With each year, bigger, better and faster watercraft enter the market, but what many people don’t think about is how the sport began. We think we should take a moment to reflect on the past and remember how this sport evolved. The year was 1975 and Kawasaki believed that if they could make a television advertisement, they would attract more potential buyers. The setting was at Lake Havasu, Arizona. Little did they know that the World Finals, years later, would be held there.
These were the days when no performance parts were offered, no one was compression testing their engines before riding or dealing with complicated ECUs. These were bare bone skis that were light and reliable which offered anyone, that was willing to try, a good time. With speeds just over 30mph coming from a small 440cc engine, this new toy was a hot item – a must have for any novice or water enthusiast.
They were so small you could fit them in the back of a family station wagon or pickup truck and take them to the lake, river or any other body of water. These machines were not extremely expensive, which was good for Kawasaki, as many people were able to buy them after they rode their friends jet ski. The remarkable thing about these 440’s is that you can still find one for sale on the used market. Kawasaki’s were built to last.
Whether you are a sit down rider or still a devoted standup rider, remember the roots of the sport because that is how it all began. Always be safe, responsible and most importantly, enjoy the good times on your Kawasaki 440.
It wasn’t too long ago that to reach (and surpass) 75mph required upwards of $10,000 worth of performance parts – that is, in addition to having the latest supercharged watercraft. Particularly challenging was getting past the restrictive factory ECU programming. By late 2009, the only option was to replace the stock ECU with an expensive aftermarket unit, such as from Vi-Pec or MoTec (allowing for tune modifications to be made through a laptop). This option was pricey, time consuming and complicated for most performance enthusiasts.
Amazingly, this process was almost totally unique to the personal watercraft industry, as the automotive aftermarket is flush with hand-held ECU programmers, in addition to replacement on-board computers. This chasm of technology was a source of frustration for the performance-minded PWC enthusiasts, and spurred several companies to pursue other routes to fill this gap.
It wasn’t until three years ago, that the Swedish automotive tuning company, V-Tech Tuned introduced a true hand-held ECU Programmer for PWC. Using V-Tech’s OBD-II compliant technology and utilizing hours of on-water data logging, the first Maptuner1 was created. Although limited in certain applications, the Maptuner1 was a godsend to the home tuner. Moreover, it cost less than half of an aftermarket ECU and immediately bridged the technology gap plaguing personal watercraft.
Recognizing this technological breakthrough, RIVA Racing immediately began development – in conjunction with V-Tech – a second, and far more powerful handheld tuner: the MaptunerX. The result of 18-breakneck-months of development, the MaptunerX is the only universal hand-held tuner that can unlock the horsepower buried inside of each and every 4-stroke PWC’s factory ECU.
We’ll repeat that, the MaptunerX can tune all Kawasaki, Sea-Doo and Yamaha 4-stroke watercraft. This device permits the tuner to quickly and easily upload a performance tune into the watercraft’s factory ECU (as well as ATV or UTV computers), eliminating the need to ship out your ECU for reprogramming.
The MaptunerX also has a built-in library that can store hundreds tunes, allowing you to switch between performance tunes almost instantaneously. Also, if you’re going in for a service appointment or looking to sell your watercraft, you can easily restore the stock tune settings. On this topic, the MaptunerX also includes a standard “Service App” that quickly reads and clears fault codes (BRP only at this time) and can reset the fly-by-wire throttle (TPS).
These functions within the MaptunerX are so powerful that RIVA is currently working on offering expanded service functions and data logging. These features will be offered as optional Apps that can be added to MaptunerX for Sea-Doo, Yamaha and Kawasaki. The MaptunerX gives you complete access to RIVA’s massive (and rapidly expanding) tuning library along with a catalog of instructional videos and manuals. The device is quick and easy to use and RIVA Racing is there to back you up with excellent technical support.
A large, full color, touch screen display makes the MaptunerX easy to use and navigate. The high resolution screen features easy prompts that guide you through the reflash process, service prompts and ability to scroll through the different vehicles you’ve entered into the device. RIVA Racing’s Dave Bamdas explained to The Watercraft Journal, “there is no limit to the number of vehicles or tunes that you can reflash with the MaptunerX. Just purchase an additional tuning license for each vehicle that you want to program.”
