divergary

My 98 Seadoo GTX Limited has seized up for the second time in five years. The first time was the engine which I was told ran too lean on the rear cylinder. Now it is seized up..either the engine or jet pump. I am considering a new ski that will have 4 cycle and closed loop cooling since I run in the Gulf alot and only use in saltwater.
Looking for opinions about Honda satisfication or what brand has been more dependable.
thanks
Desires:
3 seater, storage, 4 cycle, closed loop cooling, stable for drift fishing, dry ride, low maintenance on major items...I do through preventative maintenance

Morris

I had three Seadoos before buying my Honda R-12X. Had a 94 XP, 97 XP and an 03XP. The last one especially was sexy, fast and fun, but also costly. First was the impeller and related replacement, over a grand, then the fuel pump, another 1100 bucks, so i sold it. Other than an oil change, my Honda hasn't cost me a penny.
Not much storage in the R, more in the F, but it's bigger. You can get comparison stats easy, depends on what you ride it for. My R-12X is not as maneuverable as the XPs, and is heavier, but it is still a blast and much faster. I'm not sorry I made the change, but I have no experience with Seadoo 4 strokes, so they may be more reliable.
Good luck.

divergary

I ride mine mainly to drift fish in the swells just off the beach. My wife and I drift fish for sharks and fish together on my GTX Limited so stability if a must. I read alot about Honda's being tippy compared to other brands. The F15 may be fine but not much feed back from that. I like the minimal repairs so I can spend more time fishing and riding.

Outlaw

Ok, you want an all around ski that is dependable and low maintenance. Ok that rules out Honda. Now as for Seadoo, it is the choice that has closed loop cooling for less headaches in salt water. I own three Seadoos that are all supercharged. I have had minimal warranty repairs on them. They all ride great in open water. I would recomend the GTX 155. Very dependable 4 stroke with no supercharger.

Just look through the Honda threads and you will see why it is not a choice for salt water. Waste gates stick. Expensive spark plugs,electrical corrosion to drive you nuts, OCD maintenance to just keep em runnin.

__________________
2006 RXT with RIVA STAGE THREE KIT 295 HP

2009 RXT-IS 255 HP

2008 GTX 215 HP



Land Rocket - 2003 Z06 Corvette, Chevy

Morris

^ Well that's one opinion. I had problems (as you have had) with Seadoos, although mine were 2 stroke.

As for stability, the first time I saw a Honda up close was the 3 seater model (F-12X) out on the water. I was talking to the guy riding it, a big dude at least 250 lbs. He stood up with both feet on one side and it didn't tip at all.

After 2 seasons I have not had an issue, (knock on wood) but I also spray the wastegate and the throttle linkage with lube after every use, like the manual suggests. Takes 2 minutes. I wonder if the ppl having problems with it sticking regularly lubed it?

divergary

I spray the block and all the metal including stainless steel with Seadoo lube (oil) prior to taking out. I also throughly rinse everything after use, fog each carb throughtly after last use, pull the plugs and spray lube in the cylinders and cycle the pistons a couple times. I do not have exterior corrosion issues with my routine, however the internals may be the problem. I dont run it hard since it is mainly for fishing in the Gulf. The electrical/compters have never given me a problem, only the fuel indicator which I could not care less about. I had to replace the steering cable after it broke last season. Except for the seized block 5 years ago and this current seize, I have been very satisfied. I am not motivated to replace another engine block since I dont have time for that anymore.
thanks for everyones input.

jrinjax

You can't beat the 15X for stability and reliability. You will have to maintain corrosion control just like any 'ski in salt water. I see every brand at Eric's shop and they all fall apart from being used in the salt and not being maintained properly. The 15X is a dream to drive when it gets rough.

Peter House

I replace a SeaDoo with 2 Honda's and have been pleasantly surprised. The Honda's run much better and seem to need less maintenance. I clean, flush and lube all ski's after use and have only had a small issue with the Turbo waste gate sticking. After taking it apart and freeing it up, I made a slight change to my clean and lube procedure and have had no more problems with the Turbo.

The Seadoo had a chronic problem with the voltage regulator which I replaced 5 times over the 5 years I owned it.

To be fair - the Seadoo was a 2-stroke with oil injection and the Honda's are both 4-stroke.

The only Chronic problem with the Honda's seems to be the spark plugs where 1 goes bad and must be replaced about every 10-15 hours. The ski will start stumbling intermittently and will not stay at full speed - I have learned to take out all four spark plugs and replace the one that looks different - problem solved.

jrinjax

The plug fouling issue can be helped by only cranking when you can run it long enough to warm up. The Hondas run in a very rich enrichment mode until they warm up and will foul plugs frequently. A can of Sea Foam in the tank a couple of times a season also helps.

Where do you ride in Jax? We ride Black Creek, McGirts Creek, Drs Inlet, Ortega River, Welaka, St Marys and the Suwannee.

Peter House

JR,

We live and ride mostly on the Arlington river and sometimes trailer it to a lake in crescent city.

My kids wakeboard and tube behind the F12X.