Just last week, The Watercraft Journal introduced you to Truckboss’ newly redesigned Flexxloader truck deck. It’s significantly better suited for loading and unloading of every size PWC, and can do so safer and more quickly than ever before.
So now, with so much confidence behind their awesome new trailer-replacement system, Truckboss is offering an incredible $1,000 accessory credit for Truckboss accessories. When you purchase either a a Truckboss 7 or a Truckboss 8 expandable deck system, Truckboss will give you $1,000 to apply towards “plussing” your truck deck to better haul your four wheeler, transport your PWC or just get you ready for winter?
Now if you’re working with a tighter budget, Truckboss is offering an additional $750 accessory credit with the purchase of a Truckboss 7 or a Truckboss 8 base package with their base ramp package. You can put that towards one of their weatherproof Smart Boxxes or other items. As per the announcement, all unused credit balances cannot be applied towards deck purchase, and this promotion ends July 31, 2016, so you better act quickly.
For all you RXP-X 260 riders who haven’t switched over to the new RXP-X 300, RIVA Racing has a treat for you; the new RIVA Sea-Doo RXP-X 260 Power Filter & Cold Air Upgrade Kit combo. The two products included with this combo deal are the upgraded power filter and a cold air upgrade kit.
Power Filter: This power filter allows the supercharger to be delivered with fresh cold air making the performance of the watercraft ski excel to new heights. The filter comes with a pre-filter “sock” to prevent water intrusion into the filter. If your watercraft is for racing, this is the perfect part for you since the filter is IJSBA legal for all classes.
Cold Air: This cold air intake vacuums fresh air from the outside of your engine compartment to ensure that the air being sucked in is cold. A strong thermal bulkhead links to your front storage bin to achieve that cold air.
All parts, hardware and instructions come with this deal. There is a video (see below) explaining how the system is to be put together and the instructions are very detailed.
When RIVA Racing put this package together they had the customer in mind, buying this combo deal will save you $130. If you have a RXP-X 260 (or a GTR 215) and want to see more performance from your machine, this is a great deal.
Finally, the moment of truth. The Hydro-Turf HydroDrag Nationals Presented by Greenhulk.net and RIVA Racing came to Lake Grew in Polk City, FL. Where the big boys get to test themselves. Everyone was anxious to see the world record of 112mph be broken. The crowds stopped everything that they where doing and watched the biggest moment of the weekend. The temperature hung around 95′ degrees at 11am in the morning.
The sun was burning hot on Maikel Gonzalez, the fastest man on the water aboard “The Most Hated GPRXP” on the water. As he made his first pass, the crowd could not believe it: 103.8 mph. Then holding on to the steering as tight as he could, Maikel gave his all, and made his pass of 112.1 mph, breaking his own world record of 112.0 mph and showing everyone present what the “Blue Zone” was really capable of.
Rayge Sanchez, hoping to break that record, made a pass of 110.5mph taking second place; clearly Sanchez wasn’t satisfied with the performance of the ski. Then it was Jesse Gonzalez’s time to prove what a GPSHO is capable of, but took third place with a top speed of 109.5 mph. During the first past from Uva Perez from UJet on his yellow FZR, he got off to a jumpy start, slowed down and then grabbed full throttle again almost right on top of the radar gun, getting a reading of 101.3 mph. On the second pass, he bested it by 109.5 mph.
Most spectators and competitors thought the record was gonna be broken by 3-to-5 mph this day, but it didn’t happen. Some of the people in the crowd where complaining that the radar gun was not accurate but at the end of the day, it was the same radar gun for all competitors like it or not. Shortly thereafter, the drag racing started up again with the final brackets for the Stock and Spec/Limited, Super Stock and Unlimited classes. When Unlimited Speed Alley was over, Rayge with the “Boosted Demon” and Albert with his turbocharged FZR called Mike Young to make another pass.
Mike Young told them to get every rider in that category together to agree to one more pass so he could make it official, but Carlitos from CRT was unable to race due to a perforation in the intercooler on “Blue Zone.” Because the CRT team didn’t want to replace it, and knowing that they already won first place and broke the record by .1mph, Rayge, Albert and Uva were forced to make their runs unofficially. This time Albert decided to ride it himself hoping to get better speed but he wasn’t so lucky. Uva pushed his yellow FZR to the limit, damaging it in the process, although he managed to put it over 110pmh on his Garmin GPS.
