[oosagi_chan]

Ok....been lurking for a while and am really getting the itch to purchase a couple of ski's. I have found two seperate Honda's (non turbo) that have relatively low miles in my part of the world. (Kansas City, MO) They have 35 and 50 hours. One is a three seater one is a two seater. They are of the F-12 variety.

Aside from actually going to do an in person inspection, I have been trying to research the brand and the model to see if they are reliable. My wife and I don't need a couple of lake burners, we more would like them to run around on and just have a bit of fun.

Honda has always had a high reliability mark in my mind, not sure if that is just marketing brainwashing at work, but I have always believed the company to put on quality products.

I realize they no longer build ski's but I am wondering if that is REALLY that much of an issue? With these being non turbo, my assumption is that they definitely will have less that can fail on them in long run.

So with that I leave the following question to you all the mighty and wise of the PWC world......

Are Honda's to be avoided like the plague due to reliability issues and the fact that they are no longer being made, or is it just that many prefer to buy new and/ or a product that has more potential to be modified by aftermarket vendors?

Please help a newbie out. Really would prefer some Honda guys (if there are any out there) to weigh in on this topic.

I get that Yamaha's and the Sea Doo's are reliable and fast as @#$% but are the Honda's REALLY that awful?

Thanks so much!

 

[Ernest T]

The non-turbo Hondas are very reliable. I don't think you could go wrong with one as far as that. Finding a qualified mechanic down the road may be more difficult than for the other skis, but there will always be someone around that can work on them. The turbo models have had some issues with corrosion, especially when used in salt water. I think you could keep a turbo model running fine on a lake if you took some time with maintenance.

I would highly recommend that you ride the skis before you buy. IMO the Honda F12 models ride a lot like the Yamaha VX. My wife did not like the ride.........too bouncy and wet for her compared to other skis we tried. You can definitely find some great deals on used Hondas out there.......when Honda stopped production resale values fell significantly.

 

[NEH]

too bouncy and wet for her compared to other skis we tried.

What was the least wet and bouncy you found?

 

[Ernest T]

What was the least wet and bouncy you found?

If you want a hull that will cut through chop rather than bounce over it, I don't think anybody can beat the big Kawasaki skis. That is one reason they are so popular for the open course racing. Second choices would be the Yamaha FX series hulls (including the SHO), which have a moderate deep "V" shape along with SeaDoos S3 hull. Definitely consider one of these skis if keeping your wife's hair dry is in the buying decision, like it was for me.:laugh:

 

[oosagi_chan]

Well getting wet is half the fun we are looking for...but I am finding myself leaning more and more towards the Seadoo's and Yami's just because I would prefer to take them to a dealer to have them worked on if it is needed, as well as for the documenation process if we decided to ever upgrade.

Currently looking at the GTI SE 155, and the VXR's. I really like the idea of how the SD's have the reverse and neutral set up on theirs, but the power that can be achieved from the VXR is amazing as well.

I will be riding the Lake of the Ozarks. Huge lake (I mean HUGE) and after the initial rainy season in the spring, the lake is really clear...very little debris or sediment in it at all.

Should I be concerned then with open loop vs. closed loop cooling? I plan to flush the engine after each ride, or at least at the end of a weekend.

Any advice regarding flushing would be great as well....should that be something that I have to consider in a freshwater situation? And how anal should I be about it?

 

[Ernest T]

I spend most of my time on a fresh water lake, and I only do a flush at the end of the season when I'm getting ready to winterize it = once per year. Yamaha skis have a screen over the intake port that stops most debris from getting sucked into the cooling system (sand is an exception), and flushing won't do a whole lot more than running the ski in the lake would do.

The closed loop cooling system is just something else to have to maintain or have go wrong. It is not needed in fresh water, and many would tell you the same for salt water.....the SeaDoo guys will probably bash me for this. I wouldn't let the closed loop system sell you the ski.

As far as the reverse on the skis. It takes about 3 minutes to learn how to pull the reverse out 1/2 way to put it in "neutral" on Yamaha and other brands of skis, and you can maneuver any ski with reverse just like they show in the SeaDoo ad. with a little practice.

 

[oosagi_chan]

That is what I was inclined to think as well. It is really a tough decision when it comes to buying these things! LOL.

Thanks so much everyone for your input and opinions. It is greatly appreciated. I think I am just going to start looking around for two VRX's and will go from there. I like all the features on the SD's but I just don't know about all the costs that could occur with all the technology that is on them.