Sold separately, the MaptunerX is staggeringly affordable ($399.95); but that’s without the tuning license ($549.95 – $599.95) and MaptunerX cable specific to your brand of vehicle. Thankfully, RIVA Racing sells the entire bundle required to tune a vehicle for an affordable package price ranging from $921.35 – $1,011.60.
Above: The MaptunerX can program any OE brand ECU with the proper programming cable – shown is the Yamaha, Sea-Doo and Kawasaki cables (respectively).
Above: Recent racing successes include a victory at the 2016 Karujet Offshore Championship by RIVA racer Cyrille Lemoine. Lemoine’s Yamaha FX was powered by a RIVA tune and flashed by the MaptunerX.
“This technology is the biggest step forward in watercraft tuning yet,” Bamdas concluded. So much so, that RIVA Racing has updated all of their performance Stage kits that once featured the Vi-Pec ECU and replaced them with the MaptunerX, which consequently lowered the price of each Stage kit as well as providing easier tuning and increased features. Already RIVA Racing has put the MaptunerX in the hands of some of the industry’s best tuners, builders and racers and have been met with glowing reviews.
The power to upgrade your vehicle’s performance in minutes is now available thanks to the RIVA Racing MaptunerX. One MaptunerX can optimize every watercraft, ATV or UTV in your garage, and with the assurance of RIVA’s customer support and vast tuning library at your disposal.
According to TakeTopNews, a jet ski explosion in Virginia Beach sent Sean Amerman, a 17-year-old teenager to the hospital Sunday afternoon with non-life-threatening injuries. The explosion happened on the water near the Indian Cove Resort Campground in the 1000 block of Sandbridge Road just after noon. Emergency dispatchers received a call around 12:15pm for a boat explosion and one male in the water with injuries, near the shore.
A retired firefighter and the husband of the campground manager jumped into the water to save 17-year-old. Other firefighters and paramedics who were off duty and vacationing in the area also jumped in to help assist in the rescue. Robert Helfant says he pulled Mr. Amerman from the water, “As soon as he pushed that button; it blew, and he went about 30 feet in the air.”
Mr. Amerman has since been released from the hospital. The PWC, an older 787cc XPL two-stroke Sea-Doo (shown above) separated at the bond line, splitting in half. A buildup of fuel vapor in the hull (due to improper ventilation, corroded or broken fuel lines, or spilled fuel in the hull itself) is pointed at being the likeliest reason for the explosion, the Virginia Beach Fire Department are investigating what happened and what caused the jet ski to explode. The jet ski has been removed from the water and taken to a holding area to investigate further.
Change. Whether it was to the skis, to the scenery, or to the chilly weather, it was in abundance in the third round of the Hidden Trails Pro Watercross National Tour. The beaches of Florida from Rounds 1 and 2 turned into the beautiful mountain backdrops of Sparks, Nevada. Sparks provided an amazing stadium style lake venue for the Pro Show to amaze the locals who showed up to support our sport. High elevation caused many competitors to scramble on the days leading up to race to find the correct set up to make the most power, almost everyone found the correct set up and it made for some very exciting racing.
On Saturday, the Pro Show kicked off with a stacked field in Pro Ski Stock class. A familiar face, and team Kommander rider Derrick Helm, who was absent from the first two rounds of the tour took the big Moto 1 win in exciting fashion. This set up a great battle between himself and Broward Motorsports rider David Cabrera that went back and forth for all three motos. Cabrera ended up taking his first moto win of the year in Moto 2 with Helm regaining the top spot and the overall by winning Moto 3. Cabrera finished seconnd overall for his best finish of the tour. Curtis Pitman edged out Mark Gomez to round out the Top 3.
Sport GP and class favorite Broward Motorsports owner Sam Nehme was up next on the schedule. Moto 1 started off with quite the surprise though with newcomer to the tour for this year, Denny Janeway pulling a huge holeshot over Nehme’s Tim Judge-prepped ‘Blaster. This set up for a very exciting Moto 1 win for Janeway. Nehme made a mistake while going for the pass that actually put him back to third allowing Team Faith rider Kelly Smith to grab the second spot. Nehme quickly made up for the Moto 1 finish by following it up with Moto 2 and 3 wins to seal the overall for the weekend. Janeway just missed out on the top spot by losing the Moto 3 tie-breaker finishing second overall. Kelly Smith, last year’s champion, closed out the Top 3 with three consistent finishes.
