And as you read our recap from the World Championships, this past weekend was no different, with long-time Yamaha racers Brian Baldwin, Nicolas Rius and new-for-2017 Eric Francis battling it out. Yamaha proudly recapped Baldwin’s climb to first place in a press release below:
Pro watercraft racer Brian Baldwin and the Yamaha GP1800 WaveRunner made history this past weekend, becoming the first-ever AquaX World Champion at the inaugural International event held in Key West, Fla.
Joining Baldwin on the podium were fellow GP1800 racers Eric Francis and Nicolas Rius who completed the sweep for the GP1800.
The world championship title ends a storybook first season for the Yamaha GP1800 WaveRunner that dominated the Pro AquaX national tour, IJSBA World Finals, and the AquaX World Championships. Making the AquaX World Championship title even sweeter was the GP1800’s shutout of the new Sea-Doo RXT-X 300 that could do no better that 6th place.
“This was a great inaugural year for the GP1800. We proved that the GP1800 is the benchmark for high-performance watercraft, and I couldn’t be more proud of racers and tuners that joined the GP1800 effort from the beginning,” said Yamaha WaterCraft racing director Scott Watkins.
Congratulations to all of the Yamaha riders that competed this year at the P1 AquaX events and Dean’s Team, Riva Racing, and Broward Motorsports.
It’s our first sale! Yay! That’s right, we’re hacking 25-percent off of the normal price of $20 per shirt to $15! And it’s not just for Hanuka and Christmas or even New Year’s either – but this sale is running from now until the end of January 2018. We really want to move these bad boys over the next month and a half so we can make room for our new 2018 T-shirt design (don’t worry though, we’ll still keep this one too).
The official T-shirt of The Watercraft Journal for 2017, this cool retro-1980’s style shirt is printed with top quality colors on a top-of-the-line machine so the print won’t discolor, crack or fade. And while you’re at it, make sure to pick up one of our cool “Busted Lip” decals featuring IFWA and IJSBA World Champion Mark Gomez (who also writes for The Watercraft Journal from time to time) doing what he does best, riding his ski better than any of us could.
So yeah, click this link right here to take you to The Watercraft Journal shop and pick up your reduced-price T-shirt right now (or tomorrow, or whenever you see this).
As the waves from the ship came upon them, Alex decided to play around with them a bit. While he slowly went over the first wave, he witnessed a rider in the near distance hit the large waves head on at a high rate of speed. The wave launched the rider and his PWC quite a distance into the air and threw him off his craft. Figuring the rider would probably be in some serious trouble, Alex and his father quickly raced over to the scene to find the PWC floating driver-less and the rider unconscious, badly cut across the neck and floating face down in the water.
“He was in bad shape when I got to him. He was unconscious for a few minutes and would have surely drowned. I should also note, that just 10 minutes before this I was riding near a large bull shark and over the day we had spotted many sharks swimming. Yes, it crossed my mind that I was in the water with someone bleeding.”
This is a perfect example of why you should always invest in a quality life vest. Sadly, this rider’s life vest appears to be a cheap version that unfortunately didn’t do its job and left him face down in the water. They’re supposed to roll somebody face up when they are USCG approved. Alex and his father tended to the rider until he was taken to the beach by his friend where paramedics then transported him to the hospital. Alex has been in touch with him since the accident and he is thankfully recovering well.
Alex says, “I wanted to share this video for a couple of reasons. First it was an incredible incident that happened to be captured on film. Second, it shows the importance of wearing a life vest. If he had not of had one on, I would not have been able to find him. Third, pretty crazy how the life vest kept him face down and was going to drown him. Fourth, if I ever plan on going “Big” off of waves, I will wear a helmet. Fifth, if you do plan on jumping, ride with a friend.”
[The video does contain graphic images and language. -Ed.]
We get it. A lot of you are thinking, “Waitaminute. Lake Havasu in Boise, Idaho?” Well, that’s the hook for the latest event from the fine folks at the JetJam Racing Series. They recently announced a special event hosted by JetJam in Star, Idaho (local to the Boise area) on June 9th & 10th, 2018.
