Turbo Spark ahoy! It’s possibly the single-most anticipated thing since the launch of the Spark itself – a tested and true intercooled turbo kit. Over the last couple of months, The Watercraft Journal has been watching and regularly updating you on the developmental progress on the kit from famed Swede tuner garage V-Tech Tuned. Now, in a partnership with www.sparkwatercraft.com, the killer kit can be yours.
Priced at $3,500 USD, the turbo kit includes a $240 shipping cost, but that’s the bad news. The good news is that the kit includes everything you need to turbocharge your Spark, and we mean everything – that is except for a CNC adapter that needs to be welded to your Spark’s exhaust manifold; as well as a V-Tech maptuner and tuning credit.
Included in the kit are the aforementioned CNC adapter, Mitsubishi TD04 Turbo, waterjacketed heat shield to prevent heat above turbo, waterjacked exhaust pipes, CNC through-hull adapter using the stock exhaust port, water-cooled intercooler, air filter and filter sock, three upgraded injectors, a map sensor and two adapters for oil connectors to and from the turbo pipes, hoses, silicone adapters.
According to www.sparkwatercraft.com, “Due to the huge increase in power, V-Tech also recommends that you run the Skat-Trak dual impeller and stainless steel wear ring.”
Designed to run on a stock ACE engine, the kit only pushes with a moderate 5 to 6psi but produces 140 horsepower and gobs more torque!
Way back in 1965, 12 motorcycle riders got together and rode 90 miles to Winona, Minnesota to help pack and stack sandbags in the midst of rising flood waters. The following year, the flood didn’t returned, so the mayor invited the riders back for a party. As the years followed, the annual “Flood Run” retraced the original 90 mile route of the original 12 down Highway 61. Soon after, the ride grew so large that a second event was made, The Fall Flood Run, giving riders twice a year to meet and ride.
Over the years, The Flood Run rides have grown into one of the oldest and largest runs in America. From it’s very beginning, The Flood Run has been a charity event – from throwing sandbags in 1965 to buying a Benefit Wristband to support a great cause, namely the kids at Gillette Children’s Specialty Health Care. Participants are encouraged to purchase $10 wristbands to generate proceeds to the children’s special care facility twice a year.
Welcoming riders from across the continent (and further), The Flood Run has also partnered with Cargo Wave to provide one heck of a raffle prize: a brand-new 2013 Yamaha WaveRunner VX and a Cargo Wave tow trailer! (Obviously, the ski above is not the new Yamaha.) Valued at $10,000, The Flood Run not only gives away great prizes for participants but generates thousands of dollars for a worthwhile charity. If you’re a motorcycle lover as much as PWC enthusiast and find yourself with an open weekend for a lot of fun, make sure to join The Flood Run.
It’s never a bad morning when you can announce the addition of one of the leading Sea-Doo dealership networks in the middle South as your newest advertiser! All of us here at The Watercraft Journal are very excited to break the news that America’s Motor Sports has climbed aboard for 2014. The Tennessee powersports dealer was recently honored as one of PowerSports Business’s “Power 15 Dealers,” in addition to being an active member of BRP Dealer Board.
Meeting the needs of powersports enthusiasts in the middle South/Tennessee region with three strategically located stores in Nashville, Madison and Dickson, America’s Motor Sports has been family-owned since its earliest days as a single store in 1982. Owner Chris Watts grew up in his parents’ original store, working summers and weekends before earning a degree from the University of Tennessee in 1994 and eventually taking control of the thriving three store chain.
Since then, America’s Motor Sports has seen double-digit growth over the past two years, citing a personal, tailored sales approach as key to the dealership’s success. Now with three stores servicing the whole Nashville, TN area, the dealer network sells and services Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Polaris, Can-Am, and Sea Doo.
“We have our sales guys get back to basics, so to speak — work the desk, find out what the customer wants,” Watts explained. “We may not have every single unit available, but between the three stores, most likely we’ll have it. And if we don’t have it, we’ll get it from our competitors.”
