Great video once again. As you say Joshua ~ You can [pin it full stick at 83 km/h] in chop and with the 160/310 type hull, and it goes quite well. It's quite fun there. However, on glassy water it feels like you're not moving ~ It's quite boring and you can [fall asleep] Ha! Group riding with other PWC NA brands you're usually at the back!! Definitely needs a powertrain Upgrade to get it to at least ≈ 100 km/h. Sure the 1,498cc NA is reliable and been around for ages ~ going on 2025+ the model just needs a bit more top end speed like the STX160X. Surely the Tech heads at kawasaki have something up their sleeve. Going at 100-120k's/h is fun and thrilling!! If a BIGGER kawi engine uses more fuel then for a 190km Trek, you just take more on the Ultra Deck. My rides now I take 80L + 20L with the 2023 Kawi Ultra 160 LX-S ['Orange' looks better!!] for a Trek that long. River riding. Cheers. Pete C.
Hey! Thanks for leaving a note. That’s a good observation. The hull isn’t bothered by rough chop, and on glassed out water it’s so stable it’s almost monotonous. Here’s hoping Kawasaki is working away in the background on an engine upgrade. Then again, extra power and all this weight could create quite a thirsty machine. The good news is Kawasaki is back in the game with this updated Ultra. The only other thing on my wish list for the Ultra? Higher handlebars so it’s more comfortable to ride while standing up. Thanks again for the feedback.
Seeing the R on the reverse lever is that indicating it’s only for reverse or is it safe to deploy as a brake going wide open? Or does it even work going at full throttle?
Great question. We received the following response from our Kawasaki expert: The patent for the new Kawasaki Ultra reverse trigger design says when the reverse trigger is activated it immediately checks the vessel’s GPS speed. Reverse will only be applied gradually if the vessel is at speed, washing off minimal speed so as to not send the rider over the handlebars. Once the vessel speed decreases to a modest level, activation of the reverse trigger will lower the bucket further, to create more of a slowing effect. The slower the vessel speed, the lower the rear bucket drops. It is marketed as a KSRD ‘smart reverse with deceleration’. It’s initially very gradual. Meantime back to our experience. Sea-Doo craft have a more aggressive reverse trigger (even at speed) whereas Yamaha’s reverse trigger is not as aggressive as Sea-Doo. Hope this helps! Thanks for the question.
Hi Joshua, I commented on a video for Kevin Shaw and want your thoughts as well. I have two 97 Yamaha wave venture 700s and want to get some more power and have a ski that is more stable than my old 2 strokers but playful as well. I have looked into a vx cruiser HO and deluxe and FX HO. But don’t know much about Sea Doo or Kawasaki models I like this 160. Kevin mentions is about what type of riding we do as well and we do a good mix of flat water lake and river riding and out on the ocean with good amount chop here in Washington state. Looking at doing a cap of 17.5k a ski USD. I would appreciate your thoughts if you have time!
Hi there, thanks for the note. If you want something nimble yet stable the Yamaha VX is a great option. I also prefer the larger Yamaha FX hull for open water riding. The Sea-Doo ST3 range (GTX 170, Fish Pro 170, among others) has the best ergonomics in the business but its hull design is better suited to flat water and medium chop rather than really rough water. I would check out those three options (Yamaha VX, Yamaha FX and Sea-Doo ST3-based model with 170-hp) and see what suits your budget best. Happy riding!
@@WatercraftZone your reply is much appreciated! Thank you for the insight I’ll definitely be checking those out and looking forward to your future videos!
So, I took apart my 1999 Seadoo GTI and i can tell you, the thing is very simple in being made. i almost feel like I could build the thing. With these new ski's, they're technological marvels. Even though I'm not happy with the sky rocketing prices, I understand the reason is due to the tech. What these mfgs should do is build a simple budget version for people who want a new ski to not have to worry about breakdowns and don't mind not having all of the new technology. If they built a brand new 1999 GTI type ski in 2024, I'd buy it for like $6000.
1)How many miles does it get you on, with one fill of gas?? 2) At Greece the price of Kawasaki '24 ULTRA 160 LX-S 2024 is 24.200. But i can find a Sea-Doo '24 GTR 230 20.800. Which is your advice? I need one which would be able to move me into a cluster of islands that are all together within a 7 mile radius Thanks...
