advise on Seadoo purchase

[fixmyevinrude]

Looking at a 1994 Seadoo that seems to be in good condition. The owner says it has a 587 cc engine. What in particular should I look for? I am not familiar with this Seadoo at all. Should I check compression? If so what should it be? Is this engine known for any particular defects? I am just looking for a reliable one that has a good track record. Thanks for any help.

[skysurfer2010]

That engine is fairly reliable as long as it was well maintained. Older Sea Doos had more issues with the electricals than anything else. I personally won't own a SD, just Yamaha. As long as the compression is consistant (within 10psi of each cylinder) than it should be fine. I'm thinking the compression should be around 135, but that's just a guess. Is it an XP?

I wouldn't pay anything more than $1,200 with a trailer as long as it's in good condition.

[fixmyevinrude]

Thanks for the reply. $1200 is exactly what he is asking and it doed have a trailer. I don't believe it is an XP. Just what does XP designate? I was reading some other posts and they led me to believe that some Seadoo's have a problem with oil leaking in the engine and causing starting problems after they sit for a few days. I didn't quite understnd this since it is a 2 cycle. Anyone have any feedback on this?

[skysurfer2010]

Do a compression check and a test ride. If both check out ok, more than likely you're fine. Give a good tug on the engine in all directions to make sure all the motor mounts are good. If she rides ok on the water test, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

XP is the model name. I believe it was lime green with some bright reddish pink trim in 94. It might be SP which was aqua with I think reddish pink trim... or even the spx which I think was aqua with purplish trim. I forget the CCs on the older skis back then. I know the XP was 80hp and the other models were ballpark of 63hp. The engines back then were fairly reliable. Sea Doo really started to bomb in the late 90s with the 951cc engine. Their electronics are another story, though.

[Jeff Walkowiak]

oil leaking from the rotary valve compartment is a real issue with those,, also the hull is pretty small and likes to hop at high speed,, and they tip over if you look at them wrong.lol. the ski is not really a good choice if you are a big person and really bad choice if you plan on taking a passenger. they also develop leaks in the exhaust pipe welch plug areas requiring you to have the pipe welded. personally I would probably do some real close checking on the pipe for j b weld being used to seal up the leaks. and if it smokes a lot when it is started for the first time you will have issues with the rotary valve leaking oil in the crank case.

[skysurfer2010]

Gotta be careful by saying, "smoking a lot". To an inexperienced owner of pwc seeing a little bit of smoke could be a "lot". Plus if it's winterized it'll smoke like a mofo.

Any older pwc that you'll find in the $1,000 price range is going to be tipsy, probably around 15+ years old, and not carry a second person that well except for maybe a waverunner III which claimed to be a 3 seater even though it's really just a 2 seater.

I'd probably still shy away from a Doo, but that's just me! If you only want to spend somewhere around $1k, find a waverunner III with the 650 engine. Very reliable engine, although a ton of them were used for rentals back in the day.

[liquidlew]

The general concensus here is stay away from SeaDoo. I have seen many broken down SD's over the years, and can't remember how many times I have helped out or towed in a poor sap on one! My bro in law has a mid 90 XP (2 seater) and a GTX (3 seater), the XP sometimes works, sometimes don't, the GTX blew the motor 4 yrs. ago and hasn't been the same since. My 3 Yamaha's have close to 300 hr.s (one has 350!) on them and they are still running strong, always reliable, never had a breakdown, and tons of fun! For my $ and piece of mind, Yamaha!

[fixmyevinrude]

Thankyou for all the great info. I have decided to take your advice and shy away from the SeaDoo. Probably want a 3 seater as we will be useing it for tubing also. Here in Missiuri people tell me you must have a 3 seater to be legal for towing. From reading some of the past posts and talking with people it does appear that the Yamaha has a great track record. Any advice on Yamaha's will be greatly appreciated. Thanks