Features of the 1999 SeaDoo GTX

The acronym PWC refers to "personal watercraft." This is something of a misnomer, because four-seater models are not uncommon. PWC does, however, universally describe watercraft that are not boats; the rider or riders sit or stand on the vessel, rather than inside it. The “big four” PWC manufacturers are Honda, Kawasaki, SeaDoo and Yamaha.

  1. The SeaDoo Line

    • SeaDoo is the manufacturing brand of Bombardier Recreational Products, a Canadian company. For the 2012 model year, Bombardier manufactured 15 models divided into four categories: luxury performance, musclecraft, recreation and sport. SeaDoo products appeared on the market in 1968, with a major brand revamping two decades later.

    GTX History

    • The GT marque was first introduced in 1990, becoming SeaDoo’s first three-seater model and the first to have a reverse gear. The GTX made its appearance three years later and has been manufactured, in one form or another, ever since. The use of dual Mikuni carbs gave it rather more power than its GT predecessors. The GTX has always been marketed as a luxury performance machine. In 1995, the model was fitted with Bombardier’s 657X engine, upped to 787 cc the next year, which also saw considerable hull redesign. In 1998, a new optional 130-horsepower, 947 cc carbureted engine finally made the power-to-weight ratio something to write home about.

    Automotive

    • In 1999, the standard engine was a two-cylinder 782 cc -- 47.7 cubic inch -- Rotax marine engine exhaling through a R.A.V.E. -- reed valve -- exhaust system. New for the year was an electronic fuel injection chip. Direct-drive transmission with forward, neutral and reverse gears was controlled by a lever to the left of the central console. The 1999 used an axial flow, large-hub, single-stage water-jet pump with a stainless steel impeller. The machine was 12-volt, as are most gasoline-fueled road vehicles, making fault diagnosis possible for competent non-specialist technicians. The fuel tank held 15 gallons, with a three-gallon reserve feature.

    Coachwork

    • The manufacturer describes the 123- by 47-inch hull type as “deep vee”; the 1999 model was available in a two-tone green and white color scheme. A tilt steering wheel was standard, as were twin mirrors, a forward tow hook -- for recovery, not towing, for instance, skiers -- and a bow storage compartment, a console glove box and a cooler below the seat rear.

    Instrumentation

    • Instrumentation was carried in a recessed area forward of the handlebars and featured an analog speedometer and tachometer. A liquid crystal display charted fuel and oil levels, a meter to record hours of use, voltage and overheat malfunction indicator lights, as well as a trip meter that recorded average and peak speeds for any excursion. An anti-theft device was standard.