Flat Water Build Questions

[MileHiGuy]

(I know, Not another Best Hull thread...)

I know it feels like this questions is asked all the time but I have tried to read through a bunch of post regarding my quest to step up my game ski wise and still have more questions than answers.

First off my experience is dated. I have not done much with the ski since as we have been busy racing quarter midgets with my boys for the last 6 years and it has really cut into my lake time but we have moved on and I would like to get back into it. My current ski is a 750 SXI with O-Ringed head, Factory Pipe with EWCI, air cleaners, Skat Trak progressive pitch prop, bored nozzel, automaic bildge, Jet Trim mats, custom foot holds, and homeade scupper. She is a little tired and I am ready for someting new.

My desire is freestyle and I still enjoy carving turns (IJSBA salomn course style and not competion racing)

The flat water bf, rolls, and 360's (helicopters) have me drooling but how do these ski's carve? Bob Gen II (or III), Rickter (which style) and EME Q8... how do they rate for a 220 lbs guy riding at 5500' altitude which cuts our power over 20% right off the bat.

Which big bore motors reliable for the average guy and how are they for getting parts?


I have been watching the Ski Sale section and getting a good used boat with AM hull looks to be the way to go versus building up on it slowly with a used super jet and throwing a lot of parts at it that takes a long time to get dialed.

I am not looking to start a brand war but any help with past experiences would be appreciated.

 

[jamesgunter68]

ive asked these same questions and all its going to do is start a brand war
best thing you can do is test ride some skis
if thats not a possibility then you can do what i did and research everything and come up with something i think im going to like but thats not the best thing to do
good luck

 

[Snivilous]

Never ridden anything other than my 650, but the superfreaks look like the best all around ski that can do a ton of freestyle at the same time. The BOBs look like they might bounce a bit or not carve quite as well due to being even more freestyle specific (and the freaks weigh 50 pounds versus 70 for a BOB it sounds like). Those are my top choices when the time comes.

Where in CO are you?

 

[DK-Freestyle]

You're going to have to decide which direction you want to go, Slalom or Freestyle. You'll never get a AM hull that will do great at both, no matter everyone says. If you want to do Slalom, get a race hull, if you want to do flips and rolls, get a freestyle hull. Sure you could use a freestyle hull in slalom, but you'll never be competitive with the SXR's, Super Jets or Hydrospace's, and a Bullet SXR isn't going to be able to keep up in freestyle either.

As for the motor, the X-Metal SS865 has treated me real good for the past year and a half. Stock stroke is about as reliable as you're gonna get for a bigger motor, and if you get the 865 tuned right, any trick will seem possible.

The flat water bf, rolls, and 360's (helicopters) have me drooling but how do these ski's carve? Bob Gen II (or III), Rickter (which style) and EME Q8... how do they rate for a 220 lbs guy riding at 5500' altitude which cuts our power over 20% right off the bat.

My dad is about 200-220lbs, and he was ripping his Gen2 all last year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cUTl-eklEI&list=UUxUPuU1HXACBdNY7nJBfurA&index=17&feature=plcp

 

[Matt_E]

You're going to have to decide which direction you want to go, Slalom or Freestyle. You'll never get a AM hull that will do great at both, no matter everyone says. If you want to do Slalom, get a race hull, if you want to do flips and rolls, get a freestyle hull. Sure you could use a freestyle hull in slalom, but you'll never be competitive with the SXR's, Super Jets or Hydrospace's, and a Bullet SXR isn't going to be able to keep up in freestyle either.

As for the motor, the X-Metal SS865 has treated me real good for the past year and a half. Stock stroke is about as reliable as you're gonna get for a bigger motor, and if you get the 865 tuned right, any trick will seem possible.


My dad is about 200-220lbs, and he was ripping his Gen2 all last year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cUTl-eklEI&list=UUxUPuU1HXACBdNY7nJBfurA&index=17&feature=plcp

Great points and I agree with almost all of it. But I don't see how a stroker motor is inherently any less reliable than "stock" stroke.

As for hulls, spot on. You can't really have a hull great for both.
If you want something that's just ok at both, get a Superjet.

 

[Wes K]

Great points and I agree with almost all of it. But I don't see how a stroker motor is inherently any less reliable than "stock" stroke.

As for hulls, spot on. You can't really have a hull great for both.
If you want something that's just ok at both, get a Superjet.

There is only one hull that can do it all... Lightweight.de It is expensive, but it will seriously do everything

 

[DK-Freestyle]

Great points and I agree with almost all of it. But I don't see how a stroker motor is inherently any less reliable than "stock" stroke.

As for hulls, spot on. You can't really have a hull great for both.
If you want something that's just ok at both, get a Superjet.

When it comes time to for a new crank, who's gonna be spending less, you or me?:Banane09:

 

[Matt_E]

When it comes time to for a new crank, who's gonna be spending less, you or me?:Banane09:

You're confusing expense with reliability
Besides, I think a crank rebuild is more realistic than a crank replacement.

Besides, if you really wanted to play the rebuild cost game, I think the increased cost of the special XS pistons more than offsets stroker crank rebuild cost (which is pretty close to stock crank rebuild cost anyways)

 

[onlyFX-1]

X2 on the team scream ss865. I just rebuilt mine after 3 seasons of riding hard and spent less than $800 total. Does everything I need it to and still puts a smile on my face

 

[DK-Freestyle]

You're confusing expense with reliability
Besides, I think a crank rebuild is more realistic than a crank replacement.

Besides, if you really wanted to play the rebuild cost game, I think the increased cost of the special XS pistons more than offsets stroker crank rebuild cost (which is pretty close to stock crank rebuild cost anyways)

You know what I meant lol

 

[Matt_E]

Well come to think of it, I think a full XS SS engine rebuild is probably at the very least equal in expense, if not more expensive than a stroker engine rebuild using standard pistons.

But none of this has to do with reliability. A well built stroker isn't any less reliable than an equally well built stock stroker

 

[raytherace]

rebuilding a stroker crank and a stock stroke crank its the same cost. Its the price of purchase of the crankshaft itself who is different, not the rebuilt.

 

[NorCalSJ]

My dad has a 750sxi its probably one of the last skis I would choose for freestyle, that thing is a tank compared to my SJ or any a/m hull so you might want to start there. Perhaps sell the 750sxi and pick up a modded RN to start and move up to a a/m hull or if you have lots of money just move straight up to the a/m hull! Superfreak would be my choice I just cant afford one right now, very high quality hull with great reviews.

 

[MileHiGuy]

Snivilous - I am here in Denver

Thanks everybody for the input. It makes sense that if you want a ski to be light and launch out of the water that this would be very different than a ski that is hooked up and can carve.

Many of these am hulls have the pumps sticking out the back which I am sure help a bunch with the rotation but does this make these types of ski’s porpoise badly on flat water?
I wish it was easier to try different options but there is not much of this type of ski’s around here that I know of.
I am trying to research enough to understand the used market and have a rough idea what I am getting into.