Which 550 to buy?

[Pattle]

My '91 Superjet is still in the shop and may be for a while, so I'm jonesing for another ski. I'm thinking about getting a 550 as a "spare" ski, since there seem to be a few of them around and they are fairly cheap. I'm in SoCal, btw.

I found a beautifully restored ski for $3200, but it's a '91 with the piston port motor. It really looks good, though. New paint/powder coat inside and out, Jetrim mat, Coffman pipe. It's a bit of a drive to get it, though.

I also found an '86 440, with a 550 reed motor for $2800. It looks in pretty decent shape from the pics. Owner says he did the conversion a while back and it has been reliable.

So, I'm really leaning towards the '86 with the reed motor. It's a bit cheaper, the ski is a lot closer to me, and I'm assuming that motor is going to be a lot more fun.

Opinions, or thoughts on questions I should ask to help my decision?

 

[Pattle]

The black one is the '91 with the piston port motor.




The white one is the 440 with the reed motor.

 

[Quinc]

Save your money and get another SJ or a/m hull with 701.

 

[afraz1er]

Ski with the reed motor.

Sent from my moto g power (2022) using Tapatalk

 

[Sparkplug]

If you pay more than 500 bucks for a pp550 and it's not a cherry og one, your smoking the good stuff.

I'll sell you a superjet 650 that needs paint. For 2k. I'll meet you in San Jose

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[Pattle]

Ha ha! Yeah, now I remember reading that same suggestion on here when other folks have asked a similar question about which Kawi to buy. Probably good advice to just keep hunting for another Superjet. Sparkplug, San Jose is still a loooong haul for me, otherwise I would likely take you up on that offer.

I'm thinking back to a short ride I took on a fellow riders 550. His were old, definitely pre Reed motor, and bone stock. .... and weak! Nothing like my screamer. So, appreciate the virtual smack to the head. Hopefully I'll get mine back soon, and maybe I'll get lucky and find another as a backup.

 

[E350]

This one:


No affiliation. It is, I believe, nicer than my 1993 550sx.

 

[waxhead]

a sx is the best one it has the later model drive line

 

[WFO Speedracer]

Night and day difference between the reed engine and the piston port engine, the reed engine is way more user friendly-reliable, Piston port engines had single ring pistons and Mikuni BN carbs that never stayed in tune, I spent way more time working on piston port engines than I ever did riding them.

 

[OtherDonnieGuy]

I'm not sure what prices are like in your area, but you can pick up nice Reed 550sx here in the Midwest for almost half those prices.

I haven't rode hardly any "good" 550's (most in my area are just half-dead old garbage), but my stock '94 550sx was night and day better over any other stock 440/550pp.

I agree with the others, find yourself another Yamaha, then you will have a ski you can swap parts with if you need to do a quick fix or simply test parts from another known running machine.

 

[SexPanther]

I would buy sparkplugs 650 SJ. I love the JS platform but unless you have a really well set up ski they are a major hassle (hence me installing a 701 in mine). If you aren’t trying to become a vintage JS guru by trial and error I recommend sticking with Yamaha. I probably spent more time wrenching on 440/550s over the years than riding them.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

I am going to be honest here, I had one of the first 550 reed engines in the states, I had it for years, great engine but I fail to understand the CURRENT craze going on right now, they were great but they were not that great.

 

[waxhead]

I am going to be honest here, I had one of the first 550 reed engines in the states, I had it for years, great engine but I fail to understand the CURRENT craze going on right now, they were great but they were not that great.

I love the 550. It’s fun and reminds me of less complicated times. I pretty much have one of every ski in my garage and the 550 or Fx1 are may favourite. They reward you for effort you put in. My big Sxr just bores me

 

[E350]

@Pattle how much do you weigh? If you are 150 lbs or less, a properly set up 1993-1995(?) 550sx is a great ski. At my current 184 lbs. not so much for me. But a beautiful ski for someone lighter. The FX-1 is not a 550sx with a larger engine, the extra power is appreciated, but it is heavier and the hull handles differently than a 550sx, but not as heavy or as differently handling as a SN SJ.

I am seriously thinking about swapping my extra Yamaha 650 (633cm) into the 550sx. Or adding @waxhead's dual intake with dual carbs or a single larger carb and really pumping up the power on the 550sx reed engine. I am already running 180 lbs. psi compression with 75% 110 octane but a stock exhaust.

