More than fifty riders across three race classes went head-to-head in St. Petersburg Florida, the final stop on the five-circuit SBT P1 AquaX National Championship. Riders vied for national titles and the chance to qualify for the Bahamas World Championship in November.
Sam Nehme – 200 AM Enduro class (Yamaha GP1800 SVHO)
17-year-old high school senior Sam Nehme from South Florida has been racing nearly his entire life, and is now sponsored by Broward Motorsports, Yamaha, Judge Motorsports, Cabrera Motorsports, Shoei, Jettrim, Jetpilot, Worx Racing and Wamiltons Customs.
Sam’s father (also named Sam) is the President of Broward Motorsports, a multi-location motorsports dealership in Florida. Sam plans to work at the family dealership after graduating. Sam keeps race-ready with a strict exercise regimen and regular weekend practice on his ski.
This is Sam’s first full season of AquaX racing because he was not old enough to compete in the AM 200 class. Sam did race the Ski class in AquaX previously.
According to a P1 AquaX press release, Sam has won a number of titles in both the Ski and Sport classes and for 2022 he dominated the 200 AM class, finishing more than fifty points ahead of Kevin Sullivan in second place.
When asked why he thinks he’s been so successful this season, Sam replies: “I’ve been in good shape and I’m riding a very fast and reliable ski that hasn’t let me down. It takes the combination of a great team in your pits, a fast and reliable ski and also conditioning your body to perform at maximum capacity for each 30-minute moto.”
Like all the P1 AquaX riders, Sam travels from April through to September to compete in the National Championship and then, having qualified for the AquaX Bahamas World Championship, he will be heading to Nassau in early November to race in the 300 AM class.
“I’m very excited to be competing in that class for the first time and it will be a great stepping stone for me to jump into the Pro class next season,” comments Sam.
Maaan, I really wanted to love all three of Kawasaki’s new 310-horsepower JetSkis but the 2022 Ultra 310LX-S just feels like a missed opportunity. It’s the middle child stuck somewhere between the fully-loaded, hyper luxury, equipped-to-the-eyeballs 310LX and the stripped-down-to-the-skivvies, nothing but haulin’ ass 310X (which I absolutely loved by the way. Go check out that review if you haven’t seen it already).
Sadly, the LX-S is just kinda lost in between. Sure, it’s the only model sporting Kawasaki’s iconic Ebony and Lime Green color combo, so folks are gonna flock to it. But those are the diehard Kawi guys, and they’re gonna get it because well, it’s Kawi Green. But to the layman who is just shopping around, the LX-S has little that shouts “Look at me!” any more than say the 310X or LX.
Instead, it comes equipped with three features that are – for the sake of being a little too harsh – what I would view as the least appealing of all of the LX’s luxury options, namely the reverse-facing camera, Ultra Deck extension and LED running lights.
Heck, if Kawasaki offered a mid-tier JetSki borrowing everything else from the LX – specifically the four-speaker Jetsounds 4s sound system, 3-way adjustable seat and double USB-ports in the glove box – I’d consider that a superior package than the LX-S.
That and the name itself is confusing. Adding an additional letter on top of the LX denotes some level of superiority over the top tier JetSki – but it isn’t. Instead, it’s well below it. So the LX-S is both confusing in its intended target buyer as well as what its intended for.
So who is Kawasaki aiming the LX-S at? Initially, I thought I had that figured out. Oh, I get it, it’s a towing JetSki. The reverse camera, the extended deck, the rope storage and tow eye in back… yeah, that makes sense. But then the more I thought about it, the more I was on the fence.
See, Sea-Doo’s supercharged Wake Pro pumps out 230-horsepower, which is well below that of the Kawasaki’s Godzilla-level 310 output. While 230 is enough to pull even a heavier adult rider up and out of the water on a wakeboard, the Ultra’s 310 is enough to yank their arms out of their sockets if you happen to hit the throttle too hard.
