At the Sea-Doo 2010 launch in Washington DC, BRP revealed the 260hp RXT-X, a watercraft currently unrivalled in its power-to-weight ratio. Spicer went and had his arms torn off.

Upping the ante in the face of a global recession, BRP has raised its game for 2010. With five new or improved models, which will be reviewed in these pages over the coming months, the Canuckies have got our hearts racing once again. Rather than going into hibernation during the economic cold spell, BRP has thrown caution to the wind and introduced a watercraft that – despite the hard times - people are going to want to buy anyway.

Yes, the Canadians have been chipping away like a bevy of bearded lumberjacks. And they have delivered. Other major news for 2010 is that the majority of the Sea-Doo line-up now has the iControl system – a marine media centre that controls a braking and reverse system (iBR), a fly-by-wire throttle (no cables), and suspension (where fitted). It also offers more precise engine calibration and greater control over the air-fuel mixture. The following models are equipped with iControl and iBR, and have also had the old style RXT/GTX hull replaced by the stepped S3 hull – the GTX Ltd iS (now with 260hp), the new GTX iS 215hp, the GTX 155hp, the RXT iS (now 260hp), the RXT 215hp, the new WAKE PRO 215hp and, of course, the RXT-X 260 RS.

The flagship model may not have the catchiest of names, I’m sure you’ll agree. It’s like they put a handful of numbers and the alphabet in a room, forced them to have a bare-knuckle fight, then picked the remnants off the floor and said, “right, we’ll call it that then”. But although the name doesn’t slide off the tongue, in aesthetic terms, the RXT-X 260 RS (deep breath) is very easy on the eye. Done-up in a deliciously simple black and red livery, it’s like an ice-cold can of Cherry Coke. It also has a white driver’s seat, a black honeycomb grill at the front, and X-shaped billet-machined racing handlebars. The introduction of the stepped hull has given the RXT-X more of a beak than its predecessors - making it more angular and belligerent - which I like.

Moving down to the water’s edge, the RXT-X 260 RS’s popularity was evident as French racers Karine Paturel and François Medori took it in turns to rag the testicles off it. A mammoth photo shoot ensued as we sped down the Potomac River in various Sea-Doo jet boats. It wasn’t exactly the azure waters of Florida but, following a successful day’s shooting, it was time for me to test the beast.

THE POWER AND THE GLORY

Dark clouds hung heavily in the sky, shattered intermittently by rays of sunlight but, somehow, the ominous setting seemed appropriate for this ski. Starting it, the trio of gauges sparked into life - twin analogue and one digital in the centre. The information on offer is tremendous, from the obvious and practical - like RPM, speedo, and engine temperature - to the damn right splendid with lap timer and time or distance till empty. These features allow the rider to continually monitor both the craft’s and their own performance. It also has an altimeter, which will come in handy when you’re riding on Lake Titicaca . . .

With iControl the 260 immediately starts in neutral, so you don’t have to worry about it ticking forwards and bumping into the pontoon or another craft. Giving the throttle a tickle, the dials lick up and down quickly, and I wait for the growl but it is surprisingly quiet for a 260 brake horsepower monster. It almost makes you want to rip the waterbox and exhaust off and jam a noisy, wide boy exhaust on there.

The first real pull on the throttle gave a quick but relatively composed acceleration - until I hit around 4,000rpm - and then it bolted . . . It felt like there was a change in gear, suddenly going from a steady power delivery into something that was extremely ferocious. I had it in ‘Touring’ mode, which is essentially ‘chilled out’ mode on the acceleration front. Even when you pin the throttle, iControl only allows it to accelerate gradually. It may seem like a bizarre function to introduce on a 260hp supercharged watercraft, as the very fact that you’ve bought such a brutish ski presupposes that you might like a bit of torque. But – aside from it being a good feature for towing wakeboarders and improving fuel economy - when you get a taste of what it does in Sport mode, you can see exactly why BRP made this decision . . .

Nudging a button, I was in Sports mode and ready to go. With my eyes chained to the foreground, feet buried in the footwells, and fingers clenched on the grips, I pulled the throttle. Surging with power, it leapt onto the plane, exploding out of the hole in a flash. It is insanely quick off the mark. The fastest stock watercraft I have ridden to date. Its fly-by-wire system delivers full acceleration from rest, and the response is tremendous. Immediate. With jitters running down my spine, I nailed it past a rusty old boat, feeling the sinews in my arms stretching to full capacity.

The acceleration is second to none – easily beating the Kawasaki 260X. If you thought the RXT-X had it good, you just wait. But I am sure that deep down, you are desperate to know what the top speed was. On the craft’s speedometer, which is GPS-based (on Sea-Doo own satellites!), it read 70mph. Using our own GPS for reassurance, we hit an exceptional 68mph! And the conditions were choppy on the day, so on a flat lake I predict it will be hitting 71mph. That is seriously fast for something straight out of the box. This is a reassuring return to form from Sea-Doo. 

THE BEAST’S BEHAVIOUR

Harnessing its monstrous power, and leaning into a turn, I planted my body weight into the seat and turned the bars nearly to full lock. The steering is extremely light, and feels like the set-up of a race craft, with little restriction against the pump – meaning a big reduction in arm pump, but a tendency to catch you off guard until you get used to it. If - unprepared - you turn the bars suddenly you could high-side quite easily. My forearms didn’t suffer unduly - it was just the momentous sideways pull that did me in. If I had biceps like The Rock then it wouldn’t have been an issue but as it goes my arms resemble two bulimic Twiglets . . .

