It’s a little unclear why Honda vanished to anyone who is unfamiliar with the PWC universe. They were once among the leading manufacturers of personal watercraft until abruptly ceasing operations.
Honda produced PWC for a while, during which they developed a sizable and devoted following. Some find it challenging to comprehend what went wrong because people seemed to like their watercraft a lot.
Honda never really dominated the PWC game, despite having a substantial market share. While some of the features on their models were better than the competition, none of them were truly superior. Their jet skis weren’t bad, but they weren’t very impressive either.
They eventually decided to discontinue their PWC program due to a combination of falling sales and a contracting market. Honda discontinued manufacturing jet skis in late 2009 due of this.
It may be argued that Honda never actually lost money on PWC; they simply weren’t making enough to stay competitive. In any case, there aren’t any Honda jet skis on the market right now that were created after 2009.
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Honda AquaTrax: Do they still make them?
Even though Honda has been making cars for more than 70 years and is currently one of the most recognizable automotive brands in the world, the company wasn’t always that well-known.
Surprisingly, the Japanese company was formerly recognized for manufacturing the AquaTrax personal watercraft.
With the introduction of the Aquatrax F-12 and Aquatrax F-12X in 2002, Honda entered the personal watercraft industry. These versions soon gained popularity because they were the first four-stroke, turbocharged personal watercraft in the world.
Similar to Honda automobiles, AquaTrax was widely known for these virtues:
As a result, it was a desirable choice for individuals looking for a personal watercraft that would function well every day. You can even rent a Honda Aquatrax if you’d like to because many of them are still in use by rental companies!
Honda’s production of watercraft could not, regrettably, be supported by the market. As a result of declining sales, AquaTrax’s production was stopped.
After the model was discontinued, there were persistent speculations among lovers of personal watercraft that Honda was going to introduce a replacement line. Although these claims have so far been disproven, there is still hope for people who want to rent or buy a Honda PWC.
These robust and efficient machines continue to have a sizable second-hand market and a variety of leasing services.
Many PWC aficionados are still unsure of Honda’s intentions regarding PWC production. Honda PWCs—will they be returning in 2020? Many rumors exist. Fans are left wondering whether and when the illustrious brand would fulfill their expectations.
Has Honda ceased producing jet skis?
Honda Jet Skis are only available as used vehicles as of 2022. There was a time when there were numerous manufacturers of jet skis, including Honda, Tigershark, Polaris, Sea-Doo, Yamaha, and Kawasaki. But as of now, the only manufacturers of modern watercraft are Sea-Doo, Yamaha, and Kawasaki.
Honda produced a dependable and outstanding Jet Ski, but their timing was off.
Honda entered the market a little bit too late, and the 2008–2009 Financial Crisis ultimately crushed them. In 2009, Honda ceased production of watercraft, and the 2010 models were cancelled.
Honda’s exit from the market made it challenging for dealers to move their new stock. I’ve heard from some dealers that their final 2009 Honda won’t be sold until 2014. It was a challenging period, particularly for the dealers. So don’t be shocked if you see some Honda Watercraft that appear to be quite new and have little miles on them. Even some owners who left them are known to me. There are some excellent offers available.
What led to the end of jet ski production?
If they can even get a ski, anyone seeking for a great deal on a new Jet Ski or personal watercraft in the months leading up to the Australian winter of 2021 may have to pay full price.
Since the 2020 coronavirus outbreak, when more individuals opted to spend their holidays at home due to travel restrictions, production has slowed while demand has surged, trapping the Jet Ski and personal watercraft business in a pincer movement.
A confidential report confirms that Yamaha has been forced to halt WaveRunner manufacturing at its factory in Georgia, USA, for three weeks in March 2021 while it waits for parts from outside suppliers, making the supply deficit even worse.
The Yamaha bulletin to dealers states in part, “Due to the recent winter storm in Texas, some of our material suppliers… have been forced to temporarily shut down for repairs to their facilities.
“This has impacted their capacity to provide the necessary materials for the construction of (Yamaha WaveRunner). The statement (an excerpt of which is seen below) states that there is no confirmed timeline for the restart of operations at these sites.
The letter states that as a result, Yamaha WaveRunner production was suspended for three weeks beginning on March 11, 2021.
Yamaha states that it “still plans to build more WaveRunners in 2021 than we did in 2020” once production is back to normal.
Most versions are presently sold out, according to Yamaha dealers in Australia, and the company’s next shipments aren’t expected until June 2021 or later.
Although certain retailers who placed large orders late last year have access to good stock levels, Sea-Doo dealers in Australia claim that some of their most popular models are sold out until August 2021 or beyond.
