First Stand-UP: 1986 Kawasaki X-2 750 conversion

[babelfish]

After owning a boring 2003 SeaDoo GTI LE for a year which I got on trade for detailing a boat, I've been researching vintage skis for the last few months and found a deal on this X-2 owned by a jet ski mechanic who needed money to buy a sport boat for his family. Lots of mods, and a handful for a sixty year old beginner:
-750 engine conversion with 20 hours since build by Rad Dudes
-195 PSI, 120 HP
-Wiseco forged pistons
-SBN 44 carb, modified
-ADA girdled head
-Ported and polished
-Aluminum fly wheel
-Very rear big head Accusteer billet steering system and bars
-Three inch chop
-D ride plate
-Odi grips
-Blowsion air forced
-Solas prop
-Factory pipe
-Drilled TDR water box
-Dual cooling

The hull isn't too rough, and I do fiberglass repair, gelcoat and custom paint for a second career which is about the only thing the ski needs.

 

[babelfish]

The steering is NOT sloppy

 

[Mike W]

Welcome to the sport. You are late getting a not the sport but age is just a number. If you're fit you will be ok. I'm 47 and this sport keeps me in shape and keeps me young.

X2's are very fun and not too hard to board in deep water. You will have a lot of fun with that ski. Looks like it has some nice tasteful mods so hopefully it will last you a long time.

 

[babelfish]

Welcome to the sport. You are late getting a not the sport but age is just a number. If you're fit you will be ok. I'm 47 and this sport keeps me in shape and keeps me young.

X2's are very fun and not too hard to board in deep water. You will have a lot of fun with that ski. Looks like it has some nice tasteful mods so hopefully it will last you a long time.

Bought it Thursday, took it out Friday and burned two gallons before I got my hair wet then decided to get the GoPro out and take a video, BAM hit the water hard enough to have a tender spot on my right greater trochanter area then spent another 45 minutes practicing low speed control. My work keeps me fit, my arms aren't even sore today

 

[babelfish]

Added a Rule 500 bilge pump yesterday. I was surprised how thick the fiberglass was (had to glue the switch in the hole instead of being able to thread the cover on) and also the lack of space for placement. Glued the pump base down with EVA hot glue and pulled a switch out of an old boat dash. Did not install the float switch I had bought as it wouldn't come on until 2 inches of water were in the bilge and it would complicate the wiring. Sealed holes with butyl tape, have a high loop in the exhaust hose. This is a temporary installation, will upgrade to a billet through-hull in the future when I paint the hull.

 

[babelfish]

After looking at the threads on adding foot holds or straps, I decided to use what I have available ie the boots from an old pair of skis no one has used in years. The price was "free" and it took an hour. Drilled small holes for the screws and sealed them with butyl tape wrapped around the screws. An added benefit was the holds covered up the turf where it was getting worn, and I won't have to wear soggy Converse shoes and wet socks to ride.

 

[DirtTOwater96]

awesome ski, great idea for foot holds.

 

[cudaben]

the only thing left is a pump stuffer and a pjs rip turn nozzle

 

[babelfish]

the only thing left is a pump stuffer and a pjs rip turn nozzle

Question! I've got a SBN 44 carb that was modified by Rad Dudes in my ski. The guy I bought it from recently bought a 750sxi with dual carbs and is working on the engine and plans to run race fuel- he wants to trade the dual carbs on his ski for my single carb which is working great. Is this a bad idea? I should mention he will be the one working on my ski if it breaks

 

[cudaben]

Depends on the intended purpose of the ski... what do u plan on using it for?

 

[babelfish]

Depends on the intended purpose of the ski... what do u plan on using it for?

I will be using it for recreation and stunts. The ski already makes a lot of power (compression is 191 each cylinder and it was billed as having 120 HP probably optimistically,) it is a BP motor but has great instant-on low end. I imagine the carb mod was to bore out the throat to a full 44 mm. The other ski's carburetors I won't know until Friday but I imagine they are 38 mm Mikunis. I have little jet ski motor experience but rebuild 2 stroke boat carbs from time to time and maintain half a dozen motors myself. Just seems like this may be doing a favor for someone that gets me into potential problems.

 

[babelfish]

The mechanic said he just wants to use less race fuel since it is so expensive thus wants to use the single carb. Which means I would use more fuel for a little more power and more complexity? Do I have that right? It already has a pretty small tank and I go through the fuel pretty quickly.

 

[cudaben]

When I ran dual 44s in my x2 with a Yamaha 760, I would run out of fuel and have to be towed back by my buddy, he had a built 750 small pin with a single 46.

You will drink fuel. Also x2s are not known for their water tight hood seals. 2 carbs is 2 potential ways for water to get in.
I went back to a single carb.

 

[Vumad]

I run a modified xl760 airbox on my X2. My buddy is running a single 44 with a superjet 61x airbox pointing forward. We think our skis ingests water through the exhaust. My X2 has never worked better than when I ran a superjet waterbox.

I'm not sure how the carbs affect race gas. Single or dual it's compression, timing, porting, etc that affect your detonation as I understand it. I run all my skis at 180psi on 93 octane. Actually, I mix 1ga 110 with 4ga 89 since I can't get ethanol free higher than 89 anymore.

Personnally I prefer a dual carb. None of the performance skis are running single carbs. There are always differences between cylinders and having dual carbs lets you make adjustments to each, unless you have a crossover in your manifold.

The X2 is a total pain in the dick, so if I was starting from scratch I wouldn't run a dual carb just because the hull is so stupid. I have the duals however so I am determined to make them work.

 

[babelfish]

I've been trying to decide on a paint scheme for the X2, as soon as it gets cold enough to dismantle the ski for a few days. I just put a paint job on my Catalina 22 sail boat , black base with silver airbrushed fish scales. I think this might work on the X2: black base coat, silver white marblizer, then a House of Kolor Kandy fish scale pattern with an airbrushed mural on the hood.

 

[babelfish]

Thanks for the help on the carburetor situation. Found out mine is actually a 46, which is kind of perfect and with the advice I got it was easy to say "no thank you."

 

[DirtTOwater96]

Cant wait to see the paint job.