Useful seadoo information

[griz400]

Sea-Doo GTS: Price-Point Performer
Sea-Doo's redesigned GTS raises the standard for economical three-seaters


Sea-Doo's GTS offers exceptional value for an entry-level three-seater.
It could be a sign of the times, but the attention Sea-Doo is putting into its low-end three-seaters is a boon for those on a budget. In a year when it did little more than tinker with the rest of its lineup, Sea-Doo redesigned its modestly priced three-seaters, turning them into real bargains. This is especially true of the low-end GTS. Traditionally, this segment has been home to rental units and also-rans — watercraft that worked but did so in a pedestrian manner.
However, with its new makeover and, more importantly, its new hull, the GTS has shed that pedestrian quality and replaced it with more than a little pizzazz.
The key is the new hull. Based on last year’s high-performance RX model, the new fiberglass-reinforced hull features a semi-V design that provides a nice balance between performance and comfort. The multi-strake design also allows the GTS to get up on plane in a hurry and stick in turns, but the design is simple and elegant enough avoid the bow hunt and jarring ride of most multi-angled hulls.
Although the GTS is relatively small for a three-seater — at 121 inches, it’s 3.1 inches shorter than last year’s version — the steeper entry angle on the hull allows the craft slice through heavy chop better than last year’s model. It is also rock solid in turns, with none of the sliding you get with the old hull design.


Closer look


When combined with Sea-Doo’s proven 85-horsepower, 720 series Rotax marine twin, it makes for a fairly impressive package, considering the cost. By now, every Sea-Doo fan should be familiar with the 720 engine. As in the past, the 718-cc, oil-injected, inline twin features single Mikuni BN 40-38 carburetor, rotary valve intake and a tuned aluminum pipe. Bore x stroke is 82 mm by 68 mm, and the compression ratio is 6.2:1.


In most respects, the engine is identical to the one found on the midrange GTi, and it’s been tuned to provide a smooth and consistent power band, with emphasis on the low end.
Power is transferred to the water through the standard Bombardier Formula Jet Pump, pretty much the same pump found throughout the rest of the Sea-Doo lineup. However, unlike the midrange GTi, the GTS comes with a standard impeller. That’s a shame because you notice the difference mainly on the low end, which takes away from the GTS’s towing ability.
The GTS also lacks most of the towing features built into the GTi, including things such as mirrors, a speedometer and reverse/neutral.
That’s a shame because the GTS could be a pretty good tow vehicle. The power is there. It struggles a bit more pulling skiers out of the water because of its impeller, but it does include some nice towing features. The rear boarding platform is wide enough to allow a skier or wakeboarder to sit and slip the bindings of their ski or board onto their feet, and the ski-eye is a nice touch. There’s also secure seating for a spotter, thanks to the hand grip at the back of the seat and built-in footrests on the rear deck

Extra goodies


The GTS also has other nice features. Probably the most important is Sea-Doo’s D-Sea-Bel noise reduction system, which uses a series of Hemholtz resonators, acoustically insulated air intakes and foam-wrapped waterbox/muffler to dramatically reduce the amount of the sound generated by the engine.
It also looks good. Sea-Doo incorporated the sharper angles of the RX into the new top deck. The marine green-and-white color scheme gives it a look of quality.
The rest of the riding area is roomy and comfortable enough for two, though it can accommodate three adults in a pinch. The extra-soft, form-fitting seat narrows toward the front, providing the driver with more comfort and better control.
There’s also plenty of storage on board — 33.8 gallons in all, including a large front storage area under the front hood, a glove box beneath the handlebars a small bucket under the windscreen and a storage bucket under the back section of the seat. Fuel capacity is 15 gallons.
Other standard features include the D.E.S.S. (Digitally Encoded Security System) starting system, which uses a computer chip in the safety lanyard that is programmed to only start your watercraft. The system also can be programmed to include information about the owner, including name, address, place purchased and phone number in case of theft. The only instrumentation is the large analog fuel gauge.