The majority of Australian Kawasaki dealers have a very little supply of Jet Skis and aren’t anticipating new supplies until the second half of 2021.
Anyone searching for a 2021 winter deal in Australia should be prepared to pay full price or wait until the model year changes at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022.
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How many horsepower is a Honda AquaTrax?
The Honda AquaTrax F-12X personal watercraft is built around a four-stroke turbocharged engine and has motorcycle design.
MIAMI
Honda’s AquaTrax F-12X four-stroke personal watercraft was tested by a number of maritime journalists in the fall of 2001, but the new model had its formal, widely-publicized premiere at the Miami International Boat Show from February 14–20. The three-rider Honda vehicle will compete against four-stroke three-up watercraft from Yamaha and Sea-Doo. It has unusual motorcycle style, especially in the podium or console in front of the seat.
Electronic fuel injection and a water-jacketed exhaust are features of the 165 horsepower, turbocharged, intercooled engine.
The 165-horsepower AquaTrax F-12X, like its rivals, offers reduced emissions and better fuel efficiency than two-stroke boats with comparable power. It also complies with emissions requirements set by the California Air Resources Board in 2004 and the Environmental Protection Agency in 2006.
The only intercooled, turbocharged watercraft on the market is the AquaTrax F-12X. The AquaTrax F-12 from Honda is a non-turbocharged (naturally aspirated), non-intercooled variant with 125 horsepower. Both variants are built around a 1,235cc in-line four-cylinder liquid-cooled engine with electronic fuel injection and a water-jacketed exhaust system.
Both models, which weigh 688 pounds (dry), measure 125.9 inches in length and 49 inches in width, and have off-throttle steering, selectable Limit Mode operation that limits speed, and a crankcase breather system that prevents oil from escaping the engine in the event that the watercraft capsizes as standard features. The vehicle has a 25.6 gallon storage capacity and a 16.6 gallon gasoline capacity.
What is the most dependable brand of jet skis?
The most dependable jet skis are Yamaha’s Waverunners, although there are some excellent runners up. The dependability of Kawasaki and the now extinct Honda jet skis is well known.
The issue with Kawasaki is that their engines can be challenging to work on and they aren’t quite as trustworthy as a Yamaha. Although Kawasaki is frequently defended as the most dependable jet ski, Yamaha typically outperforms it in the end. Most Kawasaki jet ski engines are built for racing, and as a result, they don’t last as long as a more moderate and fuel-efficient option.
Honda’s reputation for producing durable engines spans several industries. Although they don’t have perfect jet ski engines, they have been known to last for hundreds of riding hours without breaking down.
Sadly, Honda no longer produces jet skis. Parts can be difficult to get now that Honda has left the jet ski business, and the current models aren’t exactly getting updated. This does not deter individuals from preserving their outdated models and putting in the necessary effort to revive them. Many Honda supporters are content with their dependability and experience less issues than one might anticipate from a ten-year-old watercraft.
How long can a Honda AquaTrax run?
First and foremost, when it comes to engine hours, you want to know how long a jet ski engine lasts.
Generally speaking, the 2-stroke and 4-stroke jet ski engines have a lifespan of 200–300 and 300–500 hours, respectively. But keep in mind that these figures depend on a variety of variables, including usage and upkeep!
You can expect a longer lifespan if you carefully choose your jet ski, pay attention to running it correctly, and provide it with regular maintenance. The opposite is also true—you may quickly and simply ruin your engine!
So let’s get to the most crucial elements that can shorten a jet ski’s lifespan!
How quickly does a Honda AquaTrax go?
Average max speed for the Honda AquaTrax is 66 mph, or 106 km/h. Today, much of the PWC industry follows this norm, but back then, that was considered to be going above and beyond.
There are various ways to make a jet ski quicker if speed is truly an issue. It’s conceivable to boost the top speed of Honda jet skis because there are videos online showing them traveling at speeds of more than 70 mph. Even though it’s an older jet ski, it can still hang. What really matters is how much cash and effort you want to invest.
One of the AquaTrax’s key selling qualities is the turbocharged engine that it houses under the hood. The F15-X has extremely low turbo lag in comparison to some of the earlier variants. It takes relatively little time because the turbo usually engages around 2500 rpms. This gives the 1,400cc engine a feeling of producing far more power than its stated 200 horsepower capacity.
The Honda turbo engine’s excellent fuel efficiency is in addition to its remarkable acceleration. The turbo helps Honda, which is renowned for producing fuel-efficient engines, to uphold this reputation without compromising speed.
When the F15-X was first introduced, many rival vehicles had engines that produced 250 horsepower or more. However, the Honda AquaTrax actually had an advantage in the race thanks to the fuel-efficient turbo engine.