SXR Lites Class SXR Build for 2017

[chixwithtrix]

It is that time of year to get working on my 2017 race build...well actually it is too late, but that's another story hah.



I have all the parts to make it a limited ski like I was planning, but with the season starting in a few months I don't want to put the parts on and not have enough time to test and tune. Time is not my friend lately. Doesn't help my Krash build has been taking up a lot of my time.

I raced my 2011 SXR last year all the way to World Finals where it gave up and wouldn't start for the second race. Turns out it had 120psi in both holes on the Group K big pore top end. No compressy.



Since there isn't a proper stock class for two stroke SXRs in the IJSBA I'll be running lites class with my new, all stock engine 2003 SXR.

I bought it mostly unmolested and that was my plan. The previous owner kind of botched the Blowsion Destroyer install and a hole was unusable so I decided to purchase some Pro Watercraft front sponsons to try out for the first time. They, along with a new bottom mat, tray extender and side pumpers are on order. Already have the PRC ride plate and rear sponsons..good stuff!

Since it is a 2003 it is old and came with a pretty grubby hull. Stained and scratched - I took to sanding down the hull and removing the flat mat last weekend. I'll be painting the hull black. And yes, I will be sanding it after paint. I just wanted a black hull and the experience of painting a ski!







Ordered my IPD Graphics kit last night, looking forward to the preview render. Should be a nice face lift for my stocker.

Not a ton to report now, but I wanted to start a new thread to document the process

 

[user_error]

Lites is one of the best classes, very competitive with lots of talent because it's one of the only classes with a level playing field.

 

[N3vrSat1sfied]

Got my superjet nearly ready!

 

[user_error]

I have been on an sxr in pro lites for the last couple years and I am switching to sj now as well. The podium is dominated by superjets so that definitely says something about their capabilities. I'm excited to get one going. How is yours set up?

 

[N3vrSat1sfied]

I have been on an sxr in pro lites for the last couple years and I am switching to sj now as well. The podium is dominated by superjets so that definitely days something about their capabilities. I'm excited to get one going. How is yours set up?

Engine is all stock, been debating on the 760 cylinder swap. I just kept it cheap. ProWatercraft ride plate and wedge, bars and steering, Blowsion HD pole spring, a couple inches off the stock pole (might buy an RRP), that's about it.

pic before the wedge: //uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160925/198e9563baddf606100066e269e5ac7b.jpg

 

[user_error]

If you're going to havasu you will definitely want the 760 bored to 85mm or so with an enhancer. The pro watercraft plate is a decent one for sure.

Sorry about the thread jack OP, just all stoked on lites class. It is probably the most fun class.

 

[chixwithtrix]

I have no issues with the Lites class other than the fact that I'm all stock so already at a disadvantage.

My husband has a 2015 Superjet with Pro Watercraft bits. They definitely don't dominate Lites around here. I like that they have precision steering and are easy to ride, but lack in power and are almost too light for racing. Cavitates a lot and get thrown around really easy. Get tired quickly. Tray is incredibly small so you don't get as much leverage as the SXR.

They turn better than an SXR IMO, but the chop slays the SJs. If you can't hook up you can't go. I also weigh 140lbs so rider weight could make a differnence. I personally don't like the SJ on a buoy course, but for playing around they are a ton of fun.

 

[user_error]

I have no issues with the Lites class other than the fact that I'm all stock so already at a disadvantage.

My husband has a 2015 Superjet with Pro Watercraft bits. They definitely don't dominate Lites around here. I like that they have precision steering and are easy to ride, but lack in power and are almost too light for racing. Cavitates a lot and get thrown around really easy. Get tired quickly. Tray is incredibly small so you don't get as much leverage as the SXR.

They turn better than an SXR IMO, but the chop slays the SJs. If you can't hook up you can't go. I also weigh 140lbs so rider weight could make a differnence. I personally don't like the SJ on a buoy course, but for playing around they are a ton of fun.

At Havasu both Amateur lites and pro lites is dominated by superjets, and the euro jet cross tour is as well.

Superjets likely don't dominate in smaller local races because the caliber of competition in most areas isn't up to par with most euro circuits or Havasu.
Sxr's are great skis and I've had a lot of success on them, but the sj needs a little more credit. Stock for stock a 08+ sj will turn better and handle chop easier than a sxr. Done lots of comparisons on the subject. The sxr needs tubbies to turn as precise as a sj. The issue most have is that the sj wants to be ridden very aggresively (elbows up) at all times and then it shines. The sxr is an easier ride and thus might be more simple for an average Joe to do well on. The people who win on sj's are very skilled riders with tons of training.

