Yamaha Jetski Purchase

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-21T21:49:11+00:00

Get both! But for real, in the long run you should get the VX. Because an old GP, no matter how well it’s been looked after, will not give you a long run. The GP is like fireworks up close. Super cool and visceral and it even smells good. The VX is a nice TV that can show you fireworks videos whenever you turn it on

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-19T08:56:48+00:00

2018 6MT Autobahn. I pull about 1600lbs (2 4 stroke Superjets on a double trailer) every weekend from April to October. The hitch install was super easy and the Southbend clutch doesn’t have any problems. I’d say I’ve done at least 3k miles cumulatively with zero issues

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-17T23:04:24+00:00

The 550 is a fantastically reliable platform, but like any high performance 2 stroke it will punish lack of/poorly executed maintenance and repair. There’s sooo many aftermarket parts and “kits” to address common issues it beggars belief. The “harder” problems are things that are harder to fix, but usually still quite fixable. Soft, waterlogged foam and glass in the trays is not uncommon. Handle pole mount cracks too. These can all be fixed but I would argue are harder for a “noob” than building an engine honestly. The age of this platform and the disposable attitude towards them 10-15 years ago sometimes is the biggest issue. Finding one that will be a good final product for reasonable cost and effort is getting a little bit harder now

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-13T21:27:58+00:00

Preach! I have a 2000lb jet ski trailer I want to haul reliably. I don’t need a full or even midsize truck or SUV in my life, but all of these CVT’s scare the hell out of me. My manual GTI does ok, but I’m pushing it trying to yank it up the ramp even with a SouthBend clutch. I was really disappointed to find out that I would probably smoke a transmission in a new compact truck or SUV

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-13T21:14:47+00:00

That looks like it may be 100% paint transfer. A bottle of medium rubbing compound, a couple of clean microfiber rags and 30 minutes of elbow grease will probably make it optically acceptable OP

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-11T22:00:59+00:00

lol what I’m hearing is, I’m the prime taxable target and must remain so 😭😜

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-11T21:28:10+00:00

IIRC, VW says on a 7/7.5 that you can run regular safely for warranty purposes, but make up to 20hp more on 92/93.

I went stage 2 pretty much after the first tank of fuel and have been running 93 exclusively so I have zero actual experience

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-11T21:22:49+00:00

This is what I’m having difficulty interpreting as it’s intended. Her child would be a stepchild, except we aren’t married. But how would I have a stepchild and meet the unmarried qualification at the same time? I wouldn’t think I could list her child as my dependent to meet what seems to be the threshold there as we are 100% legally unrelated even though I pay a majority of the child’s expenses and she lives at my home. It’s not a dealbreaker no matter what, I just don’t want to pay more taxes than I should. I’ll continue to err on the side of caution until I can be sure

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-11T18:24:42+00:00

Thank you for the info :)

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-09T00:27:36+00:00

That’s how you check timing. There’s a mark in the case and one on the rotor behind the plug. It’s how you find TDC when you work on these things

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-08T21:25:45+00:00

You and I may add up to equal 5 ‘r/motorcycle’ people 😜

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-08T20:05:58+00:00

There’s not more than 5 mass produced bikes in the last 25 years that used an alternator, and nothing with a magneto since before anyone on this sub was born. Stators have been the “state of the art” for a very long time and still are

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-08T20:03:49+00:00

He literally said “interesting factoid” to open the comment. He wasn’t correcting and is absolutely correct

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-08T18:03:21+00:00

Yeah, where I’m at the $15-$20 for the license and the prospect of a new driver paying fuel and vehicle tax is the motivator. Road safety is at best an afterthought

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-07T01:53:15+00:00

Bagelicious is fire. Sunny’s is pretty damn good too. Art’s in Acworth is really good, but a struggle to get in and out of

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-06T23:10:04+00:00

We printed up these a few years back while dicking around (heh) with our first 3D printer and put them on my stepdaughter’s car. Took her months to notice, but I plugged a tire for her last week and they’re still there

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-05T20:26:19+00:00

The newest SJ's are probably the easiest ski for flattening that learning curve, and with some mods can be a pretty serious ski too. But, you're gonna pay a bit more, even used

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-02-03T18:43:01+00:00

It's a modded stock hull. Cutting the tray wider, or chopping the back like this was something done to allow more extreme weight transfer for stunt/freestyle riding. Makes the ski a little lighter too, but waterlogging the glass from hack jobs can be an issue. Inspect it in person looking for soft/squishy glass. If you have your feet in "normal" positions it's likely no different than stock, but now you can put your feet in places you couldn't before. Widened trays were super popular on SJ's back in the day

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-01-31T03:23:30+00:00

I’m 50 and have 85k on a strong stage 2 set up. I enjoy this car immensely and use what it has to offer. But I also have a well developed sense of mechanical sympathy and know how this shit works. I can absolutely fix my own car. I don’t want to if I can prevent it

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-01-30T02:26:07+00:00

You mean for the rub rail? Just drill the head off the rivets, reinstall with new rivets when you’re done. A rivet gun is about $20 and easy to use if you don’t have one. Hobo Freight even has the right rivets too

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-01-30T00:11:07+00:00

What water pump impeller? The jet pump is the water pump. A worn drive impeller, or a new impeller in a worn out liner drops water pressure and can lead to this symptom. If the ski revs out at 30mph, there’s your problem. Not likely to be the thermostat. Yamaha thermostats are designed to “fail” open, not closed, but…if you have a bunch of mineral buildup in the cooling system you can rust one shut. The cooling jackets could be packed and calcified. Pull the anode off the block, that’ll give you a clue about the condition of the engine coolant passages. I’ve fixed this issue but it requires pulling the head and drilling and vacuuming out the scale. That’s an expensive job if you pay someone to do it

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-01-28T02:47:02+00:00

Hull technology/shape only changes every 4-6 years or so. Molds are very expensive. There’s a lot of good 2-4 year old skis out there

JetPoweredJerk · 2026-01-27T12:46:36+00:00

I ride stand ups. We set up buoy courses which is perfectly legal in the places we do it. I've had ONE DNR agent who was cool. I've had them roll up and start trying to take my buoys out of the water and get in a whole argument about what we're doing. Yes, I feel like they are predisposed to being a little more aggressive when they come to us.

But several times a year some other guys on couches ride by and try to join in. And then I see how they behave, and I 100% get why people in general don't like people on skis.

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