Let’s Talk 300HP – Seadoo 300HP Model Review

So the day finally came, we now have a 300HP Seadoo’s on the market. All the true Jet Ski Lovers of the world have been waiting for this day for years. To be honest with you I never expected Sea Doo to do it, but its nice that they did.

I just got back from the release party for the new 300HP models and I wanted to give a little review of them. There are 3 models that now have the 300HP engine 1630 ACE and I wanted to do a single review on them to point out what makes them the same and what makes them different.

If you’re looking for power these 3 models (RXT-X, RXP-X, and GTX LTD 300) will be the models you’ll want. To help make a better decision on which one to get I have complied some notes from the showcase and even was one of the very first people to ride these new beast.

What Makes Them The Same

Kind of a silly question to ask, “what makes them the same?”. We all know that they all have the new 300HP ACE Engine. Its this new 1630cc engine that makes them have something in common.

So Like The Spark ACE?

The funny part is that this new ACE engine is not really a ACE engine as in what the Seadoo Spark has. It does share a lot common similarities of the ACE Spark engine but lets be honest – this 1630 is the old engine on Steroids.

Hitting The Gym

The 1630 has been hitting the gym, not only to gain muscle but to get slim, trim and cut. This engine is bigger than the old Rotax (must be why they didn’t put it in the iS models because it would not fit?).

Freak’n Plasma!

Not only is the 1630 bigger but its brought to the modern world. Don’t get me wrong, the current engine in the other models is just fine and has been working just fine since its release in 2002. But times have changed in the manufacturing world – we have freak’n plasma coating process for the cylinder walls of the 1630 ACE. YES PLASMA! Its like we’re living in the future! The Plasma process helps to cut down on friction while delivering better oil for the cylinder walls and also keep the engine cooler.

Big Things Come In Small Packages

When they released the new engine I was thinking, ok so now it must have a bigger supercharger to get the extra power. I was dead wrong. Seadoo actually made the super charger smaller, double the blades while increasing the power.

Precision With Less Maintenance

You know what really blew me away was when they said that this new super charger is maintenance free! How great is that? The old super charger wasn’t that bad, the average rider would only need to maintenance it about every 8 years. But not having to worry is just better.

Usually when you buy something that is as powerful and precision tuned you expect some extra service, but Seadoo said screw that!

The best part is that every supercharger is bench tested to make sure it holds up to the engine before it ever goes into the engine. That’s the level of detail you won’t get anywhere else but Seadoo.

Driving the 300HP

I have driven every Seadoo ever made except for a very few. I can actually name them off – the original 60’s model, LRV, and HX. I have come to learn what each machine can do and what to expect power wise from it. I’ve even ridden some modified RIVA versions that do 80+.

Not Impressed – For Exactly 400 Milliseconds

So when I jumped on the GTX Limited 300HP did the first pull of the trigger take my breath away? NO. Yes, you read that correctly, that first split second it felt no different than the 260’s I’ve ridden over the years. Then I got past that first split second expecting the machine to act like the 260HP, but it didn’t.

You see its hard to explain but when you give a 260HP full throttle in Sport Mode it launches like there no tomorrow but then once the bull is out of the cage the shock is over and you’re just going fast.

The 300HP 1630 ACE didn’t feel like it was tapering off, it felt like the bull is now out of the cage and getting more pissed ever millisecond that I’m on it. The power didn’t stop – and to be honest the last time I was scared of this much power was the first day on the job and they put me on a 215HP RXT and told me to keep up.

A 155HP engine is like riding a bull that was only slightly slapped and they told you to have some fun. A 260HP engine is like riding a bull that is pissed off at first but calms down after a little bit once its let off some steam. A 300HP is like riding a bull that is pissed off at the guy on his back and wants tear you to shreds because he saw you milking his wife and will stop at nothing to get you.

