The X4 Thread

[Matt Braley]

I'm really trying to make the move to be a X4 racer. I think I have come to love the machine more than the ride, but I still want to try my hand at it. The IJSBA tour comes back around to GA and I'm trying to get up the nerve to get out there and let the real X4 riders beat up on this old creek screamer.
I'm "going Spim" on my keepers now. By that I mean tearing them all the way apart first and putting them together myself with consideration for racing or loan riding trips. I used to just dust them off and go. You loose more than you win that way. Anyway, buying all these with all their problems has taught and still is teaching me the ins and outs of these fine vessels. BTW, I have three other running, legal non X4 Seadoo's as well.

 

[Matt Braley]

95 limited in hiding

I did pick up the XP800. Some Alabama boy just couldn't take the pink and painted it! The pick shows the pink still hiding in there around the pump. I gave the fella $600:toetap05: but it did come with a trailer with new tires. Somebody did a pretty good job making a hump seat cover for it. I can save the engine and it's never seen salt. I've made it so far with no buyer's remorse. Being all yellow the wife did not even realize that it was not our 96XP:blush:.
Myself I would love to recover the pinkish purple part of the hull. Do you guys think I could buy a tool that would remove the previous owner's paint without killing the gelcoat underneath?

 

[ocod]

I did pick up the XP800. Some Alabama boy just couldn't take the pink and painted it! The pick shows the pink still hiding in there around the pump. I gave the fella $600:toetap05: but it did come with a trailer with new tires. Somebody did a pretty good job making a hump seat cover for it. I can save the engine and it's never seen salt. I've made it so far with no buyer's remorse. Being all yellow the wife did not even realize that it was not our 96XP:blush:.
Myself I would love to recover the pinkish purple part of the hull. Do you guys think I could buy a tool that would remove the previous owner's paint without killing the gelcoat underneath?

Nice score






Again

:lol:



so that makes it "8" now




edit: Former glory. Could attachment Lous pic


http://www.seadooforum.com/showthread.php?48572-96-Expo-Limited-or-96XP-Limited&highlight=1995+xp

 

[spx800]

I don't understand why people paint these 95's, best looking one out of the x-4 graphic line up. I honestly would rather an all black hull, with the 95 pink bottom and graphics; now that would look good.

 

[Spx]

Ok quick question guys. So yesterday I was riding through this 2 mile slow no wake zone and I look back and no water was pieing out the back.... So what does that mean? How do I fix it? Note: A few little squirts came out while going fast but nothing like it should.. It ran fine still but I limped it in to the dock since I believe it has to do with cooling right?
Thanks guys

 

[Spimothy Leary]

Ok quick question guys. So yesterday I was riding through this 2 mile slow no wake zone and I look back and no water was pieing out the back.... So what does that mean? How do I fix it? Note: A few little squirts came out while going fast but nothing like it should.. It ran fine still but I limped it in to the dock since I believe it has to do with cooling right?
Thanks guys

yes, you can pull the line's and blow compressed air thru, see if that helps, and test it on the trailer hooked up to water (engine running) and see if it pisses properly then, it should be a steady stream that comes out a couple of inches even at idle.


well...
My new project (Thanks craigslist) was parked in the garage today !
locked up solid, looking thru the holes there is nothing but rusted stuck metal
time to get out the impact hammer !
if anybody needs a core, just give me a call

ps.. does anybody have a spare good 787 head laying around ? I can deal with anything up to 185 comp but I really just need a good stock head.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

I'm really trying to make the move to be a X4 racer. I think I have come to love the machine more than the ride, but I still want to try my hand at it. The IJSBA tour comes back around to GA and I'm trying to get up the nerve to get out there and let the real X4 riders beat up on this old creek screamer.
I'm "going Spim" on my keepers now. By that I mean tearing them all the way apart first and putting them together myself with consideration for racing or loan riding trips. I used to just dust them off and go. You loose more than you win that way. Anyway, buying all these with all their problems has taught and still is teaching me the ins and outs of these fine vessels. BTW, I have three other running, legal non X4 Seadoo's as well.

IMO there are no downsides except gaskets and your time, and after you do it a couple of times its not that bad. (ok well, it is a major PITA) but i've seen ski's that throw 150/150 and appear ready to run, but when you tear them down you realize that the ski was about to blow the crank, or the cyl's need a hone, etc etc. Cheapest way to save an engine is to tear it down and fix problems before they come up ! In reality IMO, its all about the crank, i've seen quite a few cranks that run fine but have a bad outer bearing that is an easy replacement and then you have a crank you feel better about

 

[Spx]

Anyone know if those mufflers would work with the 787? http://rmn.craigslist.org/boa/3048471818.html

 

[Spimothy Leary]

i've seen those on 720's and I think i've seen on on a 657 once, not sure it will work on the 787, not the same shape.... might not flow as well, and you'd probably have to modify the bracket and the exhaust outlet to make it work, I don't see the advantage

and besides... a stock 787 waterbox is pretty dam cheap these days.. no need to spend a bundle.
i probably have 3 in my parts bin but they are all over for under $50 shipped, and they paint easily too

 

[Spx]

yes, you can pull the line's and blow compressed air thru, see if that helps, and test it on the trailer hooked up to water (engine running) and see if it pisses properly then, it should be a steady stream that comes out a couple of inches even at idle.


well...
My new project (Thanks craigslist) was parked in the garage today !
locked up solid, looking thru the holes there is nothing but rusted stuck metal
time to get out the impact hammer !
if anybody needs a core, just give me a call

ps.. does anybody have a spare good 787 head laying around ? I can deal with anything up to 185 comp but I really just need a good stock head.