We will let you do the maths and the conversion but in our testing it used 55L/100km and it has an 80-litre tank. By our calculations it could cover 120km on a single tank (with some to spare) but best to try it yourself first on a shorter journey. Consumption can increase depending on riding style and rider weight. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the feedback. It definitely looks better on the water and in person. There are new colours for 2025 (we show them a couple of times in the video). Thanks for watching and thanks for leaving a note.
Thanks for the note. The good news is there is now a broader choice in the full-size, non-supercharged Jet Ski / personal watercraft market. All three brands - Sea-Doo, Yamaha and Kawasaki - have strong offerings.
@@WatercraftZone I have a seadoo 300 and a kawasaki sxr and love them both! You're absolutely right. It's almost overwhelming how many choices we have !
Great suggestion. We love this hull but a bit more power, a more comfortable riding position when standing, and a bit better fuel economy would be welcome.
I Love Kawi but the 2024 FX HO is now a better option, cheaper and more HP than the 160 LX, better storage access on the FX-HO. Let's wait for the new 1000cc Turbo engine of the SxS Ridge, lighter and faster, same concept as the Rotax 900 ACE HO. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the note. Both are great skis but the Kawasaki Ultra 160 would benefit from a power bump. The only downside to that is extra fuel. The new Yamaha 1.9 non-supercharged engine is as thirsty at Yamaha’s 1.8-litre supercharged engine in our extensive testing. So here’s hoping Yamaha finds some new efficiencies for future updates.
@@WatercraftZone Thank you, your reviews are the best on YT, please try to do a long run fuel consumption shootout between the Sea Doo 170, Kawi 160 and the new Yammi 1.9L, side by side.
Great question. Different consumer laws. As another example, most cars in Australia have five to seven year warranty coverage. Australian Consumer Law considers whether a fault or malfunction is fair and reasonable for the product’s age. Most consumer tribunals are of the view a product should last three to five years or more without fault. So the manufacturers tend to advertise that coverage because they are obliged to honour the warranty claim. It also explains why Jet Skis and personal watercraft cost more in Australia than in the US (in addition to currency and freight). The companies hold back a larger portion of the profit to cover future warranty claims. Hope that answers your question. Thanks for leaving a note.
thing is a beast,but,some of the maintaine design and the workmanship needs to be reviewed the 23 ,battery placement makes it one hell to get at it ,and to secure it,the other is the stapling of the seats material,that is a cheap way to do it.the jet ski wasnt low priced ,so the workmanship shouldnt be low cost
Good observation. The trim was in the neutral position and we had a full tank of fuel in those shots. We were also riding in a way that would encourage some water over the nose for the video footage. But even so, it is a bit nose heavy even in normal conditions. As is the Yamaha FX HO in our experience.
Also noticed the same. I have the Seadoo Fishpro Trophy and with 3 adults on and fully loaded with cooler, it still doesn't nose dive like that. Even in super wild offshore swell it handles like a champ.
All these skis are getting too expensive. Probably explains the sales downturn. Hopefully the prices across all three brands will come back to earth soon.
Too big. Too heavy. Starts to roll over in the sea when the gunnels fill up. Doe’s cut throu chop well. Buy a boat instead 😂. Sold my one after 4 hours.
Another great review. Thanks for sharing. Looks like Kawasaki has done it again, great Jetski with some very nice upgrades.
Thanks again for the kind feedback. The new Kawasaki Ultra 160 has received some big improvements. Now to round those off with a new engine …
Yw, yeah that would be amazing to see a new engine platform. Hell even an increase in horsepower & torque from the existing 1.5
Great review. Thanks for sharing 👍
You’re welcome! Thanks for taking the time to read a note. More reviews coming soon. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the info video!!
Hey thanks for the note! You're welcome. More videos coming soon.
What was that garden hose adapter that you use to drain the footwells?! Very interested let me know where I can find it online
A small business in Australia makes them. Will post a link here shortly.
@@WatercraftZonethanks, please share the link I would like to get one
@@WatercraftZoneany updates on the link to that siphon hose attachment?
@@WatercraftZoneinterested in that siphon also.
