Great review! I just picked up my 310LX two weeks ago. It's an amazing ride! That being said, I am definitely one to never leave things alone and will be anxiously waiting for upgrades from K-Speed. Ride plate, ECU Reflash, etc.
I get why you'd want a ride plate, but why would you want an ECU reflash on a 310hp jet ski with a warranty? I'm not sure how much more power a 4 cylinder could reliably take without blowing.
This is incredible. I still love the DRL's even though they don't serve a true purpose that everyone wants it to. I'd love to see them on a dark evening while pulling in from a full day of riding!!
Just picked up a 310lx-s. Dealer had one sitting in the showroom. I jumped on it yesterday. Can't wait to get it in the water. Great review. You statement to get if you can afford it was a factor.
Really enjoy your channel. I recently picked up my new LX-S and I have to agree with everything you said. It’s a great riding beast of a machine that does everything pretty damn well. Reminds me of a modern muscle car in that it has all the power but still comfortable enough to drive everyday. Keep up the good work!
Great assessment. Totally agree with the cover over the engine. Fresh water skis won’t have a huge problem like usual. It’s the salt water skis. I’d like to see how sealed up it is to the environment. I understand that it’s not hard to remove. A few nuts and bolts. That’s how the old style rear seat part was but nobody took it off to spray down anything in the back. Dealers and shops selling them need to stress that the kawis are great but need maybe a little more attention than the competition. Exhaust filters and belt tensioner service is key to keep this machine from not have issues. Kawi should be putting a grease fitting on the tensioner so you don’t have to remove it to grease. Also the shops should be stressing this kind of service stuff when skis come in for winterizing or spring tune ups. Just like gear case oil n waterpumps on outboards. Not every year but needs to be checked and change every 2 so you don’t have issues.
Yeah agree, all three have there own style of wear items. With some of the metal that Kawi uses, I guess that where the extra attention is. All there bolts rust like Yamaha spring clamps, lol.
I swapped the factory acorn nuts with stainless thumb nuts that allow you to remove the engine cover in about 10 seconds with no tools. I take this cover off after every ride to properly wash down and lube the engine and inspect the supercharger belt. Hands down, the cover must be removed after each ride..I’m sure some people will not like that. But, it’s not at all like the SeaDoo spark where you need to remove 30 bolts to get it off.
That’s a good idea to make it tool less. Definitely better than the spark, lol. On my 300x I cut out the rear storage part for the tool kit I guess? Idk what else would go into the wallet size piece. But it definitely opened up the rear area to do a visual and also wash and spray down.
Removed my exhaust filter in 2011 and never had a single problem in 100 hours. I did grease the tensioner bearing and changed out the coolant lines but thats it
If you're towing, is the camera really worth it if you can just look at your side mirrors? I want to know if it should be a deal breaker between buying a yamaha and kawasaki when getting into tow sports. Im thinking i could just look at the mirrors
Awesome video, I found the background music a bit loud on my device. It’s amazing how clear the water is on lake Meade. It really made the watercraft contrast with that water and sunlight!
Great video as always! , love the part about demoting whoever come up with the engine cover to truck stop bathroom attendant .. classic 😄 fantastic ski though
I picked one of these up in June, took it to Apache Lake, rode it for 45 minutes just breaking it in, no full hard throttle, it went into limp mode, left me stranded about 8 miles from my truck. I got it back to the dealer in Tucson, they put it in a holding tank, used 2 straps to strap it in, a tech got on it and opened it up, broke both straps and the ski crashed into the other side of the tank. Took lots of fighting but they bought it back, I went to Albuquerque and bought a 2018 FX Cruiser SVHO
used to have a 310r blew up on me after abt 3 years of riding couldn’t complain was a good ski, bought a 2023 sea-do 300 loaded out and honestly i think the sea-do looks and runs better i’ve also watched vids on time and the 300 runs faster time😂
Really appreciate how thorough this was, very helpful. QUESTION. Long ride on rough water, are you picking the Kawasaki Ultra 310LX or the Yamaha FX Limited SVHO?
@@TheAdventureState better than Sea Doo GTX 300 Limited? I was going to purchase the sea doo 300 next week but after comments like yours I’m thinking of going with Kawasaki 310 Ultra lx-s. I’m 65 and only ride lakes. More choppy than rolling in ocean. Seems like Kawi with deep hull won beat me up as much as sea doo????
This may be a stupid question but I have a 2016 310LX looking to possibly upgrade. Is there a reason they do not put hands free cruise on a PWC? Is it illegal? The Seadoo Switch has t PWC controls but hands free. just curious. Also with all them options it'd be nice to have some lights to ride at dusk. Love all the new options though! Great review!
Not a great answer. Lanyard takes care of falling off. Its because they want you to keep your hands on the bars. Cruise on cars doesn't free up your hands from the wheel. It frees up your feet.
Trying to decide this and the supercharged Yamaha’s. Dealer sells both and says go for the Yamaha. More dependable down the road. I also wish this one with the tunes was available in Kawasaki green. I have the green dirt bikes and love it! Any suggestions on the Yamaha vs Kawasaki is greatly appreciated.
1. You don't need a radio. None of us do. Enjoy being outdoors without your playlist. 2. Yamaha's QC took a big hit in the last 2 years. Look at recent reviews. 3. The only "Kawi Green" option is the LX-S and you don't need that extra platform extension either.
