300/440/550 550 vs. 650

[waterbox]

Just getting into the ski thing, been riding a 650sx, just curious as to how the 550 handles vs the 650, and how the power difference is. Basically wondering if the 650 is worth the extra money....

 

[Matt_E]

Just my personal opinion, but between those two I find the 550 much more enjoyable to ride.

 

[Wilke]

For me its pretty much a toss up, the 550 has more desirable handling (much more nimble) but the 650 has the more desirable driveline (better motor and pump) but its wasted in a pig of a hull. For a first ski you really cant go wrong either way, just decide what you want more. The 650 is easier to ride and learn on, but the 550 has a more enjoyable ride once your past the beginner stages IMO.

 

[ilovemyjetski]

if you are just going to ride around and not do any freestyle then i would say 550 but to do tricks and freestyle the 650 is much better for that because of the power and i think the 650 is easier to handle. Ive had both and i think a 650 is def worth it!

 

[waterbox]

thanks fellas. As far as handling in corners, are they pretty similar? I notice the 650 likes to slide.

 

[ilovemyjetski]

they are both about the same

 

[b1m3x8]

550's feel really light and can turn on a dime.

 

[N2 H2O]

I've ridden both, but most of my time has been on a 550 hull. The 550 hull feels much easier to throw around and I can get it to lay over in a turn better. The 650's seem to turn sorta flat to me. The 650 hull does handle a little better in chop, though because it weighs more.If 550's are modded correctly, they can be much faster than a 650. All my js hulls will smoke most 650's all day long and two of them will take a lightly modded rn sj. People have a lot of different riding styles and some people's styles fit the 650 better and some like the 550, so the best thing would be to get to try both. You can listen to everyones opinion, but at the end of the day, no one will know which one you like better than you.

 

[dbattersby20]

I haven't been riding long but ive ridden a 650sx and a 550 in a bay which was pretty choppy. And because of my inexperience I found it hard to do much on the 550 because of being unstable and the 650sx though a little unstable because of the bad chop was definitely better. I could definitely tell that the 550 is lighter and can see how a more experienced rider would found it more fun to ride on, especially if the ski had some upgrades.

 

[Vumad]

You might be able to find a 550 hull for free. You could buy the 650 and ride it out while you modify a 550 hull to accept a 650 motor/pump. When the 550 is done, move over the parts. Depends on how much work you want to do. The way i just said however gets you all the parts you need except the 550 hull, and you can keep riding while you build the 550 hull. Buy the 550 and convert later would be more costly, and you'd be working on your only ski, so no ski to ride.

I only rode a 550 one time. It was stock and it was a complete dog compared to my 650sx. My 650sx was stock except carb, prop and plate. I didn't ask many questions about the 550 so something could have been wrong with it...

 

[waterbox]

which one rides more similar to the SJ, or neither?

 

[N2 H2O]

I would say the 650 rides a little more similarly to an sj because it's heavier and the 550 hull just feels so light, but neither one are anything close. I like the 550 hull because it is more challenging to ride than any other hull and i think way more fun once you get the hang of it. It's funny watching people on the sxr's and sj's try to ride a 550 for the first time. A lot of them can't even get up.