Is the x2 a reliable ski?

Hey guys, I'm trying to help a buddy into the sport. We are surf riders and he has his heart set on an x2. Are they a reliable ski? Most of My buddies ride blasters and hate x2s, but admittedly have no experience with them. All help is appreciated! Frank.
 
keeping water out of an X2 in the surf is a challenge, if you can keep it somewhat dry inside you should be fine. Just gotta make sure your X2 doesn't have the exposed ebox components, and if it does you gotta find a way to keep them dry
 

Yami-Rider

TigerCraft FV-PRO
Location
Texoma
They are reliable, you want the newer ebox setup for saltwater use (I think 92 or newer). In stock form they are not a very good surf ski.
 

Vumad

Super Hero, with a cape!
Location
St. Pete, FL
No, they suck. Buy something else for a first ski. They make a great second hobby ski.

They take on water. They all sink and a lot of times for no good reason. The 650 is often old and riddled with problems due to age. People don't keep them stock because they don't want to spend the money refreshing the 650 motor. The 750 motors bolt in but are hard to tune. You can't buy a 750 pipe that fits into the X2. The 650 pipes restrict the power. The waterbox loads up and hurts the bottom end. Pump tuning is annoying. Parts are almost impossible to find in new condition. No one can agree on how to tune a 750 x2 because everyone is frankensteining them together. When you need advice, you ask someone who has a ski "tuned awesome that hits like a gorilla on meth" and you spend a bunch of money copying them with not the same results, you finally meet them, ride their ski and it is a busted ass piece of poorly tuned poop.

Buy a superjet. Buy a B1. Buy a SXR or 750 sx. poop, buy a 650sx before a X2. I love my X2, but they are not a good first ski.

If he's dead set on it, let him buy one. Maybe he'll prove me wrong. I say if he does buy one, stick with a limited 650 so at least you can set it up properly.

There are tons and tons of X2 at free ride events so he'll meet plenty of new friends. I think there were more X2 on the beach than any other ski last year (I missed this year) at the daytona freeride. But they were on the beach. Like, all of them. I think I saw 2 in the water. They are a god danged wrench fest.
 
The one I am looking at for my buddy has a 750 motor. To seal the ebox, can you just silicone it? To resolve the water issue, out a bilge pump enough? All experience appreciated!
 
Depends on if they are running 650 or 750 electronics on the 750. 2 bilge is a must on a x2 in the surf. prob is the hood design sucks and never seals, they have little square caps that blow out of hard landings and let tons of water in.

You sound determined to follow the x2 route even after we suggested you abandon and run away. I suggest you start searching here and on PXC today how to surf prep an X2
 
Franny, it's not me, its my buddy. I own a sj and a spark. He is looking for an affordable 1st ski that will be run predominantly in surf. I have no personal experience with the x2, and have heard wildly contrasting opinions. I'll hoping for actual owners testimony. I appreciate it!
 

Vumad

Super Hero, with a cape!
Location
St. Pete, FL
The one I am looking at for my buddy has a 750 motor. To seal the ebox, can you just silicone it? To resolve the water issue, out a bilge pump enough? All experience appreciated!

There's nothing wrong with the 750 ebox. If its in good shape, water stays out. Water gets into the motor via the carbs or via the waterbox/pipe. Bilges help. Just buy it, and enjoy it if its what you guys want.

But see my above post. You have a stock 650 pipe on a 750 motor with carbs setup for a stock 750 that no one ever bothers to tune. Its a first boat, so he probably wont know any difference on the tuning anyway.
 

Vumad

Super Hero, with a cape!
Location
St. Pete, FL
Franny, it's not me, its my buddy. I own a sj and a spark. He is looking for an affordable 1st ski that will be run predominantly in surf. I have no personal experience with the x2, and have heard wildly contrasting opinions. I'll hoping for actual owners testimony. I appreciate it!

Affordable and cheap are not the same thing. I have way more money in my x2 than my superjet and my superjet works much better.
 

Vumad

Super Hero, with a cape!
Location
St. Pete, FL
Donnt let him confuse cost of entry and cost of ownership. A more expensive reliable machine with good resale may cost less even though you spend more up front. Hope that spark works out.
 
From my experience the X2 does not land very nicely if you get more than a few feet of air. It is narrow and if you flat land it feels like it will break in half. If you land vertical the rear does not seem to have much buoyancy. Fine for messing around on small lakes and jumping boat wakes. Probably my last option in the surf.
 

Vumad

Super Hero, with a cape!
Location
St. Pete, FL
I wouldn't even want to take one in the surf. I'd be swimming home


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I swam in 6 times my first time at the Daytona free ride. One time that ride my x2 ingested water in the air. Not submerged, not after it got rolled in the surf. I jumped a wave and in the air it said "glug glug glug " and shut off before I landed. Had 2 500gpm bilges running overtime.
 
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