@@watercraftjournal& thanks to Shane for asking the question. I’m thinking about the Turquoise base unit. I don’t need all the bells & whistles. And love the color (it goes with my Teryx). The base model IS just the stripped version of the “LX & LX-S” isn’t it? I don’t think I would need the large deck. It mostly the wife & I, or the grandkids all but one are under 10 & the “Greats”. Currently , I have another brand & would be doubling the Horsepower. Also, we just moved so we would be riding in all new lakes to us. Any input would be appreciated.
Great review mate! Waiting for these skis to launch down here in Melbourne. How would you compare this ski to the GTX 300 Limited? I've got one from last year and was thinking of switching it up to try something new
New subscriber and loved the video!! Recently purchased a truck and I immediately told myself that a jet ski is next. Not looking to purchase something like this Kawasaki quite yet but definitely will in the future. Can you recommend a good place to start looking at jet skis that will fit my price range of $10K-ish?
After selling my 18 rxtx which i liked and getting a 21 rxtx then having a manufacture hull failure that took out the engine as well...and brp and the dealer took a year to get it back to me threw warranty process.....I will be buying a kawi, i dont give to shits to do 80 any more...having a machine that wont split and sink, doesnt have a stupid carbon seal is money in the bank....Plus a better ride in chop is what i need....yamaha needs to get their stuff together and work on ergos, seats are as wide as 90s skis....you cannot enjoy long rides bow legged.
"Quicker" meaning acceleration? 5-to-60? Our testing says no, but there's a massive difference in environmental factors that would change those numbers.
I’ve yet to lose to any FX svho on my LX and I often forget to go into full power mode. If you’re in chop or rough water the LX just hooks up and the FXs are always jumping out of water and falling back each time. I have an FX svho I ordered at the same time but I think I may cancel it
@@watercraftjournal I was thinking the sorta the same thing. I think BRP is going to come out with an even more hopped up ski, and maybe even put some goodies like gps in the cluster. One can hope!
@@watercraftjournal as you said the extended deck changes the drive experience. Is it much or only a little bit. What do you recommend when i use it mostly for offshore.
I’m a little confused as to how this model , and the 310x both hit 65 in under 5 seconds but the 310lxs is almost a full second slower ?? I like the 310lxs the most looks wise , but I don’t want to buy the slower ski
Great job. I need one in my life . Too expensive to get the pair however. I wonder if the older years still come with the motor power base standard. Incan do without the gadgets but need power to pull my kids on tubes with my wife riding passanger!!!
Welcome to 2022 Kawasaki. My interest is peaked. Saw one on Lake Erie last week and I did a double take. Want an FX for my next ski, but I’ll now be considering the Ultra. How is the side storage? Did you find yourself reaching. And I’m with you. Whoever designed the covered engine should be demoted lol. Open that up! Great review!
The side covers latched very nice, didn't rattle, were very easy to access at FULL SPEED (on glass) and have a deep enough lip not to let things spill out while underway. -K
I just sat on the LX-S last week and for me the entire storage systems are a joke. It looks cool with the sides opening up but I could see people losing their phone on the right hand side. The left side has more utility for snacks an water for one person. The main storage in front is almost impossible to reach and the opening again is a joke. HOWEVER with that said there is not perfect ski and for me the ability to go through chop comfortably supersedes storage.
It's a software upgrade. It's being executed incredibly quickly. Plenty of Kawasaki dealerships have the appropriate cables/hardware to make the upload.
Debating on the Kawi or the Yamaha … Have you heard if Yamaha will be back to full production for 2023 ? I want to put a order in for a Yamaha as soon as they go back on open order but if we are going to see a repeat of 2022 I’ll go the kawi route or a used fx . New subscriber , excellent channel .
@@watercraftjournal ok makes sense production won’t improve but demand may slow with increasing interest rates and Covid impulse purchase hitting the market .
@@watercraftjournal why the sarcastic responses to people that look to ask genuine questions. It seems to be a go to style in whoever is doing the responding. You make great content and people really engaged but the way you respond to some (not all) people is disappointing.
I like to tow my ski behind my main boat. I'm worried with the whole engine being covered I won't have access to open and close the valve to the sea cock.
Easy to forget in the literal *WAR* between Sea-Doo and Yamaha that there is Kawasaki as well...which obviously has amazing Motorcycle product going on forever now as well. And Honda hasn't even jumped back in feet first in this market despite having done so in the Outboard Motor market.
My suspicion is that you'd have a usual difference's in added or subtracted weight, I don't think there's a hull difference. I'm interested in the answer also.
The ride sounds great and I’d love to hear the 4cyl with twin scroll but don’t care for the color scheme and the audio controls look worse for access than my ‘19 TX
I’m thinking about buying a 23 ultra 310. But I’ve noticed it plowing really bad at slow speeds and water coming over the nose and flooding the foot wells. Seems like a bad design. Especially if your a bigger rider.
Great video and review! I think the LX-S is more to my liking in green. A Yamaha FX SVHO will eat this Kawi on top end, however in chop and waves the Kawi will take the win.