Worked great, thanks for the advice!

 

[Matt Braley]

I was wrong to buy the 95 XP800. I have the skills to make correct decisions but get too excited and allow myself to become too optimistic. I fell for the "needs a top end" again. Well, after things slowed down and I got a little alone time with it I found some up and down play on one of the rod bearings:cuss:. So I look around and see a ugly, home painted-then faded, broken engine basket case havin, on a ugly trailer(with new tires at least) Alabama turd ski. That's right, the usual: tank full of 10 year old TCW-3, VTS only clicks, single gauge hood has no gauge, stock stem but with what looks like bars off some some kids Huffy. $600 was just to deep for a guy that knows to be in this.

So here's what I did. I bought a 97GSX with no title for $400 and tore the 787 out of it:drool5:. The guy said it was a Dr.'s ski and ran perfect two years ago and the only problem was it wasn't charging. Well, she was a tad salty inside, full of 10 year old TCW-3 and one of the cylinders was blown. At least the bottom end seems usable. I can also use the pump.

By 7pm last night I had a good shortblock built out of the two engines. I called the ski-parter-outer dude that set me up with the XP800 deal and he is going to hook me up on gaskets and seals I need that he is a Pro-Marine dealer on. He also gave me a 95XP hull I need because I have one cracked around the pump mounting area. Now I'm gonna trade parts I could use for the 97GSX carcass. So I am working my way out of the whole I bought myself in. Maybe I'll paint it some unique color cause it can't get much uglier.

 

[spx800]

I was wrong to buy the 95 XP800. I have the skills to make correct decisions but get too excited and allow myself to become too optimistic. I fell for the "needs a top end" again. Well, after things slowed down and I got a little alone time with it I found some up and down play on one of the rod bearings:cuss:. So I look around and see a ugly, home painted-then faded, broken engine basket case havin, on a ugly trailer(with new tires at least) Alabama turd ski. That's right, the usual: tank full of 10 year old TCW-3, VTS only clicks, single gauge hood has no gauge, stock stem but with what looks like bars off some some kids Huffy. $600 was just to deep for a guy that knows to be in this.

So here's what I did. I bought a 97GSX with no title for $400 and tore the 787 out of it:drool5:. The guy said it was a Dr.'s ski and ran perfect two years ago and the only problem was it wasn't charging. Well, she was a tad salty inside, full of 10 year old TCW-3 and one of the cylinders was blown. At least the bottom end seems usable. I can also use the pump.

By 7pm last night I had a good shortblock built out of the two engines. I called the ski-parter-outer dude that set me up with the XP800 deal and he is going to hook me up on gaskets and seals I need that he is a Pro-Marine dealer on. He also gave me a 95XP hull I need because I have one cracked around the pump mounting area. Now I'm gonna trade parts I could use for the 97GSX carcass. So I am working my way out of the whole I bought myself in. Maybe I'll paint it some unique color cause it can't get much uglier.

All black!

 

[Spimothy Leary]

All black!

agree, darth vader all the way !

 

[Matt Braley]

You guys made me think of this bad boy that I saw at the races. I didn't meet the rider but the roster said he was 44. That felt good to see cause I'm getting up there too.

 

[THEREVIVAL]

How long can you guys ride your skies before needing to fill it up? I know online it says 45 minutes for a full tank at full throttle. But what's a good est. of time for us normal drivers who are not at open throttle the whole time?

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

 

[Spimothy Leary]

How long can you guys ride your skies before needing to fill it up? I know online it says 45 minutes for a full tank at full throttle. But what's a good est. of time for us normal drivers who are not at open throttle the whole time?

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

40ish to 45 miles. so if your running at half throttle with a few bursts her and there your good for an hour and a half or so. When I ride I almost always have at least a 5 gallon tank in my trunk, i ride for about 40 minutes to an hour, circle back to the ramp & top off, then ride until I get low on fuel, so I maybe get 2.5 hours actual ride time in with 14 gallons. avoid long WOT runs they suck a lot of fuel and IMO shorten the life of the engine.

Sent from my HP Desktop computer using a wireless keyboard

 

[WhiskeyD]

How long can you guys ride your skies before needing to fill it up? I know online it says 45 minutes for a full tank at full throttle. But what's a good est. of time for us normal drivers who are not at open throttle the whole time?