Together with The Watercraft Journal, America’s Motor Sports will be also be encouraging enthusiasts to explore its online OEM parts locator and store to best keep their PWCs in top running condition. Make sure to keep an eye out for future technical articles coming out of America’s Motor Sport’s service department in the next few months!
Admittedly, we probably should’ve done this review a couple of months ago. For some the worst of the winter chill has already ebbed, so reviewing Slippery’s Float Coat can be viewed as a little bit on the late side. But, we’d be remiss not to talk about possibly one of the most used items in our off season arsenal. Seriously, it’s that good.
Having used only Slippery’s neoprene Sport Coat prior to the Float Coat, we were very impressed with how warm the coat kept us even as freezing winds blew their fiercest. The Float Coat is a Type 3 USCG approved PFD, eliminating the need for a separate PFD to be worn underneath.
Before that, it bears saying that this was our very first “float coat.” For those unfamiliar, a float coat is a cold weather replacement to wearing both a long sleeve jacket and a PFD. The two-in-one jacket provides all of the life saving floatation of a personal floatation device and the warmth of an insulation nylon jacket. Commonly used by recreational and professional boaters alike as well as Coast Guardsmen and dock workers, float coats aren’t typical to the PWC crowd as most save their riding for warmer months.
Knowing we’d be riding and testing year-round, we opted for the Float Coat over the neoprene Sport Coat on a whim…and we’re glad we did. Unlike the Sport Coat, which only acts as an overcoat, the Float Coat is lined with Type 3-grade floatation foam and covered with heavy duty 200 Denier-coated nylon. Slippery’s float coat is as much a USCG-approved personal floatation device as any of Slippery’s other life vests.
Wearing Slippery’s Fuse john and jacket combo beneath, we were impressed with how warm (and dry) we stayed even while traversing 25mph-winds hacking Percy Priest Lake just east of Nashville on a very bone-chilling 35-degree Saturday. We were immediately grateful for the Velcro-closed fleece-lined collar and heavy-duty front zipper (with Slippery’s “storm flap” cover). Even when the wind blew its hardest, the coat never billowed.
In addition to the heavy duty front zipper, the Float Coat also features a single adjustable waist band to cinch up. When bobbing in the water though, we found ourselves wishing for the two larger straps found on Slippery’s other vests.
The coat also features two zippered-shut “slash” pockets as well as a single adjustable waist belt to cinch the jacket a little tighter. We could imagine some riders wanting two larger buckles typical to other vests for a greater sense of security, but we never found the need. As part of our commitment to testing everything, we did jump into the water to see how it felt while swimming. It was here that the single strap felt inadequate, as the Float Coat tends to buoy without you. And the fleece never really fully dries until a day or two hanging up in the garage.
Mobility is insulated but not restricted although you might feel like the Stay Puffed Marshmallow Man. Yet, when it comes to keeping you warm and keeping you afloat and protected, we couldn’t be happier with our first foray with Slippery’s Float Coat.
Slippery’s Float Coat features a lanyard loop that their most recent batch of vests oddly is missing.
We’re only days away from the first major freeride event of the year, the 2014 Thrust Innovations Daytona Freeride, held in Daytona Beach, Florida. Although the tentative weather reports call for some speed bump-sized surf, we’re still holding out hope that Mother Nature will throw a curveball and send some waves our way.
So as we cross our fingers, we’re still seeing the world’s best surf riders swarm on the east Florida location. One those freeriders are Tanner Thomas and Mark Gomez, who leaving from TC Freeride headquarters in Morro Bay, California, have traveled over 2,700 miles with the Rickter team trailer in tow.
Filled to the gills with eight examples of “the latest and greatest of the 2014 Rickter lineup,” these surf riding skis are powered by DASA Racing high-output engines, “pushed by” Skat-Trak Magnum pumps, and were hand-built by Taylor Curtis, as well as Gomez and Thomas who were present for a “wrench party” days before.
