Can I add speddo and fuel gauge to XL700?

[cpp608]

Looking at a 2002 XL700 with trailer for 3900.00. I see tat model has no guages...can I add them?
Thanks

[Technical Support]

Re: Can I add speddo and fuel gauge to XL700?

Not as factory parts. You can do whatever you want with custom work. There's really no point though - that ski is ONLY designed as a bare-bones entry level base model. Gauges add nothing to it.

[cpp608]

Re: Can I add speddo and fuel gauge to XL700?

Is ther a better choice for that kind of money?

First timer, have been a boat owner for 20 years though.....:emoticonn

[Technical Support]

Re: Can I add speddo and fuel gauge to XL700?

Thats an extremely vague question. What are you going to do with it?

[cpp608]

Re: Can I add speddo and fuel gauge to XL700?

We have a place on the river now, and looking for something to go for short rides. I have a fast ski boat so don't need to pull anything, just a trip to the sand bar and back.

[Technical Support]

Re: Can I add speddo and fuel gauge to XL700?

That's a fine ski for that, and you don't need gauges for it either :)

[cpp608]

Re: Can I add speddo and fuel gauge to XL700?

Ok what about a fuel warning light? Or a depth sounder?

Thanks

[Technical Support]

Re: Can I add speddo and fuel gauge to XL700?

Fuel warning light? Lift the hood - or about $450 in factory parts and a do-it-yourself project.


Depth Sounder - About $200+ in parts, do it yourself from any marine store.

[02xl700]

Re: Can I add speddo and fuel gauge to XL700?

I own a 2002 xl700. It is a great ski. It is very good on fuel and the 701 motor is bullet proof. I have ridden many other skis but I like this hull design the best. As for the guages I really do not see a need for them. I just top my oil off before each trip and after awhile you get to know the ski and when it will need fuel. I put mirrors and sponsons off of a 98 xl1200 on mine.

[lee_leses]

Re: Can I add speddo and fuel gauge to XL700?

Okay, this is sort of my area of expertise, so.

For a depth sounder, you could look at the Humminbird HDR-600. It ranges in price from $75-110$ and you can get it a number of places. I haven't gotten one yet, but I hear they're good if installed correctly.

On the gauges, obviously the way to go would be to buy all the needed parts and wireing harnasses from a jet-ski junkyard and install all the stuff. I would say the difficulty level could be moderate to advanced. You might get it right the first time, but if not, you would have to have an understanding of the resistances involved in the sending units, how to work with the sending units, and how to troubleshoot the problems.

I'm not real familiar with that ski, but I think I remember seeing that there's a block off plate where the gauges would be. I think the 760 model had gauges in the same type of hull? If thats the case, its totally possible to retrofit, and would be a fun project for someone with the right skills. It could be a nightmare unless whatever yard you got the parts from would give you one flat rate for all the parts and let you get any parts you find out later you forgot to get off the donor ski.

I know i've also seen aftermarket gauge clusters that had multifunctions and looked pretty good. But nothing would probably be a durable and good as the factory gauges, Yamaha's been working on them for years to perfect them.

A side note, since your life could depend on being in at least 2 feet of water, I could never understand why none of the PWC makers ever built a depth sounder into their stock gauges. It wouldn't cost them much at all and would save a lot of injuries.

Now the cliff notes. I see a possible small advantage because I would think with gas being what it is the 700 probably uses less gas than the bigger engines, but you would have to be really careful not to dump more money into the ski than it's worth unless you know for sure you are going to run it until it's totally dead and never try to re-sell it!

Lee B.

[Technical Support]

Re: Can I add speddo and fuel gauge to XL700?

A side note, since your life could depend on being in at least 2 feet of water, I could never understand why none of the PWC makers ever built a depth sounder into their stock gauges. It wouldn't cost them much at all and would save a lot of injuries.

Because part of proper boating is knowing where you are. It's not like shallow areas suddenly pop up in the middle of nowhere. Magically, millions of small boaters have survived just fine without such a gimmick.

[cpp608]

Re: Can I add speddo and fuel gauge to XL700?

Nice post lee, thanks. The river we are on has sand bars that change very offen. I do know the river but again it changes alot. If you were in a boat, you feel the sand bars and will slow down, but on a ski, couldnt you get tossed if you hit one too fast? Also what is the draft of a ski like this?

Thanks

[lee_leses]

Re: Can I add speddo and fuel gauge to XL700?

I don't know what the draft is.

With respect to the SBT administrator, who has been of great help with things, I disagree about the depth sounder issue.

I am a pretty skilled operator who has been boating with my father since I was 5 or 6. I feel that lakes are one thing, but rivers, waterways, and other bodies of water can be quite a different ball game. In the twelve years i've had jet ski's, twice I hit sandbars or bottom and went flying over the handlebars. In theory, as we learned in prehospital trauma, if you sat close enough to the handlebars, your legs could get hooked under the handlebars and break both of your femurs (before you even hit the sandbar or water) as you went flying over the handlebars. I was very lucky in both incidents and was not injured. I've seen a few people who broke their shoulder or collarbone when they landed.

Looking back, both times I was violently ejected, it was an overcast day (harder to see into the water), and it was low tide. Both times, I THOUGHT I was exercising enough caution. This is why I always wear a helmet now, a pullover vest, and try to avoid being out in low tide unless i'm on the ocean side.

True, two times in twelve years isn't aweful, but I know my skill level, and if I had it happen twice, I KNOW a novice could easily do it.

If it only cost a few dollars for a transducer and a few more circuits in the gauge pack, why NOT do it?

Of course, that still wouldn't be any substitute from proper training and experience...

Lee B.