2017 Sea-Doo GTR 230 and GTR-X 230: Watercraft Review

When you drop a 300hp engine in a personal water craft, as Sea-Doo did in its 2016 Sea-Doo watercraft (range reviews) last year, you’re going to create some serious expectations. Trawl the comments from the Facebook Live launch for the new 2017 Sea-Doo models and there is a recurring theme from the vociferous social-media tribe — "we want more power."

Well, you already got that. If you have driven a 300hp Sea-Doo, and the 260hp for that matter, you will know these are extreme machines that command respect and considerable driver skill. Touted as a performance benchmark, the RXT-X 300 does 0-100km/h in 3.96 seconds and hits a top speed of 117.9km/h.

Bringing genuine watercraft performance to the people, Sea-Doo has released two new musclecraft in this same Performance category that induce a watering eye or two but with more control, dignity and, I call it, thinking time.

Using the new supercharged 230hp Rotax 1500 HO ACE engine — a more refined and reliable version of the 215hp 1503 it supplants — the GTR 230 and all-new GTR 230-X will sate the trigger-happy rider looking for performance without feeling like they're riding on a knife's edge. The acceleration is snappy, but the top end is controlled at about 105km/h.

Pricing is keen, too. The Black and Octane Blue three-seater GTR 230, which has a more upright riding position, and the metallic Californian Green two-seater GTR-X 230 with its slinky Ergolock seat are priced around $20k.

Raring to go, these new GTR 230 musclecraft extend Sea-Doo's commitment in 2017 to make the sport more affordable across all its watercraft categories.  These two GTRs are the Performance Sea-Doo watercraft many more sport riders will want to own.

Features of the three-seater GTR 230 include Touring and Sport modes, the latter optimising hole shot, a plush Touring seat that is noticeably comfy coming out of the Ergoseat, the Variable Trim System — put to good use when the chop arrived with a Tampa Bay squall during our American launch — and the powerful iBR braking system.

Adding to the sporty looks and riding pleasure are wide side mirrors, handlegrips with palm rests, front splash deflector and bumpers, padded foot rests and a deep swim platform, sponsons for sports handling, and an easily read digital dash.

On the GTR-X 230, the ‘X Package’ for extra performance includes the two-person Ergolock seat, fully adjustable handlebars with customisable width and grip angle, an X-Gauge with real-time boost indicator that lets you know where the power kicks in, and additional gauge functions including engine temp, time and distance to empty, top and average speed and RPM, and a lap timer.

Created with a closed-mould process, the new top deck of the GTR-X has a cool metallic Thermo finish in Californian Green that’s said to be more resilient and flexible than gelcoat and easily repairable to boot. All of which is a pitch against Yamaha’s VXR competition.

Of course, pricing is key, too.

Offering high performance and high value in the Performance category, touts BRP, the three-seater GTR 230 costs $17,599, while the GTR-X 230 retails for $18,699. You will need to add about $2k for trailer and registrations and away you go.

The GTR-X 230 is 5cm shorter but, with the Ergolock seat and a bit more gear, this two-seater is 6kg heavier than the three-seater GTR 230. The narrow and sculptured Ergolock seat and footwell on the "X" have been designed to be used with your big leg muscles — rather than your small arm muscles — for more aggressive and sustained riding.

Meanwhile, the new 230hp Rotax 1500 HO ACE engine adopts the innovations and design, notably the low-maintenance or no-maintenance supercharger, of the new 300hp Rotax 1630 ACE (review) we first tested at the US launch last year.

The new engine is based on the 1503 Rotax 4-TEC, adds an upgraded external intercooler (good news), high-flow head, and detuned ECU from the 260 (we're told), leaving open some aftermarket possibilities here.

The new plasma-coating technology for the aluminum-block, developed by the Rotax team in Gunskirchen, Austria, is a thermal-spraying process that deposits a protective coating on engine cylinder walls. This in turn creates a hard and durable metallic surface to withstand piston friction forces.

Ultimately, this engine technology improves surface durability, while keeping the powerplant lighter and more compact, with better heat transfer, superior performance, and reduced use of chemicals, BRP says.

You can read more about this 1500 HO ACE engine in this story.

ON THE WATER

In the default Touring mode, acceleration is progressive if not a little flat, and the predictable handling suits two-up riding. In Eco mode, you can optimise your range while cruising. But in Sport mode, it’s all about hole shot and the acceleration is great.

Factory-rolled, the GTI platform certainly morphs into a lively and responsive Sea-Doo with the 230 horsepower. This was evident as I headed back down the 2017 Sea-Doo range to the 90, 130 and 155hp engines in this same GTI hull, a flattish hull suited to moderate conditions (for tow sports check out the new Wake Pro 230 and for luxury try the GTX Limited with this same new engine).

The iBR is always impressive, offering class-leading braking rather than just deceleration, which is why US Coastguard are happy to call it a brake. This second-generation iBR also produces less nose diving and a flatter braking action, which means you don’t get as wet.

Now, add the Ergolock seat on the GTR-X 230, and you get a true performance machine that tested this rec rider’s mettle at wide-open throttle in the wide expanses of Tampa Bay. We didn’t part ways involuntarily, but should you do that then you are less likely to end up like the rookie British journo with bruised ribs who came a cropper on a Sea-Doo 300 at full noise.

Top speed on the GTRs seemed to be around 64mph or 105km/h on the dial, maybe a tad more trimmed out or with some more air under the hull, with the supercharger zip noticeable around 4000rpm on the boost gauge. It IS fast, but it's not RXT or RXP madness.

The more upright and spongy Touring seat and riding position on the GTR adds comfort to the equation and you tend to get a little less wet due to a more controlled riding behaviour.

Either way, the GTRs are a lot of fun without the extreme element, making them perfect for the mid-life crisis rider as much as the younger crowd wanting affordable performance, with the potential to tweak things later.

Meantime, amid the media frenzy that was the 2017 Sea-Doo launch and Beach Party in Tampa, Florida, I managed to grab some rough but real off-the-hip footage from my time aboard the GTR-X 230.

While the hull is bit flatter than the other models in the range, it’s playful and the GTR-X 230 with the Ergoseat is touted as the "ultimate mid-range performance model" and a "best seller in the range." It's definitely an improvement over the GTR 215 and the Ergoseat option adds a new player to the "X" fleet.

That Californian Green pops in the sun and, with some 60 different wraps and custom reprint options, you can create something of your own with the new 2017 GTR musclecraft. Think freedom of expression, tap the adrenalin, without the 116km/h crazy top end of the 300s that leave no room for error.

 >> Performance buffs might find it tame (rework the ECU)