Still, it’s hard to complain about the omissions, considering the low price. That is really what sets the GTS apart. In terms of performance and quality, it has raised the bar on the low end.
Boat specifications
b>Hull
Length 121 inches
Width 47.3 inches
Height 41 inches
Weight (dry) 600 pounds
Rider capacity 1-3
Manufacturer’s suggested retail price $5,999


Engine

Cylinders 2
Displacement 718cc
Bore x stroke 82 mm x 68 mm
Compression ratio 6.2:1
Fuel delivery (1) Mikuni BN 40-38 carburetor
Intake system Rotary valve
Lubrication Variable- rate oil injection
Jet pump
Pump type Bombardier Performance jet pump
Impeller Stainless-steel, large hub


Features
Instrumentation Fuel gauge
Fuel capacity 15 gallons (3 in reserve)
Oil capacity 1.6 gallons
Storage capacity 33.8 gallons

 

[griz400]

Sea-Doo RX DI
Sea-Doo's RX DI personal watercraft offers a crisp, clean ride



Sea-Doo's RX DI holds an exceptionally pure line in corners and delivers strong and smooth acceleration.



We all know personal watercraft speedometers lie, often to the tune of 5 mph. But take 5 mph from 70 mph and you’re still left with 65 mph. That’s fast, the kind of fast on the water that could be frightening on a PWC with anything less than exceptional handling. The 130-horsepower RX DI delivers that crisp agility with a hull that tracks exceptionally and doesn’t skip or slide in corners. Electronic variable trim, or VTS in Sea-Doo speak, certainly helps hold through turns, but once familiar with the RX DI I was able to turn confidently at relatively high speeds with the PWC trimmed up all the way. Throughout the most aggressive S-turns, the ride was dry, although if you want to kick up cooling spray by leaning all the way forward and burying the watercraft’s nose in a turn it can be done.
Speed and handling are highlights of the two-seater RX DI, but they are far from the whole story. The watercraft, as well as one of three-seater GTX siblings, features Orbital Direct Injection. (A carbureted version of the RX also is available.) The mechanics of the system, air-pressure-driven injectors combined with electronic fuel-injection components and mapping to deliver precise amounts of fuel to each of 951cc engine’s two cylinders are not as relevant as the outcome: up to 75-percent reduction in emissions, according to Sea-Doo literature. That would make the two-stroke RX DI compliant with Environmental Protection Agency emissions-reduction requirements for 2006. Still another reported benefit of the system is greater fuel efficiency over carburetion.
One Sea-Doo model, the two-seater GSX RFI retains the Rotax fuel-injection system introduced in 1998. The RFI system was a solid step toward emissions reductions, but it also made models equipped with it feel slightly anemic during acceleration. Throttle response was smooth, but lacked punch. No such gripes could be lodged against RX DI, which packs a wallop, albeit a smooth one, when the throttle trigger is pulled. In repeated-though-informal tests — wristwatch to watercraft speedometer — the RX DI hit 60 mph in less than six seconds.


Putting that kind of performance in the hands of beginners, children and even your hilarious-but-over-confident uncle Bubba would be a bad idea. Here again, Sea-Doo has come up with a superb solution. It’s called the Learning Key lanyard and it looks like the Digitally Encoded Security System lanyard that’s standard on all Sea-Doo models. (Without the D.E.S.S. lanyard, the PWC won’t start and, if properly connected to a rider, the PWC’s engine will stop running if the rider gets tossed.)
The Learning Key looks the same as the D.E.S.S. lanyard, except it’s white instead of yellow to keep you from confusing the two. Attach the Learning Key lanyard to the watercraft and it automatically keeps engine speed below 5,000 rpm, which in the case of the RX DI was less than 35 mph, according to the watercraft’s speedometer. Accidents can still happen and the water still feels hard if you fall off at that speed, but the Learning Key is a fantastic rider- control tool for responsible Sea-Doo owners.
Another nifty feature of the RX DI is a reverse gear. Reverse is generally limited to three- and four-up personal watercraft, but it can come in handy on a two-seater in tight areas, or merely just to stop forward movement at idle.
Not so long ago, the terms performance-oriented and environmentally sensitive were thought to be mutually exclusive when it came to personal watercraft. The Sea-Doo RX DI proves that both can co-exist in one PWC. The RX DI is a crisp and clean ride for the new millennium.


