New '04 GTI LE owner with a couple of questions.

[roverjohn]

I just bought this machine with the hope of it pulling me up and down the MO river on a wakeboard. So far so good as it pulls me up out of the hole no problem but I'm wondering if there is anything I can do to make pull even harder so maybe I could deep water start on a slalom ski. My machine has the 718cc twin with a carb. I did a compression test before buying and got 155lb in both cylinders. It will run 42mph with just me on it(235lb) and about 39mph with about 440lb on board. Does this sound right? A friend of mine thinks it should run closer to 50mph with just me on it. I don't mind spending the dough if a new stainless impeller or a grate would noticeably improve the performance. Top speed is less important to me than good pulling power between zero and 30mph.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance, John

 

[seadoosnipe]

Performance!.......

From everything your saying, this ski is running at and beyond the capacity it's rated for. The 717cc engine is not a really high performance engine, so for you to be getting the speeds and wakeboarding, you've got a good running craft. I don't think there is much you can do to build much more power from this engine. Sure, you can get a new impeller or do a little modding, but I don't think you'll get your monies worth in doing so.

The total weight capacity of this craft is only 536lbs., so as you can see, your already nearing the weight limit. Speed? You can't go by the speedo. You can line up 10 different skis of the same year and model and each one would probably get a different reading. The only way to get a true test is with a GPS........

I think, for the year and performance you've described, this ski is doing a great job on what it's designed for..................:cheers:

 

[roverjohn]

Thanks for the reply. I did use a gps to get the speed reading and was kind of shocked to get almost the exact same reading on the speedo. The machine seems to do what I need it to so I'll wait for any mods and just enjoy it. I've been told there are a few tricks relating to giving the sled a little jump start before it feels the skier's pull that helps in getting a skier out of the hole. Do you know how this is done? I don't think the driver could stay in a straight line with someone like me slaloming behind it so maybe I'll stick with the wakeboard.

Thanks Again, John

 

[Wire4Money]

My friend has one of these. His tops out about the same. I swear it should be faster, my 94 spx and 95 gtx with the 657 will both leave it behind.

 

[seadoosnipe]

I slalom....

I slalom and the way I get up, is stand close to the shore, with my ski on in about 8 to 10 inches of water. Then, I pull about 4 loops of rope into my hand. Then, nod for the drive to hit it. When he takes off, the loops in my hand are let go. Then, just as I see the rope becoming tight, I step up and onto the top of the water.

This gives the ski time to build a bit of forward momentum before the weight is applied. You cannot do this while sitting in the water in a floating position. Which is also going to be harder on the ski to pull you up, since the forward momentum is what allows the pump to build pressure in the low pressure side of the intake.:cheers:

 

[roverjohn]

That technique probably wont work for me as it's pretty tough to 'slip into' a rear boot after you take off. I won't mind at all if all this sled will pull is wakeboarders. I've got a '82 Ski Supreme that will pull anything. The Seadoo is for quicky trips to the river and I think it will be perfect for that. I'll keep my eyes open for a Solas impeller on Craigslist or something and just ride till then.