@@watercraftjournal Great Point and one worth sharing with your viewers that are top speed junkies. I used to have a Deans team tuned FX SVHO Cruiser (77mph on gps) and used to feel beat up after a long day of big lake wave riding. My back can't take that abuse anymore. I rather lose some top end, have a better ride and still have great low and mid range power. 65-70mph is the sweet spot for an oem pwc so it still hits that. Hopefully some tuners will get her up to the 70-75 range for flat water blasting!
@@TeddysVentures good to hear this. I’m 65 and cannot take the pounding. I’m currently looking at the Kawasaki Ultra lx-s or the sea doo GTX 300 LIMITED. It would appear the Kawasaki would give me a smoother and less jaded and bouncy ride over the 300 Gtx??? I only ride in lakes and sometime either boat / ski traffic and or wind produces chop. Not rolling like the ocean cut 1 to 3 foot small choppy waves and I’m hoping the Kawasaki will NOT beat me up too badly.
Well Kevin, I followed your advice and I got one… They should write you a commission check lol Thanks for the awesome Content. Even the wife is happy :)
I would agree Kevin should get a "commission", -- because of Kevin’s attention to detail and thorough understanding I’m going to go with Kawasaki Ultra LX-S (that’s the only model in 300 miles of me ) over the sea doo GTX limited which I was going to purchase until I viewed several of Kevins videos and most of his users comments.
For most people who hit the lake 6 to 8 times a year this doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Looking forward to running one on my flashed 2011, I think I would pull on it a bit. I need at least 350 hp to be talked into a new ski
Agreed! Huge purchases like these wouldn't even out if you only occasionally rode. If you were a huge weekend warrior who traveled a lot of miles, this Goldwing cruiser is a prime candidate.
For the people that have recently purchased the Kawasaki LX and LXS, I would like to know you're out the door number and if you can provide the shipping freight prep and dealer fee, trailer if you purchased one. Please let me know which state you purchased from if in the US. I am doing my research I would like to know what the average price is. Thank you ahead of time for your responses.
@@watercraftjournal - yup. nice to see you enjoying whats left of beautiful lake mead before its gone to the ages... im surprised you found a ramp to launch it from... :(
I was leaning towards the FX SVHO, but this has me thinking twice. It has lots of the stuff that the FX doesn’t such as a catch can, thru hull exhaust and BOV. Plus the latest numbers from RIVA indicate that it’ll do mid to high 70s with nothing but a tune and prop?!?!
You’ll bigger speed gains from the Yamaha with less aftermarket parts but you’ll need to remove the air ribbon in the intake to truly “unlock” the SVHO
$20k! Getting out of control. I’m sure it’s nice but these big skis are nuts on price. Kawi needs to come up with something that’s cheaper and more nimble. Like Yamaha did as well as Sea-Doo. Bring back old school skis. Forget about all the bells and whistles that will break down the road. I could not even imagine having to buy two!
not everyone wants old school skis. I never had interest in a ski until seadoo came out with the Fish Pro. I love my 22 Fish Pro Trophy and it does everything I need / want it to do and was well worth its 21k price tag. You cant fish off an old school ski... nor haul your camping supplies. Jet skis can do more now than just run around in circles. They can be very practical and this practicality has lead to a new market for them. If you want old school, get a Spark, itll run you around in circles until you puke... but some of us want features and want a more practical ski.
@@hammerdown3876 My point is, Kawasaki is the only one making cruise ships. They make one hull.. well two. I think the other one is based off the old STX and they put a new top on it.
I want to like this Kawasaki jet ski it looks bad ass! but it’s hard to. I grew up riding everything Yamaha and maybe 10 to 15yrs ago Kawasaki just produced crappy engines and was never the go to. I’m sure they improved on everything since then but I’d go with Yamaha or Seadoo before a Kawasaki. Just so hard to choose since I’m in the market for a ski.
@@pajamatime5750 Kawi has had no issues with their engines meanwhile seadoo is nothing but headaches. I would stay clear of Seadoo. Yamaha or Kawi is the better choice.
@@watercraftjournal yeah it just isn’t as modern looking as the compatible Yamahas and sea doos. Even the modern technology on it looks just randomly stuck on unlike the RXT or SVHO.
Is it just me or are these companies trying to price themselves out of the market? What kind of person has $20k to drop on a toy during this recession let alone during a good economy? Same exact thing happened to the sport quads, got priced so high people stopped buying them.
@@justthisguy1948 lmfao you're funny. People did stop buying them in the early 2000's and NO they do not make them anymore. Even back then only Yamaha was still making the Raptor and YFZ 450. Every other company already stopped making sports quads. YOU are thinking about the shitty 4x4 trail quads that people buy these days. Those are NOT sport quads. A sport quad is something like a Yamaha Banshee, Yamaha YFZ 450, Yamaha Raptor etc etc or other quads that are made for racing. Nobody makes them anymore because they got too expensive for what the are. A high school kids toy that should not cost more than $10,000
@@pajamatime5750 you are killing me. That is awesome to hear. The sound of the Kawasaki's is the best and I loved that I didn't spend $300-1200 on mine to make like it should have come from the factory like Seadoo's and Yamaha's.
Think this is the one for me (or the 2023 version). Awesome, no BS content.
Great review! I just picked up my 310LX two weeks ago. It's an amazing ride! That being said, I am definitely one to never leave things alone and will be anxiously waiting for upgrades from K-Speed. Ride plate, ECU Reflash, etc.