Boat Specifications
Length: 112″
Width: 44″
Height: 41″
Dry weight: 606 pounds
Rider capacity: 1-2
Fuel capacity: 15 gallons
Fuel reserve capacity: 3 gallons
Engine: Rotax two-stroke w/Orbital Direct Injection
Horsepower/displacement: 130 hp/951cc
Jet pump: Axial flow single stage large hub
Impeller material: Stainless steel
Price: $8499

 

[griz400]

Jet Ski Evolution
What started as an awkward stand-up turned into a major industry revolution

The “Original” Jet Ski. Say those words to any long-time watercraft enthusiast and they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about — the Kawasaki Jet Ski 400 — that ungainly stand-up that Kawasaki debuted in 1973 painted the color of pea soup. In fact, most of know the “Original” Jet Ski was the precursor to the modern personal watercraft, the first model successfully sold and marketed in the world.
What few know, however, is that the “Original” Jet Ski was actually two models, neither of which carried the Jet Ski name. The hand-laid fiberglass hulls and decks were built in Japan and the 398 cc twin engines, which were based on Kawasaki snowmobile engines, were fitted with a number of custom-made parts designed specifically for these new fangled “Water Jets.”
“It was a long process,” said Fred Tunstall, a long-time Kawasaki employee and self-described wrench who worked on the development of the two originals. “And we were working in the dark in a lot of ways. I think most of us who worked on the project knew we had something with the product. Once you spent some time with the machines and got used to riding them, they were a lot of fun and tended to make enthusiasts even of the people working on them.
“But knowing the sport would get this big, that it would all lead to this? I don’t think anyone had a idea that would happen.”

The Original Idea
The story, of course, begins long before Kawasaki introduced the WSAA and WSAB in 1973. In fact, the idea of a motorized watercraft first hatched in the fertile mind of inventor Clayton Jacobson II in the early 1960s while he was working as a banker.
“I had been racing dirt bikes as a hobby,” Jacobson told Personal Watercraft Illustrated (July, 1994), “It was a form of stress relief for me. However, as you know, when you crash a dirt bike, the ground isn’t very forgiving. That’s why and how I came up with the idea for a personal watercraft. I was looking for a softer landing, and the water offered exactly what I was looking for. Sort of a motorcycle for the water.”
Jacobson eventually quit his job as a banker to devote all of his time to developing a personal watercraft, and by 1965, he had built his first running prototype. The craft was a stand-up like those original Jet Skis, but the one-piece hull was made of aluminum and fitted with a fixed, upright handlepole.
A year later, after Jacobson had finished a second prototype, this time using fiberglass, he was contacted by Bombardier Corporation, the makers of Ski-Doo snowmobiles, and asked if he was interested in developing a watercraft for them. The result was the original Sea-Doo, which was manufactured and sold by Bombardier under an exclusive licensing agreement with Jacobson.
However, the Sea-Doo never really caught on. The craft was plagued by mechanical problems, as well as consumer skepticism, and the project was ultimately scraped in 1970.