Now wedged in between their Sparks, Nevada tour stop on June 3rd & 4th, 2018 and their Bakersfield, California even on June 24th & 25th, the “Havasu in ’92” event promises to be a ton of fun with a bunch of retro standup ski action (hence the whole “1992” throwback reference).
If you haven’t already, make sure to check out the JetJam racing series. It’s an entertaining, family-fun racing series that let’s you get right up on the beach to check out the action. Welcoming world class professional racers from across the nation (and beyond), riders “showcase amazing speed and technical abilities while amateur riders have a place to strut their stuff and learn from the best,” according to JetJam’s website.
The P1 AquaX Tour was having their last stop for the year with the world finals in Key West, Florida. This was going to be their first time in Key West and what a great location it was set to be with the crystal clear water of the southern most point of the United States.
With racers arriving into town on Friday they were excited for the final race of the season with beautiful sunny weather. The forecast for the weekend was slated to be chilly with temperatures dropping with some rain arriving on Saturday however. Missing from this round of racing was National Champion Chris MacClugage and fellow racer Mike Klippenstein. They along with Troy Snyder, were racing half way around the world in Thailand for the King’s Cup.
As Saturday morning arrived so did the rain. With racing slated to start at 1PM in the afternoon everyone was praying to the weather gods to have the sun come out. Visibility was reduced because of the weather and it was questionable if racing could be done. Once the decision to race was made it was time to get the course set up and have the helicopter check the course to see if there was any marine life on the course that might interfere with racing.
The crowds were starting to arrive for some fast paced racing at the Edward B. Knight Pier where race control was set up despite the cold blustery weather. As the helicopter was checking the course sea turtles were seen from up above and racing was put on a marine hold. This hold lasted for almost three hours and racing was once again put in jeopardy for the day as time was running out before daylight was lost for the day. While racing was put on hold fans were given a show by Kristen Smoyer on her flyboard. As fans were anxiously waiting it was finally determined by the P1 Staff that racing should go on. They decided that the Pro Class and Amateur Class would race together in their first heat instead of separately as originally planned.
Race one for the weekend saw Erminio Iantosca take his brand new 2018 Sea-Doo RXT-X 300 and get the holeshot. It was the first time anyone saw the brand new ski in action and boy was it fast out the gate. This must have come as happy news as Sea-Doo rep Tim Mckercher was on site to see it happen. Could the Yamaha reign of wins be finally over for the year? Unfortunately for Iantosca, he had to fend off Eric Francis, Brian Baldwin and Nicolas Rius on their Yamaha GP1800s.
Francis, after gaining an overall second place in the national championship, took the lead and never let it go for the remainder of the race. Rius got as close to two seconds behind Francis during the race trying to chase him down but Eric Francis was just too fast for him. Francis took a first place finish followed by Rius and Brian Baldwin in third to finish out the top three. In the Amateur Classes it was David Gorie in the 300 Class, Kevin Sullivan in the 250 Class and Eric Diaz in the 200 Class. And all while racing on Yamahas. This ended the first day of racing and everyone was hoping for a better day the next day.
Sunday came and the weather gods were definitely cooperating is far as the clear skies. There was definitely not going to be any rain in site and racing got going. The temperatures did however decrease overnight and it felt rather cold but it was definitely better than rain from the previous day. The racers would be racing two races each and not be combined as in the previous day. The Pros started the day off and it was Eric Lagopoulos who got the holeshot with Eric Francis right behind him.
Baldwin took the lead and looked like he was ready to battle for the championship. Eric Francis followed him this time and Rius was coming hard after both of them. As racing continued it brought some hard charging and the fans that arrived to the second day of racing looked on and cheered for their favorite racers. Baldwin finished first followed by Francis in second and Rius finished in third. Rius however got injured and dislocated his shoulder and headed straight to the pits after the race to get tended to.
