MSRP: $9,799
Price as tested:
For waterproof Garmin GPS Map76, add $199.99
Engine: 1498 cc,
160 horsepower, 4-cylinder fuel-injected DOHC powerplant
Top speed: 50 mph plus
More info:
www.kawasaki.com
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The goal of a sport-touring watercraft is to combine power and handling with comfort and luxury. The new Kawasaki Ultra LX hits the mark. This personal watercraft's design is crisp and clean, and the gel coat Jet White/Valiant Blue paint job just gleams. The hull is the largest Kawasaki has ever produced; the seats are narrow enough for comfortable standing or seated riding and the cockpit is very user-friendly. The center console has handy storage, the handlebar adjusts to five positions and the forward/reverse lever is perfectly located. The storage capacity (53 gallons in a forward compartment) holds dry bags and overnight gear, food and water, first-aid kits, ropes and whatever you might need on the surf.
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Many of the new features on the Ultra LX are not immediately visible: Splash deflectors minimize spray; a 22.5 degree V-angle hull based on race-winning machines improves handling in rough water; sponsons extend further from the hull to enhance stability; a 20.6-gallon fuel tank gives you range and inspiration -- but they all are appreciated on the go. The Ski comes with a Smart Learning Operation Mode that reduces maximum speed by approximately 30 percent, which allows newer riders to get accustomed to the vehicle. We rode the Ultra from Miami to Bimini, over some 45 nautical miles of open water. At about 25 miles per hour, the boat is sweet and stable and not bothered by the chop. We did speed runs up to 40 miles per hour, for two hours, as the water changed from navy blue to turquoise. We exploded waves, outran squalls and found our harbor as lightning tore up the sky behind. While we waited to clear customs in Bimini, I watched the locals play bottle cap checkers under a gazebo, nursing their single bottles of beer. From across the street, another local cackled like a parrot, twisting an imaginary throttle, calling out "Daredevil?" Yep, that would be me.
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In the bar in Bimini, as we talked about what it feels like to dive into a wave and have a maelstrom of water rip the goggles and glasses from your face, the women at the table next to us were impressed. Hey, it worked for Hemingway.
-- by James R. Petersen |
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