Sea-Doo RXT-X aS 260

If you ever want to be left speechless with watery eyes and a 100-km/h-plus hairstyle, saddle up on the RXT-X aS 260 from Sea-Doo and gauge how much adrenalin you can cope with. It really is something to behold when it comes to brand PWCs.

This PWC has all the ingredients to make it an ‘off the showroom floor’ racer or a touring machine with plenty of backup in the power department. It may also be suitably governed to provide a more sedate performance to keep those not so experienced in the saddle until they come to grips with the stunning performance this craft is capable of.

It features multi-port fuel injection touted by the manufacturer as offering better control of exhaust emission and power at all RPM ranges to reduce emissions and fuel consumption.
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As mentioned earlier, it is a quiet runner utilising their trade-marked D-Sea-BeI™ system which combines a series of resonators and vibration-absorbing components to keep the noise output down.

It has a water-cooled exhaust pipe to regulate exhaust temperature and a closed-loop cooling system. The latter allows it to run coolant in the block alleviating issues caused by saltwater which is often the vehicle for debris which blocks water ports and galleries leading to rapid overheating.

The 260 always starts in neutral and with a touch of the lever with a finger, you start going astern. This is much more functional than having to use the throttle hand to actuate a reversing lever and manually get it back to 'forward' position.

Where this style of brake comes into its own is for emergency stopping at high speed. Sea-Doo quote stopping distances 100 feet (30 metres) shorter than their competition and we’re not about to argue with that. It does pull you up quick enough to warrant a serious grip on the handlebar to cope with the sudden inertia this brake system generates when activated at high speed.

The electronic dashboard indicates that the machine is in 'touring' mode which is the default setting when the ignition is turned on. This setting imparts a gentler throttle range to the accelerator lever making it ideal for two-up touring and for the less adventurous in the family.

By accessing the 'set up' switch on the dash one may switch the unit to 'sport' mode to unleash the horses -- and it does just that! The throttle range becomes very aggressive in its early stages.

Now while the sport mode might not be for the faint hearted, and some owners will have members of their family or friends not so experienced with a racy PWC such as this, the machine may be governed to tone down its overall performance.

The electronic brain of the 260 is called iControl and one of its many functions is to accept a learning key as against the standard key. Once inserted into the ignition, performance is limited and the overall performance may be further tuned to suit a particular rider via manipulation of the mode and set buttons. These buttons also allow fine-tuning of the standard ignition-key performances.

Sea-Doo designate the underside as the S-3 Hull which is ribbed and stepped to create less drag in the water (similar to ailerons on an aircraft wing which are vortex generators that break drag) but which give it good non-slip qualities during hard turns.

The foam-filled hull is double-moulded fibreglass and gelcoat construction while much of the topside is UV-resistant plastic and non-skid deck. This keeps the centre of balance low to add stability to the ride.

There are plenty of hatches under deck and one of them hosts a lift out port which is water resistant to cater for valuables such as cameras and other electronics that you do not wish to leave behind in the vehicle at the ramp.

Ergonomically, the 260 shines. It has a four-position handlebar tilt system to align the steering for comfort and the sweep of the handlebars is also adjustable. Both these features alleviate shoulder and forearm stress on riders pushing the limits of this machine.

As well, the aft-facing observer watching a towed skier, has heel holds in the deck and good hand grips for security.

We noted on the test run that this craft is capable of leaning well over during hard powering turns which may be attributed to the deep v in the bow; there being no bulky forequarters to prop the hull up on the water surface.

The soft ride is also attributable to the ‘aS’ which is Sea-Doo’s adjustable suspension system. Basically the entire superstructure above the gunwales is a floating deck with shock absorber system which may be adjusted to suit the weight of the riders and the conditions they are encountering. To adjust the settings mid-trip simply open the hatch in front of the skipper and manually wind the remote nitrogen reservoir adjustment knob to suit. The suspension spring may also be manually adjusted using the tools supplied in the kit.

Acceleration is breathtaking to say the least. From a standing start it will hit 100-kmh in seconds with more to go if you have the water conditions to cope with it. We didn’t, so didn’t push the envelope.

Hard turning is a breeze and the attitude of the hull leaning in allows you to lay into the throttle like there is no tomorrow! Just drive it like it was stolen!

The performance of the iBR braking system instils confidence when you have the Rotax engine wound up. It can be applied whilst the throttle is full open and engine revs will drop until the craft gets to a predetermined speed forward and then pick up revs to drive you astern. In the meantime a huge column of water is directed skyward as the bucket is deployed behind you.

When launching at the ramp, the reversing system comes into its own, especially when amidst other boats and people. You feel you have total control at all times.

Well, we came away from this review in disbelief at how impeccably this PWC performed in all aspects; exhilarating in every way!

New Zealand
BRP Australia Pty Ltd.
Unit A, 7-11 Arwen Place
East Tamaki, Auckland
Tel: +64-9-274-5718
Fax: +64-9-274-5240
Email: infobrpnewzealand@brp.com
Web: www.seadoo.com