Well, it was bound to happen, right? With Kawasaki’s widely lauded and ferociously anticipated return to the world of standup JetSkis, the new 1.5L 4-stroke STX-15F powered SX-R has enthusiasts and racers alike itching to get their hands on the new machine. Already, starting lineups are filling with new SX-Rs; beaches are seeing more and more of the new, long and linear machines; and specialized and modified race classes are suddenly restocking with fresh talent. Has the SX-R changed the industry in the same way that Sea-Doo’s Spark has? It’s far too soon to tell.
But what has happened is that aftermarket parts designers, tuners and builders are quickly jumping on the new standup. Japan’s famous Unlimited PWC Parts has been building previous SX-R 800s with STX-15F running gear for years, so when the new SX-R came around, they started the race with a bit of an advantage. Now, just to make things interesting, the company teased some images of a hood and steering kit to transform your new SX-R into a quasi X-2.
We say “quasi” because as many will note, the original X-2 units had a narrow sport seat with open footwells, unlike this kit which retains the factory deck and only replaces the handlepole and hood. Whether Unlimited or Kawasaki themselves will offer a true X-2 1500 in the future remains unclear (although, man. It sure would be easy). Until then, we’ll just have to make due with this.
