Yamaha doesnt even build these for what we use them for anyway. They only care about the race circuit. No large company will produce a Freestyle jetski as the risk and damages are too high.
Even if someone were to come out with a high production freestyle ski and get the price down to something reasonable you would quickly realise that the performance would STILL not be up to par with the aftermarket products. They cannot build top quality carbs, electric, pipes and hulls quick enough to support the lower cost and demands so they would skimp with OEM style carbs, an easier to build quick wet pipe and a more reliable ignition system all equals lower performance. Not to mention the Federal regulations involved telling producers that their products have to meet strict EPA requirements. Yamaha only gets away with the SJ because the majority of there products exceed epa regulations.
Rickter had a great plan to mass produce hulls in Thialand, but it definately did not make them cost efficient, the only hull they have that is worth comparing to KDX, Superfreaks or even the Backy Chan is the Ninja and the dayum thing cost more than any of the above mentioned hulls even though they have a full plant with cheap labor set up to build them.
Beside, this is a constantly changing market. To produce on high volume would be rediculous and it floods the market with a product that will be obsolete next year so you have the added expense and challange of staying ahead of a curve and getting new products out before the next guy with the latest inovative idea.
It takes someone with a true love of the sport that only hopes to at least break even in the end and hopes to make $ . Pat Bogart is a prime example. New hull every 2 years, new pole designs, new motor and pump designs that all seem to be ahead of the curve. He has pro riders and highly talented motor builders working with him to stay there. I promise its not because he is making millions doing it. It is because of his love for the sport. Dont get me wrong, he makes $ but he spends whatever it takes to keep what he feels is the best product in the sport that he loves. I doubt he will ever close his main business down in persuit of retiring on this industry. I could be wrong but thats what I assume is the case in the xscream world.
Imagine what it cost in time and $ to be involved in producing SO MANY parts that are top level from controls to hulls and motors and pumps and even involved in PFP production.
Like any good business he was smart enough to employ people who help him stay ahead of the curve.
Sounds like an xscream commercial huh. But its not, he is really just the only one I know of that has gone ALL IN. Rickter / RRP is in it but they do not produce motors, pump housings, pipe chambers and IMO are not doing it in a cost efficient way. How can their carbon hull be produced in a cheap labor country and still cost as much or more than a KDX or Backy Chan produced in the US?