The Amateurs started their race and it was Carlito Del Valle that raced hard and take the first place finish in the Amateur 300 Class. This was Del Valle ‘s last race ever as an Amateur as he was moving up to the Pro Class next season and a first place finish would be a bonus for him making the move. In the 250 Class it was Christian Daly who got the win and dethrone Kevin Sullivan’s flawless season. Jose Gonzalez took the win over Eric Diaz in the 200 Class.
It was time for a break in the action and Kristen Smoyer again entertained the crowd with her highflying Flyboard demonstration. Jetsurf got into the action as well and demonstrated their motorized surfboards in the crystal clear waters off the pier for the crowd to see. Finally it was time for the last race of the year for the Pros to take place. It looked liked a lock for Eric Francis to win the first ever AquaX World Championship. His ski was running great and all he had to do was get a top two finish to claim the championship. As the race started it was Brian Baldwin who got the holeshot.
Eric Francis was right behind him, however he had problems with his ski and his weekend be over. This opened the door for Baldwin to set his sights on a World Championship crown. Nicolas Rius – even though dislocating his shoulder – raced and charged hard, but the pounding of racing eventually was too much for him to handle. As Rius started to fade back in the pack it was Sea-Doo rider Erminio Iantosca who was the hard charger on his brand new Sea-Doo. Baldwin had too much of a lead for Iantosca to catch up to him but it was definitely a bright day for Sea-Doo to take a podium spot for the weekend and ended the Yamaha dominance. Brian Baldwin took the win and the crown, becoming the first ever AquaX World Champion.
In the Amateurs last race of the season Carlito Del Valle ran a flawless race and became the overall winner of the 300 Class. He put on a dominating performance for his last amateur race of his career. Christian Daly again won in the 250 Class and Jose Gonzalez won in the 200 Class. The 2017 AquaX race series finally came to an end. With new tour locations, more sponsors and mass participation it once again put on a great series and can only look forward to the future. Let’s see what next season brings next year.
Many didn’t know what to expect coming into the first ever AquaX World Championship in Key West, FL. this past weekend. RIVA Racing’s Brian Baldwin and his ’17 Yamaha GP1800 WaveRunner squared up against RIVA Racing teammates Nicolas Rius and Eric Francis. Francis had carried the first race on Saturday, with Baldwin managing third during the day’s only heat.
That didn’t stop the North Carolina native, as on Sunday Baldwin sped ahead of Rius and Francis; Francis grabbed second place during Sunday’s first moto and Rius followed his second place finish on Saturday with a third place finish, despite having dislocated his shoulder during the race. The final moto on Sunday would mean everything and the stakes were high.
Just 10 points separated the Top 3 has they headed into the final race of the 2017 AquaX season. Almost immediately, Francis was downed with a mechanical failure before the race even started, and with Rius nursing an injured shoulder, it suddenly looked like Baldwin’s race. Baldwin nabbed the holeshot and Rius – even with a dislocated shoulder – gave chase for several laps.
Unfortunately, the pain grew too much and Rius dropped out, giving Baldwin his second race win for the day and the top spot of the first AquaX world title. Rebounding from a mechanical issue in race two, Erminio Iantosca pushed hard to reel in Baldwin, but fared with a second place finish. European racer Thomas Favolini came in in third on the final moto.
Complete coverage from the weekend’s racing will be published later tonight on The Watercraft Journal with a comprehensive recap and photo gallery.
Man, oh man! It’s Christmas time again. Where on earth did this year go? Well, if you’re still looking for great ideas for the jet ski enthusiast in your life, then we’re here to help! Now obviously, not everybody’s interests are the same, nor are their preferred ways to ride – so we’ve thoughtfully perused some of our favorite products that we’ve reviewed, and laced together a great little list of some of best stuff from the personal watercraft industry that might be right for the PWC lover in your life. And while there are many different kinds of people who enjoy this sport in their own way, we think we’ve comprised a diversified list that there is definitely something there for you. And while you might be looking at list for yourself, know that it’s OK to pick yourself up a little something as long as it means you have the perfect gift sitting beneath the tree this year.
