Anyone into stand up jet skis?

[manbearpig]

Just picked up my first ski today. Been looking for a decent ski project and the sit down ones were all too far gone or their owners thought they were made of gold.

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k557/proct103/D9CB2A6D-A90A-4E79-832E-D46A3AD34413_zpscfej1jas.jpg (http://s1115.photobucket.com/user/proct103/media/D9CB2A6D-A90A-4E79-832E-D46A3AD34413_zpscfej1jas.jpg.html)

What i have figured out:

1984 Kawasaki JS440. solid hull with OG decals. Looks stock on the outside.. But inside is where the real goodies were hiding.

"PEP" Engraved into side of cylinder
Westcoast 5.5 gal fuel cell with SS pickups
Westcoast intake
Westcoast exhaust with PJS exhaust manifold
Westcoast intake grate
some aftermarket ride plate
aftermarket bars

Ski has only seen fresh water. motor has an even 160PSI in both cylinders. great spark. fuel tank cleaned out, carb cleaned. I tore the intake gaskets removing the intake manifold so i ordered new ones. first fire will be early next week with an in water test in the bay later next week.

[manbearpig]

sweet. the little research ive done suggests the 650's and 750's are pretty rare and quite beastly!

[RapidRick]

Had a couple once upon a time, and a brother that was IJSBA World Champ for a couple of years. LOL

[greenhuman]

I can a lot of tricks on a jet ski. Stand on my head, turn backwards, have a girl on my shoulders etc. Completely stuffed when I put it in the water though!

[BOB MARLIN]

There ain't many places you can run that thing here in so cal anymore, is there?.

[murrietamike]

That's funny .... I just picked up a 1990 440 last week. it is in pieces but seems to all be there.... motor seems to be in good shape as well.... I have the service manual now that will cover your ski as well....

[JasonB]

thats awesome i want one now lol We need some action shots next week when you get her pumpin

[jb2wheels]

FWIW - I had a 440 knock me out cold on Big Bear Lake once about 30 years ago. When did I get so old. Anyway, it just idled around me in a circle mocking me.

They're fun but watersports were never really my thing.

[manbearpig]

hahah ya doing anything other than just cruising is asking for trouble on these things. ill get my thrills on my wheeler. this was just a fun, cheap lil project to pass the time when we take the dobies to Fiesta Island. i plan to run it in the bay mostly and might take it to El Cap or the river, once its kinks are worked out. Trailer will hold 2 ski's so a smaller sit down is in the near future.

[rdlsz24]

I've always thought they look fun and a challenge but haven't ever ridden one. You don't see them too much anymore.

My parents had a pair of Arctic Cat Tigershark 770s (sit-down pwcs) a few years back but they get boring pretty quick unless you have waves to jump. On smooth river it's just cruising and watching out for drunk boaters

Rob

[manbearpig]

That's funny .... I just picked up a 1990 440 last week. it is in pieces but seems to all be there.... motor seems to be in good shape as well.... I have the service manual now that will cover your ski as well....

that seems to be the case with 50% of the older stand ups out there. their previous owner took em apart to do a top end and that was it.. never go back together. good luck with yours!

[murrietamike]

that seems to be the case with 50% of the older stand ups out there. their previous owner took em apart to do a top end and that was it.. never go back together. good luck with yours!

Actually,,, he said he pulled the motor out to put it into a go cart but found a 600cc motorcycle motor so this this was just in a bunch of pieces.... I think the motor runs.... Once I get it going I will put it on Lake Elsinore to work the kinks out and figure out how to ride the damn thing...lol...

I hear putting a 550 head on these 440's gives them a boost.....

[greenhuman]

A 550 piston port top end or even better a 550 reed valve top end and late model carb.These are standard Kawasaki parts. Simplify the tank hoses and fit a through hull rear exhaust (The fumes from the old standard front exhaust will send you batty).
The 440 will be good to learn on but if you do the above mods they are great fun.

[M.Pargiello]

These are cool as hell, my power tech teacher in middle school raced these and we worked on them in his class. It was pretty cool looking back on it. I'm not near water enough to justify buying one, but I'd love one :)

[3wheeled roofer]

river roaches are what we call em up here in Mohave valley. yall end up this way might as well hit me up........Glamy,manbear,tom or who ever. I don't ride em much but my kids do. I do the boat thing but still a jet. I have 2 550s and 1 650 for the kids and the ol lady. I work on em a bit and pay for batteries every year but that's about it for me. I live a hop skip and a jump away from a beach I launch on and hang out there till its cool enough to go home. good times fo sho

[Xfile]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVvHJch58cU Here is me on my 2001 superjet back in 2006. This was the last new toy I bought....I picked it out of the yamaha show room in 2002. I still have it and am going riding on Monday for the first time this year. I also have a 1987 limited mod 650sx that my wife rides. There a lot of fun and I'll hang on to them till i'm too old to ride (hopefully not until I'm about 93).