Then “Boosted Demon” brought everyone on their feet. The moment Sanchez made his unofficial pass, everyone had their eyes on the ‘Demon. In less than 4 seconds, Rayge achieved a top of 114mph on his Garmin GPS and 112.7 on the staff radar gun. People couldn’t believe it. If it only would of been official! Let’s hope next time the record will be broken by at least a couple of miles-per-hour, like most people where expecting. The event was over by 5pm, earlier than ever with everyone having an awesome time. This was one of the most organized events ever in the history of HydroDrags.
Dreams of an electric personal watercraft are nothing new – in fact, machinations of such a machine date back as early as the first Kawasaki standups. Propulsion has almost never been the issue in producing such a vehicle, as it is battery power and sustainable life. With advancements being made in the all-electric automobile industry, it is certain that battery technologies will work their way to the powersports industry (“trickle down economics” at work).
Recently, e-Motion Motor launched a video circulating throughout social media demonstrating a prototype all-electric runabout with aspirations of being the first full-product PWC of its kind. The project was initiated with Simon Falgaronne, a described “enthusiast of mechanics and jet ski,” who had earned his stripes while participating in multiple national and international competitions throughout his youth. Today, Flagaronne continued his education within the ESTIA Institute of Technology developing his talents in electronics, Electro-technics and computing, in addition to mechanics.
The end result was the EMR-1 – a completely-silent running 75-horsepower all-electric runabout with a 4-hour range, producing zero hydrocarbons (ie. exhaust), that costs about $.50 to recharge. e-Motion’s official website states that the finished product is the result of 3 years’ worth of development, and is still a ways away from reaching its completion. Currently, the project is petitioning for investors to make this dream a reality. If you’re so inclined, you can go HERE.
It’s not often that I write in the first person narrative, but I thought I’d share this note to you personally: working as the Editor of Personal Watercraft Illustrated (PWI) was some of the best years of my professional career. The notion that someone would pay me quite a bit of money to write about jet skis, to spend days out on the water, and meeting some of the best folks in the world still baffles me to this day. In fact, it was my time at that magazine that spurred me into launching The Watercraft Journal in 2013, maybe at the very least, in an attempt to recapture that same joy.
Unfortunately, PWI closed its doors January 1st, 2010, thus ending the longest run of a print publication aimed for watercraft enthusiasts (having launched its first issue in June 1987). As I packed my office, I was keenly aware of the archive of back issues boxed and stacked deep in the storage room. These same back issues and all intellectual properties associated to the title traded hands for a few years until finally landing in the care of former PWI Editor Jeff Hain.
Hain, as many will know, was the publication’s longest helmsman (from late-1993 to mid-2002), and rightly steered the publication through some of the industry’s strongest and most vibrant years. While Hain has no plans to resurrect the paper publication, he does seek to keep the legacy alive by offering brand-new back issues of the now defunct magazine available for purchase on the official Personal Watercraft Illustrated Magazine Facebook page. Discounted prices are available for multi-issue purchases. You can order your back issues by messaging HERE.
Case of the whatnows? Yeah, yeah, we know. It’s normally “Case of The Mondays”, but seeing that today is humpday and we missed out on this week’s “Mondays” we figured we’d throw a fun little non sequitur your way to liven up your half-way-over work week. Recently, as part of a promotional tour for yet another bad comic book adaptation film from Zack Snyder, Australian blonde bombshell Margot Robbie sat on the sandy shores with Vanity Fair magazine to try to decrypt some truly baffling Aussie slang.
Now, this has literally not a single thing to do with jet skis, personal watercraft or even much of anything, but seeing that we have so many Australian readers and produce a large amount of Australian PWC industry-focused content, we thought we’d put this one to our Brothas Down Undah to see if your best Shelia got ’em right or not. Also, she fumbles on a few of the more obscure ones, so if you guys can keep ’em pretty clean (Aussies love themselves some salty language), let us know what she got wrong in the comments below.
Everywhere we look, we keep seeing naturally-aspirated FX’s. Maybe it was because we’ve spent the last few months with one permanently tethered to our trailer this season, and that only makes us more aware of how many are “out there.” Or maybe there’s a really good reason why the FX HO and FX HO Cruiser continue to be two of the highest selling models in all of Yamaha’s lineup. Our jaunt down to the annual Mudbug revealed that among personally-modified supercharged and turbocharged machines, so very many enthusiasts choose to ride the more sedated three-seater. Likewise, attending local group meets revealed the Yamaha to be a favorite among recreational riders. It was like finally being let in on a well-known secret. Owning one admitted us to a secret society far larger than expected.