1. BlackTip Jetsports Jet Ski Elite Traction Mats – various BlackTip Jetsports Elite Traction Mats are easily the fastest way to add a little style and panche to your otherwise stock-looking ski. Equally, if you’ve got an old watercraft in need of some badly-needed TLC, a set of BlackTip Jetsports Elite mats are the quickest route to pump some new life into that machine. Through BlackTip’s website you can easily and effortless peruse more color and pattern choices than ever before, and best of all, you’re no longer limited to pick from just the standard cuts and colors; rather, you can pick your pattern and then pick the top color and bottom color of your mats (the bottom color shows through when the pattern is cut for your specific application). And don’t think you’re cutting corners either, the Elite series mats are made from the same high quality material as BlackTip’s high strength PSA. Oh yeah, and all BlackTip Jetsports Elite Traction Mats typically ship within 5 business days from the time of order.
2. RIVA Racing’s GP1800/VX Pro Series Sponsons – $499.95
While we won’t go so far as it to call it the “perfect sponson”, it’s very likely that RIVA’s Pro Series Sponsons for the GP1800 and VX series Yamahas are the perfect sponson for these machines. How so? Because nearly every single championship-winning Yamaha was using these. Regardless of the conditions, the Pro Series Sponsons got them there first. The Watercraft Journal devoted quite a bit of research into these and shared it earlier this year, and the year’s racing has proved us right. The RIVA sponsons dramatically improve handling and straight line stability through a superior fin design and precision CNC-cut backing plate that is far more radical than anything we’ve seen from the aftermarket manufacturer before. Sure, serrated sponson fins aren’t new, but the backing plate’s stepped surface giving the GP glued-to-the-surface control is legit. Of course, RIVA over-builds everything, so the aluminum-insert mounting system is rock solid and the blades are fully adjustable. Oh yeah, and there’s no drilling or cutting. The sponsons work – we tested them ourselves – and every Yamaha racer we know of swears by ’em. You should too.
3. Ride Power USA’s Phone Charger – $39.95
It’s not often that we circle back and re-perform a technical “how to” story that we’ve previously published; but when we learned of the subtle improvements made to its RidePower phone charging system over the previous Android Phone Charger, we thought it appropriate to showcase a better installation. To to that a price nearly half of that from just a few years ago, and there just was plenty to talk about. In our latest install we showed how a ’14 Yamaha FX Cruiser HO could be wired with one. And frankly, it doesn’t matter what brand PWC you’ve got – or if its a two-stroke or 4-stroke. We’ve found the Ride Power USA kit to be possibly the most useful tool we’ve installed on a ski –and we’re not alone. Even Sea-Doo and Yamaha are offering runabouts with phone chargers/USB ports. We all bring our phones with us – be it for pictures, GPS mapping or whatever – so why not keep it charged?
4. Finish Renu/Jet Renu Red Bull Degreaser – $18.95 (per gallon)
A while back, The Watercraft Journal shared a technical article from its sister publication Mopar Connection Magazine, on using Finish Renu’s heavy duty “Red Bull” degreaser to remove oil stains from your asphalt driveway. For those of you who don’t know, Finish Renu is the parent company of fan-favorite JetRenu, who has been a huge supporter of the jet ski racing community for a decade now. Believe it or not, Red Bull is both an extra heavy duty degreaser and environmentally friendly, in that it is water soluble and won’t contaminate ground water. Yet, it outperforms most acidic-style cleaners and solvent degreasers. We know, we proved it! Made with special surfactants, wetting agents, emulsifiers and detergents, Finish Renu has made an outstanding concentrated degreaser that we use in our shop on a daily basis.
5. Waves Micro Towel & Micro Towel Sport 2-Pack – various
It’s a little weird to be this excited about a towel, but the Waves Micro Towels are truly the “real deal.” The Watercraft Journal has been using them religiously for half a year now, whether to soak up standing water in the footwells, towel down a freshly washed ski, or even drying off out of the shower. They’re soft, super absorbent and as advertised, fold up neatly and more compact than other towels before it. Made by Waves Gear, the towels come in an assortment of colors and sizes, and have yet – in our time using them – torn, discolored or lost their ability to do their job. They also don’t mildew or dry out like others. We think they’re worth keeping nearby – either in your ski’s front storage compartment or in your trailer’s tool box – at all times. ‘Cause you’ll never know when you’ll need a towel!
