YamaDoo

Pretty accurate.

Yes but condition and recent work done plays a factor too. Best bet is too use searchtempest.com and see what the same watercraft are selling for. That will give you the best guide of what to offer.

It's a larger hull which means more stability riding and boarding in deep water. If you plan on riding with a passenger the GSX would not be the best choice.

If low maintenance is a priority I would look at a Yamaha GP1200 or GP1200r. As much as I like Sea-Doos they are maintenance queens. You have to change the jet pump oil and grease the drive shaft regularly on them. Also if you will store it in below freezing temps in the winter you have to pump anti freeze through the motor and exhaust. On Yamahas you don't have to do any of that.

dylanb

Thanks for your help... From the sound of it it sounds like a Yamaha 1200/r might be my best bet. What's the difference between the 1200 and the 1200r? Should I be targeting different years? Focusing more on hours?

YamaDoo

The GP1200 was made from 1997 and 1999 and looks like this:



The GP1200r came out in 2000 and in 2003 became the GP1300r:



The GP is lighter and a better wave jumper also has more storage space. However the GPR is more stable in the chop since it is heavier.

Just do a compression check and check the impeller for damage. The GPR will need some reliability mods to make it dependable like a D plate and Wave-eater powervalve couplers. Do a search it is common knowledge. Most 2 strokes need at least a top end job around 200 hours so that is something you should keep in mind.

Chromenut

Got my first PWC last week, well really wasn't for me, was for my daughter. She's 15, just aced her driver's test and PWC test, scoring 100 on both, so as a reward, I bought her a '96 WB760u (WaveBlaster 2). Excellent condition for an old jet ski, the guy who sold it to me has four for sale, he's got 11 jet skis total, lives on the same lake as I do.



$1100 with trailer, engine compartment is spotless, not a single scratch on the body anywhere, seat is in perfect condition, only issue I can find is the bar pad is somewhat faded.

Now I've been told that on these Waveblasters, the small oil pump on the front of the engine that mixes the 2-stroke oil with the gas, they go bad often. I'm just curious about that, as I don't want to have that engine freeze up on me.

By the way, great thread and I've never run a compression test before, was laughing at that video up front as it looks incredibly simple. I have one of those really fancy compression test tools and haven't used it ever...lol.. gonna use it now!!

northface12

I'm looking for a pair of skis that do well on lake water that can be dead calm one day and then be ultra choppy the next. I was also wondering what is a good amount of hours for a used jet ski? Right now I've got a line on matching 2002 yamaha 1200r's with 56 and 60 hours.

YamaDoo

That is very low hours. I guess anything over 200 would be considered "high." However it all depends on how it was maintained and ran etc.

northface12

Thanks, I was worried because I've heard many jet skis kick at 300 hrs.

Johnson14

Hi I'm new to this forum and plan on getting a jet ski. I am thinking about a 2006 Honda F-12 or a 2000 Sea-doo GTX ME. Anyone have any advice on these PWC's? Pro's-Con's? These will be used in fresh water.

Thanks in advance.

rxz71

The Honda, in my opinion is probably more reliable, but however, Honda isn't producing Ski's anymore so it will someday become a pain to get parts. Pick and choose.

ZARDOZ

It's been a while since anyone posted to this thread, but after looking at the questions and responses it seems that no one has said the obvious, which is: Don't buy a Tigershark, Polaris, or Honda PWC unless it is really, really cheap, beacuse they don't make them anymore. It's hard to find mechanics that will touch them if they are older and especially if they are fuel injected. It gets harder and harder to find anything but used parts. Buying those brands can make the PWC hobby more frustrating than fun.

If you are handy with a wrench, and have access to the Internet and used parts, you may want to invest a few hundred dollars in one of the brands mentioned above, but do not do so if you are a novice at PWC repair.

As to what's left, we have Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Sea Doo, which are listed in my order of preference. When talking with PWC mechanics I have been told that Yamahas and Kawasakis mainly come into the garage for routine maintenance, while Sea Doos mainly come in for repairs.

I have owned a 1996 Tigershark, which bogged down after it warmed up; a 2002 Polaris, which quit running after the fuel pressure regulator and computer chip went out; and a 2006 Sea Doo four-stroke whose engine totally puked when the timing chain broke and all the valves and rods were bent after only 47 hours of use. Now I have 2 Yamaha XLT 1200 Waverunners. I prefer two-stroke, because they are easier to work on (and easier to find someone to work on them) and the engine usually does not cost as much to repair if something goes wrong, and Yamaha because of the reliability. The XLTs are the most comfortable and stable PWCs that I have owned. If your lower back hurts after riding on the PWC for half an hour it takes a lot of the fun out of riding.

Of course, an individual needs to think of his/her particular needs when deciding on a specific brand and model, but at least try to stick with a brand that is still being made.
You have to decide about new with warranty over used without warranty, and if you go with a used PWC you need to decide two-stroke or four-stroke, then what size of PWC/how many passengers. I have found typical three seaters to be good, all-around PWCs that will haul people and tubes with ease. The ultimate in PWC ownership is to purchase a brand-new PWC, with the extended warranty, and then sell it the day before the extended warranty expires and buy a new PWC, with extended warranty, and then sell .... I think you get what I mean. But I don't have as much invested in the two XLTs that I have as a new PWC would cost.

Hope my .02 has helped. I wish I had looked at a thread like this before I purchased the Tigershark and Polaris (which I purchased together used). I would not have purchased them.

Also, I have found Flo's insurance to be the most reasonably priced. It was a lot less than adding the PWCs to my homeowner's policy or gettin insurance through the other leading boat insurance co.

Happy Boating

Zardoz


former sea doo owner, will never own one again