Ride Plate Recommendation

[timski]

New to the forum - Can anyone offer a recommendation on a ride plate for a 2002 1100 STX-DI? What can I expect in MPH gain? Stability?

[Glen]

Re: Ride Plate Recommendation

I have GroupK Stage 1 kit my 2001. It ride plate mod works very well, in conjunction with the impeller and the removing the center bar from the stock grate. You can easily pick-up 3+ mph.

Here's the link.

http://groupk.com/k1100di.htm

[timski]

Thanks for the help Glen. How hard was the kit to install - seems pretty straight forward?

[Glen]

Re: Ride Plate Recommendation

It's not too bad. Here's a few tips...Worst part for me was removing the pump and the impeller. When you get the pump off, coat the rubber pump seal ring with a little waterproof grease and the next time it will be alot easier to remove. Remove the ride plate with the reverse bucket attached, just remember to disconnect the cable before you begin extracting all the bolts. Once removed, take off the reverse bucket and remove the seals and then send it out. Remove the steering cable and nozzles (as a set). Remove the cooling hose (clamped) and bilge hoses (top) on the jet pump and the four mounting bolts. There a a few pry points on the bottom of the pump housing. If you have paint stir stick, you can use this to pry on instead of the hull. You can use a screwdriver or a small pry bar for this. You'll need to do some wiggling & prying to get it out. The first time is a pain. Be careful not to put your fingers into the pump because the impeller blades will sever a finger(s). Pull from the outside. Impeller replacement requires a $10 tool and a big vise. If you have neither, a local shop can do it for a nominal fee. If you want to do the the intake grate as well, just trace around the gasket on the center bar before you remove the ride plate. Remove the screws and cut away the bar using a hacksaw. Leave the notched area you traced around intact. I then massaged the intake tract of the grate with the dremel tool to remove casting flaws, but that's really up to you. I don't if it has any benefit, but it looks nice. That's really the extent of it.