Crotch Rockets for the Water: 2009 Sea-Doos Adds Suspension, Brakes to Personal Watercraft

Every blue moon I peel off my leathers and test machines that lie far outside the two-wheeled realm, but my experience with a top-of-the-line 2009 Sea-Doo GTX Limited iS 255 turned out to be more bike-like than you'd think. Sporting the world's first suspension and braking system on a personal watercraft, this supercharged, Rotax*-powered, 255 horsepower beast was like riding a Hayabusa on waves-- in fact, it's faster than a Ferrari F430 from 0 to 50 mph.

The entire upper deck is suspended with an electronically controlled gas-charged Fox spring and coil, and stiffness can be adjusted automatically or manually via a handlebar-mounted rocker switch. The system is confidence-inspiring over choppy surfaces, and makes it that much easier to hit the GPS-limited top speed of 65 mph (!). Pulling the brake lever on the left handlebar cuts engine power and deploys a reverse gate at the jet in a split second, significantly reducing stopping distances (but somewhat splashing the rider in the process.)

Unlike certain half baked vaporwear floating out there in cyberspace, this futuristic water hot rod is available now for the not insubstantial price of $16,499... pricier than a 'Busa, but cheaper than a V-Max.

Related:

• Ski-Doo Brings Back the 2-Stroke, Makes Street Bikes Jealous

* Yep, just like certain BMWs and Buells!
Photo © Sea-Doo
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