Jacobson, however, remained undaunted. He continued refining his stand-up model throughout the time he worked with Bombardier, even receiving patents for such things as a pivoting handlepole and a self-righting stand-up craft. However, his licensing agreement prevented him from shopping the craft to any other manufacturers until 1971.
The day after those licensing agreements with Bombardier expired, Jacobson signed a licensing deal with Kawasaki to develop his stand-up watercraft. Jacobson remained more intimately involved in the development of the first Jet Skis than he did with the Sea-Doo, working closely with a number of Kawasaki employees to bring the watercraft to market.
“He could be a handful,” said Tunstall. “He was very opinionated and he was sure of what would work and what wouldn’t. He wasn’t always right, but he was right a good part of the time.”
The Birth Of The Jet Ski
Tunstall said that they worked on a half-dozen different prototypes in 1972 before eventually deciding on the two models that would hit the market in 1973 — the WSAA, which used a hull similar to the one found on later 440 and 550 models, and the WSAB, which featured an aggressive, deeper V hull.
“We worked on a lot of different things, but essentially there were probably about six basic prototypes we were testing,” he said. “A lot of the stuff we’d try would carry over from model to model, engine stuff and things like that. But essentially there were six concept craft that we built. They were fairly similar to each other, though we’d try different strake patterns or add sponsons, things like that to them to see how they’d respond. It was a lot of trial and error.”

At the time, few people in the company knew exactly what to call the craft, let alone who’d they’d be selling them to. Early service manuals referred to them as “Water Jets,” while some owners manuals called them “Power Skis.”
Even the existence of the two radically different hulls was the result of unanswered questions.
“I think the reason Kawasaki went with the two hulls is we weren’t sure who the customer was going to be,” Tunstall said. “The flat hull was much more stable and easy to use, but there was some thought that the V-hull would attract riders interested in competition. You never quite knew what it was going to do, especially in rough water, but, man, that thing could carve.The first ride on it, it was worse than a wild horse, but after you spent some time getting used to it, it turned into a lot of fun.”
Approximately 550 models were built that first year, a third of them the V hull and the other two-thirds with the flatter WSAA hull.
Other than the hull design, the two models were the same. In fact, the dimensions of the two craft were identical — 6 feet 10 inches long, 24 inches wide and 28 inches high, with a dry weight of 220 pounds and a draft of four inches. That’s small compared to even today’s stand-ups, but only slightly shorter (2.5 inches) and lighter (about 20 pounds) than the long-lived 440/550 hull.

Unlike later Kawasaki models, the original one-piece hulls were hand-laid fiberglass (which was the main reason they weighed less than later models). They also featured a dull green gelcoat finish with a matching fiberglass hood cover. The bulkheads used wooden braces for added support.
Norm Bigelow, a former test rider who still works at Kawasaki and owns a 1973 WSAB models, said that despite the primitive look of the craft, the quality of the workmanship shines through.
“People may laugh at the pea-soup color, but they really were put together well,” Bigelow said. “The 1973 models had a real prototype look to them, with the wooden bulkhead braces, hand-machined hardware and sand-casted aluminum pieces, but the workmanship was very good.”
The handlepole was also made of fiberglass, but in two parts, and those parts were in turn riveted together.
“The first prototypes used one-piece aluminum tubes,” Tunstall said. “And we switched over to fiberglass on those first models, which worked pretty well. Down the road, when the manufacturing was moved to Lincoln (Nebraska) and we switched to Sheet Molding Compound, we had some problem with the handlepoles breaking and we pretty much shut down production for a year until we got it right.”


The engine was based on one Kawasaki used in its now-defunct line of snowmobiles.
“It was a pretty good engine,” Tunstall said, “though, even then, most of us knew it was underpowered.”
The 398 cc in-line twin featured a bore and stroke of 65 mm by 60 mm and a compression ratio of 5.8:1. Fuel and air were mixed with a single 38 mm Mikuni diaphragm type carburetor, with single piston port intake, pre-mix lubrication and a water-jacketed stainless-steel pipe on the exhaust. The engine was cooled through a hose mounted on the top of the head between the cylinders.
Power was transferred to the water through a 121 mm, single-stage axial flow aluminum jet pump that isn’t too far removed from today’s pump design. The intake area also was fitted with a casted-in bar scoop, which was based on the same theory as today’s top-loader grates. The pump came standard with a three-blade aluminum impeller.
All told, the engine was rated at 26 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and together with the axial flow pump produced 225 pounds of thrust.
“It was enough to get most people up, but if you were above average in size, it could be a struggle,” Tunstall said.
The engine compartment added to the prototype look Bigelow talked about. The ignition box was sand-casted, the engine bed was aluminum and all the stainless-steel hardware was hand-machined. The waterbox was made of hand-laid fiberglass. In addition, there were rough spots elsewhere, like the pump attachment bolts which stuck up through the rubber tray mats.