While the LX-S comes with Launch Control – what they call Kawasaki Launch Control Mode (KLCM) – it’s not designed for tempered launches with a skier or tube full of kids behind you. Instead, it’s the kind of launch control you use when you’re lined up against your buddies in a head’s up drag race. Oh trust me, it works, and can be set for a single use or multiple launches, but again, you wouldn’t want your kids on a tow rope behind you when you did it.
The Ultra Deck is a nice addition to the ski…especially, if you’re hauling a big ol’ tube to your destination of choice as it adds gobs of space to the rear swim platform. It’s plenty big enough for a rear passenger to strap into a wakeboard – so again, the LX-S felt like the perfect answer to the Wake Pro.
The rear folding swim step is lengthened for easy boarding, and a trio of hand grips act as a functional ladder for deep water reboarding. And yes, the Ultra Deck also has integrated tracks for a variety of hard-mounted accessories (none of which I got the chance to play with, so I really can’t comment on how easy they are to install or remove –sorry!).
Again, the reverse-facing camera too was one of those things that made me think the LX-S was made for tow sports. Accessible through the new 7-inch wide TFT digital dashboard that’s controlled using a jog-dial control knob, the driver can look through the screen (that self-adjusts for brightness) at the raft or skier towed behind them.
While that legally doesn’t absolve the driver from having a second person to act as a “flag man” it does allow the driver a better view behind them. Plus, the camera allows you to zoom in two more times, although the fish eye-style lens can be a little distorting.
And yes, the new TFT dash is pretty trick and offers three different display modes, black or white backgrounds, a GPS-based speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, drive mode, boost pressure, clock, power mode, compass, trim, cruise and launch control, and three engine mode settings.
These are selected by the Mode button on the left-hand side of the handlebars, you choose between Full, Middle, and Low (which is basically like using the SLO – Smart Learning Operation – key). Every time you fire up the engine, you start in Middle (or Mpo) mode, which is roughly 80-percent of the Ultra’s full power.
In Middle mode, you’ll reach the Ultra’s top speed, just nowhere as quickly as you would with the ski set on Full mode (Fpo). Low mode cuts the power down to 60-percent of the Ultra’s total potency, and basically rides like if it didn’t have a supercharger at all – which may be the right setting for towing a raft or skier after all.
Kawasaki also includes a one-touch 5mph Mode activated by a button on the right-hand side of the bars when idling, and is deactivated when squeeze on the throttle. But as I think of it, I’m sorta burying the most important addition here: the new Kawi’s got brakes.
Dubbed “Kawasaki Smart Reverse with Deceleration” (KSRD), Kawi married the throttle trigger to the brake button, so it’s one piece. When you squeeze the throttle, the brake button pushes back towards you. When you hit the brake, the trigger extends forward.
This means that the new reverse fully overrides the throttle, slowing you down by deploying the reverse gate until the Ultra comes to a standstill. When you let go of the brake, the drive mode indicator on the dash flashes to “N” for neutral. If you press the brake, it’ll switch to Reverse; and obviously, if you squeeze the throttle, the dashboard will flash to Forward.
In my view, Kawasaki did a good job coming up with something different for system that had been done twice before. All three manufacturers have their own take on brake and reverse systems, and while the Kawasaki’s is definitely the most unique, it’s not hard to get use to.
To that point, if you’re thinking I’m all down on the LX-S let me tell you, they did a LOT right with the redesign: The 5-way adjustable handlebars are back, but are redesigned with better ergonomics, pistol grip-style handgrips, improved control modules with redesigned buttons with sealed membranes, and a softer throttle spring for less hand fatigue.
Gone is the super-wide saddle too. Instead, Kawi leaned hard into making the rider as comfortable as possible with a new seat narrowed 3.15-inches at the knees. Pinching the seat at the knees means you’re not riding so spread out. Equally, Kawi revised its urethane foam padding giving you deeper hip support and improved jolt and vibration absorption too.