The video is a fun sample of the two’s exploits as they depart for the cross-country trip, but also hint at the great things coming down the pike from Rickter and TC Freeride. We look forward to seeing what comes out of the Rickter West Coast Team, namely Mark Gomez, Tanner Thomas, Taylor Curtis, Randy and Brandon Lawlor, Abraham Ho, Rick Roy, and Jeff Bolte.
Say, thinking you might be wanting to jump headfirst into throwing some insane backflips or knocking out a couple Can-Cans? Well, if you’re as impatient as we are, we think we’ve found the best plug-and-play freestyle monster available. For the sum of $21,000 (or best offer), you can pick up a wild 2012 Rickter FR-2.
Kommander Industries has mentioned that they’ll sell you the machine as a complete ski or just hull, but seriously people, why would you pass on a venerable who’s who of top level performance parts. The list is extensive, so hold on to yer butts:
It starts with a RRP billet lightweight handle pole with Cerakote Burnt Bronze tubes, RRP billet steering system, RRP 50mm Fat Bars, Kommander carbon fiber chin pad, Blowsion billet trim lever, SE billet finger throttle, Blowsion handle pole limiting rope and ODI Vans Grips.
The Rickter hull hosts a Cold Fusion Front Foot Hold, Blowsion front sponsons, Fire extinguisher mount with USCG fire extinguisher, Blowsion hood baffle kit, Blowsion red billet hood latch, and Cold Fusion billet hood prongs. Beneath the hood is a monster list of goods:
Power Factor exhaust system, Kawasaki billet Maekawa Engineering 920 Power Valve cylinder 215PSI compression, a trued and welded Kawasaki OEM crank, Free Ride case porting and raised intake path, a Rad Dudes aluminum engine cradle, Cerakote Burnt Bronze coated engine cases, bed plate, motor mount plates, a new Kawasaki OEM Starter, DASA billet front cover, KHI total loss ignition system with 1.5 pound flywheel, two Kommander flame arrestors, twin Novi 48mm carbs, billet throttle wheel, Boyesen Extreme Velocity intake kit and Rad valves, electric bilge, RRP rear fuel tank, Thrust Innovations Ti5 fuel cell with billet flip top 5-gallon cell, Kommander billet drive couplers, Zero Gravity lithium ion battery 24-cell 720 CA 5.5 pounds.
Converting all the power to trust is a 144mm Solas Magnum pump, Impros freestyle tail cone, Hooker impeller, Thrust Innovations flip nozzle, Worx intake grate, and a pair of RRP ride plates, a short and long.
Seriously, this thing is a beast. Check it out here.
There’s a universal truth that has been proven over and over again ad nauseum: competition breeds excellence. At no time has a monopoly provided the end-all of customer service or satisfaction. Had Henry Ford continued to operate unchallenged, Ford dealerships would still be nothing but fleets of all black sedans and trucks.
It only when the stakes are raised that companies and entrepreneurs feel the need to continually improve, add more features, variety and options to their products. It’s only when the threat of losing customers arises that companies truly rise to the occasion. It’s when faced with the threat of extinction that an animal bears its teeth. In the dog-eat-dog world of commerce, this threat is ever present.
In recent weeks, I’ve been really concerned with the health of the personal watercraft industry. Not just the sport, although racing is and ought to continue to be a viable proving ground and apparatus to appeal to a larger demographic of would-be clients, but the mechanics of the actual industry itself. Interestingly, all three actively do all the things that could pump new life into the industry, but for other products (more on that later).
Larger boating shows – like those in Seattle, Atlanta and Miami – bring the larger displays from OE’s like Sea-Doo and BRP, but smaller companies are nowhere to be found.
First consider that for all three manufacturers, their watercraft divisions produce the smallest gains, provide the smallest returns and appeal to the smallest demographics. Motorcycles and side-by-sides continue to be their bread-and-butter lines, with snowmobiles, utility vehicles, generators and boats (respectively) bringing in bigger paychecks.
Simply put, producing PWC doesn’t pay.