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

I get about a hour of ride time on my 96 XP. That's with a couple slow no wake zones too.

 

[hypersniper2010]

ok so i bought my girlfriend a 96 seadoo hx for $500.00 yeaterday and brought it home and threw it right in the lake. very fast and very tippy. ski ran like a raped ape and was fast. cut threw the water great. but when i slowed down and came to the dock it got all wiggly and tippy so i went to turn the bars and gave it a small shot to correct it and i unded up crashing into the dock and getting pinned under it. i have alot of riding experience, she does not. ski is for sale on craigslist. so anyways i start looking for something else and come across this 95 seadoo xp , trailer and cover for $800.00. made an appointment to go see it and when i pulled up it was in the driveway under a cover. knocked on the door and we went out and he uncovered it :cheers::thumbsup:i couldnt peel off the hundreds quick enough... mint mint mint ski. 1 owner always covered and garaged and winterized. hit the button and roared to life......... the bar pad is the cleanest i have ever seen and the hood still sparkles...

 

[73watermutt]

WOW man, that thing is CLEAN!!!!

 

[spx800]

So, 500.00 for the HX?

 

[WrensLawnCare]

Man if he was closer I'd probably hop to that hx myself!

 

[Stunnerable]

Wow! That 95 XP is pretty much perfect!!!

 

[skewba98z28]

No doubt! I've been wanting one to play around on myself.

 

[Minnetonka4me]

Dude I hear ya. I thought I had mine on while I was riding back to the boat ramp. I rounded the point right in front of the party cove on the lake I was on and here came a big cabin cruiser plowing the water. I hammered it towards his wake and got the biggest air i've ever got on a ski. It wasn't pretty because I hit the wake at a weird angle and the ski kicked sideways in the air throwing my right foot out of the foot well. When I landed I ate the bars with my chin and banged my knee on the hull pretty bad, but I stayed on and didn't wipe out right in front of party cove :lols: Anyways I got back to the ramp only to find the gopro was off :cuss: Anyways I see the need for the hydro turf lift wedges and some sort of foot wear now.

What kind of footwear do you guys wear?

Im down with the jet Pilot ones I wear; the Jettribe ones are really nice too. Just know they last about 3 years before they get ratty.

I used to wear water shoes but never found a pair that gave me a really solid grip on the turf... so...
i generally go barefoot with a pair of flops shoved into the storage bin, and ya, we've all ate the bar's at one point or another when hitting a big wave, and i've limped from the ramp to my car more than once with an ankle or knee hurting like hell, fortunately i've never hurt anything serious, but i've missed a weekend before due to bumps and bruises, and some serious calf rashes. I always worry about really big air since I have a bad rotator cuff, and i've known guys to pop shoulders and that hurts like hell (popped mine a couple of times but never when riding).
any answers for the calf rashes ? my daughter and I both get them when we ride on 4' + seas and besides wearing some kind of protection on my calf itself (and the weird tan i'd get from it), I can't seem to get away from it.
I'm also in the process of installing some footwell wedges for the ankles, had a friend order a set of b stock turf so I finally was able to cut a couple of pieces

I just shred my feet if I dont have the shoes. On the calf rub buy the ride shorts with the neoprene liners. Jet pilot makes a few styles. Also after the damage is done, udder balm from a farm store works wonders. I use it on everything...even chapped lips.

Have any of you guys ran a 2inch rise jet trim seat with stock bars. I was just wondering how the fit and clearance was. Thinking about picking one up.

Love mine...my fave.

I have 7 X4's at the moment. I need to sell 3 actually. I just keep finding better ones. This last one found me.

I just picked up another pair on a double aluminum trailer for $1350...one is locked up...one is in good working order. That makes 3 working ones, 3 non working ones, and 3 hulls...thats just X-4s...lol I also have 3 customer x-4s.

I just sold a 95 800 to a buddy that already had one...he now has two near mint ones on a trailer, and another with a 98 SPX and a 96 XP. I gotta get some pix you X-4 addicts will sheeiiit yourselves...

Found one from our ride last weekend....yes thats a 98 with a 99 hood and bar cover...and a 2" rise JT seat.

 

[WhiskeyD]

OK guys I need a second opinion on this one... I've got a practically mint condition 96 XP with the stock graphics and seat. Everyone thinks its ugly as hell and I can also see much room for improvement after seeing some skis on here (especially minnetonka4me's and his carbon fiber hoods) but I feel bad and wasteful about ripping off such mint graphics on a ski of this age. Its always been garage kept so the graphics are not the slight bit faded, even the hood's XP logo still shines. The yellow and pink is just not my style, I much prefer the 99 SPX colors. So... Should I break down and destory an absolute mint piece of history, or rock the pink graphics and show everyone on the lake what a pink X4 800 is all about? The funny thing is the lakes around here are soo crowed that even 99% of the big stable land yatchs (rxps, gprs, etc) wont run a constant 50+ through the massive waves where as I refuse to let off WOT on my pink machine... I swear I spend more time in the air than the water LOL