Speed wise a bone stock sxr and bone stock sj are identical. With the longer stroke of the sxr you can get a tiny bit more top speed out of it, but the sxr will never match the sj in terms of bottom end punch when both are modded. Going into and coming out of corners quicker is where most, if not all, of passes are made in lites class.

When modded, a 760 cylinder sj with other lites class mods will be just as quick as a lites spec sxr, granted the are both set up properly.

My lites sxr has 84mm bore, skat trak intake grate, custom solas prop, blowsion sponsons, pro watercraft ride plate, custom head and base gaskets, revised water lines, advent ignition and a complete rrp setup. It worked well. One additional thing that matters the absolute most in lites class. The winner is the person who spends the most money on gas. That's what it all comes down to in that class.

Lites is one of the best classes and you will enjoy it.

 

[Big Kahuna]

You said what I was going to basically say. If you are in super great shape. You can win on a SJ. The SJ shines when when it is ridden hard for every lap. It will out handle the SXR in most situations. I still feel the SXR is more forgiving in the chop which can let you ride harder longer.

 

[user_error]

You said what I was going to basically say. If you are in super great shape. You can win on a SJ. The SJ shines when when it is ridden hard for every lap. It will out handle the SXR in most situations. I still feel the SXR is more forgiving in the chop which can let you ride harder longer.

I agree. The additional weight of the sxr allows it to be a bit more forgiving in rough conditions

 

[chixwithtrix]

That is pretty much what I said in a recent FB post about SJs, just way more words haha. I understand.

If you are magical you can do awesome things on anything. Comparing to people who do it for a living and have tons of money to throw at a sport doesn't get the average person anywhere. Like me...I'm the average person lol.

I'm a mere mortal and don't like how the SJ beats ya up. I like them overall, but for the amount of effort to get it to race well when you are fighting the breath from exhaustion I'd still pick a different hull. Aka why I started a build thread about my whale pig SXR...

Those Pro Forces tho mmmm!

 

[37]

The winner is the person who spends the most money on gas. That's what it all comes down to in that class.

This... all day long. I sold all of my Kawi stuff last year and went back to a '16 SJ after a 13-year hiatus. I forgot what I used to know. Moving from an SX-R took a handful of hours to get back into the groove. It's more of a workout but totally worth it.

Not only is the setup more reliable but it's exponentially more fun.

Zero regrets.

I'm a mere mortal and don't like how the SJ beats ya up.

If your husband's ski isn't set up with the nozzle down a couple degrees from stock then it will hop all over the place. Two major keys to a proper SJ are nozzle tuning and a longer ride plate. Correcting the stock steering setup with a longer cable and pre-08 geometry also makes a huge difference. It's night-and-day a new ski.

There's definitely a formula to making the SJ work. Once you tap into it you might change your mind on how the SX-R and SJ compare. They can handle chop with brilliance. Mine does after getting it set up correctly and I say that after having both stock and aftermarket SX-R hulls with various 800/1100 engine setups.

The downside is that if you do change your mind, you'll want one of your own.

Anyway, back to your build. Just wanted to throw in a couple cents on the SJ debate.

 

[chixwithtrix]

I think a lot of why people are moving to the Superjets is becuase it is currently, and has been currently manufactured since the SXR stopped after 2011.

It is easier for many to finance through a dealership, than pay cash, get a signature loan for a used SXR. That and it is also used, not fresh and minty from the factory which is a turnoff to many people.

I like the SJ, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to poop on it. Great ski and I am extremely thankful Yamaha had the nuts to continue making a stand up when Kawasaki killed theirs. I just don't want to drink the cool-aid that they are the best just because many top guys ride them. Those type people have the ability to endure on whatever they are riding because their livelihood can rely on it.

Also a lot of the top guys are sponsored. Yamaha makes a current ski, aftermarket companies can service that ski and the manufacturer can advertise, that can equal more top, advertiser friendly people riding a current ski than one that is now 6-19 years old. If the 2003-2011 SXR (or updated similarly to the 08+ SJs update) was still made alongside the Superjet, at least on the racing scene I think you'd see a lot more top guys having incentives to ride them.

Or I could be full of poop. It's all a guess and working in the industry. Either way words don't matter in the end, if you like the ski you ride then ride the hell out of it. I'm not here to tell you an SXR is better for you. It is better for me. If I go to a different hull it will be aftermarket, not a Superjet.

I'm sure many of you would pass me on your Superjets, I'll still continue to be proud of my SXR I learned on and worked hard for hehe.

 

[N3vrSat1sfied]

I'm on a sj solely because I have all Yamaha parts, I would have went Sxr if it wasn't for my inventory.
Maybe I made the right choice, idk. I do know I have a lot of fun hitting the buoys either way and enjoy the work out. I pm'd user error to try and avoid some clutter on your thread. Anyway. It's looking good I'll see you on the starting like in may.