Pro-Am Runabout Box Stock class has been owned by Monster Energy, Mountain Motorsports rider Dustin Farthing aboard his Sea-Doo RXP-X but this weekend Judge Motorsport’s rider Troy Snyder made him work for it. Snyder pulled three huge holeshots this weekend but it wasn’t enough to stop Farthing and his dominance. Farthing once again won all three motos but the battle for second really heated up between Snyder and Hidden Trails Motorsports rider Tim Ducat. Ducat bested Snyder in all three motos after some great battles to finish second behind Farthing. Snyder finished third after some bad luck in Moto 2 for his first podium of the year.
Once again top to bottom, the most talent filled line of the weekend was Pro Am Ski GP, and once again another theme rang true, Team Kommander showed up in full force. In Moto 1, Dustin Motzouris was dominant aboard the new 2017 Kommander K1R hull. Tyron Motzouris may have lost the brotherly battle taking second in Moto 1 but that set him up to win the war by winning Motos 2 and 3. Dustin stalled off the line in Moto 2 and had to come through the pack to finish second. Consistency earned Team Jettribe rider Brock “B-Rock” Austin third overall. This is setting up to be a great year-long battle between these three to see who sits on top of the mountain at the end of the year.
The fastest class of the weekend Pro-Am Runabout GP was Sea-Doo RXP-X 300 showcase. Dustin Farthing aboard his Monster Energy Sea-Doo put the “Show” in showcase. His nearly 700-horsepower Sea-Doo pulled all three holeshots and never looked back, dominating the class. After two hard luck rounds, Hidden Trail Motorsports owner Trey Frame righted the ship with three huge second place finishes to lock up second overall. Tim Neff aboard Dustin Farthing’s backup ski finished third in all three moto’s to lock up a very respectable third place overall.
The Sparks, Nevada Pro Watercross Tour stop was a success with it’s flat water and huge high speed race course. It will be exciting to see what St. George, Utah brings next weekend when we get to see these national championship races take shape.
All images courtesy of Traci Cottle. Originals can be purchased HERE.
Hidden Trails Pro Watercross National Tour, Round 3 Sparks, NV
PRO-AM RUNABOUT GP: 1. Dustin Farthing, 2. Trey Frame, 3. Tim Neff, 4. Tim Ducat; PRO-AM SKI GP: 1. Tyron Motzouris, 2. Dustin Motzouris, 3. Brock Austin, 4. Ian Roberts, 5. David Redinger, 6. Aaron Gewecke, 7. Derrick Helm, 8. Pete Zernik, 9. Jordon Carroll, 10. David Cabrera, 11. Thomas Pagen; PRO-AM R/A BOX STOCK: 1. Dustin Farthing, 2. Tim Ducat, 3. Troy Snyder, 4. Jesse Wilson, 5. Jeff Dyckowski, 6. Billy Dearman; JUNIOR SKI STOCK 10-12 YR: 1. Tallon Chambers, 2. Sammy Nehme, 3. Dominic Cannady, 4. Devin Farthing, 5. Seth Fuhrman; SPORT GP: 1. Sam Nehme, 2. Denny Janeway, 3. Kelly Smith, 4. Zack Martinez, 5. Billy Dearman; SPORT STOCK: 1. Sam Nehme, 2. Gage Schoenherr, 3. Rod Bigman, 4. Donny Miller, 5. Eddie Clavel, Brandon Miller, 6. Hunter Dunn; VINTAGE X2: 1. Greg Sommers, 2. Doug Wolff; PRO-AM SKI STOCK: 1. Derrick Helm, 2. David Cabrera, 3. Curtis Pitman, 4. Mark Gomez, 5. Gage Schoenherr, 6. Michael Prodanovich; PRO FREESTYLE: 1. Mark Gomez; AMATEUR SKI STOCK: 1. Gabe Hooper, 2. Carson Hughes, 3. Matt Rollings, 4. Aj Luinstra, 5. Branden Edwards, 6. Maxson Carter, 7. Dawson Newbie; VETERAN SKI GP: 1. Pete Zernik, 2. Kevin Redinger, 3. Dan Masters, 4. Ian Benson, 5. Bob Vassallo, 6. Ronald Jones, 7. Bill Austin, 8. Craig Thorsteinson, 9. Chuck Evans, 10. Brian Edwards; JUNIOR SKI STOCK 13-15 YR: 1. Gabe Hooper, 2. Carson Hughes, 3. Aj Luinstra, 4. Trinity Klecker; AMATEUR SKI GP: 1. David Vitale, 2. Jordyn Jones, 3. Mitch Jonas; RUNABOUT N/A SPEC: 1. Cameron Frame, 2. Bill Wilson; VINTAGE SKI: 1. Kristen Mccormack, 2. Bryson Olson; WOMENS SKI LIMITED: 1. Trinity Klecker, 2. Jones Morgan, 3. Jodie Evans, 4. Kori Zabala; AMATEUR SKI GP: 1. David Vitale, 2. Jordyn Jones, 3. Mitch Jonas; RUNABOUT REC: 1. 1. Sean Miles; RUNABOUT 1000 CC & UNDER: 1. Thomas Pagen; VETERANS R/A BOX STOCK: 1. Jeff Dyckowski; BEGINNER SKI STOCK: 1. Bryson Olson, 2. Kristen Mccormack
Since 1969, Kawasaki Motors Corp. USA has been a fixture of the Orange County, California landscape. Their massive facility and operations headquarters in Irvine located “on the other side of the tracks” and its Kawasaki museum has been a place to behold for decades. Now, just in time for the company’s 50th anniversary in the United States, Kawasaki will be moving to a new North American corporate headquarters in Foothill Ranch.
