So I decided to cut the stock ride plate back flush with the back of the hull and it seems to be quite a bit less bow push at high speed and a little less darty in general. I find at full throttle I need to stay way back on the ski. I am now thinking about some up trim by redrilling adapter or actually putting a variable trim system on it. I have a 2004 sxr and it is very different. The good things about the ski are great motor which is quieter and smoother than the Kawasaki, very strong acceleration, does jump better over waves, and is built perhaps to a high standard, may be better than the kawasaki. Also a lot of people talk about the the light steering on the yamaha as a plus, but I would call it slow, ineffective and no actual feedback whatsoever compared to the stock Kawasaki. No wonder UMI and blowsion sell a lot of steering systems. I am still holding out final judgement until further tuning, but this ski was not a novice friendly machine like the SXR or previous superjets!
Let's hear from 2008 SJ owners
- Thread starter fwi
- Start date
- Location
- Huntington Beach, Ca
I love my 2008 SJ! NEEDED MODS!: d-cut rideplate
Destroyers
Quicksteer/ 07 cable
With these simple mods it rides amazing for me. I love how it whips the tail around when the upper tubby grabs. I must say I do personally like it more than an 07 (probably because I am just used to it) but it is not quite worth the extra 2k for an 08 vs an 07-
But I also came from a stock sxr, so of course it is better for me haha
Destroyers
Quicksteer/ 07 cable
With these simple mods it rides amazing for me. I love how it whips the tail around when the upper tubby grabs. I must say I do personally like it more than an 07 (probably because I am just used to it) but it is not quite worth the extra 2k for an 08 vs an 07-
But I also came from a stock sxr, so of course it is better for me haha
- Location
- Northern CA
Well I owned a 2009 for a day. Put it on Craigslist when I got back from my first ride and sold it the next day for $450 more than I paid for it. So I'm glad I tried it out and know it wasn't the right ski for me.
I was told that I might not like the new hull, if I was going to do flat water, flat footed cruising and they were right. There are a lot of great improvements on the 2008+ over the previous models, but the hull was changed for a specific reason. I think to compete with the SXR's. It has sort of the same nose down, hooked up feeling as a SXR when carving. It rides different than a 2007 and older SJ because of the hull and other changes. Depends on where and what type of rider you are if the changes are good or not.
But for flat footed sight seeing, it's way too squirrelly for me. You need to be on the gas or turning or its not that fun. It reminds me of the difference between straight snow skis and shaped. Shaped skis you need to be forward over the skis and doing something all of the time, if not you will be on your ass. Now I'm an older heavier rider and I think that might make it worse. I haven't heard to many people bitch about the new hull, so it could just be me.
I bought a stock 2006 SJ a few weeks later and liked it. It has a few problems that time and money can fix, that the 2008+ already has corrected. Last weekend I put on a 201 grate and handle pole spring. Best $200 I've ever spent on a jetski. Lots of fun, I can't wait for this weekend to get back on the water with it.
Ride before you buy is good advice, that I didn't follow, but still good advice.
I was told that I might not like the new hull, if I was going to do flat water, flat footed cruising and they were right. There are a lot of great improvements on the 2008+ over the previous models, but the hull was changed for a specific reason. I think to compete with the SXR's. It has sort of the same nose down, hooked up feeling as a SXR when carving. It rides different than a 2007 and older SJ because of the hull and other changes. Depends on where and what type of rider you are if the changes are good or not.
But for flat footed sight seeing, it's way too squirrelly for me. You need to be on the gas or turning or its not that fun. It reminds me of the difference between straight snow skis and shaped. Shaped skis you need to be forward over the skis and doing something all of the time, if not you will be on your ass. Now I'm an older heavier rider and I think that might make it worse. I haven't heard to many people bitch about the new hull, so it could just be me.
I bought a stock 2006 SJ a few weeks later and liked it. It has a few problems that time and money can fix, that the 2008+ already has corrected. Last weekend I put on a 201 grate and handle pole spring. Best $200 I've ever spent on a jetski. Lots of fun, I can't wait for this weekend to get back on the water with it.
Ride before you buy is good advice, that I didn't follow, but still good advice.
Last edited: