rstoomanyhobbie

I'm looking for a pair of skis and found an '04 F12X 3seater turbo 90hrs and '05 R12x 2seater turbo 30hrs with double trailer - both bought new and well maintained, kept indoors w/ covers, etc. for $10k firm. Kbb shows avg retail of $8200 and I figure $800 for the trailer - but have to consider the relatively low hours on them. Seems like an ok deal but then I found one (sold of course) '04 R12x with 47hrs sold for $4000 w/ trailer. Missed it though.

Thoughts on this deal? Anything to check on them other than the obvious (turbo, etc.) Hull, rubber strip trim around the skis, etc. have zero marks on them. Motors are spotless. thanks!

rstoomanyhobbie

Hmm, now I'm finding brand new '07 Turbos for $6483 out the door and listings for $6199 and $6251 but not sure that's out the door. all within driving distance for me (2-6hrs). $10K for an '04 3seat /'05 2seat or $13K for two new '07 3 seaters with warranty... ?

JimboCJ7

Tough decision. What's your budget? I'm conservative, so if I had the extra $3k I'd go new with the warranty. But, if the seller of the used skis has ALL the service records, and you can validate it with the dealer, it may not be a bad deal either. With the turbos they MUST be serviced; without documentation I would pass. Any saltwater usage on the used skis? If so, go new.

rstoomanyhobbie

Thanks Jimbo. The owner is a mechanic (car) and has done nothing on the '05 at 30hrs - said they told him to wait for the 50hr oil change. The '04 has 73hrs (not 90 that I thought) so he changed it to synthetic rotella oil and did the filter and grease. Both have had 10-15hrs of salt water - balance is local lakes. He religiously flushed them after every ride, they both do look like new in and out. I rode both today with no issues. The '04 has a macsboost "thing" and intercooler that he put on himself. He's competent.

I too plan to ride maybe 10% in salt water on these or if I buy new. If flushed - is damage really done? any way to tell?

thanks for the input.

JimboCJ7

Here's a concern---I was told by the dealer that the 10 hr service call is the most important service call. Honda warranty always asks if the 10 hr service call was done if a warranty issue comes up. Hope this helps---good luck! I love my Honda, and am sure you will too!

rstoomanyhobbie

Well, got the price down low enough to make it a "go". Time will tell. Researching the 10hr service finds a lot of variety .... the owners manual says 50hr for oil change, Maybe it's like the car dealers that package their service interval "specials" to include way more than the manual calls for. I go by the manual in those cases but for sure will be changing some oil/filters asap in these two. Now lots of reading to do to get the routine figured out. 3 cars, 2 motorcycles, a quad, mowers, etc. and now 2 PWC's to maintain.... need to make some notes .

glockm22

You did alright! Biggest problem with the honda's is changing the oil its kinda a pain in the rear, but you don't have much for maintance on them. Good Deal getting the one with the mac's boost and intercooler, heck that is over $1,000 upgrade and will or should make that ski move well. Changing the oil and spraying down the wastegate and greasing the bearing is most important after that ride and have fun. Good luck & enjoy

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mburger1

That sounds a lot like 2 I was looking at posted in Raleigh NC on CL. Are these the skis you ended up getting?
two honda aquatraq turbo jetskis

If so, mind if I ask what you ended up getting them for?

rstoomanyhobbie

Probably them. Price - well, that's a little personal. I think I did alright and glad I got to them first. Have had them out about six times now, 2-5hrs each time. Fun, fun fun. Neighbor's have boats so we meet up with them. I like the more 'couchy' F12X, my son likes the R12X. There is a HUGE difference in how these two skis ride and behave. The F is rock solid all the time. The R is a bit unstable with two on it at slow speeds until they get the hang of leaning, etc. Even the R with just me (220lbs) will fill with water and get tipsy if a big wave hits while sitting in the water. The only solution is throttle to clear out the footwells. But... the R is very responsive, fun to twist around and play in the wakes. The F pulls a skier / wakeboard effortlessly with two on the ski.

Thanks to the forum for all that I have learned to date. Fun sport and appear to be rock solid skis!

Morris

I have a R-12X and after three Seadoo XP's the Honda feels as solid as if it had training pontoons sticking way out the sides. I know what you mean, but it's all relative to what you're used to.
Enjoy it.