What Sea Doo GTX Limited iS255
Price 16,500 USD
Specs 430kg, three-cylinder supercharged/intercooled 1,494cc, 255hp, 112 km/h
Why This new PWC offers some original features such as a water-brake and a full suspension system resulting in a vehicle that is safer and more stable than anything that has come before it.
www.sea-doo.com
Sea-Doo, a division of the Canadian Bombardier Recreational Products, has consistently pushed the PWC (personal watercraft) industry forward with new performance benchmarks and innovative product ideas. Have you ever wished to ride a PWC with ride-softening suspension? Or longed for a brake in order to stop faster? Both those issues have been addressed with the new GTX Limited iS255.
Most of the technology on the GTX Limited iS255 relies on the brainpower of an on-board computer that Sea-Doo calls iControl. This computer integrates the suspension system, drive-by-wire throttle functions, GPS-based speed control, off-throttle steering and the braking function. While the suspension system, which in auto mode is adaptive (it senses the weight of rider and passenger on the seat, and uses the hydraulic motor to adjust pre-load accordingly), doesn’t quite turn the GTX into a magic carpet, it does take the edge off of choppy water.
The brake function works via a lever on the handlebar. Pull on it and the engine throttles down for a split-second so the reverse bucket can pivot down. The engine is then throttled back up to create reverse thrust, with rpm limited to about 3500 – that way you won’t be flung over the bow. Nevertheless, holding the lever tight will make the bow dive and water come washing over the cowl. The brake isn’t an on/off switch, however, so you can modulate it enough to control the reverse thrust and avoid getting wet. This ingenious technique, the first of its kind, has allowed stopping distances to be reduced by as much as 50 per cent.
Suspension and brakes are just the beginning of the innovation on the GTX iS. Others include a drive-by-wire throttle, a GPS speedometer, a new lightweight hull made using close-mold processes, an instrument panel that moves up and down with the adjustable handlebars and many other remarkable refinements.
Overall the GTX is a wonderful machine, if a little pricey, but it’s a powerful and stable ride that contains a possible category-changer in the form of a brake system. In fact most PWC-related injuries occur from collisions, therefore the brake's ability to stop the PWC sooner has the potential to save lives and limbs. For the moment this is the PWC to own, hopefully for those unable to afford it, its safety features will work their way into other, less-expensive machines soon.