It would be disingenuous to label the 2016 Yamaha FX Cruiser High Output (HO) WaveRunner thrilling, especially in light of its more aggressive and/or nimble siblings, but the 180-horsepower normally-aspirated DOHC four-cylinder 4-stroke permits plenty of grunt to push the 831-pound (dry weight), nearly 12-foot-long (140.2-inches) runabout to a top speed of slightly above 60 mph, and do so without being sluggish, overburdened or wheezing. Equipped with a 155mm axial-flow jet pump, the FX HO rises to plane quickly when prodded above 15mph. The fly-by-wire throttle control provides cable-realistic resistance yet isn’t tiring like true cable-controlled throttles of years passed. Sharing the same hull design as the supercharged SVHO models, yet differentiated by the heavier NanoXcel (version 1.0) material instead of the lighter NanoXcel2, the HO could benefit from a diet.
All that being stated, the FX HO does not earn its widespread praise for breakneck speeds, but rather, its general pleasant demeanor and attention to comfort. Where the HO might lack in brute aggressiveness, it excels in frugality and posture: fuel consumption is industry-leading, almost being a figure hotly contested as say top speeds from drag racers. Many reports from long hauling cruisers boast over 130-miles in a single fill of its 18.5-gallon tank with 87 octane. So aware of the machine’s miserly fuel consumption that Yamaha included multiple settings to document fuel rate, average speed and the like (available through the in-dash “multi-function instrumentation panel”). Only once did we ever dip below the low level mark, igniting a chime alerting us. Nevertheless, we continued riding a full 45 minutes with the second-to-last bar never moving.
Because of our above average height (6’2″), we’ve often criticized heavily bolstered seats like Yamaha’s Cruiser bench for forcing us uncomfortably close to the (full descended) handlebars. This time, conspicuously enough, such was not the case. As we did so much of our riding with two or three riders, the Cruiser seat’s positing proved quite natural. Yamaha has mastered the right level of cushion needed to be both insular without feeling overstuffed. No excessive engine or drivetrain vibration could be felt, and the sheen of the canvas never grew too hot to touch. We noted that the saddle is wide, which can grow tiring over long distances particularly for older riders, even with the knees pinched inward. Beneath the third passenger cushion is Yamaha’s now common-across-all-runabouts screw-top watertight storage and removable bin. Curiously, this isn’t an industry standard yet.
Continuing the topic, we’ve found ourselves growing to use the in-dash watertight storage cubby (ideal for phones, keys and wallets) more than even the traditional glovebox. That too, is surprisingly praiseworthy as it is deep enough (even with the preformed styrofoam cup holders) to hold a large bottle of spray sunscreen vertically, something which prior to the 2016 ErgoLock-equipped Sea-Doo 3-seaters, was impossible for both Sea-Doo and Kawasaki models. Even the single in-dash cup holder is useful, but we find only with low-profile bottles and only with containers filled half way-or-more, as wind and turbulence will quickly toss your near-emptied drink into the water. Lastly, the “wet storage” on the swim step is ideal for ropes, wet shoes or other items that will naturally drain while air circulation keeps said items from molding.
Bow storage is accessed by a single latch on the hood, opening to an ample bin. In all, the FX Cruiser HO wields 33.2-gallons of storage space. We wondered if our demo unit was an isolated incident, but found many owners who critiqued the FX’s hood latch. A sharp jolt while on the trailer unlatched our WaveRunner’s hood (and we didn’t notice it until several miles later). While technology and violence are unfriendly bedfellows, we found ourselves needing to slam the hood multiple times to get it close firmly. Without an eye to adjust for the hook, we were left abusing the hood above the latch. Otherwise, we found little to zero fault with a machine that operated as smoothly as a Swiss watch. From cold start ignitions, to tallying up several hours’ worth of riding in a single sprint, the FX Cruiser HO delivered.
With a runabout that runs so smoothly, we ventured into familiarizing ourselves more with Yamaha’s Cruise Assist and No Wake Mode functions. As is with all three OE manufacturers, setting the cruise control is a two-handed affair. But once set, the toggles are responsive and easily inputted. In our most recent ride, we maintained a steady 35mph. Cruise Assist is set via the TPS (Throttle Positioning Sensor), not the actual speed, as even leisurely turns dipped our Yamaha into the teens before picking up speed again. And, for those unfamiliar, the throttle must be engaged at all times to operate Cruise Assist. You cannot let go of the throttle lever without disengaging the function. It’s a basic safety measure to make sure that the driver’s hands are always on the steering. Of course, this is the entire premise behind Yamaha’s braking and reverse RiDE system, which shines best when docking as the thrust-directional bucket lets you inch in rather than slamming into the dock.