Right on!
I get why you'd want a ride plate, but why would you want an ECU reflash on a 310hp jet ski with a warranty? I'm not sure how much more power a 4 cylinder could reliably take without blowing.
This is incredible. I still love the DRL's even though they don't serve a true purpose that everyone wants it to. I'd love to see them on a dark evening while pulling in from a full day of riding!!
It's either these or a visibility spout in back!
They look great late in the evening before sunset!
now THAT was a good review with good details! Good on ya mate
Just picked up a 310lx-s. Dealer had one sitting in the showroom. I jumped on it yesterday. Can't wait to get it in the water. Great review. You statement to get if you can afford it was a factor.
Nice!!
John, looks like I am picking up the same ski next week. Doe the seat adjust on this model ? I’m 6’2’ and hoping it does.
Really enjoy your channel. I recently picked up my new LX-S and I have to agree with everything you said. It’s a great riding beast of a machine that does everything pretty damn well. Reminds me of a modern muscle car in that it has all the power but still comfortable enough to drive everyday. Keep up the good work!
Nice! And thank you!
Yea you must of not watched the video he did on the lx-S lollll
Bro, turn down the background music!! Trying to listen to all these details with that noise is ridiculous.....
Dont need to be a jerk about it. You can hear the details just fine. Get your hearing checked.
agreed 👍 😅
@@ericlechleitner74 He, boom, boom, bang, wasn't, ktsch, ktsch, being a jerk, dah, dah, about it!
Very complete review sir, one question, where was this video made? That make looks idyllic. Thanks!
Great assessment. Totally agree with the cover over the engine. Fresh water skis won’t have a huge problem like usual. It’s the salt water skis. I’d like to see how sealed up it is to the environment. I understand that it’s not hard to remove. A few nuts and bolts. That’s how the old style rear seat part was but nobody took it off to spray down anything in the back. Dealers and shops selling them need to stress that the kawis are great but need maybe a little more attention than the competition. Exhaust filters and belt tensioner service is key to keep this machine from not have issues. Kawi should be putting a grease fitting on the tensioner so you don’t have to remove it to grease. Also the shops should be stressing this kind of service stuff when skis come in for winterizing or spring tune ups. Just like gear case oil n waterpumps on outboards. Not every year but needs to be checked and change every 2 so you don’t have issues.
Considering the wear items on a Sea-Doo, I wouldn't say the Kawi has more service than others - but the zerk fitting on the tensioner is a good idea.
Yeah agree, all three have there own style of wear items. With some of the metal that Kawi uses, I guess that where the extra attention is. All there bolts rust like Yamaha spring clamps, lol.
I swapped the factory acorn nuts with stainless thumb nuts that allow you to remove the engine cover in about 10 seconds with no tools. I take this cover off after every ride to properly wash down and lube the engine and inspect the supercharger belt. Hands down, the cover must be removed after each ride..I’m sure some people will not like that. But, it’s not at all like the SeaDoo spark where you need to remove 30 bolts to get it off.
That’s a good idea to make it tool less. Definitely better than the spark, lol.
On my 300x I cut out the rear storage part for the tool kit I guess? Idk what else would go into the wallet size piece. But it definitely opened up the rear area to do a visual and also wash and spray down.
Removed my exhaust filter in 2011 and never had a single problem in 100 hours. I did grease the tensioner bearing and changed out the coolant lines but thats it
If you're towing, is the camera really worth it if you can just look at your side mirrors?
I want to know if it should be a deal breaker between buying a yamaha and kawasaki when getting into tow sports. Im thinking i could just look at the mirrors
How smooth is the ride. I purchased a couple of machines last year and the ride was terrible so I got rid of them
What did you purchase that was terrible?
It's so fast so good nice slow and steady with speeding 860 km per second .
Awesome video, I found the background music a bit loud on my device. It’s amazing how clear the water is on lake Meade. It really made the watercraft contrast with that water and sunlight!
Yeah, there's some really impressive spots on that lake.
Great video as always! , love the part about demoting whoever come up with the engine cover to truck stop bathroom attendant .. classic 😄 fantastic ski though
Just checking to see who is paying attention 😉
I picked one of these up in June, took it to Apache Lake, rode it for 45 minutes just breaking it in, no full hard throttle, it went into limp mode, left me stranded about 8 miles from my truck. I got it back to the dealer in Tucson, they put it in a holding tank, used 2 straps to strap it in, a tech got on it and opened it up, broke both straps and the ski crashed into the other side of the tank. Took lots of fighting but they bought it back, I went to Albuquerque and bought a 2018 FX Cruiser SVHO
Oh jeez that sucks! The limo mode issue was a software issue with the early production engine management system. They issued a recall this past week.
broke both straps... man... that ski was a beast... should have had them get you another one...
thats exactly why ill never buy a kawasaki. had 7 yamahas and 11 seadoos. Yamahas are always my first choice.
@@watercraftjournal yamaha gave them the recall beerbug. rushed production can we say.
@@jasonmekush5280 Pretty sure Yamahas have had their fair share of issues….