Kawasaki signed a new 15-year lease on a 200,000 square-foot facility a mere four miles from its present location in Irvine, and will finally move into the fully-renovated complex (officially) June 27th, 2016. The new complex (26972 Burbank, Foothill Ranch, CA 92610-2506) will retain the same PO Box mailing address and phone number, as to stave off further confusion.
“Our purpose in securing a new corporate headquarters is centered around two primary objectives,” stated Masa Nakagawa, president and CEO, Kawasaki USA. “First, with more than 300 of our staff being based in or around Orange County, it is critical that our new location remain central to the community. Second, as Kawasaki celebrates its 50th Anniversary in the US in 2016, we wanted to cultivate a new environment that creates and exemplifies the Kawasaki brand and products, and we believe this new space will do just that.”
As per a report in DealerNews.com, “the new headquarters will be a prominent fixture in the heart of Foothill Ranch, which is part of the city of Lake Forest, and is adjacent to the Foothill Ranch Towne Centre and other amenities. H. Hendy Architects will handle the internal design that will include all new finishes, modifications to allow more natural light, second floor offices, an expansive ground floor and a host of environmentally-friendly additions. The building will feature a mix of corporate offices, research and development facilities, racing and technical workshops, warehouse space and parking.”
“Brap!” is the very likely most prominent word in a 2-stroke rider’s vocabulary. The difference between a 2-stroke rider and a 4-stroke rider is vast. The 2-stroke rider loves those loud sound waves roaring from their engine beneath them as they are constantly hitting their throttle. They don’t care what others think of them, they just love being out on the water. The main idea of Brapology is really to just go out and have fun with a 2-stroke.
In these videos by Steven Patterson, these 2-stroke riders are defining the true science behind the idea of Brapology. They are out having a good time jumping a boats wake and splashing their friends. While the editing isn’t the latest and greatest it shows that you don’t need a lot of money and a new 4-stroke to go out and enjoy the open waters. Many guys spend so much money on modifications that they are never able to ride their watercraft, these guys just ride theirs.
If you are wanting to become a member of the Brapology club and want to help experiment with the science behind it then you are in luck, there are plenty of standup and sit-down watercraft for sale that are fairly cheap. They allow you to go out on the water and you won’t have to worry about ruining an expensive piece of equipment.
Get out and find yourself a 2-stroke if you don’t have one already and become apart of Brapology! Here is a little inspiration if you are still questioning yourself whether or not to become apart of the Brapology movement.
This time last month, The Watercraft Journal reported the unveiling of Sea-Doo’s latest viral social media campaign; the #SeaDooLife video contest. Entrants were asked to upload a video demonstrating their Sea-Doo experiences, adventures on the water and/or “living the Sea-Doo life.” Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, it was and Sea-Doo was swarmed with submissions.
For their efforts, Sea-Doo offered some pretty snazzy prizes: First place won a (1) voucher valued at $500 of Sea-Doo accessories, riding gear, and clothing; second place took home a (1) CGX2 4K HD Waterproof Action Camera by Cyclops Gear valued at $300, and third, a (1) CGX2 4K HD Waterproof Action Camera by Cyclops Gear valued at $300. Well, the voting has been tallied and Sea-Doo has its winner. See below:
Please join us in congratulating the winners of the “Share Your #SeaDooLife” contest who received the most votes propelling them into the final round where they then went on to win the judges’ hearts.