But I also have dreams of a larger engine in a 2021+ Rickter Edge.

You didn't say whether your '91 SN SJ had a 650 or a 701 single carb or a 701 dual carb. Regardless, you likely already know that a SN SJ is a solid ski. If you like the handling of your SN SJ then you really can't go wrong having your "spare" ski be another SN SJ. The SN SJ even with a 650 is a solid ski. So @Sparkplug's offer is likely a good deal. As said, the SN SJ is heavier and is not nearly as nimble as a 550sx, but it has more power is just all around more evolved than a 550sx.

I don't like the handling of my wife's '94 SN SJ (61x single carb 701). And much prefer my '95 FX-1. But like @SexPanther says, I may like the 550sx with more power even more than the FX-1. So someday, I'd like to find out. If I don't get sucked down the AM hull vortex first.

Please come back and let us know what you ended up doing.

 

[waxhead]

@Pattle how much do you weigh? If you are 150 lbs or less, a properly set up 1993-1995(?) 550sx is a great ski. At my current 184 lbs. not so much for me. But a beautiful ski for someone lighter. The FX-1 is not a 550sx with a larger engine, the extra power is appreciated, but it is heavier and the hull handles differently than a 550sx, but not as heavy or as differently handling as a SN SJ.

I am seriously thinking about swapping my extra Yamaha 650 (633cm) into the 550sx. Or adding @waxhead's dual intake with dual carbs or a single larger carb and really pumping up the power on the 550sx reed engine. I am already running 180 lbs. psi compression with 75% 110 octane but a stock exhaust.

But I also have dreams of a larger engine in a 2021+ Rickter Edge.

You didn't say whether your '91 SN SJ had a 650 or a 701 single carb or a 701 dual carb. Regardless, you likely already know that a SN SJ is a solid ski. If you like the handling of your SN SJ then you really can't go wrong having your "spare" ski be another SN SJ. The SN SJ even with a 650 is a solid ski. So @Sparkplug's offer is likely a good deal. As said, the SN SJ is heavier and is not nearly as nimble as a 550sx, but it has more power is just all around more evolved than a 550sx.

I don't like the handling of my wife's '94 SN SJ (61x single carb 701). And much prefer my '95 FX-1. But like @SexPanther says, I may like the 550sx with more power even more than the FX-1. So someday, I'd like to find out. If I don't get sucked down the AM hull vortex first.

Please come back and let us know what you ended up doing.

Do you reaslise the fx1 is actually 5kg lighter than the 550
its the lightest ski ever made by a major manufacturer ( actually maybe the 300 is lighter)
My fx1 is my 550 practice ski lol

 

[WFO Speedracer]

Yes they are fun skis if you weight 150-180 lbs if you are over that not so much, I had a ported 550 reed with a Coffman halfpipe and dual 42 kehins, a Westcoast intake, PJS pistons Westcoast dual total loss system, it did run really well but it sure as hell does not run like the ported 650 I have now, I can totally see the big pump craze because 550 pumps suck.

 

[E350]

Thanks Wax!
No I did not realize.
I am flabbergasted that it is lighter than the 550.

How would you describe the handling differences between the 550sx and the FX-1 ?

 

[fastgtfairlane]

The fx1 is lighter than the 550 because the fx1 is hand laid fiberglass and the 550 is made of smc which is heavier

 

[Pattle]

I'm about 215 now. My Superjet is a '91 hull but with a single carb 701, with Factory pipe and Jet Dynamics waterbox. At full throttle it still scares me.

So, yeah, I should probably get something similar as a spare.

Since I'm in CA, it really needs to be already registered here. Unlikely that I can register an out of state 2 stroke. That limits the market, and that's why prices here have ballooned recently. Finding a decent ski for a reasonable price is tough. And the new Superjet is still unavailable.

That's why I decided to dump some money into my ski, knowing it's a keeper for me and will get used. What I didn't count on was that the repair would take 4 X longer than the initial estimate. Hopefully it'll be ready soon. It sounds like it's close. Meanwhile, I'll keep an eye out for another.

 

[E350]

I am in California and bought my 550sx in Reno about six years ago. No problem registering it in California then. And yes, I have been up to 206-210 and at that weight, the 550sx won't pull you out of a turn like a 701 SJ. For $2K @Sparkplug's should be seriously considered.