Other Looking for honest feedback...Who/What do you use and want and why?

[Aircraftsalz]

I've had Good & bad dealing with Jet Ski shops...Had a few Superjets & Blaster, 3 AM hulls, motors from 701 to 1000cc

Places I deal with all the time,
Thrust Innovations (Brian always takes his time & has helped me with so many builds) Great friend
Jetmaniac (Chris always hooks me up with used parts, also XS dealer) Great to deal with, Great friend
Superfreak Ski's (Tem has built me two hulls now, great customer service.. Great friend now
Air Time Products (Chris at ATP has some great products, love those new Epics/Flames)
#Zero Great products, Great prices
CF (Carl has some great products)



Hulls: Really like the Superfreaks, I beat my first SF in the surf hard, never had any problems.... My new SF will be ready this week..
Motors: I have had 3 XS motors over the last 2 yrs from 860cc to 1000cc, Chucky knows his stuff... Not sure what or who my next motor will be

Few places I don't deal with, you live & learn and move on....

 

[Billybo455]

thread jack'd. polaris power!!!!

 

[jhall752]

hey kevin no name dropping

here is what i got

hull: zack bright
motor: unfortunately kevin rickon
steering: blowsion
random parts: mark gomez
tuning and a wealth of Knowledge from ART at jetworks

 

[NVJAY775]

I forgot to mention Cold Fusion. Dammmm nice parts at good prices. And the ever sweet backflippa beanie too.

 

[stanton]

i try not to buy stuff but when i have to its through tc freeride. local, easy, fast, can get everything i need.
looking at dasa for a motor, no power valves thank you.
so many hulls id like to try, lenz1one, superfreak, trinity, lightweight.de. they look very decent for surf especially for a small light guy like myself, but for now sticking with the superjet and pushing its limits.
random stuff. coldfusion, quality and r&d is incomparable. that stuff works, PERIOD.
i hear so much good stuff about all the manufacturers i wish i could afford to try them out!

 

[2XLR8]

I have been dealing with Art @ jetworks for many years. As a racer I used to appreciated any discounts but more importantly being steered in the right direction is priceless because it saves you money in the long run. Through out the years my discounts have been getting smaller and smaller, I understand once a racer not always a sponsored rider. It is nice to see that we are starting to value service and knowledge over pricing. I am fortunate to have him close by and driving by to pick up even odd items is a big plus. I recently needed an MSD pickup, MRD head orings, and an .060 base gasket for an old yamaha stroker and found them all to be in stock ? I couldn't believe it. I also needed a head gasket and headpipe gasket for Sea Doo 951 and found them in stock as well.

 

[retroicon]

I know I saw this posted somewhere in this thread, but if I can't order online, or through email, I'm probably not going to order from your company ... that's probably why I order about 80% of my random parts from either Greater Yamaha, or Atlantic Jet Sports. Stuff like gaskets, carb parts, etc.

I can't "just pick up the damn phone" because I work overnights, and most people don't want me calling to order at 3am... and really, there's no reason not to have your stuff online. It's 2010 ... make a damn website.

As far as freeride parts, it's almost all Blowsion for a couple reasons ... the biggest reason being that they ALWAYS support freeride through sponsoring competitions, events, and riders. Their stuff usually costs a couple extra dollars, but they've always had their logos on the stuff as sponsors at the events I attend, and they've hosted freeride events for years... that goes a long way in my book.

That's also why I have Hydro-Turf on my skis...

Motor. If I decide to go with anymore more than a stock cylinder, it'll be XMetal for the same reason I support Blowsion. They've been supporting the Daytona Freeride, show up in force, and most important ... they stand behind their stuff. I've seen a lot of people post about busted handlepoles, only to come back a week later and talk about how it was replaced for them. They're also local, and there has been story after story posted by guys here on the board about having Pat or Chuck help them tune their machines to make sure everything is right ... that's good stuff.

I've had Paul at LPW do some machining for me, and I'd support him again because he made wanted to make sure I was happy when we were working on a unique motor that required some odd machining ... my cylinders didn't clear on the first run, but he gladly accepted the cylinder again to make sure it was done right ... without charging me any more. (it was my mistake the first time, not his)

When I need random OEM/Used stuff, I always PM JetManiac first... he's always fast, always honest on the condition of the item, and if he doesn't have what you need, he'll let you know when he gets it.

I guess for me, it's about two things... make your stuff easy to order online, and show that you're willing to support the sport that pays your bills for you. If you can do those two things, and don't treat your customers like garbage, I'll be back time and time again.

-G

Hulls - Not interested right now... but when, and if I start looking it'll be all about how the hull feels in the water. I can't imagine buying an aftermarket hull without water testing it first.

 

[Ross_C]

Thanks for all the insight in to what you guys are using and thinking.

 

[rollin5150]

Here is my list of the companies that I will keep doing business with. Each one of them have been more than helpful in answering questions and helping me keep my ski running. I prefer to stay local which is why I like ADA Racing and Kommander. I also do a lot of business in purchasing parts from the boards. I have yet to have a bad transaction yet....knock on wood

Parts
Blowsion
X-H20, PWC Today, Action Power Sports (local)
XMetal
ADA Racing
Hull/Holds/Hood
Tom 21
Trinity
Engine
Kommander
Going to be looking at Art at Jetworks as another alternative

 

[WILKEY]

hull rikter!!!!! rode jeff bolte's this weekend i have fallin deeper in love with them!! i dont even wanna get back on my sj

parts THRUST!

motor THRUST!

