Boating USA — January 2018

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Kawasaki’s stand-up Jet Ski

started the personal water-

craft craze, but the boom in

easier-to-ride sit-down mod-

els pushed stand-ups out of

the spotlight. Later, stricter

two-stroke emissions laws

seemingly doomed the craft

to extinction in 2011. Now the

legend is reborn. The new Jet

Ski SX-R resembles the craft

that preceded it but looks

like it’s been hitting the gym

during its fi ve-year hiatus.

Now nearly 8 feet 9 inches

in length and 30 inches wide,

the craft is over a foot longer

than the previous model, a

stat that is exaggerated by a

new, noticeably swollen nose

area. There’s also consider-

ably more hull depth below

the bond line, and a wider

34-by-16-inch rider tray.

The biggest news may be

the four-stroke engine that

ultimately facilitated the

KAWASAKI

Jet Ski SX-R

High Points

While more powerful and agile, the SX-R

also manages to be more beginner-friendly.

Stability is far better at speed, spinouts have

been all but eliminated, and the added buoy-

ancy makes it easier to start in deep water.

Engine location — low in the hull and as far

aft as possible — helps the hull tackle

waves with less of a jolting impact to

the driver.

Integrated splash deflectors reduce the

amount of unwanted spray coming over

the bow.

Magnetic, theft-prevention key, fuel and

engine warning lights, and shallow storage

nook atop the hood cover are all welcome

additions.

Low Points

While far more buoyant once you get to your

knees, the higher waterline makes it a little

more of a workout to repeatedly haul

yourself aboard after falls.

Likewise, the sides of the deck fins receive

padding, but the tops no longer do. My

elbows missed the cushioning during

reboarding attempts.

Toughest Competitor

There’s only one from a major OEM,

Yamaha’s SuperJet ($8,499). At only 7 feet 4

inches in length and 306 pounds, the

SuperJet is far more playful than the SX-R

and yet still carves with a relatively predict-

able and aggressive inside lean. The craft’s

701 cc two-stroke engine, however, runs

afoul of current emissions standards, making

the craft available for competition use only.

·LOA: 8'8.5" ·BEAM: 2'6.1" ·DRY WEIGHT:

551.3 lb. ·DISPLACEMENT: 899 cc ·FUEL

CAPACITY: 7.9 gal. ·MAX HORSEPOWER: 160

Price: $9,999

ENGINE: Kawasaki 1,498 cc inline four-cylinder

four-stroke DRIVE/PROP: 148 mm high-pressure

pump with stainless-steel impeller GEAR RATIO:

1.00:1 FUEL LOAD: 6 gal. CREW WEIGHT: 155 lb.

craft’s comeback. Borrowed

directly from Kawasaki’s

STX-15F runabout, the nat-

urally aspirated, 1,498 cc

four-cylinder is rated at 160

hp, twice the power Kawa-

saki previously off ered in a

stand-up model.

Digital fuel injection

provides easier starting,

and the 60 mm mechani-

cal throttle body and resin

intake manifold improve

throttle response and power

delivery through the engine’s

full rpm range.

Even with the craft’s

now-hefty 551-pound

weight, the power

plant allows the SX-R

to best Kawasaki’s fl ag-

ship 310 hp Ultra 310R

out of the hole. Kawasaki

claims it beats the previous

stand-up model by a full 19

meters in a 50-meter drag

race. I believe it. The SX-R

accelerates instantly, with

virtually none of the bow

rise or porpoising typical of

a stand-up-style craft. Top

speed was an even 60  mph

with my 155 pounds in

the tray.

As to a stand-up’s leg-

endary handling and agility,

the SX-R hull tracks more

precisely, and more aggres-

sively, than ever before.

Runabout-style sponsons

have been added toward

the stern to lock in the back

end, virtually eliminating

the chance of a spinout.

As before, I found the craft

responded best to a strong

inside lean, but in an un-

expected twist, I found the

hull could also be turned

quite fl at for those look-

ing for a tamer ride. Just

choose one style or the

other and shift your weight

accordingly; I powered into

an aggressive corner with-

out committing and was

quickly fl ung as the craft

nimbly pivoted beneath

my feet. The V-shaped

bottom also proved better

at handling rough water.

— Jeff  Hemmel

#3047

OF RIDERSNUMBER PERFORMANCEAPPLICATION:

1

TOP SPEED(MPH)

60

STOWAGE CAPACITY

(GAL.)

NA

PHOTO: COURTESY KAWASAKI MOTORS CORP.

KAWASAKI

Santa Ana, California; 866-802-9381 ; kawasaki.com

AVAILABLE POWER:

JET DRIVE

To see a photo gal-
lery of the Jet Ski
SX-R, visit boating
mag.com/3047.

BOATINGMAG.COM | JANUARY 2018| 49