“Speed, it seems to me, provides the one genuinely modern pleasure.” ~Aldous Huxley
I love my ski. It is a familiar critter. I have spent hundreds of joyful hours with it. Riding, wave jumping, exploring new places, hiding under bridges from thunderstorms, camping, relaxing…spending time with it is like having a conversation with an old friend. Sometimes in life though, you begin to wonder what else or who else is out there, just waiting to enrich your life in new ways. One such opportunity presented itself this past weekend that I could not possibly pass it up. The Sea-doo Test Ride Tour was in town!
The Test Ride Tour makes its circuit annually, traversing the country and introducing people to the Sea-Doo lifestyle (one I can completely relate to!). They bring with them a sampling of skis from all performance levels and price points for people to water test and ask questions about. The folks running the event are Sea-Doo employees, and not representatives of any local dealer, so you are free to investigate everything they have to offer without any high-pressure sales pitch. They were knowledgeable, friendly, and very receptive to suggestions and feedback I wanted to share as a real world user of their products.
 |
| Test riders come in all shapes and sizes! |
Signing up for the tour is easy…a quick visit to their website or Facebook page allows interested participants to register over the web, and there is also a toll-free number to call if you prefer to do it by phone. They run a very organized event, scheduling you into a specific time block with no more than 4 participants for any 30 minute time block. This particular tour ran from Friday to Sunday and was held on a lake in the western suburbs of Fort Lauderdale. You can sign up to ride by yourself or with a passenger. The goal is to recruit as many people into riding as possible, and give current riders a chance to sample something new.
Now comes the fun part: The ride itself. When we arrived, there were 4 models available; the GTI 130, Wake 155, RXP-X 260, and GTX iS Limited 260. We were allowed to pick any two we wished. Being the current owner of a 2008 RXP-X 255, I had to run the new generation of the same. It has been getting a lot of buzz since Sea-Doo introduced the new S3 hull design 2 model years ago. It did not disappoint! I was given free rein to take some (very) high speed laps around the lake, marked with boundary buoys. I am already very familiar with the well-designed Rotax triple…it has been the engine in my last two skis and has proven itself again and again to be rock solid, reliable, and it delivers unbelievable performance. Doing a hole shot on this ski, with its 260 HP and big 1494cc engine, will nearly rip your shoulders right out of the socket. The best part is, it comes out of the box this way. Freaking awesome. In this case, the familiar spunky engine delivered a new type of ride. It is decidedly more precise, more ergonomic, and mind-blowingly fun. The seat is even curved to allow you to lock your knees into the sides while taking tight high-speed turns (ask me how I know) to give you a better chance of not flying through the air like a mouse in a slingshot. It has the new proprietary Sea-Doo iBrake…not sure I am sold on it, but it works to both slow you down and as reverse. Two words…try one!
 |
| RXP-X 260 (yours truly)...and free Sea-Doo advertisement! |
 |
| The Cadillac of Sea-Doos...GTX iS Limited 260 (with a happy test rider!) |
I also hopped on board the luxury liner GTX iS Limited 260. This three-seater beast has the same supercharged 260 HP engine as the RXP, but it has every bell & whistle under the sun. Super plush touring seats, electronic adjustable suspension, economy fuel mode, cruise control (for long slow speed zones), multiple storage bins…and the list goes on. You would not expect a big heavy three-seater to be performance minded. But I was in for quite a surprise. This thing was FAST…it had every bit as much heart-stopping acceleration as the RXP, and it even handled decently well in tight turns. Something I would not have expected. It has a deep-V style hull, so it really digs in for nice precise cornering. Its massive weight will help keep you in the water and bouncing around less, and the suspension does even more to dampen that effect. Regrettably I did not have a chance to try one on the ocean, where I think the suspension feature would really shine. Not sure this would be the machine of choice for wave jumping or buoy courses, but I would pick this hands down for long distance touring. It has the speed and fun of the RXP combined with the storage and stability of the GTX hull.
 |
| Test rider running the course. |
If the Sea-Doo Test Ride Tour comes to a city near you, I highly recommend you take advantage of the chance to ride their amazing skis. The tour schedule can be found here. Even if you are a Yamaha or Kawasaki fan, it never hurts to try something new. I would totally go to a demo event for the other manufacturers. Technology and design changes at the speed of light, and you might be pleasantly surprised at what the others are up to. Yes, I love my Sea-Doo…but I am not a brand snob. The great thing about skis is that there is something for everyone. It is one thing to see a bunch of colorful new boats at a boat show or a dealer, but it is another thing altogether to get to test ride. It is not something you typically get to do before buying a new ski. Keep an eye out also for your local powersports dealer doing a demo event. Near me, Riva Motorsports does such an event, where they bring out select models from multiple manufacturers to try. That is the best of all worlds!
No more excuses…get out there and ride. If you don’t have your own, now you can ride someone else’s! For free! But be warned…once you try you will want to buy. (Note: This blogger will not be responsible for any negative consequences resulting from said reader ambitiously or secretively purchasing an endless fun water machine without prior spousal approval)
No comments:
Post a Comment