Ai ya ever heard of a siphon hose lol
Great video once again. As you say Joshua ~ You can [pin it full stick at 83 km/h] in chop and with the 160/310 type hull, and it goes quite well. It's quite fun there. However, on glassy water it feels like you're not moving ~ It's quite boring and you can [fall asleep] Ha! Group riding with other PWC NA brands you're usually at the back!! Definitely needs a powertrain Upgrade to get it to at least ≈ 100 km/h. Sure the 1,498cc NA is reliable and been around for ages ~ going on 2025+ the model just needs a bit more top end speed like the STX160X. Surely the Tech heads at kawasaki have something up their sleeve. Going at 100-120k's/h is fun and thrilling!! If a BIGGER kawi engine uses more fuel then for a 190km Trek, you just take more on the Ultra Deck. My rides now I take 80L + 20L with the 2023 Kawi Ultra 160 LX-S ['Orange' looks better!!] for a Trek that long. River riding. Cheers. Pete C.
Hey! Thanks for leaving a note. That’s a good observation. The hull isn’t bothered by rough chop, and on glassed out water it’s so stable it’s almost monotonous. Here’s hoping Kawasaki is working away in the background on an engine upgrade. Then again, extra power and all this weight could create quite a thirsty machine. The good news is Kawasaki is back in the game with this updated Ultra. The only other thing on my wish list for the Ultra? Higher handlebars so it’s more comfortable to ride while standing up. Thanks again for the feedback.
Seeing the R on the reverse lever is that indicating it’s only for reverse or is it safe to deploy as a brake going wide open? Or does it even work going at full throttle?
Great question. We received the following response from our Kawasaki expert:
The patent for the new Kawasaki Ultra reverse trigger design says when the reverse trigger is activated it immediately checks the vessel’s GPS speed.
Reverse will only be applied gradually if the vessel is at speed, washing off minimal speed so as to not send the rider over the handlebars.
Once the vessel speed decreases to a modest level, activation of the reverse trigger will lower the bucket further, to create more of a slowing effect.
The slower the vessel speed, the lower the rear bucket drops.
It is marketed as a KSRD ‘smart reverse with deceleration’.
It’s initially very gradual.
Meantime back to our experience.
Sea-Doo craft have a more aggressive reverse trigger (even at speed) whereas Yamaha’s reverse trigger is not as aggressive as Sea-Doo.
Hope this helps! Thanks for the question.
Good jet ski😊
Hi Joshua, I commented on a video for Kevin Shaw and want your thoughts as well. I have two 97 Yamaha wave venture 700s and want to get some more power and have a ski that is more stable than my old 2 strokers but playful as well. I have looked into a vx cruiser HO and deluxe and FX HO. But don’t know much about Sea Doo or Kawasaki models I like this 160.
Kevin mentions is about what type of riding we do as well and we do a good mix of flat water lake and river riding and out on the ocean with good amount chop here in Washington state. Looking at doing a cap of 17.5k a ski USD. I would appreciate your thoughts if you have time!
Hi there, thanks for the note. If you want something nimble yet stable the Yamaha VX is a great option. I also prefer the larger Yamaha FX hull for open water riding. The Sea-Doo ST3 range (GTX 170, Fish Pro 170, among others) has the best ergonomics in the business but its hull design is better suited to flat water and medium chop rather than really rough water. I would check out those three options (Yamaha VX, Yamaha FX and Sea-Doo ST3-based model with 170-hp) and see what suits your budget best. Happy riding!
@@WatercraftZone your reply is much appreciated! Thank you for the insight I’ll definitely be checking those out and looking forward to your future videos!
Love the skis but prices are nuts.
We hear you. Here’s hoping prices come back to earth. They’re all over the top at the moment.
So, I took apart my 1999 Seadoo GTI and i can tell you, the thing is very simple in being made. i almost feel like I could build the thing. With these new ski's, they're technological marvels. Even though I'm not happy with the sky rocketing prices, I understand the reason is due to the tech. What these mfgs should do is build a simple budget version for people who want a new ski to not have to worry about breakdowns and don't mind not having all of the new technology. If they built a brand new 1999 GTI type ski in 2024, I'd buy it for like $6000.
1)How many miles does it get you on, with one fill of gas??
2) At Greece the price of Kawasaki '24 ULTRA 160 LX-S 2024 is 24.200. But i can find a Sea-Doo '24 GTR 230 20.800. Which is your advice?
I need one which would be able to move me into a cluster of islands that are all together within a 7 mile radius
Thanks...