6. Sea-Doo Palm Rest Handle Grip – $34.95 The Watercraft Journal featured a step-by-step tutorial on upgrading your pre-2016 Sea-Doo with the 2016-and-up “Palm Rest” style grips to quite a bit of fanfare, so we thought we’d revisit it, as the change made by Sea-Doo in 2016 was so well received. True to their name and design, the new Sea-Doo Palm Rest Grips provide an ergonomic advantage over previous, more tradition hand grips, by favoring the thumb position in a pistol-like grip while providing a solid, rigid fin for the palm of the hand to rest upon. This also works to serve as a type of lever for aggressive riding, giving the rider a bit of a ledge to push down on during a particularly aggressive turn. We’ve come to greatly enjoy the new design on the most recent Sea-Doo models and know how easy the installation is for previous models, therefore recommend many of you to consider the affordable upgrade. You can purchase your hand grips either through your local Sea-Doo dealer or simply by looking online.
7. JC Racing ’17 Kawasaki SX-R JetSki Mid Sponsons – $109.99
At first blush, you wouldn’t think that JC Racing’s #219 Mid-Sponson kit for the 2017-and-up Kawasaki SX-R JetSki would really make that much of a difference; but The Watercraft Journal tested ’em out, going so far as to giving a step-by-step tutorial on how to properly install them, and even producing an episode of “Long Haul” with Team Faith’s own Gary Patterson. They truly improve the big standup’s ability to hook up in the corner and stay planted through the turn. For us, even while we struggled to master the ski, found the JC Racing mid-sponsons and thankful addition. Best of all, there’s only minor drilling needed to install these, and it’s all but completely reversible if you ever want to take them off.
8. Flexxloader 2 By Truckboss Decks – $6,599 to $8,662
To eliminate the need of a motorcycle trailer, a snowmobile or quad trailer and a separate PWC trailer, the Flexxloader 2 from Truckboss Decks not only eliminates ALL of those trailers, but also perfectly serves as hauling all of the above. The new version of the Flexxloader the skid system makes loading and unloading so much easier. Using an electric winch, the cradle is easily and safely hoisted and lowered from the deck, allowing you to unload almost anywhere; boat Launches, beaches, parking lots, etc. The Flexxloader deck incorporates a low resistant surface for the cradle skid system to move along easily, and provides the “guide and slide” and new “push back” systems with multiple tie down points and a winch. Even the new Flexxloader’s ramps are now lighter and easier to engage. Best of all, the new buggy system uses better wheels for almost all conditions, allowing the cradle to become a beach tote (and portable beach dock) in less than a minute, as well as a storage tote when your skis are put away for the winter.
9. Abaco Polarized Bravo Dockside Limited Edition Sunglasses – $75
If you’ve been paying close attention to the latest (three) episodes of “Long Haul” you will have noticed that Abcco Polarized has been one of its sponsors – and for good reason. After having pushed a pair of “Dockside” sunglasses into our hands last year, we’ve been using Abaco shades almost exclusively. While at this year’s IJSBA World Finals, Abaco surprised us with a pair of their Limited Edition Bravo Dockside sunglasses. The polycarbonate 2.0 shatter-resistant blue lenses feature a Revo mirror finish with insane color clarity and an ingenious anti-reflective coating on the backside. Add to that a TR-90 impact-resistant frame that provides extreme flexibility makes these shades super durable, which is something all of us can put to the test. Major takeaways for us has been how lightweight and comfortable they are to wear wet or dry. These are truly the first sunglasses that we like wearing both on and off the water. Oh yeah, and the Bravos come with a nice microfiber cleaning cloth pouch and is covered under Abaco’s worry-free lifetime warranty.
