psubill78

I'm looking at a pair of ski's that are advertised on craigs list.

Any thoughts on this model year of these 2 skis? Anything to watch out for? Any words of praise on these units?

Thank for any suggestions!

Ernest T

The 1300r is a 2 seater with fuel injection and power valves. The xl1200 is a 3 seater with carbs. and power valves. Good news is that I believe Yamaha had sorted out the power valve problems on the 2003 and later skis.

The 1300r is a fast ski really designed for 1 rider. It will hit around 65 mph stock at around 7100 rpm, and the only drawback I know of is it is known to be a fuel hog.

The xl1200 is more of a family ski. It will do around 56-57 mph stock at around 7000 rpm.

I don't know of any particular issues, but they are both 2 strokes, so doing a compression check in addition to a test ride is an important part of the evaluation process. I'd also want to know how recently the carbs on the xl have been cleaned/rebuilt. I recommend avoiding 2 stroke skis with 150 hours or more on the original engine for new buyers.

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2008 Yamaha FX HO Cruiser
2010 Hurricane Sundeck 2100

psubill78

Thanks for the feedback. These are both lower hour units (under 75 hours each).

I plan to get compression testing done, however, with it being winter, a water test is going to be tough. Does a compression test & a full mechanic check up protect me enough?

Ernest T

Well there is no way to verify the pump is functioning properly without putting the ski in the water and riding it. You really can't completely check the engine either, since its not a good idea to run it wide open out of the water.

I'd say you would be OK if a qualified mechanic verifies them, but there is no way to know for sure without a test ride.

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2008 Yamaha FX HO Cruiser
2010 Hurricane Sundeck 2100