If you are trying to get more performance out of your supercharged Sea-Doo, the RIVA Racing XXX-2 supercharger is definitely an item to look into. It will significantly increase the throttle response, horsepower, and top speed of any supercharged 215, 255, or 260 horsepower Sea-Doo.
The RIVA XXX-2 supercharger features a lightweight 140mm billet aluminum supercharger impeller, which is precision-balanced for smooth, linear power delivery. It is also built with a billet spacer, aftermarket bearings for higher RPM, and also re-machined housings for increased volume and air flow.
So now that we know what makes this supercharger so special, what kind of boost does it make? At 8200RPM, the XXX-2 makes 15psi, at 8500RPM it’s making 16psi, and at 9000RPM it is capable of 18psi! That’s twice the boost that a stock 260 supercharger makes!
Best of all, this is a direct replacement of the OEM supercharger, so no need for any custom work. It does require some other parts as well, though. To run this supercharger, you would need an aftermarket tuned ECU, larger injectors, and also a RIVA fuel pressure regulator kit.
Who is the targeted market? Well, pretty much anyone looking to get the most performance possible out of their Sea-Doo. Whether you are a weekend warrior trying to have a faster ski than all your friends or an Open class racer, the RIVA XXX-2 supercharger is worth a look. RIVA Racing sponsored rider Erminio Iantosca uses this on his supercharged Open class RXP-X 260. The Sea-Doo XXX-2 supercharger is available in the RIVA online store for $1699.95.
Listen, this goes without saying – but apparently not. There are still waaay too many accidents happening each year in association with personal watercraft, and most (if not all) were completely avoidable. Nobody should lose their life on a watercraft. Seriously. Nor should there be anyone seriously injured. Today’s runabouts are safer than most traditional boats on the water with the advent of brake controls on Sea-Doos and Yamahas (take note, Kawasaki!), electronic throttle controls, cushioned and padded surfaces, modern lightweight and durable materials, and the list goes on and on.
Nevertheless, hundreds of PWC enthusiasts are severely injured each year in the United States and it’s not the racers or freeriders pushing themselves (and their machines) to their very limits skewing the numbers, either. We’re not going to tell you to never jump a wave (or boat wake), to tow your friends on a raft a little too fast, or race alongside your buddies. You’re gonna do those things regardless of what we say. Rather, we want many of you to stop and think. We know, we know. That’s tough, particularly when the adrenaline is pumping.
So with a little contemplation, we wanted to share these “5 Easy Rules” for safe and enjoyable PWC use provided courtesy of safetyresource.org:
☻ Always, always, always wear a life jacket. Guess what, you don’t float as well as you might think, and chances are you’re not in the best of shape to tread water until somebody comes to pick you up. Wear a life jacket. We don’t care if you think you look dorky. Wear. The. Stinkin’. Life. Jacket.
☻ Use the ski’s safety features. Some PWC have brakes (as mentioned above). All others employ an engine-deactivating lanyard. Strap that lanyard to your wrist, or your life vest. If you’ve never ridden a personal watercraft before (which, thanks for reading The Watercraft Journal) it’s either a red cord with a red neoprene strap that can loop around your wrist or life vest’s front buckle, or on a Sea-Doo, a black cord with either a yellow or green foam cover. Your ski won’t start without it.
☻ Stay alert. It’s easy to get caught up in all the fun once you grab a handful of throttle. We get it. But seriously, keep your eyes open and on the lookout for other boats, skiers, divers, or swimmers. You move a lot faster than they do, so you’re responsible for seeing them before they see you.
☻ Don’t drink alcohol. Seriously?! Is this even a question? But y’know what, apparently we need to go over this again. Alcohol is a retardant. It slows down your brain’s ability to receive and process information, and then dictate commands. Alcohol makes you stupid. But hey, what you do on your own time is up to you. But operating a 1,000-pound supercharged PWC should never be one of them.
☻ You’re likely not as good as you think you are. There is only one Chris MacClugage, Pierre Maxient and Mark Gomez. Here’s a pro tip: chances are you’re nowhere near as talented as they are. So, unless you’re training to compete, quit trying to show off to your friends and family. That leg drag you’ve always wanted to try will probably end in a hernia.
☻Oh, and one more thing. Make sure to always strap your skis down securely to your trailer and drive cautiously. Accidents happen by accident. Nobody plans for bad things to happen, so try to think ahead.
We love the advancement of technology, particularly when it enters into our hobbies and daily lives. Can you imagine football where players still wore leather caps and wool sweaters instead of the modern pads and helmets of today? That’s what we’re talking about! So, it would only make sense that we cheer when we see an industry leader step up the technological design of their products such as what Jobe has recently done.