Fatefully, we’ve come to understand why the 2016 FX HO and Cruiser HO remain two of Yamaha’s hottest sellers. Priced at $13,599, it is a well-equipped machine for the rider looking for comfort, fuel economy and stability. Although our unit was wrapped in the far flashier Pure White with Electric Green (an unspoken ribbing to those Kawasaki loyals looking for a similarly equipped-yet-non-existent Ultra model), we find the more subtle Black Metallic with Slate Blue Metallic a little more “adult.” We’ve got this test unit for another month, so we’re sure to see it pop up in future articles as well.
For those of you who are regular readers of The Watercraft Journal will know how much we love the EZ Throttle throttle extension. So much so, we’ve done two different reviews (including a short installation tutorial) both with glowing praise. The EZ Throttle is targeted, primarily, at long-distance riders, or those with joint ailments who find their hands cramping up while maintaining throttle over long periods. As many know, holding the throttle steadily at any extended length of time can cause fatigue in the index finger, hand, wrist and even forearm. The EZ Throttle, by comparison, extends the throttle trigger the length of the hand grip, allowing the rider to use all four fingers (or rotate between them) while riding.
And just over its short lifespan, the EZ Throttle has become a top seller in the personal watercraft aftermarket as so many find it a quick and easy (pun intended) solution to hand cramps, or just find it very comfortable. Now, if you go to Kool PWC Stuff’s online store, you can order your new EZ Throttle for a special price of $21.99 with free shipping. This is an exclusive offer through Kool PWC Stuff, and the free shipping offer is only available within the continental US (excludes Hawaii and Alaska). While this is a limited offer, if demand continues, Kool PWC Stuff might extend it through August – but don’t risk it! Get yours today HERE!
It was only a year earlier that powersport industry-leader Truckboss introduced its first Flexxloader design to the personal watercraft market. Employing the same level of the ingenuity and commitment to quality that Truckboss has built a reputation upon, the first Flexxloader was a deck system that winched a cradle-mounted PWC (be it a lightweight standup or a full-sized, fully-loaded runabout) up a ramp onto an aluminum platform secured to the truck deck. Unloading the ski would go exactly in reverse, with the ski’s cradle accepting large tires to become a beach cart. And in its first year, the Flexxloader was a hit, surpassing even Truckboss’ own estimations.
As more and more units were sold, the engineers and fabricators at Truckboss began looking closer at their design to see how things might be improved for future generations. The Watercraft Journal spoke with Kent Natrass of Truckboss who explained, “The [first] Flexxloader was a real success for us. The watercraft community really accepted what we were doing and gave a lot of suggestions as to how we could make improvements. So we decided to listen and keep the most popular aspects of our initial design and incorporate the majority of ideas for improvement that kept coming up. At the end of the day we made four main improvements to the system.”
“We removed the wheels from the cradle and went to a skid system with two wheels at the back,” Natrass explained. “The skid system was trialed with our Snow Bike version of the Flexxloader and it proved to be much better at moving up and down the ramp and along our deck surface. With the new version of the Flexxloader the skid system has already proven to be to cornerstone to making loading and unloading 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.
Natrass continued, “We introduced a guide system that attaches to the Truckboss deck. The guide system ensures that the Flexxloader loads on to the deck in the same place and the same way each time. It also incorporates a low resistant surface for the cradle skid system to move along once it is on the deck. Finally, it provides the hold down hardware for the cradle.” The new and improved guide and slide system radically improves upon the outgoing design with each cradle featuring multiple tie down points and a winch, ensuring that even full-sized runabouts will remain safely secured even while traversing rocky, unpaved terrain.
A new addition to the Flexxloader is Truckboss’ new “push back system” that makes unloading significantly easier. Natrass stated, “We designed a easy to use push back and lock down system for the Flexxloader. We recognized that some of the watercraft on our deck were around 900 pounds and that getting them moving in either direction was a real chore. So we rolled up our sleeves and came up with a system that would push the Flexxloader back off the deck when unloading and would lock it into place when loading, all with a 18V cordless drill and minimal physical effort.” Helping cut the strain of the system even further, the new Flexxloader’s ramps are now lighter and easier to engage.