The Mid-Range

The power just kept going because the 300HP 1630 is just killing it in the middle range of the RPM’s. Both the 300HP and the 260HP have the same top speed due to the agreement with the coast guard, but now Seadoo has figured out how to play with the mid-range. Every manufacturer figured out the first or beginning range but that mid-range is a whole new beast that Seadoo got right.

Keep It Cool And It Goes Faster

Seadoo Also improved the cooling and the intercooler too. They even moved the intercooler off to the side since the battery is not back there anymore.

Plus with all Seadoos they use a closed loop cooling system that your car uses to keep the engine at the perfect temperature while keeping corrosion and debris away.

The Rider Comes First

The biggest thing I got away from the new models with the 300HP 1630 Engine was that it really wasn’t the engine that was important but the rider.

All that power is useless if the rider gets hurt, falls off, or just hates to ride it because it wears them out. Hint-Hint other manufacturers listen the riders should come first.

It Feels Big But Also Small At The Same Time

The new Ergo Lock Seats makes the Seats feel huge but small at the same time. With the ability lock your legs in allowed me to take turns I would have never taken any other time. I was doing turns and leans that just felt stupid as this bull went just plain crazy under me.

It seems that Ergo Lock Seats are the future of Seats. No more of the plain flat foam, rider comfort now comes first. The best way to put it is to sit on the Ergo Lock seat, especially the GTX Limited 300 since its got amazing back support.

Check Your Palms

The Handlebars with the palm rest had me asking the questions, “why didn’t we have this sooner?”. It’s so stupid simple of an idea it just silly that no one thought of this early. The grip felt right and I had better control over the steering as I just move the bar with just my palm and not my wrist.

Grip felt just right as I never wear gloves (which you really should) but the smooth rubber felt just right. Some grips will cut into your hands since you will have a death grip trying to hold on, but these grips are smooth and never caused any problems.

iBR 2.0 – 1.0 Worked Fine?!

It was silly to hear that one of the new features of the new models for 2016 was that Seadoo upgraded the Brakes system iBR. I was trying to figure out what could they change or make better? The original iBR works very well and will stop you and really makes docking easy.

Seadoo’s 2.0 iBR is elegant. 1.0 would stop you for sure but at the very end it would always take a nose dive and you would get a wall of water over you. If you didn’t want to get wet you had to release the iBR lever before it took a nosedive. This was like a panic mode like ABS for your car to make sure you fully stop with control in an emergency situation.

Nose Dive

Well, the 2.0 version got rid of the nose dive. Plus it now is stronger while its stops much sooner than the older version. You still get the wall of water behind you that works like a brake light to let people behind you know you’re stopping at full speed.

After looking at the iBR 2.0 I noticed that something very familiar with it.  The bucket and the motor look very similar to the Sparks iBR. They’re pretty much the same actually.

For Dealers

The good news for dealers and people who work on them is that this new iBR is actually simpler. No mounting plates like the old style that was directly connected to the motor and rotated on the motors shaft. This new one uses a Screw that just spins to move the gate. This means you only need one hole in the back where the old design need many holes to support the torque of the motor. Less holes means less worry about leak. Not saying that the old ones leak, but the closer we get to zero holes in a boat the less likely it will be to take on water.

RXP-X – I Just Want To Go Fast!

The  RXP-X 300HP is simply for the guy who wants to go fast. The guy who wants to race. Never settles for second place and fears no sharp turns.

The RXP body has the T3 hull which is made for racing. This hull has rounded edges that allows you roll into the turns like a motorcycle and stay there til you flip it back over.

T3

This hull has a T shape to cut down on drag. This hull when going at full power will on ride on a narrow center rail or the vertical of the “T”. Less you have touching the water the faster you’ll go.

I don’t know if you guys noticed in the picture above for the RXP-X there is another intake port in the rear. All Seadoo have the two drain plugs in the bottom and the adaptor in the left for hooking to a water hose to flush the machine. But now the RXP-X and RXT-X has this second port on the right.

Similar to GTI Hull

This T3 is actually very similar to the GTI’s body so it does share some characteristics. For example the huge front storage with Splash guard. The gas fill location is in the same location under the hood which works for quick fill ups at the gas station.

