Kawasaki’s entry into this arena is the $7,899 STX.

Story by Jeff Hemmel, Photography by Kawasaki, Jun. 26, 2009

Packing Heat

As the name indicates, the STX shares the STX family hull, a design that was the precursor to the Ultra series. It was fine-tuned on the racecourse by Kawasaki pilots for years, and remains an agile, nimble design that is stable enough for beginners to appreciate, and yet still fun to ride for those of advanced skills. Above, that hull is mated to a top deck that facilitates seated or standing riding with relative ease. The overall seating position is slightly lower in feel than the norm, but it gives the pilot an intimate connection with the water.

The STX has a familiar and capable hull.

Perhaps the boat’s greatest strength is the engine below the seat. It’s Kawasaki’s familiar 1,498cc, dual-overhead cam four-cylinder, a 160hp package that’s notably more potent than most entry-level offerings, and one that keeps this craft from becoming boring as driver skill levels improve. It’s snappy off the bottom, and has the necessary torque to handle towing duties. Top speeds run in the neighborhood of 60-62mph. Those comparison-shopping will agree that the Kawi’s performance is a notch up the scale. That may be intimidating for some, but again, allows for some future growth.

The 160hp engine offers a lot of performance for this class.

The STX features Kawasaki’s trademark standards. Off-throttle steering assistance is offered through an increase in thrust at the pump should you release the throttle and turn the bars hard over. A separate, magnetic ignition key is also pre-programmed to produce lower top speeds, a nice alternative when turning the boat over to newcomers or the kids. Splash-deflecting ridges molded into the hull knock down spray and produce a mostly dry ride.

Budget Cuts

So what’s missing? Obviously some concessions are in order at this price point, and the biggest is the lack of reverse. Yes, old-school models never even had the option, but today’s enthusiasts have come to appreciate the ability to maneuver in tight quarters or around the dock. So I consider that a sticky point that prospective customers will have to weigh carefully. The STX also foregoes a boarding ladder, meaning passengers will need to be fairly agile to scamper back aboard should they disembark, intentionally or unintentionally, while out on the water. Yet another omission is the lack of rearview mirrors. You may miss them, but to be honest, most enthusiasts probably rarely use them. One area Kawasaki wisely chose not to cut corners was in terms of instrumentation. The STX retains a full display, including speedometer.

Another $500 will get you reverse, boarding ladder, rearview mirrors, split seat, and small storage nook.

The toughest decision may be whether to fork over $500 more for the STX-15F. It’s got most all of the above, including a slightly more appealing paint scheme than the STX’s bare-bones white hull and simple graphics package and a small under-seat storage nook under the split seat. On the STX, that seat is one-piece to trim cost, so you lose a tiny amount of storage.

If you can spare the money, I’d probably go with the 15F. Reverse alone makes it worth the price in my opinion. But if you don’t require the added handling ability — and you’d rather have the money for about 200 gallons of gas this summer — the STX makes a strong case for itself.

Inexpensive? Yes. But cheap? Not a chance.