Hugging the corner, the sponsons cut deep - sending up huge sweeps of water. Fantastic. And then, pinning the throttle mid-turn, all I ever seemed to get was more and more grip. It holds fast, and if you don’t do the same, you could easily be catapulted into a neighbouring ocean.

The RXT-X’s billet handlebars are great for this kind of riding because they are fully adjustable – both up and down (the gauges move simultaneously with it), and the grips also move in and out by a couple of inches. This requires an Allen key to alter it but depending on your preference you can add extra width for more control.

Bracing myself as I came out of a fast straight, I eased off the throttle and engaged the Cruise Control button on the right handlebar. While in cruise mode, you can adjust speed up or down in 1mph increments – great for towing wakeboarders. Then, as soon as the throttle is released beyond the set point, the cruise is disengaged.

Next, I trim it up using one of the two buttons flanked above my left thumb. This is easy to adjust and alters the behaviour in a big way, raising the bow above the chop and sinking the pump ever deeper. Even so, the stepped hull handles chop and rough waters very well without it, so the VTS (variable trim system) is an added luxury. With this hull you don’t get the skittishness that plagued the old style RXT hull, and you feel far more in control at speed because you have more of the craft planted in the water, which gives it more grip plus total commitment in its hook up. There is also a step cut into the hull, just aft of the intake, creating a low-pressure area, which reduces drag – making it light on the plane for such a big craft.

Weighing 388kg, which is 42kg lighter than the RXT iS models without the suspension and secondary deck, it is far more up my street. Without a doubt, the introduction of suspension to a PW was incredible, but I personally prefer the handling without suspension. It has a more natural feeling when you’re riding, because you are more in touch with the water. If I were doing lots of long cruises in big swells then I would definitely go for an iS but for general blasting this is more real. Plus the S3 hull performs very well in its own right – it is excellent when I ride over choppy parts of the river, and the wakes from big boats, and stays planted even when I chuck it about.

WHEN THE LEVEE BRAKES

Hurtling along at 70mph is all very well until you need to stop. Lucky for you, the RXT-X 260 RS has an on-water braking system. Gunning it hard, I squeeze the brake and feel it engage. It doesn’t stop immediately, but does so with effect, sending the bow dipping down off the plane and water spraying up on either side of me. It works by cutting power to the engine, deploying the reverse bucket (a large, sturdy stainless steel gate), and re-applying power in reverse within a fraction of a second. Then, after using the brake, the system defaults to neutral until the throttle is reapplied.

I really like the brake. Something about having the throttle in your right hand and brake in the left feels so natural. Not quite like a motorbike because obviously bikers will be used to a clutch on the left, but it is comfortable and instinctive.

It also has to be one of the safest features to be introduced to a personal watercraft. You can brake on the water, bringing you to a stop 100ft sooner than a watercraft without a brake (while both travelling at 50mph). Even the United States Coast Guard (USCG) agreed, giving BRP a Boating Safety Award for it, saying: “This is a revolutionary improvement to the safety of these vessels.”

And to engage the reverse, all you have to do is hold the brake lever down and squeeze the throttle. This means that you can keep both hands on the handlebars, which is much safer and makes manoeuvring in and out of docks and parking much easier than lugging a cumbersome lever up. It is, as the Meerkats might say, ‘simples’.

Other features include 13.7-litres of storage, which is considerably less than the RXT iS (62-litres) and the RXT-X 255 (112.1-litres). However, the front storage section is removable and totally waterproof – making up for the fact that you can only fit a pork pie in it. Its seat is hinged and rises on hydraulics, like the RXT iS, and due to it not having the suspension components it has a lot more space, which will definitely make the engine easier to work on.

CONCLUSION

Evolution is evident in this watercraft. The iControl system and the S3 hull, both from RXT iS model, combined with the Rotax engine, which graced the original RXP and has now been opened up another notch. The RXT-X 260 is the production descendant of a long line of watercraft, making the 2010 ski a pedigree of the highest order. 
No prices have been released for the UK yet but we were assured that the GTX Ltd iS 255 and the RXT iS 255 – with suspension - will be the more expensive models. That is good news because it means it should be within the same price category as the Kawasaki Ultra 260X and the Yamaha FZS. I am looking forward to its arrival in the UK when we will have more time for testing.

Overall, this is a fantastic watercraft. If I hadn’t know otherwise when I first rode the RXT-X 260, I would have said that it was a race-tuned craft. The power in the bottom end is unbelievable. I hear you ask, does the five horsepower really make that much difference? The answer is - at the bottom end - yes. Quite significantly. It gets up to top speed in hair-raisingly quick time. Remember that this is the same engine that out-accelerated a Ferrari F430. Just with an extra five horse power. This is a watercraft that does 0 – 50mph in 2.9 seconds. Five minutes on the RXT-X 260 makes you feel like your face has melted past your ears! However, with the inclusion of the brake, Touring mode, a learner key, and the fact that it has three seats – it makes the RXT-X 260 accessible to a wider recreational market.

Once again, Sea-Doo has stepped up to the mark and delivered.

Length: 3.54m

Width: 1.22m

Height: 118.1 cm

Weight (dry): 388 kg

Engine type: 260hp supercharged intercooled Rotax 4-stroke

Intake system: Supercharged with external intercooler and 52mm throttle body

Bore x stroke:  100 mm x 63.4 mm

Displacement: 1,494 cc

Compression ratio: 8.4:1

Cooling: Closed-loop cooling system

Fuel type: 87 octane – minimum / 91 octane – recommended

Pump: Aluminum, axial flow, single stage, performance intake grate, large hub with 
10-vane stator

Transmission: Electronic iBR

Fuel capacity: 60-litres

Storage capacity: 13.7-litres

Rider capacity: 1 – 3 persons

Price: £TBC