A Facebook post published last week had many pontificating the possibility of a redesigned SX-R 1500 “race edition” JetSki. Featured front-and-center in the Kawasaki Motors booth in the Pacifico Yokohama, Japan boat show, a gorgeous black-and-lime green standup was on display alongside SX-R 160’s.
The SX-R in question is actually, a uniquely-designed “Hyperion” jet ski made by VK Composites and sold domestically through Rival PWC. Belonging to professional Kawasaki racer, Jimmy Wilson, the #300 Hyperion is actually a part of a far larger effort by Kawasaki to dominate standup racing yet again.
Image: Jimmy Wilson
In an article published on JetSkiWorld.gr, Vasilis Moriatis spoke with Factory Team according to spokesman, Minoru Kanamori about Kawasaki’s efforts to expand its racing efforts globally. Working together with Wilson, Kanamori has been experimenting with different engine tunes and handling setups.
After returning back from Thailand where he joined Kanamori and the Kawasaki Factory Team, Wilson spoke with Moriatis stating, “The Factory Kawasaki ski is a mix of old (2-stroke) and new (4-stroke GP) in my opinion. The ski stays hooked up in turns and doesn’t slide out or hope coming out of the turns.
“I do like that the ski allows for more rider input entering the turns than most of the newer GP skis on the market. I say that because this ski will roll over more than most skis but it doesn’t fall over. It’s stable in the straight line but would be good in a slalom section as well.”
As an observer, it is very revealing how Kawasaki’s Factory Team has adopted the Hyperion design. Wilson is no stranger to aftermarket hulls and has been a worthy representative of Kawasaki, making this particular marriage of the racer bringing in a third-party’s design (and it being so readily accepted by a major factory team) particularly intriguing.