First Place: Leonel Caballero with “My 2 WAKE 155 are Awesome.” Second Place: Harold Coley with “Lake Days on the RXP” Third Place: Alain Beauparlant with “My Sea-Doo Life in the 1000 Islands.”
A big thanks to all who participated in the contest. Thank you for sharing your Sea-Doo life with all of us!
Did you know that the first official observance of “Father’s Day” was in 1910? But it wasn’t the national holiday we know, rather, a Father’s Day celebration was held in Spokane, Washington, at the Spokane YMCA on June 19, 1910. Hosted by Sonora Smart Dodd, the day was motivated by the memory of her father, the civil war veteran William Jackson Smart, who as a single parent, raised his six children. Yet, it wouldn’t be until 1972 when President Richard Milhouse Nixon signed the law making the third Sunday of June the nationally-observed holiday it is today.
Unfortunately, Father’s Day has become a bit of a joke, issuing father’s across the country with hastily-made macaroni art and ties (well, not so much anymore, as so few men work at vocations requiring neckties). And never one to miss an opportunity, Jettribe is opening up its doors wide for a limited-offer Father’s Day Sale happening now all the way until Monday, June 20th. By simply punching in the coupon code “NOTATIE”, dear ol’ dad will score an automatic 19-percent off of his favorite Jettribe-brand personal watercraft gear. It’s really that easy! Again, all online purchases need to be submitted before the end of Monday, June 20th for you to take advantage of this deal, so don’t delay.
RIVA Racing has introduced yet another very cool and quick way to add power to your PWC: new to their product line is the RIVA Racing Cool Air Vent Kit for Sea-Doo RXP-X 260 and 300 models. Designed to withdraw hot air from the back of your engine compartment, thus cooling the air your engine breathes and consequently increasing both power and engine reliability.
“This kit was designed to remove hot air from the back of your engine compartment for increased power and reliability,” RIVA’s website states. “…Quickly vents heated air produced by exhaust system and engine via two large 2.5-inch openings.”
Included with this kit are two 2.5-inch Flo-Rite Vents and one 2.5-inch hole saw to get the job done. Simply follow the instructions, and drill into the rear seat mount/plastic grab handle base of your Sea-Doo RXP-X. After you insert the pre-filter screens (keeping water from coming in but allowing hot air to escape), your RIVA Racing kit will immediately allow air to pass freely while guaranteeing to keep water away from your PWC’s internals. It’s well priced at $79.95 US.
Let’s face it, there’s really only one reliable source for top-of-the-line, CNC precision-cut peel-and-stick two-tone traction mats in this industry: Blacktip Jetsports. The traction mat game has gotten fiercely competitive as of late, and Blacktip has forced the other guys to step it up or step aside. And the hand-made mat kits often take waaay too long to make, and that’s if they even answer your order.
With Blacktip’s Elite Series, now a variety of cut and print patterns are at your access, as well as a massive array of color combinations when you choose to go two-tone. And with new offerings in textures, you’re looking at more options than you could possibly use!
Whether you’re looking to freshen up an old school two-stroke that simply has been in need of some TLC, or a new machine that you’re looking to place your own personal touch, Blacktip’s Elite Traction Mats are a great start. Plus, with a guaranteed 2-day turnaround and offerings as low as $99.95 for a whole kit, how can you go wrong?
Oh, and with the addition of the Watercraft Superstore’s new search engine feature, navigating the website’s online store for the right parts and pieces for your particular ski is significantly easier. Just scroll through the years, models and makes, and it’ll load up literally hundreds of applicable parts and accessories. It’s that easy.
With each year, bigger, better and faster watercraft enter the market, but what many people don’t think about is how the sport began. We think we should take a moment to reflect on the past and remember how this sport evolved. The year was 1975 and Kawasaki believed that if they could make a television advertisement, they would attract more potential buyers. The setting was at Lake Havasu, Arizona. Little did they know that the World Finals, years later, would be held there.
Kawasaki signed a new 15-year lease on a 200,000 square-foot facility a mere four miles from its present location in Irvine, and will finally move into the fully-renovated complex (officially) June 27th, 2016. The new complex (