Wakeboard bindings are typically a big, clumsy affair that are very slightly removed from their snowboard siblings. Taking a page from the advancements in snowboard bindings, Jobe sought to create the first-ever “modular” wakeboard binding, giving birth to the EVO. The EVO is a sneaker that is separate from the binding itself, allowing for the wakeboarder to quickly insert and remove their foot without all of the effort of typical bindings.
The new modular system also offers superior contact with the board surface, allowing for the wakeboarder to retain an intimate feel of the board while riding. It’s pretty exciting stuff, so read Jobe’s original press release and watch the video below:
The moment where you all have been waiting for is finally here: today Jobe uncovered the final details of their game-changing new product: Jobe EVO. We have to be honest here: expectations were a bit high because of all the promises made in their recent Jobe EVO product video, but they seemed to have fulfilled all!
Both the new website and action video show why Jobe EVO truly is an evolution in wakeboarding. The video clearly shows how it’s modular binding system makes it easy for you get on the board, saving you important wakeboarding time. Because your EVO sneaker is separate from the EVO housing, the more expensive (ánd fashion-proof) sneaker is less likely to wear out fast. This saves you a lot of money in the long run!
Furthermore, the Jobe EVO improves your direct control. The heel lift is fully eliminated and your heel cap is also gone, leading to more direct contact with your board. The total weight is equal to other high-end Jobe bindings, making it a very low weight product. More advantages of the Jobe EVO can be seen on the brand new website. One last notable thing: the designs are fully customizable, so if you want to create your own style: it is possible now!
One of the best qualities of the Yamaha FZR is the potential for big speed. A slick, lightweight hull and a 1.8L engine make for a ski capable of speeds far beyond the 80mph mark once modified. Some FZRs are even running in the upper 90s! Here’s a showdown between a couple of modified mid-80s Yamaha FZRs: The camera is on a 2013 FZR SHO and the ski he is racing is a 2014 FZR SVHO.
The modifications on the 2014 SVHO were a Dean’s Team reflash ECU, Jim’s cut ride plate, Fizzle intercooler, ribbon delete, Kanaflex intake, RIVA through-hull exhaust outlet, and a 13/18 Solas impeller. The 2013 SHO at the time had a V-Tech ECU tune, ET Low Boost supercharger wheel, Fizzle intercooler, Jim’s cut SVHO ride plate, Kanaflex intake, ribbon delete, through-hull exhaust, and a Skat-Trak 13/17.5 impeller. As you can see, that wasn’t quite enough to get around the 2014 SVHO.
After a tough loss like that, you can do one of two things; either admit defeat and take the loss or get to wrenching and arrange a rematch. The SHO rider chose the latter. After adding boost with an ET 15.5 supercharger wheel, installing larger injectors, an R&D billet supercharger shaft, a Solas 13/18 from an SVHO, and larger pump and steering nozzle, the SHO was ready to take on the SVHO yet again.
In the first rematch, the revised SHO pulled away at the hit of the throttle and never looked back. In the second race, they seemed to be pretty close in acceleration, and the SHO walked away in the top end. So what’s the moral to the story? If you have an SHO and get beat, don’t get mad. Get wrenching!
“As a kid I always liked playing in the water, the 36-year-old stated. “I surfed. I wind-surfed. I water-skied. Water is the great equalizer out there. (After the accident) I had to get on a Jet Ski and try it out to see if I could do that. (Now) I feel equal with everyone else on the water … except for not being able to stand up.”
Radetic doesn’t remember the 15 minutes before or the 40 days after the 2004 accident that left him paralyzed, when a car hit his motorcycle as he was riding home near Fort Rucker, Alabama. After the accident, he needed three years to come to terms with his new handicap. After a period of depression, Radetic turned to the only remedy he knew: activity. Surfing, sadly no longer called to him, so he returned to skydiving. Now requiring a tandem partner, he passed, and learned to ski and cycle.
“None of it is quite the same as being out on the water,” Radetic said. The Herald writes, “Maybe, it’s because the experience reminds him the most of the motorcycles he used to love to ride. Mostly, Radetic thinks, it’s because he doesn’t need a special class or a laundry list of accommodations to race water scooters.”
Radetic races on the Sea-Doo team and maintains ties to Florida’s “Operation Second Chance,” an organization devoted to helping wounded veterans. “He’s just devoted to being incredible — everybody that meets him feels the same way,” said local coordinator Kevin Kenney, who met Radetic at a hunting trip for veterans last year. “There’s nothing he won’t try.”