[DohcBikes]

Used to own 2 Kawi x2's. Not exactly stand up but completely insane nonetheless. One of them was supposedly a world championship entry at Havasu. It was basically uncontrollable and i almost died several times riding it. When i say that, I mean it.

[manbearpig]

Used to own 2 Kawi x2's. Not exactly stand up but completely insane nonetheless. One of them was supposedly a world championship entry at Havasu. It was basically uncontrollable and i almost died several times riding it. When i say that, I mean it.

scope this: http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/boa/4545601073.html and check that last picture in the ad :TrikesOwn

intake gaskets arrived this evening. Hopefully first fire tomorrow afternoon. stoked

[petesatc]

Kawasaki ski's are my second hobby after atc's......you will have fun on that 440 .....will take a little time to nail riding it but after that fun all the way...
heres a few of mine
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh318/pilotpete1/IMG_8092_zps532982dd.jpg (http://s259.photobucket.com/user/pilotpete1/media/IMG_8092_zps532982dd.jpg.html)

[manbearpig]

Kawasaki ski's are my second hobby after atc's......you will have fun on that 440 .....will take a little time to nail riding it but after that fun all the way...
heres a few of mine
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh318/pilotpete1/IMG_8092_zps532982dd.jpg (http://s259.photobucket.com/user/pilotpete1/media/IMG_8092_zps532982dd.jpg.html)

man those machines are showroom shiny! very very nice!

got it to fire today on starting fluid. took the carb off again and cleaned all the plates in the diaphragm individually and reassembled. i was convinced it would run so i hooked the hose into the cooling system and turned the water on.. BIG MISTAKE. Proper procedure is start ski, THEN turn hose on.

Tomorrow i will wrestle the ski off the trailer and flop it on its side, then upside down to get the water out. SMH. lesson learned

[petesatc]

Yes never switch on the hose before you have started the engine.......like you said take,lay it on its side take out the spark plugs and crank it over until no more water come out of the plugs holes ...plugs back in and it should start......make sure you run it for a while make sure all the water in the motor is gone....also when you connect the hose and the engine is running you only have to have a trickle coming out of the pisser otherwise you will flood the engine again with water....

[manbearpig]

also when you connect the hose and the engine is running you only have to have a trickle coming out of the pisser otherwise you will flood the engine again with water....

when you say 'pisser' are you referring to the garden hose or the ski's 'pisser' run off out the back of the ski? you dudes have a whole other lingo over there haha! thanks for the advice!

[sledcrazyinCT]

Stand up jet skis are a blast you will like it for sure Paul!
Does anyone on the board own or ever seen one of these for sale? 1968-9 SEA DOOS

1968 has an aircooled single and the 1969 came with a 372 liquid twin rotax.

Supposedly gas fumes would build up in the hull and if electric starter was used it could blow them up and Bombardier recalled them quickly thereafter, but people say these are the original jet skis

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[manbearpig]

Thats old school cool right there. i love the original ski's and snomo's.. though admittedly i dont see much snow.

Well i was able to fire the ski, but it looks like the carb is going to need a complete rebuild. been reading around on PWC forums and have determined that this thing has an old style Mikuni BN44 round body carb. Ive found a rebuild kit, but im having a hard time finding a new needle and seat for it, which i believe to be leaking fuel into the motor and preventing the ski from running. Everything advertised is for the SBN44 or 'Super' BN. Hopefully my registration to one of those forums will go through soon and i can ask the specific questions i have.

[El Camexican]

people say these are the original jet skis

I'd guess the first guy on a snowmobile to hit open water and not drown was the real inventor of the "Jet-Ski".

I'm sitting in Playa del Carmen as I type this pondering if I should rent a Sea-Doo on the beach for $140 per hour. Seems pricy for something that hasn't got wheels. Darn three wheeler wouldn't fit in my suitcase.

