Who would want to go jet skiing on a day like this? Well me of course! So I can dial in my new freak and JM motor.
Amazingly, there is water in my local river. This is the warmest the water has ever been this early in the year due to a lack of snowmelt.
I ditched the protec reduction nozzle for a bored stock nozzle (85 mm). As suggested, I also got rid of the x-metal steering for my UMI set up. Turning/steering is spot on now! As we have all done, I did make two changes at once so I can't say for sure what cured the lame left turns. Now every input given is translated beautifully to the water. These hulls are so responsive and turning is crisp. The ski turns somewhat flat but can be laid over quite a ways until the pump unloads. power turns 180/360 are really effortless. The hull does not ride nose high at all. I'm using a modified Jet Dynamics deep scoop. I had to take off quite a bit of material to get the intake grate to have a clean flow with the hull/ pump shoe. The ski really has great hook up in chop (there was some wind today) and also has the right amount of "looseness" so that it is playful.
As I have yet to install a limiting rope, I didn't really get to huck the ski around as much as I had wanted. However, this thing is light (comparably). One huge difference is the amount of time this thing takes to glide to a stop once the engine is killed. Compared to an OEM hull it just keeps on gliding. Front footholds are really, really nice for anyone considering them. It allows me to ride in surf stance more comfortably with a slightly shorter tray. The
@JetManiac engine really came alive after the initial break in tank. I switched to 40:1, threw in a new pair of plugs, and played with the adjustment screws a tad. The motor is just plain great. Pretty linear power (i think part of that is due to my 10/16 impeller). I also installed bolt in drain plugs. Thankfully, after an hour long ride, not a drip of water came out of the sealed area in the hull. That was a big relief.
Overall, I really love this ski and I am looking forward to this season and the surf.