[crazybob]

I just bought 2 2000 xl1200ltd 3 seaters. my buddy has 2 2002 xl800's. we took them out yesterday and noticed that mine did not handle the same as his. mine where unstable but turned very sharp. his are much more stable but turns more slow. The hull is exactly the same. The only thing i see different is the sponsons or fins...mine are shorter and a little round and his are flat..Could this do it???

Thanks in advance..

Bob

 

[Ernest T]

Yea. Did the original owner modify the sponsons, intake grate or ride plate? Or did your buddy modify his to make it more stable? Changes in the sponsons, intake grate, and ride plate may significantly change the ride and turning characteristics. You can put on a new set of sponsons or some of them allow you to raise or lower them to get more or less bite in the turns.........but new ones are expensive IMO.

There are other things to consider........weight of rider, how is the ski trimmed (is the nozzel out of trim?), amount of fuel in tank, where the center of balance is on the ski (they may have the same hull, but be balanced differently), etc..

 

[crazybob]

how is the ski trimmed (is the nozzel out of trim?

what does this mean????

 

[Outlaw]

Just a thought, could the fact that the twelve hundred motor vs the eight hundred motor make any difference as in more thrust from the twelve hundred making the back end fish tail easier? Maybe too much throttle.:dunno:

 

[crazybob]

it does it a lot after full throttle than letting off...also it was weird me and my 7yr old daughter was on it and we where just putting around about 15mph and it out of no where it leaned over to the right and I had to gas it to bring it back up..

 

[Ernest T]

how is the ski trimmed (is the nozzel out of trim?

what does this mean????

I'm pretty sure that model has a trim control (twist grip on the left handle bar). If the nozzel is trimmed up or down it will give you more or less bite in the turns. It is possible for the trim control to need to be adjusted over time to make sure the nozzel is actually in a neutral position when you have it in neutral.

Generally if the bow is trimmed down you will get more "hook" or bite in the turns. You will get less responsive steering if the bow is trimmed up. If you are carrying a passenger try a different trim setting to see what you prefer.

it does it a lot after full throttle than letting off...also it was weird me and my 7yr old daughter was on it and we where just putting around about 15mph and it out of no where it leaned over to the right and I had to gas it to bring it back up..

Adding a passenger will significantly affect how the ski handles turns.......the ski will feel more sluggish and less balanced.

Outlaw is right, with a different engine you are comparing apples to oranges and the thrust will also be a factor.

 

[Cruiseduck]

VX Cruiser

I'm also a newbie at this sport. Just bought a 2010 VX Cruiser. The steering seems to be sloppy according to a friend that is an experienced rider. Also several times when going around 20 to 25 I have felt a sudden pull to the right. What would cause that?

Wish I had known about the Trim feature on the other models before buying the VX Cruiser.