 

[Fro Diesel]

I deal with most of the companies listed here but communication is key.

For some reason i like the guy around the corner from my work the best. He is open until 6:30 or 7pm and i get out at five. He runs a local cycle shop but will work on anything from a lawnmower, harley, or snomobile, jet ski really anything. Affordable and he does the stuff i can't (cut down a sn pole bolt to fit a rn, weld a flywheel and rebalance it, bore,carbs, port, etc) or don't have time to do so i can ride after work. Lets face it, we only want to do someone who treats us like we are the most important customer. If only it was possible to actually achieve that easily. I like to support local guys and people who are like me and "still ride those things."

I have met a mixed bag of people from the X and in the industry in general. I have done lot of business with members and companies. 98% have been amazing but a few bad apples which is to be expected. I find the people who post frequently actually can be better to deal with. I feel more comfortable with someone who you can talk to. Been to Jetmaniac's house more than a few times now. He lives in Florida and i live in Michigan i feel extremely comfortable giving that man my hard earned$$. I was skeptic of hyrdo turf bc when they are busy it can take up to three weeks to get your goods, however i had my turf in 5 business days.

Sometimes a bad deal is just a timing or communication problem. However someone who spreads repeated bad deals is not someone i would buy from. I get my WDK second hand....but i STILL BUY IT, bc i love it. I don't care how hard it is to get a product, i want it even if it is a cut up, beat up, nasty looking rn hull. because that's what i can afford and i know who i am buying it from. We like to buy from someone we trust, or have an overwhelmingly positive feeling about.

 

[Waveblaster785]

I would love to see someone make the "Rocky Mountain ATV" of jet skiing. Talk about a first rate distributor for ATV parts, they have everything. As you spend money, you earn money towards your next purchase. I just logged in and found out I had 50 dollars towards my next purchase....better than finding a 20 in last winter's coat pocket. All shipping on orders over $99 is free 3 day UPS. For anyone who lives on the East Coast, you know trying to get something here from Blowsion the same week can cost as much whatever part you're buying. I'd also like to see competition drive prices down. $15.00 for a bypass fitting? Really? $40.00 for a rope to keep my pole down? $700 for an exhaust? My exhaust on my Vette didn't cost that much. In the end though we all pay it. I think my original Factory Pipe new in 94 costs MORE today, after 15 years of production, that's amazing. I love this sport, and I put all I can afford into it, but I still think products need to be more reasonably priced. An aftermarket hood is nearly 1,000 dollars, I don't know about the rest of you, but that just seems crazy to me.

With that being said the vendors I most often use are:
Marine Power Sports (Local shop) for whatever engine work I can't do myself, as well as my seemingly endless supply of Castor 927.
Jemaniac - Chris has been awesome to deal with and really was able to help me out this summer when I got in a bind and needed parts to get back out.
Full Spectrum - Ed is great to deal with. Great feedback and even made a follow up call to me to see how my ski was running. Class act.
Atlantic Jet Sports
Blowsion - Pains me every time, they seem so over priced, but they have cornered the market on trick stuff like billet accessories.
Xmetal
WDK for footholds
Hydroturf
Jet Trim - The folks at Jet Trim have always been great to deal with on the phone and I have been extremely pleased how their products hold up.

 

[D-Roc]

Prices for parts are costly and getting them into canada is even more but if the transaction was smooth and easy i don't mind paying for the parts. I make money, our parts guys have to too. Without them we be riding stockers and we all know stock sucks. lol.

 

[skibums4life]

Just a heads up WaveBlaster785 a site like that is very costly to create, not many companies in this industry have that kind of resources. ATVing is huge, all parts are pricey when you get into aftermarket products. I think the main priorities for me are service and speed.

 

[Tanman]

For me I would love to have an aftermarket hull, I have spend small amounts of time riding FR-2's, Rok, Q8 and I have enjoyed the characteristics of each hull. I am at the point where Im still on a SN superjet and it has some life left, but there is so much to improve on in weight loss and handling with just changing out my hull. I am very interested in making that jump. Nothing against the tried and trued RN. Once my riding matures I will be going with an AM hull and try to extend the boundarys.

I do most all of my business through Blowsion, I either e-mail the boys or give them a call and can expect my stuff in the mail in a few days. along with me loving the look and feel of all their products, I go to them for the little things, jets, gaskets. They ussually have it all, everything for me is out of town and I wait for shipping anyways. Also, they help promote the freeride scene big, we love the sport so why not support who supports it?
I am running a Jetmaniac 718 ported set up which I purchased for an awesome price and dealt with Chris who has amazing customer service. He won my business when I lost a crank also, quick, cost effective and I am running strong.
Hydro-turf is another company I will always support and use their products, along with massive support from the sport they are coming up with innovative twists to help your ski look killer.
Factory Pipe - I bought a new B-pipe direct from them and am sure glad I did and probably will continue to buy new when I can.

I certainly have alot more business to be conducted but in the last 3 years I have heavily been around the watercraft scene these jetski enthusiast forums have also been a great marketplace to find parts and information.
Its tough being a younger kid starting his own life and then trying to make this hobby which becomes a lifestyle, work. Money is the inhibitor of it all.