Video: Speedmagic’s Incredible STX-15F Powered SX-R Standup Skis

Listen, we’ve all wanted to see it come to reality and some of us (look directly in the mirror) have even made compelling arguments as to why Kawasaki should get back into the standup JetSki game (after mothballing the program in 2011). It all comes down to getting a reliable 4-stroke inside of the stellar SX-R, and doing so at a minimal cost. We’ve bandied about the notion of dropping the featherweight Ninja H2 998cc mini-Ultra engine into the standup hull so much so that Kawasaki has asked us to “move on” from the subject.

But how about shoehorning the massive 1,498cc naturally-aspirated four-cylinder 4-stroke from the entry-level STX-15F? The engine has definitely proven itself both recreationally and on the field of battle, but how would the hefty plant fit into a standup? Well, the geniuses at Speedmagic seem to have mastered it. OK, it’s very likely that many of you have seen this conversion before, but the company from Osaka, Japan has taken great strides to streamline the process. And they’ve added a very cool Kawasaki X2 to the conversion kit.

That’s right, whether it’s a standup SX-R 800 or a X2 800, you can get all 180 horsepower from Kawasaki’s 1.5L STX in a far smaller platform. From engine mounts, fuel tanks and pump setups, Speedmagic is cranking out everything to make the conversion that Kawasaki won’t build available at your fingertips. Prices on the conversion are a little hard to dig up as every conversion is a little different from the next, so just expect it to not be cheap.