Since Kawasaki added the new jog dial, gone is the traditional glovebox – instead, now you’ve got two of ’em. Each of the ski’s side fairings swing up on gull wing-style hinges opening up a horseshoe-shaped 10.6-gallons of storage, with the right-side featuring a half-gallon-sized watertight box for your phone or wallet (there’s also an optional USB port accessory to keep your phone charged).
Beneath the hood is the 32.8-gallon bow storage. There’s also a molded-in pocket at the rear that adds another 2.8-liters (0.7 gallons) of “wet” storage – ideal for a tow line. And for those keeping track, that’s a total of 44.5-gallons of storage, which is a heck of lot less than the previous generation’s 60-gallons.
Yeah, you can cram a bunch of stuff in the bow, but the opening is so stinking small I fought to shove my camera bag in there. Seriously, did nobody during the testing phase bring a backpack with them? REALLY? Guys, c’mon. Open the dang thing up again.
The Ultra’s fuel capacity bumped up half a gallon to a total of 21.1 gallons. The redesign also includes new built-in cleats, splash deflectors, and enlarged rear view mirrors. There’s also some pretty deep cup holders up by the dash ensuring that you won’t lose your bottled water except in seriously rough conditions.
There’s s’more doodads and doohickeys in the LX-S that your dealer can walk you through that frankly, most people won’t ever use or even know they have. Instead, I want to touch on two of the biggest changes to the new Ultras that nobody really talks about:
First, Kawasaki went full fly-by-wire, meaning that the supercharged 1,498cc inline four-cylinder DOHC powerplant has got a newfangled throttle control and engine management system. This allows for multiple acceleration maps, smart engine monitoring and lightning-fast throttle response.
Now in its fifth year, the current iteration of the Kawasaki 1.5-liter sports redesigned forged pistons, dramatically improved engine oiling, redundant cooling circuits, and increased heat mitigation. Squeezing the 8.2:1 compression slugs is a bonkers Eaton Twin Vortices Series (TVS) supercharger cramming a ridiculous 16.8 psi (at peak RPM) down its throat.
All of that adds up to a true 310-horsepower twisting out a class leading 1,890lbs. of thrust from its 160mm axial-flow, single stage jet pump. And if none of that made any sense to you, just know that’s a metric ton of bad ass at your fingertip.
Next, while Kawasaki did reinforce the bow of the Ultra’s 22.5-degree deadrise to stiffen it up, the rest of the true Deep-V hull hasn’t been changed. It’s still the same layered fiberglass covered in durable gel coat hull that’s been dominating offshore racing for 15 years now.
Instead, the entire deck was totally redesigned – and more importantly, lowered. The new overall deck height was dropped by 1.38-inches; equally, the footwells were widened and dropped several inches, putting the rider deeper inside the hull.
This means that your body weight is closer to the waterline, allowing you to ride smoother and more predictably in whatever conditions you encounter. More importantly, this single change has unlocked the Ultra’s ability to corner sharper and at faster speeds than ever before. Hairpins, S-turns, sweeps…the Ultra 310 can knock ’em out and do so in white-capped, wind-blown chop – something nobody else can claim.
By the numbers, the LX-S didn’t stack up against its lighter kin, the 310X. The LX-S adds nearly 35-pounds to its stripped-down sibling (1,065 vs. 1,031.9-pounds). Acceleration suffered as a result, putting it nearly a whole second behind the 310X’s 5-to-65mph time of 4.77-seconds (5.65-seconds).
Top speed numbers weren’t headline news either at 66.4 miles per hour, but these were recorded at 1,044 feet above sea level with a 240-pound rider, and in mid-90 degree air on Lake Mead, Nevada. Better conditions, less fuel and a lighter rider would certainly fare better results.
Again, the LX-S is fun – and I mean a lot of fun – but that’s because of the hull, the improved ergonomics and engine management updates – all stuff found on the $17,999 Ultra 310X. The LX-S and its $18,499 MSRP still struggles to know what it wants to be.