America celebrated its Independence Day this past weekend. Independence Day across the country is known for barbecues, family gatherings and fireworks. Yet, in the Sunshine State and specifically the city of Sarasota, it also meant racing. Touted as a week-long event the racers got to sign autographs and partake in the boat parade. P1 was definitely showcasing their series to the locals and out-of-towners that came out to enjoy the races.
Sarasota hosted their annual Grand Prix of the Seas event. This year, there was a new spin on it. P1 AquaX and P1 Superstock were added to this year’s festivities. This was the third round of the series for the P1 AquaX. As with the other previous rounds of Daytona Beach and Jacksonville the line up for this location was jam packed with a total of 62 riders.
With that many riders it was determined to break up the starts and have the 300 class start first and then have the 250/200 class stagger their start after there was safe enough distance. With the beach jammed packed with spectators and numerous boats anchored on the outside of the course the racers were sure to have a captivated audience and they didn’t disappoint. The first day of racing ended and the racers along with thousands of people were treated to one of the best firework displays for the fourth of July festivities we have ever seen.
As with previous rounds, it was going to be the battle of the Aswar brothers in the 300 Class. They have dominated the previous two rounds and the question this past weekend wasn’t which racer would knock them off the podiums but which brother would be number one. After three rounds this weekend it was the younger brother Aqsa who would take the overall win for the 300 Class, and teammate Mike Klippenstein edged out Aero Aswar to take the number two spot.
In the 250 Class, Brian Baldwin has been consistently good. He has outpaced the competition in every round this year. Who would come in behind him has been the question for the class. In this round it was teammate Paloma Noceda who took the number two spot. She showed that women racers are just as tough as the men. Eric Lagopoulos who dominated the class the previous year came in third place and was the only Sea-doo rider to get on the podium for the entire weekend.
In the 200 Class the question was whether reigning champion Rob Greenwald would finally put teammate Travis Zielasko in the rearview and get back on top. The two battled the entire weekend with Zielasko taking the win and the top podium spot followed by Greenwald and Chad Saxon who rounded out the class.
P1 Aqua x definitely impressed the organizers and it looks like Sarasota may be one of the great location for the series. The riders, staff and fans all loved the location. Another weekend came to a close and all had fun. Next stop is St. Cloud, Florida for Round Four on August 1st and 2nd. We’ll see you at the next round.
For all of the results from this past weekend’s AquaX Series in Sarasota, FL, click the hyperlinks for the 300 class, 250 class and 200 classes.
We’ve been getting one of two replies when we tell people what we’re up to; “Wow! That sounds fun!” or “Wow. That sounds…fun.” (Sarcasm is hard to type.) Nevertheless, the germ of the idea was moronically simple: try to cross the entire State of Florida both ways (West-to-East-to-West) in one day. We knew riders and clubs had performed the feat before – in fact, it was in direct response to an article we published a few weeks ago of two clubs doing exactly that – but at a far more accelerated pace.
The question was whether the logistics of weather, fuel consumption, traffic, mileage and most importantly, timing the locks, would actually make this feasible. The answer we came up with was a definite maybe.
The first piece of the puzzle to fall into place was locking in one of the best ride logistics planners in Florida, and someone who knew the route backwards and forwards (quite literally, it would seem), and that was Jetski Junkies’ Kev Hemingway. Hemingway was immediately able to pinpoint the trouble areas in our route, provide alternatives and develop a ride plan and schedule that would put us within the porthole-sized window of “possible.”
Although the round trip mileage is only 280 miles, the route is littered with No Wake and speed restricted zones, and five locks which we will have to cross twice (one of which – the St. Lucie – operates at a timed schedule regardless of traffic).
So here goes: Unless we post otherwise on The Watercraft Journal’s official Facebook page, we will be leaving from Punta Rassa Landing, Punta Rassa, FL at 6:30am in the morning of Wednesday, July 8th. From there, we hope to be pulling into the Riverwatch Marina in Stuart, FL at noon, and returning back to Punta Rassa just before 6pm. If you are interested in following our progress, we will be tracking our progress using Glympse, a fast and free smartphone app that shows our location in real time, and posting a link on our Facebook page for everyone to follow first thing that morning.
Hey, are you a procrastinator? Of course you are. There’s no shame in getting all of your Christmas shopping done at the 24-hour drug store down the street on Christmas Eve, and there’s nothing wrong with cashing in on a sweet 4th of July sale the Monday after the holiday weekend.