10. Velocity Visions’ V3 Stealth Ceramic Coating – $79.99
After decades of being told the wonders of various different ceramic coatings and having absolutely miserable experiences in either discoloring surfaces, harmful coatings hurting clear coats and just a myriad of other issues, we were initial hesitant to give the Velocity Visions V3 Stealth Ceramic Coating kit a chance. Thankfully, once we applied it correctly, we were pleasantly pleased with the final result. After coating and sealing our ’17 SX-R with the stuff, we left it outside for the last few months we had it in our possession just to see how it held up. And true to its claims, the Velocity Visions V3 Stealth coating made cleaning off any dirt, grime, mold and debris incredibly easy. There wasn’t any hazing on our decals either, which is often the case with lesser ceramic coatings. There’s a bunch of other products to maintain the coating and keep it spotless, so make sure to click this link and see the whole lineup of products.
Watercraft Superstore has some great JetPilot products on the clearance rack If you missed the JetPilot sale, don’t fret, you can still grab some great deals just in time for the holidays! From boots to wetsuits, something is available for the jet skier in your life. Grab some quality products at awesome low prices while the warehouse staff makes room for new gear. $10 t-shirts? You bet! Perfect for a Secret Santa gift exchange.
Pick up a pair of JetPilot’s 3mm neoprene Chamber boots for $25.95. The boots have Fire-Furr lining and they’re sure to keep your feet warm. A pull tab is attached to the rear ankle. Pull tabs help when pulling boots on and off.
JetPilot Jackets range from $45..95 to $65.95. Pick up the 2mm Jet Pilot Apex Race Jacket for $45.95. It’s great for blocking the wind and sun.The jackets are available in green and black or blue and black.
Watercraft Superstore has one silver XL JetPilot F38 Flight Jacket available for 65.95. The jacket is 1mm neoprene with Glide Skin. It has a side zip for easy access and is super stretchy!
JetPilot Apex Race John wetsuits are still in stock and are available in blue or gray in a size medium. The back-zip suits are 2/3 mm with 100% flush-loc seams. The suits also have ankle zips and outer shin padding. At $75.95, it’s amazing any of the Race Johns are in stock.
If you or someone you know are in the market for a new PFD, now’s a good time to grab one while it’s on clearance. The Jet Pilot PFD’s are priced to move. The 2013 Apex S/E Neoprene is available in a gray medium and is on clearance for $55.95. This one has a two buckle side entry with zipper and premium neoprene.
If you’re on a tighter budget, the Apex Side Entry Nylon PFD is available for $40.95. The jacket is comprised of soft polyester and has a 3 buckle closure design. It will definitely float a person.
Next in line is “The Cause” PFD from JetPilot. Size large and in blue are what’s left in stock. These jackets are neoprene with a two-buckle closure and front zip. They also have expandable side panels. $50.95 will get you into one of these and they’re Coast Guard approved.
The JetPilot Murray Neo Vest is on sale for $70.95. This is the Shaun Murray signature model. It’s a good looking PFD and is also USCG approved. It is super lightweight and made for racing. The Murray won’t slow you down on the water track.
Get online and grab some clearance gear from Watercraft Superstore! Free shipping on orders over $75.00. Some restrictions do apply.
Recently, Jerry Gaddis from GreenHulk.net made a wonderful comparison of all the available aftermarket intakes grates for the Yamaha GP1800 and VXR. These intake grates, which will bolt up to all current GP1800’s and 2015 and newer VXR’s, are offered by WORX, R&D, and RIVA Racing.
For anybody considering performance enhancements and upgrades to the stock intake grate for these skis, this is an excellent test and data analysis of each available grate and we recommend that you review these results. Before we get to results though, let’s take a look at the conditions and ski setup that Jerry was using.
The test was being performed on a GP1800 with the Green Hulk Stage 3 kit with an additional “ultimate air intake kit” both of which you can find at the links embedded here. For those of you not familiar with the Stage 3 kit, it consists of the RIVA MaptunerX bundle package, a Solas 13/18R impeller, RIVA intake manifold upgrade kit, Fizzle Y1000 Yamaha intercooler with all necessary hardware and TiAL blow off valve.