It would be nice if reporters talk about mileage on jetski that also would the company out.
used to have a 310r blew up on me after abt 3 years of riding couldn’t complain was a good ski, bought a 2023 sea-do 300 loaded out and honestly i think the sea-do looks and runs better i’ve also watched vids on time and the 300 runs faster time😂
I think the kawasaki is a giant couch
@@damianc6712 it really jus doesn’t have a sporty feel, kinda think it feels like riding a big bean
Really appreciate how thorough this was, very helpful. QUESTION. Long ride on rough water, are you picking the Kawasaki Ultra 310LX or the Yamaha FX Limited SVHO?
Kawi 110%
@@watercraftjournal Thank you man. Im out on the great lakes and I want something I know can handle the chop and long distance rides. Be well.
I live on Lake Erie and it’s been a game changer for me
@@TheAdventureState better than Sea Doo GTX 300 Limited? I was going to purchase the sea doo 300 next week but after comments like yours I’m thinking of going with Kawasaki 310 Ultra lx-s. I’m 65 and only ride lakes. More choppy than rolling in ocean. Seems like Kawi with deep hull won beat me up as much as sea doo????
Hey I’m curious what your opinion is on the 300 kawi stability compared to seadoos rxt ST3 hull?
Hi Kevin, my local dealer has a leftover 23’ 310 LX on sale for 15k, still feel like it’s the one to
pounce on?
That’s a helluva discount.
"it wont crack under pressure!" great job buddy!
Subtle, right?
This may be a stupid question but I have a 2016 310LX looking to possibly upgrade. Is there a reason they do not put hands free cruise on a PWC? Is it illegal? The Seadoo Switch has t PWC controls but hands free. just curious. Also with all them options it'd be nice to have some lights to ride at dusk. Love all the new options though! Great review!
Yeah, that is a pretty stupid question. (Just kidding.) Because what happens if you fall off? Where does the ski do? Think about it for a minute.
Not a great answer. Lanyard takes care of falling off. Its because they want you to keep your hands on the bars. Cruise on cars doesn't free up your hands from the wheel. It frees up your feet.
Trying to decide this and the supercharged Yamaha’s. Dealer sells both and says go for the Yamaha. More dependable down the road. I also wish this one with the tunes was available in Kawasaki green. I have the green dirt bikes and love it! Any suggestions on the Yamaha vs Kawasaki is greatly appreciated.
1. You don't need a radio. None of us do. Enjoy being outdoors without your playlist. 2. Yamaha's QC took a big hit in the last 2 years. Look at recent reviews. 3. The only "Kawi Green" option is the LX-S and you don't need that extra platform extension either.
@@watercraftjournal& thanks to Shane for asking the question. I’m thinking about the Turquoise base unit. I don’t need all the bells & whistles. And love the color (it goes with my Teryx). The base model IS just the stripped version of the “LX & LX-S” isn’t it? I don’t think I would need the large deck. It mostly the wife & I, or the grandkids all but one are under 10 & the “Greats”. Currently , I have another brand & would be doubling the Horsepower. Also, we just moved so we would be riding in all new lakes to us. Any input would be appreciated.
Great review mate! Waiting for these skis to launch down here in Melbourne. How would you compare this ski to the GTX 300 Limited? I've got one from last year and was thinking of switching it up to try something new
See our latest review of the 310X.
New subscriber and loved the video!! Recently purchased a truck and I immediately told myself that a jet ski is next. Not looking to purchase something like this Kawasaki quite yet but definitely will in the future. Can you recommend a good place to start looking at jet skis that will fit my price range of $10K-ish?
Look at pre-owned first. No reason to pay for brand new.
Great video Kevin I’m an FX cruiser guy but I got a mitt it is a sharp machine it sounds like they got their stuff together on it
We agree
This thing is the new benchmark...
We think so too!
After selling my 18 rxtx which i liked and getting a 21 rxtx then having a manufacture hull failure that took out the engine as well...and brp and the dealer took a year to get it back to me threw warranty process.....I will be buying a kawi, i dont give to shits to do 80 any more...having a machine that wont split and sink, doesnt have a stupid carbon seal is money in the bank....Plus a better ride in chop is what i need....yamaha needs to get their stuff together and work on ergos, seats are as wide as 90s skis....you cannot enjoy long rides bow legged.
Beautiful machine. Is it quicker than the 2022 FX SVHO? I really like the navigation on my 2022 FX. I'm trying not to have jetski envy!
"Quicker" meaning acceleration? 5-to-60? Our testing says no, but there's a massive difference in environmental factors that would change those numbers.
I’ve yet to lose to any FX svho on my LX and I often forget to go into full power mode. If you’re in chop or rough water the LX just hooks up and the FXs are always jumping out of water and falling back each time. I have an FX svho I ordered at the same time but I think I may cancel it
Awesome review! What do you think it will take for BRP and Yamaha to match the 310LX ?
Doubtful that you'll see moves from either to "best" the 310LX. Kawi still needs GPS navigation and better accessories.
@@watercraftjournal would putting the GTI hull under the RXT-X and GTX Limited get them there?
@@watercraftjournal I was thinking the sorta the same thing. I think BRP is going to come out with an even more hopped up ski, and maybe even put some goodies like gps in the cluster. One can hope!
Expect the ST3 hull to survive as-is until 2027-28. It's always a 9-10 year duration for molds.
Is it possible to add extra full tank. Didnt find any accessoires which could fit. Thx upfront kevin.
