08 Speedster

[Roundtracker]

Buying an 08 Speedster 215 SC. I have heard/read enough to scare me a little such as;

>engines have a lot of problems, life expectancy if you are lucky is ten years
>Superchargers have a lot of issues
>These boats require a lot of maintenance which is expensive
>Something is always getting sucked up in them

Can anybody make me feel better about this?

 

[marc340]

it a small boat but fast after 200hr never had nothing wrong.rebuilt the sc at 100hr if you ride where it rough maybe check the sc slip at 50hr .the motor it very very good.

 

[Roundtracker]

It is rough water where I will be riding. What about thee maint. costs?

 

[Thunderkat13]

>engines have a lot of problems, life expectancy if you are lucky is ten years
This is a loaded question... If the boat is properly cared for it can last forever... If you do your routine checks on fluids and such no worries... If buying used have a full check done by a qualified mech including compression, wear ring gap checked etc..
>Superchargers have a lot of issues
Supercharger in earlier models had loads of issues due to Ceramic washers and not steel.. Plus if your some what savvy to motors and superchargers you know that its usually a driver mistake to cause a failure...
>These boats require a lot of maintenance which is expensive
Like all boats, if you dont work on them or learn to work on you pay someone else to work on them at a high rate.... most jobs 2-3 hrs labor ($70+ per hour) 85 here in Texas so keep that in mind.. Id buy a premium membership and get a digital manual and print it out for 10 bucks CANT BEAT THIS DEAL! Just read and ask questions it can save you TONS!!
>Something is always getting sucked up in them
Things getting sucked up again leads to driver and passenger awareness.... Sucking up a rope should never happen.. I mean I wakeboard behind my 2000 speedster atleast 2-3 times a week with skilled and unskilled boarders/boaters and as long as you pay a little attention and dont double back on your $60 plus dollar rope then you deserve to... Again this is an awareness factor, and point of advice is to at loading and unloading boarders/riders just kill the engine and you should never run a rope over.... As for sucking up other trash is just luck or rotten luck

Seadooforum.com is your best friend!

The above answers are just my 2 cents and advice is aplenty on here..

 

[kustomkarl]

:agree: I couldn't have said it any better...

Karl

 

[Roundtracker]

Thanks for the input. The things that I had read had me paranoid. Keeping extra sets of spark plugs for constant changes and the other things I mentioned had me second guessing. I just sold a boat that I owned for five years. It had original plugs and not one, not one mechanical problem. I did the maintenance which was little. I didn't "winterize" it ever. I'm not mechanically gifted but could fumble through some things with the right guidance.

 

[Roundtracker]

I'm also looking for a factory authorized/certied person/location in my area of North Carolina to conduct any service needed. Suggestions on how to find such a person/place are welcome. SoutheastNorth Carolina or maybe Northeast SC.

 

[Thunderkat13]

I would just call around to all of the Boat service shops in your area and ask if they have a brp certified tech....
Tell them your boat information and just ask questions...
Have they worked on new seadoo boats, whats the average turn around on repairs.. Do you have to drop the boat of to get in line, or do they have a call in list... Treat your boat just like a Sports car.. Your not going to take your corvette/mustang/camaro to a kia dealership... Your going to take it to a place where you feel confident in leaving it..

Just my 2 cents again.... and again, Id start reading the manual and you can cut your boat cost drastically. Just by learning the basics you can ensure you dont get hosed at the dealership when they suggest things you dont need done or can easily be done on your own...
Dealerships are great but at the end of the day they are out to make a buck anyway they can... ESPECIALLY WINTER and PRE-Season...

 

[kustomkarl]

The reason the seadoo forum exist is for people like you that need to learn about your seadoo and want to save money too. If you have a concern, ask away ad chances are you can get a good response to you question. The best thing is there is no such thing as a stupid question, except the one you didn't ask.

Karl