Last issue we we looked at what you could buy for £3,000. This month we are looking at 2-stroke runabouts that are good value for those of you looking to buy second hand. Marcel Diner gives us his opinion on what’s good value and what to look for when buying your next used ski....

More often these days riders are looking toward 4 strokes for the reliability they offer, and now that the second hand prices are coming down there is more to choose from without paying a fortune. 4 strokes all tend to start easily, usually on the button, most have a good deep rumble like a performance bike. Running hours are also less of an issue than with 2-strokes as they usually have a longer life by at least double, buying a craft with 200 hours on will just need to be checked carefully, but they will often last past 400hours.

Due to the engine weight all 4 stroke runabouts are large and stable so unlike variants of 2 strokes stability is no longer an issue and all are good for family use.

The very lowest price I have seen for a 4 stroke is £2500 for a Yamaha VX, with early (2002) Sea-Doo GTX 4 tecs going for £3000. Sea-Doo RXP’s tend to hang around the £5000 mark on 2004-5’s (except in winter when prices can be lower occasionally.

For ultra reliability and fuel economy the VX is the way to go, although not a particularly fast machine, it is a good all rounder for families. With a not too overstressed 1000cc engine it will be fairly trouble-free if not abused. The early Yamaha FX’s are coming down too, to around the £3000 mark, according to their condition.

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