Per our previous response the WCJ kit will work on the 310X but we haven’t adopted it for the extended Ultra deck.
@@watercraftjournal as you said the extended deck changes the drive experience. Is it much or only a little bit. What do you recommend when i use it mostly for offshore.
If you're asking, you won't notice it.
I live really close to Lake Ontario and I have been leaning to a Yamaha FX and I’m not going to lie this review is making me reconsider
You should
I’m sold !
Better get in line now. They're hard to get!
Can you reach the front storage from over the handlebars okay on these? It takes some real acrobatics with my Yamaha FX...
Yeah, but don't expect to keep your feet on the ground.
@@watercraftjournal thanks! My feet dont stay on the ground when trying to rummage in the front compartment of the Yamaha either lol
I’m a little confused as to how this model , and the 310x both hit 65 in under 5 seconds but the 310lxs is almost a full second slower ?? I like the 310lxs the most looks wise , but I don’t want to buy the slower ski
You a big drag racer? Gonna go compete?
@@watercraftjournal not really , but I do like the speed . Was confused as to why the lxs is slower since it probably weighs less than the lx
Great job. I need one in my life . Too expensive to get the pair however. I wonder if the older years still come with the motor power base standard. Incan do without the gadgets but need power to pull my kids on tubes with my wife riding passanger!!!
Just purchased thank you for tutorial
Well done with your video creation. Very informative.
Thank you.
David
Appreciated
Realy enjoy the golden colour of kawa!!!!! Very elegant just like a Lamborghini.....
It looks better in person.
Welcome to 2022 Kawasaki. My interest is peaked. Saw one on Lake Erie last week and I did a double take. Want an FX for my next ski, but I’ll now be considering the Ultra. How is the side storage? Did you find yourself reaching. And I’m with you. Whoever designed the covered engine should be demoted lol. Open that up! Great review!
The side covers latched very nice, didn't rattle, were very easy to access at FULL SPEED (on glass) and have a deep enough lip not to let things spill out while underway. -K
Thank you! In the video they looked further than what they are. Kind of like objects in mirror are closer than they appear lol.
I just sat on the LX-S last week and for me the entire storage systems are a joke. It looks cool with the sides opening up but I could see people losing their phone on the right hand side. The left side has more utility for snacks an water for one person. The main storage in front is almost impossible to reach and the opening again is a joke. HOWEVER with that said there is not perfect ski and for me the ability to go through chop comfortably supersedes storage.
Love it, thanks for the vids!
Why isn't anyone talking about the recall on the ultra 310 that no one has the cables to seem to re-flash the ECU...
It's a software upgrade. It's being executed incredibly quickly. Plenty of Kawasaki dealerships have the appropriate cables/hardware to make the upload.
Wow. If it were only possible to find one in a dealer’s showroom.
In high volume territories you will.
the protective sticker on the dile 😅
Debating on the Kawi or the Yamaha … Have you heard if Yamaha will be back to full production for 2023 ? I want to put a order in for a Yamaha as soon as they go back on open order but if we are going to see a repeat of 2022 I’ll go the kawi route or a used fx . New subscriber , excellent channel .
LOL what possibly makes you think 2023 production will be improved as the economy literally worsens week by week?
@@watercraftjournal ok makes sense production won’t improve but demand may slow with increasing interest rates and Covid impulse purchase hitting the market .
@@montyrogers399 If you’re buying one put a deposit down on a 2023 Ultra. You’ll get it next spring and be extremely happy!
@@watercraftjournal why the sarcastic responses to people that look to ask genuine questions. It seems to be a go to style in whoever is doing the responding. You make great content and people really engaged but the way you respond to some (not all) people is disappointing.
Clearly you have no idea who we are. MUWAHAHAHA
im sure the vid will be amazing will watch after work.
Enjoy
Best review yet. Super thorough and had all that I wanted to see. Thanks.
Appreciated
I like to tow my ski behind my main boat. I'm worried with the whole engine being covered I won't have access to open and close the valve to the sea cock.
That's a very good concern!
Easy to forget in the literal *WAR* between Sea-Doo and Yamaha that there is Kawasaki as well...which obviously has amazing Motorcycle product going on forever now as well.
And Honda hasn't even jumped back in feet first in this market despite having done so in the Outboard Motor market.
Literal war?
You’ve definitely got me looking into kawasaki now!
Very informative,thanks WJC
Glad it was helpful!
What Kawasaki PWC is in the same class as the Yamaha GP1800R SVHO?
There isn’t one unfortunately. It would be an STX with the 310 engine
Max is right, none.
I love the idea or DRLs on PWCs. Great job Kawasaki! Only if I had 20k to throw at a new jet ski
That would be cool!
Fantastic review!
Appreciated
On rough water is there any reason to suspect that the base model without the luxuries will react differently
My suspicion is that you'd have a usual difference's in added or subtracted weight, I don't think there's a hull difference. I'm interested in the answer also.
Good question - the 310X is identical. So if you don't need all the bells and whistles, it's a far better option.
@@watercraftjournal love form vs function debates
Gotta love the Seadoo Intro :)
They buy advertising
i wanted to hear the plain sound of the engine but you always had music over it
There’s plenty of videos of this machine on the water where you can hear the sound. Just search for it and relax haha
Hi kevin.,very good review like usual. Thanks
Appreciated
Just to confirm every control is fly by wire is the steering fly be wire?