The kit also includes the RIVA engine cooling upgrade kit, RIVA titanium valve retainer upgrade kit, RIVA F2 supercharger impeller, RIVA 1000cc high impedance pro series fuel injector kit, and the RIVA billet fuel rail. The same Stage 3 kit comes with the WORX intake grate which is being tested along with the other two.
The testing conditions were performed on the same waterway with all runs conducted within forty minutes or less of one another and in the same direction for maximum consistency in wind and water current conditions. The tests were performed on the above mentioned GP1800 at 9000 RPM with a half tank of fuel and an air temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit. The tests are mainly looking at acceleration and top speed comparisons.
As Jerry points out in the forum discussion, the acceleration data begins at 10 mph since the ski can not sit stationary in the water. All data begins at 10 mph for a consistent starting point. But enough about the experimental conditions in this process. I’m sure you came here to find out about the independent variable or in other words, which intake grate do I buy?
Well if we look at the numbers alone and as Jerry points out, the RIVA intake grate is the clear winner in both acceleration and top speed. All units showed a top speed in the low to mid 87 mph range. While top speed numbers were very similar for all three intake grates being only fractions of a second apart, the acceleration data definitely shows clear gains from the RIVA unit.
There are however some differences in the pump sealing when comparing the three intake grates as discussed in the test results. It is clear that the RIVA unit has a better inherent design to the pump seal, which consequently could be the factor that gives it the edge in this test.
This fact is also discussed heavily between members of the forum in this particular post. Additionally, the RIVA unit being made of solid stainless steel, could be a better choice from a strength standpoint.
Whatever the conclusion may be, it is definitely clear that any of the aftermarket intake grates will give significant gains in acceleration, hookup, and overall performance of your Yamaha GP1800 or VXR WaveRunner. Special thanks to Jerry Gaddis for making this test. For full details, be sure to check out the forum link above and the YouTube video here.
There is still time to score a 2017 yellow Sea-Doo Spark from America’s Motor Sports, located in Nashville, TN. Priced at $7,183.00, it’s surprising that any machines are left in the clearance inventory. The Sea-Doo Spark is a wonderful PWC for a family. It’s easy to ride and doesn’t require much torque for towing. Americas Motor Sports offers financing and will accept some trade-ins.
Weighing in at 442 pounds, with the Convenience Package, the 2017 Sea-Doo Spark is equipped with the Rotax 900cc HO ACE engine and it is easy on the fuel consumption. The machine uses 2.4 gallons of gas an hour, giving you ample time on the water. The PWC is a 3-up so grab a couple of passengers for a day of fun on your favorite waterway.
The Spark also comes equipped with Sea-Doo’s Intelligent Brake and Reverse system (IBR) and Convenience Package Plus (CONV). The CONV includes a front storage bin kit to hold all the extras you want on board. The package also includes a Reboarding Step, making it easy to reboard your ski. Lastly, the CONV comes with Sea-Doos RF Digitally Encoded Security System (D.E.S.S.) The system’s key is designed and coded to match only your Sea-Doo Spark. No one can grab your ski and go for a joy ride unless you give them permission.
A closed loop cooling system is used to prevent corrosion from saltwater exposure and also keeps damaging debris out of the engine. This makes the craft more reliable, providing you more water time.
Intelligent Throttle Control (ITC) provides choices as to how you want your ski to ride. A Sport mode is available on the 2017 Sea-Doo Spark that America’s Motor Sports has on offer. In addition to the Sport mode, a standard Touring mode is available on all models.
Sport mode provides faster acceleration and engaging in Touring mode leads to a more easy-going pace.
You’ve got to be living under a rock if you haven’t noticed that one brand has pretty much swept every runabout race all year long (especially that of the US series of P1 AquaX. Our most recent coverage from the first-ever World Championships held last weekend in Key West, Florida was published earlier this week and can be read HERE) – and that is Yamaha WaveRunners. No if’s, and’s or but’s; it’s been Yamaha at the top of every podium at every stop of this year’s tour.
