Other New to forum.

S

sbviolette

Location
Maine
Hey guys, new to the forum, and skiis alike.

Basically i have money burning a giant hole in my pocket (let's say a few thousand) and some very willing women. Just looking for some direction. I currently have two bone stock skiis i've been riding for a few summers and would like nothing more than to upgrade. We're lookin' at a 650x2 and a js550, the x2 being a tad lame in it's old age, and the stand-up needing a bore-job. Time to invest some money, and what better time to throw in some goodies. I'm restricted to flatwater riding, and would love to learn some freestyle. Open to feedback, sorry if i posted in the wrong section.

Thanks,
Sam
 
swapmeet

swapmeet

Brotastic
Location
Arlington TX
Since you're new and you probably don't know this.... You just got advice from the owner of the site. Not that its necessarily better than anyone elses, but the guy has been doing this..... for a minute.

And he's correct. I had a JS hull to start and hopped on my buddies Square Nose 650 SJ (stock) and I thought I was in heaven. I recommend finding someone local to you who has a SJ and taking it for a spin. This sport is chock full of good people who will let you try out their ski, so don't be shy.
 
S

sbviolette

Location
Maine
Thanks guys, i had been looking for an "S.J." for a little while, but the ski craze isn't very prevalent this far north. Say i do find a superjet collecting dust in someone's garage what are things i'd have to look out for? Common problems, Value, Add-ons to keep an eye out for?
Again,
Much Appreciated.
 
SuperJETT

SuperJETT

So long and thanks for all the fish
Location
none
Make sure the compression is good, look inside the carb(s) if you can (if it's dirty/gunked up, the engine is too), should start up fairly easily/quickly, all the normal stuff.

I had a 440 superstock, then 550 limited, then 550 mod, then 750SXi, then modded the hell out of it trying to make it a freestyle ski and finally bought a limited roundnose Super Jet in 2002 that blew away my Kawi, then eventually ended up with a lightweight hull that was an absolute ton of fun with a solid 760 in it. The SXi was not made to do freestyle, at all.
 
Vumad

Vumad

Super Hero, with a cape!
Location
St. Pete, FL
Sell all that kawi stuff. Don't spend a dime in it. Ditch it all ASAP for whatever you can get for it. They are fun to ride but they are money pits that under perform. The standard answer on here is "buy a superjet" which I don't always agree with, but in your case, you've been clear what you want, buy a superjet.

Down the road you can switch out to an aftermarket hull, but for now the superjet is the place to start.
 
swapmeet

swapmeet

Brotastic
Location
Arlington TX
There is so much to list.

IMO, main things you CAN check are:
Compression (with a compression gauge)
And that it runs, take some pre-mix and a battery or a jump box.
Since you have salt near you, I would look inside the pump for pitting of the aluminum maybe... I'm not real fluent on Salty skis.
Watch out for a cracked handle pole on a Square nose. Especially around the pole bolt.

I would look for a ski that has at least a single carb 701 (61x) If the case says "6m6" its a 650, which is actually a 633. Not all 650's are bad, I have one that runs circles around stock 701 Squares. But they don't lend themselves to modifications like a 701 does.
Most any aftermarket pipe is a big plus.
Obviously a Round Nose would be nice buy they are harder to find and cost more vs what you get for your money on a square.
Intake grate, ride plate, AM impeller, AM handle pole, Footholds, etc...

All value adders.


This is just my $.02, there is a lot of good info on here just look around.
To be completely honest, you'd be doing yourself a favor to buy a ski off here thats already modded and have it shipped to you. Its a bigger investment up front, but you'll save yourself a lot of time & money vs buying parts and tuning stuff yourself. Especially if you don't have much of 'scene' for stand ups.

Stock 650 or 701 SN might go for $900-1500 depending on condition, vs buying a complete SN on here with a upgraded motor (1-3k), impeller (200), plate and grate (250), factory pipe (700), for about $3k. Just buying a ski that is complete and running correctly is a value IMO, as Tom21 says... wrenching < riding
 
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big c

big c

Location
baltimore, md
imo you will spend thousands on a older kawi ski just to get it to perform and look as good as a stock sj. trust me, we've all been there. better to sell what you have now and just take the leap forward. the market for parts and everything else is just so much greater for newer skis.
 
iangdesign

iangdesign

Cats, lots of cats!
Location
United States
I started out with an X2 and a 650sx a few years ago. Rode the 650sx right after I bought it and parted it out it was a super boring ski. Then bought a 550 to do a conversion on and got bored with it as well. Ran into a really good deal on a 701 SN bought and modded it and I love the ski. Need more tray time on it though, I have owned my SN for about a year now.

Listen to the folks on here, though know what they are talking about.

Don't be in a rush to buy the first SJ you find on CL either. Save your cash, find someone close to you that owns one and ride theirs. See if you like it.

Also if you are on the hunt on CL and not sure what to look for post the ads in this thread and ask opinions. Peeps can give you advice on what to avoid and what to actually go look at.

As swapmeet stated, take a compression gauge and battery with you, when you go to look at the skis. Look for corrosion and signs of salt abuse in the pump and midshaft areas.
 
IWannaYama

IWannaYama

Location
Delray Beach, FL
S

sbviolette

Location
Maine
All great info! Done some digging, any major differences between the SN and RN besides weight, appearance, and age? any preferences? No replacement for displacement, I'm most definitely going to keep a wider eye for the 701 as opposed to the 630.

- Certainly glad I found the forum, Thanks for the honest opinions!
 
swapmeet

swapmeet

Brotastic
Location
Arlington TX
Operationally, there is no difference from what i've read. The top deck and hood on the SN will crack under a lot of abuse (Flopped barrel rolls etc.) But you can reinforce.
The SN poles are more prone to breaking as mentioned above.

A member of the X offers a bracket that allows you to swap to a RN pole. Its called the Hazard Bracket.
 
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