The Achilles’ heel of the Kawasaki Ultra JetSki has been its plastic steering neck. Considering the rough water prowess and how the ergonomics of the 2022-and-newer Ultras encourage standing up while riding in heavy chop, the molded plastic steering neck is equally loose and fragile to hard impact.

…Aaand without a 310R model to provide a factory supplied aluminum steering neck option, RIVA Racing sought to solve this issue. In a brilliant collaboration with Idiartec out of Urcuit, France; RIVA just announced this race-proven Pro Series steering system for the modern 2022-and-up Kawasaki Ultras.

Ran throughout the 2023 P1 AquaX season on Camden Powell’s Ultra, this RIVA/Idiartec design is CNC carved from billet aluminum radically improving strength and rigidity, with a precision feel thanks to the sealed bearing.

Equally, the bosses feature a removable collar allowing the neck to accept either standard 7/8″ and 1 1/8″ “fat” bars. If precision steering feel and assurance that you’ll never snap your steering neck is a must, RIVA Racing’s new Pro Series Steering System ($1,199.95) is right for you.

Key Features:

• Billet aluminum construction delivers superior strength & rigidity
• Accepts all popular 7/8″ handlebars and 1-1/8″ Fat Bars
• Precision machined steering arm
• Cutting-edge race styling
• All aluminum parts anodized to prevent corrosion
• Fits 2022 & newer Ultra models
• Co-designed with Idiartec Factory

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Sometimes, progress marches forward. Other times, it leaps. RIVA Racing just revolutionized how tuning, servicing and monitoring your personal watercraft’s performance can be done (and costs) thanks to its new Maptuner NANO and My Maptuner app for your Android or Apple smartphone.

While the MaptunerX remains a vital tool for dealers, service centers and performance shops, as a single handheld tuner can operate RIVA’s Dealer Service App and store literally thousands of different vehicles’ tuning files – the new NANO places the power of the full-sized tuner in a compact, thumb-sized dongle.

The NANO plugs in directly to your Sea-Doo’s diagnostic port or to your Yamaha or Kawasaki using a designated HDMI harness. Once paired to the My Maptuner app (downloaded to your Android or iOS phone) via Bluetooth, you can reflash, tune, monitor and clear fault codes through your phone on the fly!

By purchasing a license for the vehicle that you want to program, the NANO gains access to RIVA’s massive Tuning Library. Getting started is a cinch, and with RIVA’s unmatched technical support, anyone will be able to switch between performance tunes and back to stock settings within a few minutes.

Even without a tuning license, the NANO provides services like clearing fault codes, live monitoring (through your phone) and for Sea-Doo applications, doubles as a Speed Control Override (SCOM) for all 2018-and-newer 300 models, starting your Sea-Doo in Sport mode every time! [Additionally, RIVA anticipates having full SCOM capabilities for the new 325-horsepower Sea-Doo models by January 2024. – Ed.]

Above left: The Sea-Doo NANO application does not require a harness as it plugs directly into the factory diagnostic port, making for a waterproof connection. Above center & right: The Yamaha and Kawasaki NANO applications are slimmer by design, but require a separately sold model-specific HDMI cable to operate.

Priced at two-thirds the cost of a traditional MaptunerX, the Maptuner NANO saves customers nearly $200; and when “bundled” with the harness and tuning license, shaves off another 10-percent. Oh, and the My Maptuner app is completely free and has some functionality even if you don’t own a NANO.

The possibilities of unlocking the most potential from your modern PWC just made a quantum leap forward and you get to benefit from years (and millions of dollars’ worth) of development and effort. Check out RIVA Racing’s new Maptuner page today to learn more about this amazing breakthrough.

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If you missed last week’s The Watercraft Journal IRL podcast with FuelTech’s CEO Anderson Dick, you are literally costing yourself the most exciting education on top tier performance. Over the course of 110 minutes, Dick walked WCJ’s Editor-in-Chief Kevin Shaw and Greenhulk Garage’s Greg Gaddis through several engineering failures of the current 1,812cc and 2024 1.9L engine offerings from Yamaha Motor Corp., and how the global innovator has addressed them.

During testing, FuelTech’s chief discovered serious fluctuations in the SVHO’s oil pressure. It turns out that the Yamaha engines suffer from severe oil cavitation specially under hard deceleration, starving sensitive areas of the engine of vital lubrication (including the supercharger, shaft, clutches and valvetrain). This oil starvation was traced back to the pan’s oil pump suction tube not having proper oil supply.