[sledcrazyinCT]

Does the carb have a butterfly style throttle plate? Some 500cc suzuki sled motors ran this type of carb the needle shows available in this diagram part #13 is arctic cat # 6505-357

This is a BN40 carb

196790

[manbearpig]

Ski has great spark. elect is not the issue im sure. it gets so much fuel in the crank case that you need to perform the water removal procedures (ski on side, plugs out, turn motor over to blow liquid out cylinders) to get all the fuel out. Blows out like the water. then it will fire on WOT only. Lots of indicators point at the carb.

the bn34, bn38, and bn44 all use different size needles and seats. the BN44 uses a 2.0 needle and seat. One of the questions i have for the PWC forum guys is should i rebuild the carb with the stock seat and needle or should i rebuild with a different, rubber tipped needle with matching seat.

heres what we're workin with

http://www.mikunioz.com/bn_round_pump_carb.htm

[manbearpig]

had a hunch that there was just something up with the carb's pump so i pulled it apart again and cleaned and reassembled with a diagram in my face. turns out one of the plastic diaphragm plates was in the wrong spot. got it put back together with everything in the right spot and all adjustment knobs at stock settings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f5C1wHM1lw

Got it to idle and run on the hose. revs up really fast. should be an interesting ride.

[BleedRed]

I would LOVE to havea gen2 X2! I ride an sxr, nkthng better then being in the water on a 100 degree summer day, you can't get in enough.


Kawasaki ski's are my second hobby after atc's......you will have fun on that 440 .....will take a little time to nail riding it but after that fun all the way...
heres a few of mine
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh318/pilotpete1/IMG_8092_zps532982dd.jpg (http://s259.photobucket.com/user/pilotpete1/media/IMG_8092_zps532982dd.jpg.html)

[manbearpig]

I would LOVE to havea gen2 X2! I ride an sxr, nkthng better then being in the water on a 100 degree summer day, you can't get in enough.

i feel ya. its been near 100 at work this past week and ive been dying to get this ski out for the first time. tiny little things are keeping me from doing that. Need to get the trailer registered, change out the wiring plug to 4 pin, change one trailer tire, and procure a life jacket. HOPEFULLY this weekend. we'll see how that goes

[manbearpig]

Got to take the ski out this afternoon. These things are harder to ride than i thought haha. I wasnt even able to give it full throttle. this little motor has way more 'go' than i thought. it really scoots. Hopefully ill get to take it out again tomorrow.

[DohcBikes]

Got to take the ski out this afternoon. These things are harder to ride than i thought haha. I wasnt even able to give it full throttle. this little motor has way more 'go' than i thought. it really scoots. Hopefully ill get to take it out again tomorrow.
It's one of the tougher things I've ever learned to ride, but once you learn to carve and dive its a feeling like no other.

My buddy Zach has a couple like yours and we pull each other in inflatable canoes. The ski make a channel of water and when you carve a corner, its like going through a water luge or down the fastest waters slide imaginable.. Super intense at high speed.

[manbearpig]

Got it back out at sunset yesterday. Water was piss warm, as usual, and aside from dodging the life jacket-less 10-people-on-the-inner-tube Barrio Logan residents, both myself and a buddy had a great time with the ski. it just died at high speed a couple times, but fired right back up. dont know whats up with that. let in too much water through the $7 Home Depot weather stripping i used for a hood seal, and a crack at the exhaust flange at the hull, but still way fun.

i can turn left well enough to do laps without falling, but turning right is tricky haha. i also think my turning adjustment must be off. straight with the bars inst straight with the jet.

[CaptainRon]

I have one stand-up (2009 SXR 800) and one sit-down (2001 Ultra 150).
After buying a stand-up, the sit-down no longer gets used much.
I live two miles from the Missouri River.

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[90nut]

glad to hear you are liking the ski! They are wayy fun. I sold my last js 650 about 2 years ago and have wanted another since. Its funny that you mentiod left turn vs right, i couldnt carve a right hander to save my arse but boy would she go left! must have been a ex nasski racer!

[Xfile]

glad to hear you are liking the ski! They are wayy fun. I sold my last js 650 about 2 years ago and have wanted another since. Its funny that you mentiod left turn vs right, i couldnt carve a right hander to save my arse but boy would she go left! must have been a ex nasski racer!

The engine torques to the left...when you throttle through a right hand turn your fighting it, that's why they always turn easier to the left...

[manbearpig]

Had the ski out at Fiesta Island at sunset again. water was super smooth and warm. ski didnt miss a beat. New hood seal kept the water out. Tried my hand at some tight turns and right handers. getting the hang of it, but still have a long way to go.

definietly need to get rid of these "V" bars for some flat bars. its a weird grip going from the wide bars of a wheeler to these weird angled bars

[Trike_crazy]

My dad has a 1990 kawasaki X2 he was given for free. It has a bunch of aftermarket stuff on it. Westcoast performance works exhaust, intake, and velocity stack, an aftermarket mikuni carb, a solas supra Impeller and a PJS nozzle. It was sitting and a field when he found it
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