In 1995, over 200,000 personal watercraft were sold. In 2013, that number was a paltry 29,500. So what gives? The modern personal watercraft has never been better. They’re smoother, more stable, more reliable, faster, cleaner, offer more storage, ease of use and safety. Of course, they’re double, if not triple the average cost of a runabout in 1996 (even with the price adjusted for inflation), but you’re getting a lot more for your buck too.
So again, what gives? Where is the PWC industry failing where others are succeeding? Frankly put, I think it’s professionalism. The industry built on a sport of “just having a good time” hasn’t – as a whole – taken itself too seriously in a long time. Only when big money was rolling in from ESPN and a couple beer companies did the watercraft industry carry itself like a grownup industry.
While its understood that the PWC industry couldn’t fill a convention center of this degree on its own, smaller venues or venues shared with similar expos could provide the PWC industry the exposure it needs to thrive.
When the low hanging fruit of big sponsor money dried up, event promoters and would-be racers fled elsewhere. So too did the torrent of prize money reduce to a trickle. This in turn ate away at dealer sales, as both numbers of racers and race enthusiasts went elsewhere.
A sad fact is that humans are fickle creatures, and no matter how much of a bleeding heart you might have, the fact remains that money is a big motivator. Most people will follow where the money is. If the Long Beach-to-Catalina Offshore Enduro suddenly announced a purse of $5,000 for July’s event, you’d see a lot more than last year’s 30 participants. That’s a fact.
But as some people follow where the money is, money only goes where the people are. Consider Facebook. It was only until Facebook’s population reached absurd activity levels that advertisements and company pages became commonplace. The money followed the flow of people.
So, what’s the solution, you ask? Easy. Get more people aware of today’s PWC. As stated earlier, all three major manufacturers participate in full scale dealer shows, where manufacturers’ products share booth space with their entire product line. This is fine, and will ensure a large cross section of possible customers, but dealer shows aren’t specific to our industry.
The Miami and Atlanta boat shows are some the Southeast’s largest boating trade shows, but aren’t specific to the PWC industry.
Now, events like the New York and Miami Boat Shows are more focused towards boating and sees extravagant displays from Sea-Doo and Yamaha alike, even RIVA Racing and SBT, Inc. are present. But those are still dealer display events, and absent are the aftermarket manufacturers. Where do they get to showcase their wares? What’s missing from the personal watercraft industry is a trade show.
Many would think that the midway of the annual World Finals would be enough, but frankly, it’s not. It’s a dusty, windblown stretch of asphalt with people yelling over a cacophony of whining engines, loud speakers, announcers and each other. The goings on in each booth are overshadowed by the action on the water.
Albeit great in its own right, the midway at the annual IJSBA World Finals is not enough to qualify it as a PWC Expo.
At a true trade show, manufacturers will have a set date each year to officially unveil their newest innovations, brand new skis, aftermarket hulls, engine components and so much else. With the automotive and motorcycle industries, test rides and demonstrations are often made available. Likewise, this can be done for PWC if the right venue is selected. San Diego, California’s oceanfront convention center is a sweet location, as is Miami, Florida.
But here’s the rub: participating in a trade show is expensive and thereby must be worthwhile. The timing, the public draw and the industry-wide appeal to bring in the most foot traffic is central to making a trade show successful. I’d suggest that Sea-Doo, Yamaha and Kawasaki wait to publicly unveil their latest vehicles for the show, as well as performance packages from RIVA and the like. This way, all eyes would be focused on the annual Personal Watercraft Expo (PWX).
But making this happen is a massive undertaking. What I’m suggesting is a major push by the American Watercraft Association – particularly on behalf of executive director Chris Manthos – to refocus the agency’s efforts to building and revitalizing the industry through organizing major manufacturers to rally together. This is already happening in other industries and now its our time.
The convergence of specific temperatures and pressures falling upon only certain locations across the globe can result in some of the largest surf conditions on record. Like a clarion call, these monster swells draw in some of the biggest talents in the surfing world. Within a few hours of news of the serge encroaching on Belharra, France, the world’s best surfers made January 7th, 2014 the first epic day of the year.