Above: Compare the massive 10 quart volume of the FuelTech pan (left) compared to the constrictive 5 quart factory Yamaha oil pan (right). The factory pan blocks off the oil pickup tube’s “cage” with a solid plate and thick barriers. The FuelTech pan allows for far, far superior oil collection with a deeper pickup catch and directional “trap doors” than keep the cage perpetually full of oil.

The factory oil pan and “pickup” tube is exceptionally restrictive, allowing the pump to draw up pockets of air in extreme conditions (hard lateral g’s). FuelTech worked closely with Jose Luis from BK Built (y’know, the fastest jet ski holding the world record at 142mph) to develop this billet oil pan design that fixes the oil cavitation. CNC machined from a single slab of billet aluminum, FuelTech’s Billet Oil Pan fits all 1.8L and 1.9L Yamaha PWC engines.

FuelTech more than doubled oil capacity to 10 quarts allowing increased oil life; added (4) “trap door” directional flaps that permit oil to flow naturally to keep the cage filled at all times.

FuelTech also radically redesigned the suction tube by increasing the tube’s volume and added a 90-degree pickup that pulls oil lower than the stock unit.

Oh yeah, and Fuel Tech included a proper drain plug that allows a suction hose to be attached to fully drain the pan.

And since it’s a solid piece of billet aluminum the design provides structural reinforcement for the engine block, which if you’re pushing some serious horsepower will keep the stress from cracking the factory block.

Here’s the point: FuelTech’s Billet Oil Pan ($1,699) absolutely resolves the several oiling issues with the Yamaha 1.8L and 1.9L. That kind of ingenuity ain’t cheap; big boy horsepower requires big boy payola.

In recent weeks, performance Sea-Doo enthusiasts have experienced a few highs and lows when it comes to tuning the new 325-horsepower RXP-X and RXT-X. While freeing the ECU of its speed control is possible it’s expensive and time-consuming. Equally, wholly unlocking the 325’s potential is only possible by replacing the ECU altogether, and installing several thousands of dollars’ worth of additional hardware.

Then comes Kspeed with an incredibly simple plug-and-play handheld tuner that frees up the supercharged 310-horsepower Ultras within 10-to-15 minutes. The Watercraft Journal first hinted of the tuner at the beginning of October, and fully revealed the Kspeed Tune Box a little over two weeks ago. Since then, inquiries into the Tune Box have been huge and performance Kawasaki enthusiasts are champing at the bit to get one.

And because Kspeed is always trying to answer questions before you ask them, they went ahead and documented a real time reflash of an Ultra using the Kspeed Tune Box in a video attached below. This should held take a little of the fear out of some folks who want to reflash their ECU but are scared of screwing something up in the process. The video is absurdly simple to follow and should equip the most hapless with the steps to tune their JetSki.

It’s not a pairing you would expect – but like french fries and a chocolate Frosty – Radinn Electric Jetboards has partnered with the new Volkswagen ID. The collaboration happened when Volkswagen released the new VW ID Electric Bus. The new ID takes fromthe old school VW bus – an iconic part of the 1960s surf lifestyle – and reimagines it in electric form, making for a perfect partnership with Radinn as both companies push the electric surf revolution.

The Radinn crew was able to pack the tiny Volkswagen ID with a surprisingly large amount of cargo. The interior held a fully loaded Radinn board bag, wetsuits, and other gear, while the racks on top easily held a full Radinn board bag. With all your gear safely stowed, you’ll be ready to hit the road in search of the perfect surf spot – and with Radinn, you don’t even have to find the perfect wave.

That’s the beauty of an electric surfboard; no waves are required. You can roll up to your local lake and get your surf on. If you’re on the road exploring and spy a little spot that’s tucked away, you can check it out and go for a secret ride. The Radinn X-Sport is made for exploring those less accessible spots that may require a hike through the woods. The X-Sport is their most durable board and can take a beating, making it great for explorations.

Radinn Electric Jetboards and Volkswagen even put together a video to demonstrate the joys of VW microbus ownership and the thrill of riding electric Jetboards. The new bus will not be available in the United States until 2024, but you can check out the complete lineup of Radinn boards available now, and sign up on the VW website to get US release date notifications.