“You could feel those four bolts right through the mat,” Bigelow said. “It could make for an uncomfortable ride when you were on your knees.
Still, there were aspects of the craft that were remarkably advanced. The engine, which used aluminum cylinders and stainless-steel hardware, held up to corrosion extremely well.
“They used steel studs on the cylinders and those would occasionally end up rusted together, but that was really it,” Tunstall said.
A more difficult problem in the design process was waterproofing the electronics.
“That was the toughest thing we came across,” Tunstall said. “Waterproofing the switches and the wiring was a major headache.”
It was also the reason for the quirky placement of the switches on the riding tray.
“I think a lot of people look at the location of the switches (which were positioned in front of the tray area along with the choke) and assume it was because so many people started out riding on their knees,” Tunstall said. “That wasn’t the case. We located them there because that was the easiest place you could keep them dry.”
But probably more advanced than anything was the ride, particularly the WSAA.
“The added power on later models helped a lot,” Tunstall said, “but the ride on those first 400s was pretty close to what it was on the 440 and 550. I don’t think we realized all the things that boat was capable of until it got into the hands of guys like Doug Silverstein or Larry Rippenkroeger or Brian Bendix. Those guys brought out the real potential.”
But it was potential that was always there, even from the beginning. Kawasaki may not have know exactly what it had with the Original Jet Skis — heck, they didn’t even know what to call them at first — but it was pretty clear they were onto something.

 

[griz400]

25 YEARS OF THE MODERN SEA-DOO


In 1988 two young men brought to market a product they knew in their hearts would create an entirely new product segment that would change the recreational products industry forever. These two men were the sons of two men who attempted to do the same thing 20-years prior, but proved to be ahead of their time. In 1988 it was the right time for Pierre Beaudoin (who is now CEO of Bombardier Inc and son of Bombardier and BRP chairmen of the board, Laurant Beaudoin) and Denys LaPointe (who is now Vice President of BRP product design and innovation and son of Sam LaPointe) to launch the modern Sea-Doo watercraft.....


he 1988 Sea-Doo 5801 model changed what a watercraft was and could do. It was the first two-passenger watercraft with a V-Hull (thus the V-Shape of the logo between the ‘A’ and the ‘D’) rotary-valve engine producing a class leading 55 hp, and capable of cutting through chop and physically capable of pulling a skier (legally, you must now utilize a three-seaters to tow). The 1988 Sea-Doo gave birth to an industry with huge potential and gave Ski-Doo snowmobile dealers a product to market when it wasn’t snowing. A lot has changed over the past 25 years for the modern Sea-Doo watercraft with technological advances outpacing nearly every other motorized product in the world. As a result of these advances and focus on on-water performance, fun, and safety, well over 1.2 million people have bought and enjoyed Sea-Doo watercraft with their families and friends. BRP has been the market share leader in the watercraft industry for 19 of those 26 years and this stems from the passion Bombardier and now BRP puts into every product. Jose Boisjoli (the current President and CEO of BRP) leads the company with the mantra, “product is king” and no where has that proven more true than with the modern Sea-Doo watercraft. Over the next 25 days BRP will celebrate the past 25 years of the modern Sea-Doo on the Sea-Doo Facebook fan page highlighting each model year leading to the launch of the 2013 line of Sea-Doo on September 24, 2012..............

