CHRISRACERX
Get Wet
- Location
- Galloway, nj
Well I have good news and bad news. A buddy of mine who I met through working in his Yamaha FZR got a Kawasaki 750sx. The ski was sitting for a long time and I helped him get it back on the water. (Has it’s own small post). Well he like the ski so much, he decided to upgrade to a 2003 Superjet with a bunch of goodies on it. It had been sitting for 3 years so I had to go over stuff on it to get it back also.
So I got the inch again for a standup ski. I’ve always been looking for a sxr800 with a blown motor to get a deal on but haven’t found that unicorn yet. So my next idea, which I thought was a good one was to ask the guy who bought my 2008 Superjet, if he would like to resell it to me. Mainly bc I knew what I had put into that ski and it did have some type of sentimental part to me.
I sold it 2 years ago bc I didn’t make the time to ride plus I didn’t know anybody else to ride with. Also, I was at a spot with my job that I wasn’t making what I should have been making so things weren’t tight but funds could only go so far. I had a Yamaha FXHO that needed attention so SJ funds went into that. Go ahead and bash me, lol, yes I basically went back to the couch. A big comfy one too.
But know I’m at a better spot for work now and life if doing even better. I still have the fxho and I also have a 2011 Kawasaki ultra300x that needed some TLC. Yamaha is going as soon as the kawi is finished. That’s the plan at least.
Ok so I called the guy, he still had it. He rode it that past weekend. I asked and he said yeah. He like his 750sxi better so it didn’t bother him to sell it back. We agreed on price at the same price I sold him the ski 2 years ago. Only thing he said he had to do was put a starter in (his mechanic did). So thinking I’m getting my baby back with a new starter. What can go wrong?
Well it’s been a week since the purchase. I had to drive 3hrs away to get my baby back. I couldn’t wait. We arrived in ocmd where the ski was and I got to the ski where it sat on a lift behind his house. I got to see it for the 1st time in 2 years and it was a disappointment. Yes it was all still there, but it wasn’t perfect anymore. It had a little sun burn in the paint, so chunks of paint missing from jamming the hood back in n hitting the nose cover. The bottom mat came unglued and was flopping all around from the prowatercraft rear extension. One of the side mats was pealing around the top edge. Then I opened the hood. My heart dropped. The ski had about 1inch of saltwater in it. There was sand swishing around. The bright white paint was turning yellow n it was bubbling all over. BUT, he said he did flush it out. FML. I was in a dilemma, I just drove 3 1/2hrs for this n I didn’t know what to do. Yes the ski still started right up but all I could think of was all the time I put into this thing went out the window. I would have to start again. I had to say in my head, buy it back bc still at the price it’s hard to find a 2008 SJ, ride it a redo it again over the winter.
It’s just paint and time. That’s what I had to tell myself.
So I bought it back, we got it into my truck after he rode it to the ramp. I got home and took a deep breath and evaluated more. I wanted to at least pull the carbs n clean them along with the tank bc I don’t know what ratio or oil/fuel he was using. Just wanted to play it safe. Well I decided to start it at home to flush it and when I was revving it, it had a slight hesitation with coming down to idle. So off with the carbs.
Well I found the issue. The front nut was missing so there was a slight air leak. After the carbs came off I noticed the stud was actually broken. WTF again.
Compression test. Was still ok but wasn’t the same. It left at 175 each cylinder. That front one was now at high 160’s. It’s still in spec though, but if I didn’t buy this I’m sure the guy would have been calling me that the engine blew.
So why was the nut missing n stud broken? Well almost every bolt had rust all over. The “mechanic” who had put the starter in had pulled the engine out and pulled the carbs off bc he had lime green zip ties on the primer hoses that had to come off. No nut was in site so I guess he thought you could just run 3. My blue Kenny keepers had gauges in them now. Then when I took the coupler cover off I could see the coupler alignment wasn’t perfect. WTF.
So engine is out on my garage floor in a quick redo just to get by n totally redo this winter again. I’ve been scraping off as much paint as I can to get some fresh stuff on so it doesn’t corrode and rot. Haven’t touched the inside of the hull yet. That’s next.
So I’m glad to have my SJ back. It will be back to my expectations, if not more.