Watercraft Superstore’s BlackTup Jetsports line of awesome traction-enhancing seats and mats not only improve the grippiness of your runabout’s seat and footwells, but can radically change the look of your staid and boring stock ski into a customized creation of your own design! Not only does WCSS stock a full line of OE-style replacement kits, but they also offer their Elite traction mats and seat covers. For those looking for the more top-of-the-line materials previously only found with one-off, made-to-order designers, BlackTip’s Elite series are perfect for you!
BlackTip’s Elite traction mats come in a vast array of colors, patterns and designs, that can effectively replicate teak wood decking, diamond plate flooring and many, many more cool and never-before-seen precision-cut patterns. Likewise, BlackTip’s Elite seat covers provide brighter, more complex colors and textures, patterns and details that would otherwise cost you months of waiting and up to double (if not three times) the cost!
And because we hate to wait when there’s new parts to be had, WCSS’ overnight shipping rates start at $24.98! And there’s no reason to put off changing up your PWC’s look – shop online or give ’em a call!
Welcome aboard! Your captain today is Mr. Scott “Hollywood” Watkins.
It was only last week that The Watercraft Journal introduced you to five new graphic kits from IPD Graphics – with applications ranging from top-of-the-line supercharged runabouts to old school Yamaha SuperJets. Now, with Yamaha leading the boating industry market with an impressive lineup of jet-powered boats, it’s more appropriate than ever that IPD Graphics branch out into a new marketplace.
With an eye targeting the the high-level wakeboard enthusiast – and even the “luxury boating connoisseur” – IPD’s new kits for the Yamaha AR240, the Yamaha 240 and 242 Limited, and entry-level SX240 offer enthusiasts of every level, school and taste some new styling for their class-leading boats. As IPD Grpahics states, “Our line of graphics for these sporty models offers a wide array of styles to appeal to all of these boater types.”
AS is with all of IPD’s industry-leading graphics, each kit is a full color printed graphic package, using high quality vinyls and laminated for impressive durability. Moreover, all kits permit for optional logo placements (for sponsored riders or brand enthusiasts), and are incredibly easy to install, requiring very minimal skill level. So if you’re in the market to splash on a new racy look to your Yamaha 242 Limited, SX240 or AR240 Yamaha jet boat, IPD Graphics Kit will help you “push the limits of creative design.” Check ’em out HERE:
In January of this year, the founders of Jetski Junkies USA, rolled out a few new pilot programs to help build relationships between dealer customers and club members. Due to the amount of ride time the JJ Club sees specifically here in Florida, the members tend to put a lot more hours on their PWC than the average rider.
These programs are specifically designed to get the dealership customers actively riding, meeting new people, learning from others about the industry, staying interested and of course having access to the best PWC adventures offered around the country. Multiple dealers were approached with offers and in April 2015, the first pilot program was put into action with one of Florida’s oldest, largest powersports dealers, Barney’s Motorcycle & Marine.
Barneys has been in business since 1946 and currently operates three major locations in St. Petersburg, Brooksville and Brandon, carrying every type of powersports toy imaginable along with all three OEM brands of personal watercraft: Yamaha, Sea-Doo and Kawasaki. Barneys covers at least 165 Gulf Coast miles and over two thirds of the Central Region of Florida within just an hour away.
Pride and heritage speaks volumes as the three dealerships are decorated with powersport pieces from the past, vintage watercraft, motorcycles, scooters, etc. all restored to like-new condition. The walls speak of racing history with plaques, articles and trophies adorning every square inch of open wall space giving you the feeling it’s not just about making a sale, it’s truly about making you a fan for life.
The pilot program, spearheaded by KC Wood, President of Barneys Motorcycle & Marine, Ralph Chancey of Powersports Advertising Group and the founders of Jetski Junkies Jet Ski Club, just finalized it’s second group PWC ride with outstanding success. The goal being to offer directly to the customers of Barneys, a World Class group touring experience, a first in the PWC industry.
The first group ride was held in May and took a very lucky 44 riders up the Intracoastal Waterway with a stop for lunch and then out into the Gulf of Mexico along the most beautiful beaches in the world, a stop for shell finding and swimming on a pristine island before ending the day. With nearly a third more signed up for ride Number Two, a storm attempted to shut us out; however, for the nearly 40 riders willing to wait it out, they received the ride of a lifetime with an intimate ride beneath Florida’s iconic Skyway Bridge and around the remains of the original Skyway Bridge which collapsed on May 9, 1980, now used as fishing piers.
From there it was up the shoals along the east side of Tampa Bay to Bishop Harbor for snorkeling and swimming and then to the Skyway Beach for lunch on the north side of I-275 before ending the day. Without a doubt, the riders coming out for these rides are having the time of their life and getting up close and personal with history and wildlife while meeting new like minded friends as well as the dealership owner and staff to help and answer any questions.