@jerplane400 is 100% correct
Any reason why steering along with major OEM is not fly by wire
Who the hell would want that, Brian? That's insane!
@@watercraftjournal Not me!
You look like a kid on Christmas 🎄 Great review.
LOL
The ride sounds great and I’d love to hear the 4cyl with twin scroll but don’t care for the color scheme and the audio controls look worse for access than my ‘19 TX
Thankfully, you can control the audio through the handlebars too - but audio isn't available on the 310X and LX-S, which have different colorings.
@@watercraftjournal I dont see where you can operate the audio from the handlebars by looking at the manual...can you expand on that briefly, please?
Why would you want audio when you are in the great outdoors, not to mention pissing off people who don’t share your taste in music :-)
That the only color it comes in?
The 310LX? Yes
I’m thinking about buying a 23 ultra 310. But I’ve noticed it plowing really bad at slow speeds and water coming over the nose and flooding the foot wells. Seems like a bad design. Especially if your a bigger rider.
Please see our video on why the Ultra does this and how to mitigate it.
@@watercraftjournal I tried to find it can you post a link in a reply?
Great video and review! I think the LX-S is more to my liking in green. A Yamaha FX SVHO will eat this Kawi on top end, however in chop and waves the Kawi will take the win.
You’ll feel a lot les wear and tear on yourself after a full day’s ride too.
@@watercraftjournal Great Point and one worth sharing with your viewers that are top speed junkies. I used to have a Deans team tuned FX SVHO Cruiser (77mph on gps) and used to feel beat up after a long day of big lake wave riding. My back can't take that abuse anymore. I rather lose some top end, have a better ride and still have great low and mid range power. 65-70mph is the sweet spot for an oem pwc so it still hits that. Hopefully some tuners will get her up to the 70-75 range for flat water blasting!
A SCOM and ride plate gets it to 76mph on flat water.
@@TeddysVentures good to hear this. I’m 65 and cannot take the pounding. I’m currently looking at the Kawasaki Ultra lx-s or the sea doo GTX 300 LIMITED. It would appear the Kawasaki would give me a smoother and less jaded and bouncy ride over the 300 Gtx???
I only ride in lakes and sometime either boat / ski traffic and or wind produces chop. Not rolling like the ocean cut 1 to 3 foot small choppy waves and I’m hoping the Kawasaki will NOT beat me up too badly.
Well Kevin, I followed your advice and I got one…
They should write you a commission check lol
Thanks for the awesome Content.
Even the wife is happy :)
Great to hear!
I would agree Kevin should get a "commission", -- because of Kevin’s attention to detail and thorough understanding I’m going to go with Kawasaki Ultra LX-S (that’s the only model in 300 miles of me ) over the sea doo GTX limited which I was going to purchase until I viewed several of Kevins videos and most of his users comments.
For most people who hit the lake 6 to 8 times a year this doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Looking forward to running one on my flashed 2011, I think I would pull on it a bit. I need at least 350 hp to be talked into a new ski
Agreed! Huge purchases like these wouldn't even out if you only occasionally rode. If you were a huge weekend warrior who traveled a lot of miles, this Goldwing cruiser is a prime candidate.
I'm reconsidering this, but would get the S model for sure, has to be green...also considering 2023 FX SHO but seems like more of a flat water ski
Just a slight improvement over my ‘87 440cc jet ski.
Just a wee bit
Great review.
Appreciated
Great stuff. Thanks.
Appreciated
How does it handle on open waters , 3 - 6ft. Waves 🌊??
The Ultra hull? It's the SINGLE BEST HULL for sale today.
For the people that have recently purchased the Kawasaki LX and LXS, I would like to know you're out the door number and if you can provide the shipping freight prep and dealer fee, trailer if you purchased one. Please let me know which state you purchased from if in the US. I am doing my research I would like to know what the average price is. Thank you ahead of time for your responses.
We're a magazine, not a dealer. You'd have to ask a dealer that - as each dealer sets the out-the-door price.
@@watercraftjournal I'm asking those who purchased the Kawasaki for their feedback. Thanks
@@Gooddog1 I’d be of little help as I purchased in Canada!
Watercraft Journal PWC of the year? 🤔
Has to be!!
It's in the running.
What location is this? :3
Looks like rapidly depleting Lake Mead . This time next year he’ll be riding that ski on sand.
Mead
@@watercraftjournal - yup. nice to see you enjoying whats left of beautiful lake mead before its gone to the ages... im surprised you found a ramp to launch it from... :(
From the looks of it, they had to extend the ramp 3-4 times.
Thank you 👍
Appreciated
I was leaning towards the FX SVHO, but this has me thinking twice. It has lots of the stuff that the FX doesn’t such as a catch can, thru hull exhaust and BOV. Plus the latest numbers from RIVA indicate that it’ll do mid to high 70s with nothing but a tune and prop?!?!
You’ll bigger speed gains from the Yamaha with less aftermarket parts but you’ll need to remove the air ribbon in the intake to truly “unlock” the SVHO
Can't find any PWCs in my area available, unless low end. So I figure I'll keep my 25K and keep my Freedom Boat Club membership.