This just proves that flushing the ski is not taking care of it. You have to wash these things, dry them, spray them along with flushing out. I don’t get it. The ski didn’t even get through 2 full summers and it was a mess again.
Sorry for the ranting
So I got the inch again for a standup ski. I’ve always been looking for a sxr800 with a blown motor to get a deal on but haven’t found that unicorn yet. So my next idea, which I thought was a good one was to ask the guy who bought my 2008 Superjet, if he would like to resell it to me. Mainly bc I knew what I had put into that ski and it did have some type of sentimental part to me.
I sold it 2 years ago bc I didn’t make the time to ride plus I didn’t know anybody else to ride with. Also, I was at a spot with my job that I wasn’t making what I should have been making so things weren’t tight but funds could only go so far. I had a Yamaha FXHO that needed attention so SJ funds went into that. Go ahead and bash me, lol, yes I basically went back to the couch. A big comfy one too.
But know I’m at a better spot for work now and life if doing even better. I still have the fxho and I also have a 2011 Kawasaki ultra300x that needed some TLC. Yamaha is going as soon as the kawi is finished. That’s the plan at least.
Ok so I called the guy, he still had it. He rode it that past weekend. I asked and he said yeah. He like his 750sxi better so it didn’t bother him to sell it back. We agreed on price at the same price I sold him the ski 2 years ago. Only thing he said he had to do was put a starter in (his mechanic did). So thinking I’m getting my baby back with a new starter. What can go wrong?
Well it’s been a week since the purchase. I had to drive 3hrs away to get my baby back. I couldn’t wait. We arrived in ocmd where the ski was and I got to the ski where it sat on a lift behind his house. I got to see it for the 1st time in 2 years and it was a disappointment. Yes it was all still there, but it wasn’t perfect anymore. It had a little sun burn in the paint, so chunks of paint missing from jamming the hood back in n hitting the nose cover. The bottom mat came unglued and was flopping all around from the prowatercraft rear extension. One of the side mats was pealing around the top edge. Then I opened the hood. My heart dropped. The ski had about 1inch of saltwater in it. There was sand swishing around. The bright white paint was turning yellow n it was bubbling all over. BUT, he said he did flush it out. FML. I was in a dilemma, I just drove 3 1/2hrs for this n I didn’t know what to do. Yes the ski still started right up but all I could think of was all the time I put into this thing went out the window. I would have to start again. I had to say in my head, buy it back bc still at the price it’s hard to find a 2008 SJ, ride it a redo it again over the winter.
It’s just paint and time. That’s what I had to tell myself.
So I bought it back, we got it into my truck after he rode it to the ramp. I got home and took a deep breath and evaluated more. I wanted to at least pull the carbs n clean them along with the tank bc I don’t know what ratio or oil/fuel he was using. Just wanted to play it safe. Well I decided to start it at home to flush it and when I was revving it, it had a slight hesitation with coming down to idle. So off with the carbs.
Well I found the issue. The front nut was missing so there was a slight air leak. After the carbs came off I noticed the stud was actually broken. WTF again.
Compression test. Was still ok but wasn’t the same. It left at 175 each cylinder. That front one was now at high 160’s. It’s still in spec though, but if I didn’t buy this I’m sure the guy would have been calling me that the engine blew.
So why was the nut missing n stud broken? Well almost every bolt had rust all over. The “mechanic” who had put the starter in had pulled the engine out and pulled the carbs off bc he had lime green zip ties on the primer hoses that had to come off. No nut was in site so I guess he thought you could just run 3. My blue Kenny keepers had gauges in them now. Then when I took the coupler cover off I could see the coupler alignment wasn’t perfect. WTF.
So engine is out on my garage floor in a quick redo just to get by n totally redo this winter again. I’ve been scraping off as much paint as I can to get some fresh stuff on so it doesn’t corrode and rot. Haven’t touched the inside of the hull yet. That’s next.
So I’m glad to have my SJ back. It will be back to my expectations, if not more.
This just proves that flushing the ski is not taking care of it. You have to wash these things, dry them, spray them along with flushing out. I don’t get it. The ski didn’t even get through 2 full summers and it was a mess again.
Sorry for the ranting