We Need A Kawasaki Sport Boat Category

[steve45]

There is a category for Yamaha Sport Boats, there are TWO categories for SeaDoo Sport Boats. Alas, the Kawasaki Sport Boats are all but forgotten. What's that, you say? Kawasaki boats??? Yep, the Jet Mate, to be exact. A 3-seat boat. Designed, Coast Guard certified, and licensed as a BOAT. It has a powered blower, an electric bilge pump, and mine has a horn and lights. You have to carry a paddle, and you must carry life jackets but you don't have to wear them (depending on age).

I picked up my Kawasaki Jet Mate about two years ago. It needed some work and was missing some key parts. Now it's almost ready for the water!

Actually I got it wet last weekend, but discovered a couple of problems, so I didn't venture far from the dock. I brought it back home and I've done some fine tuning on it. I think it will be ready to go next weekend. I'll do a write-up on my trials & tribulations on this project soon, but for now, here are a few pictures:



The driver seat folds back, making it a little easier to move around in for fishing, etc. Steering is done by means of a joy stick control with a throttle trigger. There is a shift lever on the right side of the seat. The original 650 engine produced 52 HP, which I upgraded to an 85 HP 750 engine. Only about 1200 units were imported to the U.S. from 1989 - 1992.

[steve45]

Here is a picture of the 750 engine upgrade:



The original twin-carb airbox is too large to clear the oil tank filler. Many that do this engine swap just remove the oil tank and run pre-mix, but I wanted to keep the oil injection system.

The original ignition box is mounted on a bracket above the oil tank, but the 750 ignition box is an inch or two taller and it won't clear the doghouse that covers the engine. I made a bracket that extends across the waterbox that holds the ignition box. Above the oil tank I mounted the fuse box. The 750 box has a 30 amp fused circuit for a trim system that is not used in the Jet Mate. I used that output to feed the fuse box that powers the blower, lights, bilge pump, horn, and I also installed a couple of power outlets.

The Jet Mate has no easy way to get board the boat if you get out (or fall out). I installed a fold-up boarding step from an STX-15F:



The original fuel pickup was badly corroded, so I made a new one. I also had to install a fuel selector valve from another JetSki and I made a knob for it:



The shift handle was missing from my Mate when I got it, so I made one:

[Team Bilford]

Showing some good fab skills there.

[steve45]

Thanks!