In a self-proclaimed “quick and dirty edit” by Vincent and Julie Kardasik made less than 12 hours after the paddle session, we get this soulful daylong glimpse at the world of a big wave surfer – but not just anyone, but again, some of the most recognizable names in the sport: Shane Dorian, Benjamin Sanchis, Jamie Mitchell, Grant “Twiggy” Baker, Peyo Lizarazu, Pilou Ducalme, Stephane Iralour, Justine Dupont and Seb Saint-Jean.
Most appropriately, much of this video shows how several Yamaha WaveRunners are put to use as rescue vehicles, helping keep these awesome athletes alive as they charge into these giant waves. Check out this video below:
As you’ve might’ve noticed, we’ve been bouncing back and forth between Jettribe and Slippery reviews lately. Both companies were very giving with supplying The Watercraft Journal with riding gear for this past year and we had a blast trying out all of the goodies we were given.
During the warmer months, we wore the Abram short without the suit and strongly recommend wearing either neoprene bike shorts or a protective undergarment as the material does chafe exposed skin.
It bears prefacing that we picked up a pair of Jettribe’s RS-16 Abram shorts with the sole intent of wearing them over a wetsuit. We got in the habit of wearing shorts after our first Mark Hahn Memorial 300 in 2008, and have been doing so since then. You might feel the need to do so, and that’s perfectly OK, but we felt it necessary to explain before getting into this review.
The RS-16 Abram shorts are made out of the same heavy duty nylon material Jettribe uses for several products including the brand’s tour coats, riding pants, gear bags and even jet ski covers. The proprietary material is UV resistant meaning it won’t bleach or fade in the sun and is water repellant, which is great as you won’t be weighed down with sopping wet material.
Like the PWC covers and tour coats, the Abram shorts are held together with extremely durable contrasting stitching, and feature a laced-together waistband and Velco fly. And because it’s Jettribe, the shorts include great little convenient features like a rubberized lanyard loop and a pair of large Velco-sealed side pockets.
The problem with the heavy duty material is that the shorts just aren’t very giving. Flexibility is almost nil and we found that no matter how tight we cinched the laces, the shorts would slide off when crouching low or riding aggressively. Also, we found ourselves catching ourselves on the large rubber logos stitched onto each leg.
The RS-16 Abram shorts include convenient features like a rubberized lanyard loop and a pair of large Velco-sealed side pockets.
Admittedly, this is a departure from our usual personal watercraft news, but watching a guy go for a world record for distance on a motorcycle hydroplaning over a lake is pretty dang cool no matter how you cut it.
It’s hard not to love Guy Martin. He’s nothing short of enthusiastic, passionate and jumps right out of the screen. The animated TT racer – known for his big personality and big muttonchops, Martin has made a name for himself by pushing the boundaries of what is considered possible.
If you didn’t hear, Martin’s latest stunt – as part of a series called “SPEED with Guy Martin”- trying to set the world record distance for riding a motorcycle across water. If that sounds insane, just know that Martin’s last stunt had him pedaling a bicycle at 112.94 mph behind the slipstream of a truck on a beach.
In fact, that’s Martin’s whole goal as he “undertakes a series of speed-based challenges, exploring the boundaries of physics and learning about the science of speed.” This time around, Martin, with the “help of a Cambridge professor and a team of marine engineers,” will attempt the stunt on a dirt bike.
According to the synopsis, “The final record attempt takes place at Bala Lake in Snowdonia – which is so deep a 10-storey building could be submerged in it – with Guy surrounded by an army of rescue teams and emergency divers.”
Priced at $3,500 USD, the turbo kit includes a $240 shipping cost, but that’s the bad news. The good news is that the kit includes everything you need to turbocharge your Spark, and we mean everything – that is except for a CNC adapter that needs to be welded to your Spark’s exhaust manifold; as well as a V-Tech maptuner and tuning credit.
