor and buy a SJ off the bat. Like many others I started with the Kawi then ended up buying a superjet incurring the expenses of having to do so. It would have been much easier finically to have just bought the superjet right off the bat.

Many, like myself thought the Kawasaki 750's had more power hence the larger engine size therefore it is better!

 

[jonnyd330]

I guess there is a strong bias towards the SJ on here. I am going to start looking for one of those first then see where that leads.

 

[Vumad]

I guess there is a strong bias towards the SJ on here. I am going to start looking for one of those first then see where that leads.

There is. This is a primarily freestyle based forum. Superjet is the freestyle ski unless you go after market. You need to consider the SXR if you want to ride bouy's. I didn't like the 750sx, I thought it was a very heavy pig. I had a lot of fun with my 650sx until I blew up my motor. The problem with the 650sx is that they are old and usually in poor condition. I would suggest you look into a 650sx while you look into an older superjet. Just don't buy junk. You can get a few years of good riding out of a clean 650sx, as long (as long as it doesn't have the tiny 28mm stock carb from the late 80's that would need to be replaced).

Anyway, not trying to talk you out of a Superjet. I'm just agreeing with the bias. If I didn't already have a X2 as a second ski, my second ski would be a SXR. They are faster than the SJ, handle better, really fun to ride, well built, just very heavy in comparison, so don't plan on being doing too many rolls or flips with one.

 

[dmpus]

Find a lake or a swamp around you and after every time you go the the ocean, go for 30min in the fresh water, do a few subs and your ski will be salt free in and out . best way to keep the ski clean in a long run

 

[B3IS]

To give yourself a quick respond without reading you post and all the others.

Do yourself the favor and buy a SJ off the bat. Like many others I started with the Kawi then ended up buying a superjet incurring the expenses of having to do so. It would have been much easier finically to have just bought the superjet right off the bat.

Many, like myself thought the Kawasaki 750's had more power hence the larger engine size therefore it is better!

Like alot of people mt first ski was a 650 next I went a 750. After painting it and spending money on repairs I got a chance to ride a superjet. Next ski was rn and never looked back. Now I have an A/M hull and it just keeps getting better.

My tip is if you like working on stuff pick up the first one you see that you can afford, I dont like working on stuff. If you are like me maybe just hang around awhile and take a look at alot of skis while saving for the one you want. This is the right place for sure to hook up with a great deal and great tech info to help keep you on the water.

 

[SXIPro]

As far as 'keeping it stock' ...a properly tuned, well maintained modded ski can be just as reliable as a stocker.

 

[Cannibal]

Don't overlook the SXR as a rec ski. I like mine, wish it was lighter, but I like the ride and power. My riding is just for fun. I hate racing or buoy running. Its definitely the best stock hull I've ridden.

 

[mr.fixitman760]

yeah but if you not good with mechanical stuff and dont need extra mods theres no point in waisting the time and money and causing your own frustration, and if your new to the jetski world its best just to start with a stock boat