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[veedubs]

I'm doing a stock SXR build now for my wife. Truing up the bottom at the moment. What a pain in the butt!


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[myblackz28]

Following to read later


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[chixwithtrix]

I'm on a sj solely because I have all Yamaha parts, I would have went Sxr if it wasn't for my inventory.
Maybe I made the right choice, idk. I do know I have a lot of fun hitting the buoys either way and enjoy the work out. I pm'd user error to try and avoid some clutter on your thread. Anyway. It's looking good I'll see you on the starting like in may.

The only way you would have made a mistake is if you liked the SXR more than your Superjet. If you love your Superjet, then you made the right choice. Most of us are doing this for fun, when it becomes not fun...well then you are probably a professional with too much on the line heh.

I was drinking a lot of whiskey last night while having my fun on the forums so hopefully my thoughts made sense. I'm only one shot in at the moment so I should get whatever I'm trying to get at out now before the bottle gets lower

Ironic Storytime: I bought my first SXR (the 2011 I took to World Finals after only 3 races EVER) from my husband's coworker at a powersports dealer 2 years ago. I had no freaking idea what it was. I wanted to jump stuff and ride a water motorcycle. After bumbling around the local lake for 6 months I still could barely turn right. That's when I decided to enter my first race. On the 2015 Superjet.

Why? I hated my SXR. It was big, fat, heavy. I wanted to freestyle, not race. I was constantly trying to do 180s on the SXR. At the time I had a weird ride plate on it and all it wanted to do was slide...I got pretty good at powerslides to the left. I tried to sell my SXR and buy a new style Superjet. That didn't work so I went through a Blaster phase. Enjoyed it but then came the acquisition of an old private buoy riding spot were I got my first taste of riding buoys. Here is the video proof I sucked, crashed 3 times in 2:40 minutes. I just couldn't deal with wake or turning right.

Shortly after that I entered my first race because my riding buddies prodded me to do it and I kinda wanted to see what it was like. As I said above, I chose the 2015 Superjet w/Pro Watercraft rideplate, shortened pole, stock tray, and Blowsion tubbies because I liked how well it turned and handled. I was scared my SXR would be a handful sliding all over the place.

I was so wrong. I raced the Superjet against Juniors and lost. The racing wasn't anything about turning, it was navigating the chop. The stock tray was a killer, I kept sliding out. The Pro Watercraft ride plate was AMAZING. Gripped like no other and helped porpoising on throttle. But still, the SJ weeble wobbled around the course and cavitated a bunch. When I had clean water I freakin hauled ass and cut, but more often than not I was behind someone.

Defeated and with new knowledge I wanted to try again with my SXR at the next race. I bought the Pro Watercraft rideplate and the sliding issue mostly went away. It was already equipped with tubbies, a huge tray wedge and steering components. I did much better at the next race in the mens class. The SXR was a chop monster and turned well enough for the speeds I could get in the wavepool. I was hooked.

Fast forward to Havasu and World Finals...had the engine not crapped out on the second race I believe I could have been in the top 10 in the world. Out of a full starting line in a limited class with a stock class 120 psi ski I ended up 8th in the heat, 10th in the first race and DNS in the second. This was also all with a torn meniscus and MCL from a silly crash in practice the previous day (I was confused which way to go around a buoy and wadded up with my knee still in the tray crooked while my body was oozing out the back).

I love my SXR. After my husband added the Pro Watercraft tray extender, front hump and such to his SJ I still prefer my SXR. I do love how the SJ turns, so precise, rides like it is on rails. But as soon as there is chop the tray size and shortness really hinder my fun. '

And in the end with all this silly story and thread stuff my point is it is about having fun and doing what works best for you. I like to challenge people not because they like one ski over another, but because they believe that that their ski is ONLY ski to ride. Not saying you guys who are posting are those people, but I'm sure there will be those who come across this thread at some point. You love your wife/significant other the most in the world, but the next guy can't stand her.

Same with skis, I like my SXR, you like your Superjet, we co-exist and have fun!

Time for another drink. Work has been difficult lately, I took off the middle of this month to work on skis so there might be more activity and progress in this thread and my Krash 50 Cal build soon

 

[N3vrSat1sfied]

You're not drinking alone

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[Big Kahuna]

cheers. #3 so far. For Racing. Give me an SXR any day. I borrowed KMAC's sxr at the 2016 Hartwell race and felt like I had never left. My last race before that was 2008 APBA Nationals. Sold my SXR in 2009. Only rode an SXR a few times since then.
That said after that race I wanted to get a New SJ to ride and race. Granted racing would only be once a year.

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[chixwithtrix]

And that is why this forum is the best! Cheers!