Is it a high performance towing rig? Is it a hardcore offshore competitor? It’s not quite luxurious but it’s not exactly a stripped-down race ski either. Without a clear identity or a targeted audience, it’s hard to know how to market the LX-S besides a middle tier trim package between two extremes.
The 310LX? I get. The 310X? I totally get. But the LX-S? Hmm…I dunno. It’s just kinda there.
Personally, I don’t think that does Kawasaki any favors in today’s market. Consumers want to be told exactly what they’re getting, what it’s meant for and what to expect. In such a high demand market, skis need to say exactly what it is and what it does to stand out among the crowd. Heck, they need to scream it. And the Kawasaki Ultra 310LX-S just doesn’t say anything, and that’s a shame because it’s a really good JetSki.
More than fifty riders across three race classes went head-to-head in St. Petersburg Florida, the final stop on the five-circuit SBT P1 AquaX National Championship. Riders vied for national titles and the chance to qualify for the Bahamas World Championship in November 2022.
Jimmy Wilson – Pro Enduro class – (Yamaha FX SVHO)
The 33-year-old Yamaha FX rider from North Carolina admits he doesn’t get as much practice as he’d like, since he lives 30 minutes from the closest lake, but typically rides his stand-up ski once a week to build endurance.
Jimmy started racing in Novice Ski Stock at the age of 16, but didn’t make his AquaX Pro Enduro until Daytona Beach in 2021. “As far as Runabouts go, this is really my first significant achievement,” he says.
“I won a moto in Michigan City last year and made the overall podium a couple of times. I’m a two-time amateur world champion in the ski division, and I also have seven national titles in the ski division between Pro-Am Ski Stock and the Pro-Am Ski GP classes plus four top three finishes in in the Pro Ski at the IJSBA World Finals.”
Image: David Landro per AquaX
He loves the fact that his 2022 Yamaha FX was built and prepared by Broward Motorsports and Judge Motorsports running a Cabrera Motorsports tune. He describes having these three build his factory Yamaha FX as ‘a once in a lifetime opportunity.’
Jimmy has travelled to ten races already this year, accompanied by his young son. “My little man comes everywhere with me – it’s been that way since the day he was born,” he says.
He is about to head to Italy to compete in the UIM Aquabike World Championship in Olbia in northeastern Sardinia. This will be the first time he has raced abroad and thanks to Borgstrom Racing he will be lining up with the best riders in Pro Ski GP.
Next month he’ll be racing in the IJSBA World Finals in Lake Havasu City and he will then focus on the P1 AquaX Bahamas World Championship in early November. “I’m so freaking excited to go there to race and see where the US riders fit in amongst the best from other countries,” he comments.
Brisbane Kawasaki created a signature brand of jet ski was and flush. The products are 100% biodegradable, PH neutral and phosphate free. They offer corrosion protection, and the ingredients are derived from plants. The products include a foaming shampoo and salt remover and foaming flush and salt remover. You can order a complete package which includes one each of the jet ski wash and flush. A foaming gun and mixer adapter are included as well.
An Ultimate Flush and Wash Kit is available, too. It comes with two bottles each of the wash and flush. The products are easy to use. Mix the Jet Ski Wash with water in the foaming gun, spray, and let sit for 45 seconds. If your ski is really dirty, it may take some elbow grease and another spray to get it clean. Next, hose it off and chamois dry. The foaming gun comes apart easily, so you don’t have to take to change all the connections when you’re ready to rinse.
The flush is commercial grade, and it works well. It is safe for use on all gaskets, removes salt, and calcium deposits. It also descales the engine colling system and breaks down deposits that have built up. Simply add the flush to the mixer, plug into your ski, and flush according to your owner’s manual. These products do what they’re supposed to do and that’s to clean your jet skis.
