If Yamaha engineered a better pump design the GPR would kill the STXR. I have ridden both and the only thing the STXR has over the GPR is the hole shot.
-Crusty

Pump is NOT the only issue, can you get much better pump than a Skat? Even GPR's with Magnums have a hard time on the bottom against STXrs with stock pumps

Holeshot dosen't bother me much. It's the hookup and flat running attitude the stxr has that really do it justice in real world conditions. Attention to the pump area of the gpr as well as extended trim tabs might do it. 50 pounds diff. in weight is not the answer since Lat time I raced against the STXR, i was similar speed with a full tank. When I got below 1/2 tank, i could not stay in the water and the stxr just kept on slicing through the chop. Real world.

Chris I have the same problem when my gpr gets low on fuel. Last endurance race the boat was frigging great until I got low on fuel and then the thing would not stay hooked up at all

Bring on the STXR! I would never be caught on ski so ugly and slow!

[ 06-26-2002: Message edited by: gprN_okc ]

I with you Danny, that is one of the biggest downfalls.

I think the real issue with the GPR is that it was patterned off the race version, which was designed to work with 250 hp motors, not 155.

Think about it - what do you want a CC ski to do - slow down as quickly as possible when you let off the gas so you can go into a turn hotter.

I dont know anyone who can hold on to a ski when it makes a sharp turn at 70+mph. Slow that ski down and a lot of folks can, especially the pro's.

That ability to slow quickly helps a lot, the extra HP on a race ski gets it back up on plane quickly, and then the hull design allows it to reach faster top speeds that the ultra and the STX-R.

That ability with a basically stock motor though hurts it big time cause of the drag created when most of the hull is in the water at slow speeds, and when the nose of the ski hits the water at high speeds from porpoising

I think the actual design is pretty good...if they found a way to reduce the weight some, it might help but then again, maybe not as part of the issue is the unhooking which scrubs speed. Thats not much of an issue in a 250hp 7900rpm boat but again, most boats don't fall in that category...

[ 06-26-2002: Message edited by: RayInJapan ]