https://www.facebook.com/SeaDoo

 

[griz400]

here is a site for some nostalgia --

http://members.tripod.com/austin_america/vintageseadoo/index.html

 

[griz400]

2001 Sea-Doo Models
In 2001, there is basically no change to most of the models. No modifications to any of the engines or any new significant features introduced. Most models were offered in two colors, probably as a way to compensate for the lack of new models. There is a new GTS which is basically the same as the GTI but with fewer features. The RXX was introduced in 2001 as a race version of the RX. It was a 947 carbureted engine with performance upgrades. Reportedly it was the fastest stock to this point in time. They were only produced in limited quantities. i believe only 500 .............


2001 RX - Technical Specifications
DIMENSIONS
Length 112.3 in. (285 cm)
Width 47.3 in. (120 cm)
Height 41.0 in. (104 cm)
Weight (dry) 588 lbs. (267 Kg)
Rider Capacity 1 or 2
Fuel Capacity (incl. Reserve) 15.0 US gallons / 56.6 liters
Reserve 3.0 US gallons (11.4 liters)
Oil Capacity 1.6 US gallons (6 liters)
Storage Capacity 10.6 US gallons (40.3 liters)
ENGINE
Type Two stroke, Twin cylinder Rotax. R.A.V.E. exhaust
Bore x Stroke 88mm x 78.2mm
Displacement 951 cc / 130hp
Compression ratio 6.1:1
Intake system Reed valve
Fuel Delivery Carburetion
Carburetion (2) Mikuni BN 46-42
Lubrication Variable Rate Oil Injection
Cooling Water, open system
Fuel type Regular Unleaded

DRIVE UNIT
Propulsion System Bombardier Formula water jet pump
Jet pump Full Plastic, axial flow, single stage, large hub
Transmission Direct drive with forward/neutral/reverse
Impeller Stainless Steel
ELECTRICAL
Ignition Digital DC-CDI
Starter Electric
Battery 12 volt
HULL
Type Semi-V, fiberglass reinforced
Colors Yellow or Mazatlan Blue
EQUIPMENT
Speedometer STD
Info Center (16 functions) STD
Tachometer STD (Info Center)
Info Center (17 functions) N/A
Fuel/Oil gauge STD (Info Center)
VTS gauge STD (Info Center)
Analog Fuel/Oil Gauge N/A
D.E.S.S STD
Electric VTS STD
Mirror(s) STD

2001 RX - Standard Features
ENGINE
951 cc Rotax. marine Reliable performance in fresh or salt water, optimizes power at all RPM levels and throttle positions.
Reed valve intake Delivers maximum power to larger engine.
Twin Carburetors with accelerator pump Better acceleration and performance, less exhaust fumes at idle speed.
Variable Rate Oil Injection (VROI) Delivers optimal oil-to-fuel ratio at all RPM and throttle positions.
Power pipe with hydro regulated injection Regulates water injection for optimal performance and exhaust cooling.
Water cooling Helps provide long engine life.
Watertight DC-CDI Provides optimal energy for a consistent spark, ensuring maximum performance.
Manual choke Provides quick, cold engine temperature starts.
RPM limiter Protects engine from over-revving.
Overheat warning device Warns operator of engine overheating.
Handlebar-mounted start/stop button User-friendly engine start and stops with one control button.
Propulsion system
Bombardier Formula water jet pump Delivers matched performance with the Rotax. engine.
Forward/neutral/reverse Safe operation while docking or towing.
Large diameter pump Maximizes water flow for high performance.
Composite stator vanes Handles the high-perfromance engine without erosion.
Replaceable urethane wear ring Provides long impeller life, less maintenance and maximum thrust.
Two automatic vacuum siphon pumps Continuously remove water entering the engine compartment.
Drive shaft with crowned spline design Maintains engine and pump alignment at all operating speeds.
Stainless steel impeller Delivers improved acceleration, higher top speed and less cavitation.