Kawi Performance has some great tips on how to keep your Kawasaki Ultra longer lasting and running great. They recommend refreshing your engine at about 250 hours due the supercharger wearing out. This will prevent engine failure. Kawi Performance has performed extensive testing and concluded that the oil pump is the biggest wear and with it being the heart of the engine, you must take care of it by not only rebuilding the 250/260 Ultra supercharger, but also replacing all the bearings and seals. Pump bearings should be replaced seasonally. Another major proactive measure is to change the oil often on your Ultra.
Kawi Performance recommends every 10 hours on a race machine and every 15 hours on a PWC used for recreational riding. Heat and blow by are hard on race machine and the oil burns fast. This degrades the oils properties and lessens its effectiveness as a lubricant. Sludge will build up as well, making your engine work harder and eventually cause engine failure.
The oil you use is determined by your climate and water temperatures. 10W-40 is best for cold climates where the water temperature doesn’t go above 70F. 15W-50 and 20W-50 are best for warmer climates with water in the 80F and higher range. This oil has a thicker viscosity and can handle the heat better. Fully synthetic oil is recommended with high anti-wear additives to keep your watercraft well-oiled for years to come. Check out the Kawi Performance website for all the details and more on how to keep your machine running smooth so you can stay on the water longer.
Cycle Springs Powersports is taking pre-orders for 2023 Sea-Doo’s, and they are offering the Sea-Doo Pre-Order Sales Event deal. Pre-order any model 2023 Sea-Doo and get 2-years of coverage. Coverage includes a 12-month BRP Limited Warranty plus an up to 12-month B.E.S.T. Coverage. Florida residents receive 24 months BRP Limited Warranty. This promotion ends March 31,2023. Cycle Springs has the Sea-Doo Explorer Pro 170 with or without the IBR, IDF, and Sound System.
They also have the 2023 Performance line of Sea-Doo’s. These include the different RXP, RXT, GTR models of jet skis. Sparks in several different colors, sizes, and styles are available for pre-order. Whether you want a Spark Trixx 3-up with a sound system or an entry level Spark 2UP just to get wet, they’re available to order.
If you want to step it up a little, several GTI models are on offer. They are available with a sound system with a 130 or 170hp engine and come with IBR, IDF, or only IBR. The stealthy high performance 2023 Sea-Doo RXP-X Apex 300 is on the list as well. It is nice with its carbon fiber hood and the ability to lock you in with adjustable rear seat and deep knee pockets, you can rip on this machine.
If you’re looking to wet a hook and hit some hard to reach fishing holes, the new FishPro Trophy, FishPro Scout, and the FishPro Sport are available for pre-order. Head over to the Cycle Springs website and pick out your new ride as soon as possible. We recommend ordering early because the supply chain isn’t improving, and parts remain hard to find and may not even be available. All we can do is hope for the best.
Jet skis have been under a temporary ban at Worcester, Massachusetts’ Indian Lake since August of 2021 and that ban is set to expire at the end of September of 2022. Now some city council members want to make the ban permanent. The ban started because residents complained about jet ski drivers riding dangerously and scaring swimmers. Some complaints also had to do with injured wildlife.
Prior to the ban, the lake had increased law enforcement for a month, and they removed around 10 jet skis from the ramp. There aren’t enough officers certified to patrol by boat, so they banned PWC for a year. City council members Sean Rose and Candy Mero-Carlson are gunning hard for a permanent ban.
They are using safety concerns and lack of consistent police presence to push for a ban. Rose says it’s difficult to even deal with traffic and parking issues. She can’t imagine there being always being a police officer at the lake. Some members of the city council considered the possibility of banning non-resident jet skiers.
Khrystian King is for education and enforcement, though he doesn’t have a plan for how to execute his ideas. In the meantime, he thinks they should keep a ban in place until spring so they can garner more information. He is also worried about shifting the problem of PWC to Lake Quinsigamiond if the Indian Lake ban becomes permanent. The matter will now go to the city manager’s office before going back to the full council. This is a developing story, and we will update as you we garner more information.