OE's are sending what units they've got to higher volume territories and dealers.
I got mines about 3 months ago and I love it.
nice
this ski just looks like luxury compared to its competitors
It is. It’s an extremely solid, well built machine!
I swear I saw one of these at Willow Beach on 7/23. Was that you?
Nope
Great video, thanks for the info! Do you foresee the colors changing next year? I’m not liking the gold.
Looks great. I’m in
You're in!
My stealership has two of these. Gorgeous ski, but very very heavy. It’s also ginormous, so be prepared for larger heavy duty trailers and PWC lifts.
Standard aluminum trailers and carts will work fine.
MEJOR MOTO NAUTICA 🏆
Where is this awesome lake?
Mead
Won’t do much good to have this on the West Coast, unless it’s amphibious to negotiate all the dry spots in fresh water bodies of late.
LOL
$20k! Getting out of control. I’m sure it’s nice but these big skis are nuts on price. Kawi needs to come up with something that’s cheaper and more nimble. Like Yamaha did as well as Sea-Doo. Bring back old school skis. Forget about all the bells and whistles that will break down the road. I could not even imagine having to buy two!
not everyone wants old school skis. I never had interest in a ski until seadoo came out with the Fish Pro. I love my 22 Fish Pro Trophy and it does everything I need / want it to do and was well worth its 21k price tag. You cant fish off an old school ski... nor haul your camping supplies. Jet skis can do more now than just run around in circles. They can be very practical and this practicality has lead to a new market for them. If you want old school, get a Spark, itll run you around in circles until you puke... but some of us want features and want a more practical ski.
@@hammerdown3876 My point is, Kawasaki is the only one making cruise ships. They make one hull.. well two. I think the other one is based off the old STX and they put a new top on it.
How about a new X2?
@@watercraftjournal that would be cool..
Buckle up.
“Don’t beach your ski” -WCJ 🤪
"Not my ski" -WCJ
Kawasaki is teacher for others try be jet ski I like worth the money and sec sea Doo both I trust with closed eye.
Huh?
Need it
It’s pretty cool
14 years ago the yamaha 1000 went 70 mph and cost about $8000. Now cost $20,000 and go 68mph?🤔
We'd like to see your radar gun or GPS results on that claim.
Because you really need a 4 speaker system on your skijet.
Nice, but I'm holding off for the Hybrid or Electric "Green New Deal version" lol
LOL
Ski’s are to ridiculously overpriced. Well everything is but by the time I retire these machines are going to be in the 40ks 😂
Try the snowmobiles haha
Rising costs to produce and ship, added with all of the bells and whistles.
that engine compartment window.... yeahhhh that wasn't good.
Nope
the music is very annoying... lower the volume.
NEVER!
I want to like this Kawasaki jet ski it looks bad ass! but it’s hard to. I grew up riding everything Yamaha and maybe 10 to 15yrs ago Kawasaki just produced crappy engines and was never the go to. I’m sure they improved on everything since then but I’d go with Yamaha or Seadoo before a Kawasaki. Just so hard to choose since I’m in the market for a ski.
You’d choose Seadoo over a Kawi? 🫣
We sure wouldn't.
@@pajamatime5750 Kawi has had no issues with their engines meanwhile seadoo is nothing but headaches. I would stay clear of Seadoo. Yamaha or Kawi is the better choice.
Honestly not a fan. Maybe I’m just a sea doo guy
The flared fenders and narrow hood are a bit unusual styling queues.
@@watercraftjournal yeah it just isn’t as modern looking as the compatible Yamahas and sea doos. Even the modern technology on it looks just randomly stuck on unlike the RXT or SVHO.
Admittedly, the nose looks REALLY wide when looking down from a standing position on the ski.
That's your problem right there, you're a seadoo guy. lol
Whats next? Forward and rear spoilers for down force?🤣
LOL
Is it just me or are these companies trying to price themselves out of the market? What kind of person has $20k to drop on a toy during this recession let alone during a good economy? Same exact thing happened to the sport quads, got priced so high people stopped buying them.
We’ll see
People never stopped buying sport quads they are sold out
@@justthisguy1948 lmfao you're funny. People did stop buying them in the early 2000's and NO they do not make them anymore. Even back then only Yamaha was still making the Raptor and YFZ 450. Every other company already stopped making sports quads. YOU are thinking about the shitty 4x4 trail quads that people buy these days. Those are NOT sport quads. A sport quad is something like a Yamaha Banshee, Yamaha YFZ 450, Yamaha Raptor etc etc or other quads that are made for racing. Nobody makes them anymore because they got too expensive for what the are. A high school kids toy that should not cost more than $10,000
I did, happy father's day to me!
It’s just so ugly from the front. I had written it off as a hard no but the review makes me rethink. Just not sure I can get passed the looks.
Have you seen one in person?
It’s a different machine in person
The last generation was best looking machine ever (sorry FZR) and this look better everytime I see it.
@@Steven-xj2rf I have been out with diehard Seadoo guys who can’t believe what the ultra looks like on the water…. It is sharp!!
@@pajamatime5750 you are killing me. That is awesome to hear. The sound of the Kawasaki's is the best and I loved that I didn't spend $300-1200 on mine to make like it should have come from the factory like Seadoo's and Yamaha's.
😁👍🏼
:P