Big Engine Small Body

RXP-X is the only 2-Seater besides the Sparks that Seadoo has. The goal was simple, put the biggest engine in the smallest body that we can. So if you’re new to watercraft this is not the machine you want to start with. No joke.

This is why Seadoo has modes like Touring that it defaults to every time you start and even warns you when you enter Sport mode because its no Joke. Even if you rode rental jet ski’s you can’t handle this machine – this is like riding that bull but you have no saddle or ropes to hold on to.

You also have adjustable sponson’s to fine tune the ride you want. You can move them up to make it super playful. Move them all the way down to make it track ready or feel like its on rails. Or keep it in the middle for a normal ride.

Plus you can fine tune the handle bars for your body and comfort.

The Foot Pads in the foot well work really well to help lock you into the turns.

RXT-X – “I Want Fast By Night And Practical By Day”

The RXT-X 300HP is much like the RXP-X, where they both have the adjustable sponsons and X-Package material.

But the RXT-X is made up of the bigger S3 body which is a 3 seater.

Bigger Body Takes The Chop Better

This Body takes the chop a lot better and many people claim to beat the RXP-X in rougher water because it’s being able to handle the chop.

You also get adjustable Handle Bars that can be fine tuned just like the RXP-X but this RXT can move the handles up and down too.

Also the front storage of the RXT-X is removable and completely sealed up.

Hinge Seats

My favorite feature is the seat is on a hinge with a shock that raises it up. No need to look for a place to place the seat when on the docks. It some simple but you won’t know the pain until you have bought a machine without this feature.

GTX Limited 300 – I Want It All – Power and Luxury

The GTX Limited 300 is the Watercraft for you if you like Luxury with Power. In 2015 my favorite Seadoo Was the RXT 260 since it gave you the same engine as the RXT-X and RXP-X in 2015 but at a cheaper price with a ton of features.

New Personal Favorite

Now my Favorite is the GTX Limited 300 because it gives you a ton of Features with a huge engine. The seat is just as comfortable, especially with the Ergo Lock.

Best Bang For the Buck If You Want A Big Engine

You also get the Speed Ties which are retractable dock line that are perfect for docking up real quick at the gas station.

No need to search for dock line as this machine has it built in. You also get all the other features that the Limited’s get like the Depth Finder, Cruise Control, Cover, and Many more features.

If you want to look like you go fast then get either the RXP-X or RXT-X. If you want have the best value with the biggest engine you need the GTX Limited 300. Its that simple.

The GTX Limited does lack racing features like the foot pad that really helps to lock your legs in.

Also, adjustable sponsons and X-Package handle bars and Gauge. But the GTX Limited 300 is not trying to be a racing machine.

The GTX LTD 300 is like a twin-turbo Bentley – its got power but it also got class.

The Little Stuff

I like the little details and wanted to mention them here as I think they’re important.

New Battery Location

First thing is that Seadoo has gone to a new battery that is smaller than old one. This battery is the same as the Spark Battery and actually, the same battery BRP uses for all products except the Spyder.

I’ve had great luck with this battery and have found them to more reliable than the old 30 size battery Seadoo used before.

Changing A Battery Is Now To Easy

The best part is that its easier to change out, especially on the suspension models. If you ever change a battery in a suspension Seadoo you might have said a few choice words.

This battery is smaller and easier to get out. It needs less to get it out. In fact all you really need now is a 10mm wrench.

HUGE Swim Platform

They also moved the battery to the front to better balance the ski. This now gives you a bigger swim platform in the rear. In the old models the back swim mat had two access panels to get to the battery and iBR. Since its all been redone you now have a clean flush look in the rear that is looks bigger.

More Storage

On all the S3 bodies Seadoo is now clean up the storage under the removable bucket. Now the Fire Extinguisher is located below. This now gives you more storage under the box for things like ropes, towels, and other objects that like this stuff.