Sea-Doo has their Pre-Order Sales Event happening now until March 31, 2023. That may seem like a lot of time but with the supply chain issues, it’s still tough to get the cars, boats, and parts we ordered earlier this year and last. These difficulties will continue for a long time, so we suggest ordering as soon as possible. When you do pre-order a new Sea-Doo you it comes with 2-year coverage. This includes a 12-month BRP Limited Warranty and a 12-month B.E.S.T. service contract.
The PWC pre-order event wouldn’t be complete without the FishPro’s on board. The FishPro Scout 130, FishPro Sport 170, and FishPro Trophy are ready for you to get your fish on! Eleven 2023 Switch models are included in the pre-order sales event. Now is the time to choose your next Sea-Doo machine. Head to the website and fill out the pre-order form, hit submit, and wait for a Sea-Dealer to contact you to complete your order. Once you pay a deposit, your new Sea-Doo will be reserved. We hope you get yours!
Sunday September 18th marks the final round of this year’s P1 AquaX Cayman Islands National Tour where around 25 riders will compete at Seven Mile Beach just north of George Town.
Launched in the UK in 2011 and in United States in 2013, P1 AquaX introduced this qualifying series to provide riders in regions not currently hosting AquaX events with the opportunity to qualify for its World Championship.
Speaking from P1 AquaX’s race center in Orlando, P1 USA Championship Manager Michelle Petro commented: “We are delighted that the Cayman Islands has become part of our international schedule and we look forward to welcoming two riders from the National Tour to our Bahamas World Championship in Nassau in early November.”
In May 2022, P1 AquaX and the Cayman Islands Watercraft Association (CIWA) partnered to host a three-round race series at two sperate venues on Grand Cayman. The National Tour features P1 AquaX Pro and Am Endurance classes with events at South Sound Beach (at the southwestern tip of the island) and Seven Mile Beach.
Image: Kelsey Rae-Smith
According to the latest press release, “CIWA provides the opportunity for personal watercraft riders to compete both locally and internationally, and the new partnership with P1 AquaX enables one Pro rider and one Am racer in this year’s National Tour to qualify for the AquaX World Championship in the Bahamas in November when the iconic Atlantis Paradise Island resort will host the three-day event. “
According to CIWA President Chris Bodden, “This new partnership is a significant achievement for motorsports in the Cayman Islands. We lined up a superb season at our two venues and we know that personal watercraft racing has a bright future in Cayman.”
CIWA made the shift from closed course to offshore endurance, and the Association anticipates that the final round of the National Tour will attract a huge crowd on the beach.
“We are looking at this as a test for potentially staging bigger AquaX events at Seven Mile Beach in the future, “according to Bodden.
Unlimited PWC now has traction mats for the 2022 Kawasaki Jet Ski SX-R. The new deck mat for the Kawasaki 1500 SX-R was recently released and is available in blue, green, orange, red, or yellow. If your color choice is sold it, the mats can be made to order.
They come in a diamond cut pattern and look sharp. The mats are put together in two layers and have superb cushioning that makes a riding a little easier on your legs.
The newest laser process is used to create the Kawasaki traction mats and it is done in such a way that you have excellent drainage on the deck. The mats will stay grippy even when wet.
An upgraded two-sided tape is used to attach the mats and goes on wrinkle free, and it has excellent adhesive properties.
The one downside is that the mats will fade over time, like most everything that spends a lot of time in the sun. They will still look great on your jet ski and will last a long time. The deck mat comes in at $251.00.
If you don’t have a new SX-R, Unlimited has traction mats for several models and years of Kawasaki Ultras. Mats are also available for a few Kawasaki STX models and Sea-Doo RXT models and years.
The traction mats are going fast, so order now! If the ones you want are sold out, they can be made to order. Happy riding!
They come in a diamond cut pattern and look sharp. The mats are put together in two layers and have superb cushioning that makes a riding a little easier on your legs.