Lastly, Truckboss made huge improvements to its buggy system. “The new buggy system uses better wheels for almost all conditions and is far easier to engage and disengage from the Flexxloader cradle,” Natrass explained. “Now we feel that our customers get far more than a road transportation system, they also get a tool to help them at the water, and when they get back home for storage.” Available as an option, the new Flexxloader buggy system lets the new ski cradle become a beach tote (and portable beach dock) in less than a minute. It’s also designed to act as a storage tote when your skis are put away for the winter.
What Natrass called “the Truckboss way,” all products are made in the US and Canada from the highest quality materials. “[It is] quite simply…the cornerstone of our business,” he states. “The patented Truckboss system is made almost exclusively from extruded aluminum. All of our extrusions and major components are made in the USA. This gives the system increased strength and durability that is unmatched in the market. We have some commercial customers that are moving a single deck on to its fourth truck. At Truckboss we will not compromise on quality.” And for good reason. Truckboss is a major sponsor for a variety of off-road and powersports athletes, who push their products to the very limit of their designs.
Made to hold all brands, makes and models of PWC (with a maximum load capacity of 2,000-pounds), the modular design also allows the Flexxloader to be used on all full-sized, non-commercial pick-up trucks. Equally, its exclusive No-Maintenance anodized finish will keep it corrosion-free, even in the harshest (read: saltiest) of environments like the Blowsion Surf Slam, and the secure and weatherproof storage under the deck will keep items dry and locked.
Obviously, owning a Flexxloader can effectively eliminate the use for a trailer, especially if storage space is an issue, if you’re venturing to locations that can be only accessed by four-wheel-drive, or if you simply hate trying to back your trailer down the launch ramp. But many are finding Flexxloaders as being useful in conjunction with their trailers, allowing them to haul more PWC to the shore, or towing a UTE, quad or Side-by-Side on a small trailer with their skis on the truck deck. Natrass commented, “Owing a Truckboss deck equipped with a Flexxloader changes not only the loading and unloading experience for PWC owners but the transportation experience.
“We called it ‘Flexxloader’ because of the flexibility it offers. By ditching the traditional PWC trailer, users can avoid highway speed limit restrictions and get to the fun a little faster. Once there they have the option to unload at a boat launch, if the launch is backed up, the Flexxloader can be unloaded almost anywhere, coupled with the buggy system, and rolled right to the water,” Natrass continued. “Again, we want our customers to get to the fun a little faster. Once in the water the Flexxloader can serve as a dock during the day and even overnight. When it is time to load, the busy and often frustrating boat launch can be avoided and our customers can get on the road a little quicker. And once home, the Flexxloader and buggy system are perfect for rolling around the watercraft for storage.”
In all, the Flexxloader effectively turns your truck into its own trailer, while greatly enhancing the benefits already imbued in your existing truck. Moreover, these benefits can now be truly realized with the improvements that Truckboss has made to the Flexxloader for 2016, making loading and unloading now significantly safer – and quicker – than ever.
Their love of jet skis had brought them close. Little did they know that it would take them overseas to a foreign country. Queensland, AUS locals, Mark Chappell, Kyle Shaw, Callum Mylrea and James McLachlan were all best friends working normal everyday jobs. They were tired of their jobs and wanted to do something that was associated with jet skis. Through hard work and determination, they struck a contract with Chimelong Ocean Kingdom Theme Park in the country of China, according to a report published in Central Queensland News.
Moving to a foreign country was the only way they could start a new life with a new job they actually loved. And so it began, everyday at 4pm and 8pm they would jump on their jet skis and ride around the theme park pool with fireworks strapped to their skis. With hover board riders, fly boarders, 10-meter (32-foot) tall flames, lasers and lights, it sure gave the audience a spectacular show. Not many people can say that they have ridden under those conditions.
These guys did their very best every day because they loved what they were doing. They had worked hard to become the best rider they could be and were rewarded with a contract they could have never imagined. They went from riding their local beaches and competing in watercraft competitions to performing live in front of an audience in China. We can’t think of any other job a watercraft enthusiast could dream of.
There contract was for only six months so the guys are preparing to leave but their experience has been unforgettable. With the high price of overseas travel this job allowed them to meet many people and talk to some of the world’s best watercrafts riders. They wouldn’t have traded this once in a lifetime opportunity for anything.
