Yamaha Superjet or Kawasaki SXR 1500 – What to Buy
You’re interested in buying a stand up jet ski for the first time – or maybe you are just looking for a stand up that is eligible to finance or is brand new. The options are pretty slim, but fortunately, popular manufacturers like Yamaha and Kawasaki offer current model stand ups off the showroom floor. Walk in to a dealership and you’ll be looking at the Superjet or SXR.
Just the Facts – Specifications
2019 Kawasaki SX-R 1500
MSRP: $9999
Engine: 1498cc four stroke fuel injected
Curb Weight: 551.3 lbs
Length: 104.5 inches
Width: 30.1 inches
Approximate Top Speed: 60 mph
2019 Yamaha Superjet
MSRP: $8499
Engine: 701cc two stroke carbureted
Dry Weight: 306 lbs
Length: 88.2 inches
Width: 26.8 inches
Approximate Top Speed: 45 mph
Breaking it Down – Pros and Cons
Black and white answer:
If you want to go fast: Kawasaki SXR
If you want to play: Yamaha Superjet
Now let me muddy the water a bit before someone quotes me saying Superjets can’t go fast and SXRs are not fun.
4 Reasons to Buy the SXR
1. Four stroke, fuel injected engine reliability.
Fill up at the gas station and go, no need to mix oil in the gas. The ECU takes care of temperature and air density changes, no carbs or needle adjustments necessary. Many people will not ever need to worry about engine rebuild intervals with a four stroke engine. Like the four storke engine in your car, have you ever thought about rebuilding it? Probably not.
2. Large and stable.
Big tray for big feet, longer length suits tall people, larger size means more buoyancy and stability.
3. Fast.
Hard to beat four stroke torque and 1500cc propelling you and the ski around 60 mph on the water. Can buy, learn to ride, and get a serious thrill (butt pucker) if you want to try racing. Heck, even going full throttle over the lake by yourself is intense at 60 mph!
4. Handles rough water well.
Live on a usually choppy lake? The size and weight help propel the ski through waves rather than be jostled around.
6 Reasons Not to Buy the SXR
1. Complicated.
Difficult to work on with minimal mechanical skills. Many electrical connectors and usually needs to visit a dealer to interface with the ECU, troubleshoot issues, etc. Engine maintenance is more involved with a four stroke and home rebuilds require special tools and knowledge of timing among other mechanical skills. Dealer visits and four stroke rebuilds can be very costly. Four stokes also require oil changes either at the dealer or with a home oil extractor.
2. Heavy.
One of the joys of owning a stand up is the ease of moving it around the garage, trailer, or truck bed. At nearly 250 lbs heavier than the Superjet the SXR is not light. That weight transmits to the water to make the ski feel more sluggish compared to the smaller Superjet. The SRX’s size and weight limits the playfulness and flickability, but it is by no means unresponsive. You just can’t expect to do submarines, tail stands, etc with a heavier, longer, more race-bred machine.
3. More speed = more danger.
Ok here comes the fun police right? I know I know, we just want to have fun. Keep in mind that the faster you go the more it will hurt when you fall off. And you will fall off.
4. *Tendency to “Fall Over”.
I put an asterisk by this one because it is a more personal riding style issue, however, I want to mention it because most everyone else I’ve talked to notices the SXR’s tendency to fall over in a straight line or slight corner. This causes the rider to try to correct, but the ski becomes unresponsive as it tilts over more and more, and continues to go straight. Compared to most stand ups, the rider is standing quite a bit higher than the water level on the SXR due to a deep hull. This tendency is easily worked around, but personally, I prefer not to have to work around a problem like this in the first place.
5. More expensive.
Yes, the SXR is marginally more expensive than a Superjet and you get a lot more power for those $1500, but remember if you are buying new you will have to deal with freight, setup, TT&L, etc so it adds up. Plus, it will require a trailer because of weight and size. No truck beds for this baby! Also replacement parts for electronics and four stroke engines can cost more.
6. Race class very competitive.
I understand not everyone who buys this very fast stand up is interested in racing. However, if you are, realize the SXR races against other SXRs at very high speed. If you are looking to make your debut in racing and clean up a race course full of slower, older two stroke skis – you’ll likely be very disappointed to be lining up against other SXRs.
4 Reasons to Buy a Superjet
1. Simple.
Very few electronics to worry about corroding or having the dealer check. It is a simple two stroke carbed engine so most maintenance and diagnostics can be done in your garage with limited tools. Rebuild parts are fairly inexpensive and readily available. Ever messed with a two stroke weedeater? Imagine that, but 701cc. No digital scan tools necessary.
2. Light.
In the stand up world less weight means it is easier for the rider to throw around the weight. Learning small stunts like submarines, tail stands, tail slides, bunny hops, etc right off the bat is totally do-able on the Superjet. At 306 dry weight you and a buddy or two could probably load the Superjet into a truck bed, no trailer needed.
3. Race, freeride, freestyle.
Where the SXR is undeniably faster, it is more a one trick pony of going fast and blazing the lake chop. The Superjet is a beautiful platform to race because there are a number of classes it falls in from more beginner classes to modified advanced races.
Don’t want to race? Spend a chill day on the lake hopping waves and exploring. Fancy learning tricks? Even in stock form the Superjet is capable of doing a number of old school slides, stands, and jumps.
4. Cheaper.
Yes, the Superjet’s MSRP is $1500 cheaper than the SXR. That means less TT&L. If you have friends or a hitch hauler you potentially do not need the additional cost of a trailer. While you’ll probably need to rebuild more often with a two stroke, the parts are fairly inexpensive.
3 Reasons Not to Buy a Superjet
1. Two stroke carburated engine.
The two stroke engine is both a good and a bad thing. I talked about the simplistic and cheap positives above, but on the flip side having a two stroke requires mixing oil in the gas and they need rebuilds more often than four stroke engines. Over the life of the stand up you will likely need to adjust the carb needles to be more rich or lean when the weather changes or you ride at a different elevation. Adding insult to injury, the USA Superjets come with caps over the needles to keep people from changing the fuel mixture from the factory. They need to be removed before any needle adjustment can take place.
2. Small.
At 5’8″ and 140 lbs I have no complaints with the Superjet’s stability. However, if you are a larger person or have never ridden a stand up the Superjet can feel more unstable. The Superjet is shorter, thinner, and less buoyant so at slow speeds, it requires more balance and more patience to learn. Large chop can be more of a workout on the Superjet as it gets bounced in and out of the water more due to the lighter weight.
But if your complaint is you are too heavy or too tall for a Superjet, check out this video of a 300 lb friend of mine backflipping a MUCH smaller and unstable aftermarket stand up. And a photo of him on his Superjet. You can learn, it just might take longer.
3. Slower.
The top speed of 45 mph is slow in comparison to the SXR’s 60 mph, but speed on water is different than sitting in a car. Still, on the Superjet you won’t get that butt pucker rush of acceleration the SXR offers. Requires heavy modifications to go even 10 mph faster. Big speed on a Superjet is a big bummer unless you have big pockets.
Conclusion
There you have it – the tools and knowledge needed to make your decision to buy a Superjet or SXR. They are both great skis from quality manufactures. It is up to you to decide what suits your needs the best!
Have comments or suggestions? I’m not perfect and could have left something out, please let me know your thoughts!