We will let you do the maths and the conversion but in our testing it used 55L/100km and it has an 80-litre tank. By our calculations it could cover 120km on a single tank (with some to spare) but best to try it yourself first on a shorter journey. Consumption can increase depending on riding style and rider weight. Hope this helps.
Ugliest color possible sadly on the LX, for me at least. That just kills it. At least give 2 options for each specific model.
Thanks for the feedback. It definitely looks better on the water and in person. There are new colours for 2025 (we show them a couple of times in the video). Thanks for watching and thanks for leaving a note.
The gold is amazing and I get nothing but compliments on the beach
Agree. Looks great in the sun on the water
I agree its ugly. It looks like a brown turd floating down the water.
I have an LX. It’s beautiful on the water. Not one person who sees it on the water says a bad thing about the color!
Theres a lot to like about this ski, but at the end of the day it doesn't do all that much for me. Still got the best engine on the market I believe.
Thanks for the note. The good news is there is now a broader choice in the full-size, non-supercharged Jet Ski / personal watercraft market. All three brands - Sea-Doo, Yamaha and Kawasaki - have strong offerings.
@@WatercraftZone I have a seadoo 300 and a kawasaki sxr and love them both! You're absolutely right. It's almost overwhelming how many choices we have !
I like the set up but wish they had left the 160mm pump in.
Great suggestion. We love this hull but a bit more power, a more comfortable riding position when standing, and a bit better fuel economy would be welcome.
I Love Kawi but the 2024 FX HO is now a better option, cheaper and more HP than the 160 LX, better storage access on the FX-HO. Let's wait for the new 1000cc Turbo engine of the SxS Ridge, lighter and faster, same concept as the Rotax 900 ACE HO. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the note. Both are great skis but the Kawasaki Ultra 160 would benefit from a power bump. The only downside to that is extra fuel. The new Yamaha 1.9 non-supercharged engine is as thirsty at Yamaha’s 1.8-litre supercharged engine in our extensive testing. So here’s hoping Yamaha finds some new efficiencies for future updates.
@@WatercraftZone Thank you, your reviews are the best on YT, please try to do a long run fuel consumption shootout between the Sea Doo 170, Kawi 160 and the new Yammi 1.9L, side by side.
Wonder why us in America only get a 1 year warranty while Australia gets 5 year
Great question. Different consumer laws. As another example, most cars in Australia have five to seven year warranty coverage. Australian Consumer Law considers whether a fault or malfunction is fair and reasonable for the product’s age. Most consumer tribunals are of the view a product should last three to five years or more without fault. So the manufacturers tend to advertise that coverage because they are obliged to honour the warranty claim. It also explains why Jet Skis and personal watercraft cost more in Australia than in the US (in addition to currency and freight). The companies hold back a larger portion of the profit to cover future warranty claims. Hope that answers your question. Thanks for leaving a note.
I was wondering why US only gets 1 year too
thing is a beast,but,some of the maintaine design and the workmanship needs to be reviewed the 23 ,battery placement makes it one hell to get at it ,and to secure it,the other is the stapling of the seats material,that is a cheap way to do it.the jet ski wasnt low priced ,so the workmanship shouldnt be low cost
looks like it submarines very easily
Good observation. The trim was in the neutral position and we had a full tank of fuel in those shots. We were also riding in a way that would encourage some water over the nose for the video footage. But even so, it is a bit nose heavy even in normal conditions. As is the Yamaha FX HO in our experience.
Also noticed the same. I have the Seadoo Fishpro Trophy and with 3 adults on and fully loaded with cooler, it still doesn't nose dive like that. Even in super wild offshore swell it handles like a champ.
Price way too high for just a 160 !
All these skis are getting too expensive. Probably explains the sales downturn. Hopefully the prices across all three brands will come back to earth soon.
There are great deals available on 23 models left over. Shop in the fall and winter.
@@WatercraftZoneso Gandalf the greatest…. When!? I am waiting to 🫨😂
Too big.
Too heavy.
Starts to roll over in the sea when the gunnels fill up.
Doe’s cut throu chop well.
Buy a boat instead 😂.
Sold my one after 4 hours.
Thanks for sharing your feedback. Sorry you left the Jet Ski world so soon. If you come back, maybe give Yamaha or Sea-Doo a try.
@@WatercraftZone oh i am a off shore rider bro, right back into a seadoo again.