1993-1995 Bayliner Jazz 1400 Specs and Review [Video]

The 1993-1995 Jazz 1400 was the first 2-stroke Bayliner jet boat ever made. It was built on a tiny, 14-foot hull and utilized 90 and 120hp 2-stroke Mercury Sport Jet engines. Its closest relatives were the more advanced ’96-’99 Jazz 1500 and the closed-deck ’94-’95 Reflexx.

In this post, you will find out more about the vintage Bayliner Jazz 1400 and its factory specifications.

Bayliner Jazz 1400 Review

Around the millennium a lot of boat and PWC manufacturers offered mini jet boats, and the Bayliner was no exception.

After two years of thoughtful research and development, the company introduced the Jazz 1400 for the 1993 season.

It was designed as a very simple and affordable, entry-level model that is still considered one of the smallest factory mini jet boats ever made.

It was built on a surprisingly small hull, measuring 14 feet in length and 5 feet 8 inches in width. Placed on its factory “Escort” trailer, the overall length was increased to only 16 feet 4 inches and its overall width was 6 feet 10 inches.

On top of that, the weight of the Jazz 1400 was as little as 1000 pounds alone but its maximum trailering weight (GVWR) ended up being 1495 pounds.

Consequently, this boat was very easy to tow and store in an average garage.

Its V-shaped hull featured a shallow deadrise, which ensured high maneuverability but a poor performance on the chop.

The completely open top deck offered a deck space of 16.7 square feet. Its 17-inch deep cockpit was rated for three people who could sit next to each other on a fairly unpadded bench seat.

Its large flat bow area lacked any seating but had a large padded area with tie-down straps utilized for fishing rods, water skis, or kneeboards.

Besides these versatile straps, the Jazz offered plenty of storage space with a total capacity of 8.3 cubic feet.

As reported by the manufacturer, construction features of the Bayliner Jazz 1400 platform included:

·         Five-year structural hull warranty

·         Electrical system, color-coded

·         Foam floatation with fully foamed hull

·         Full fiberglass cockpit liner

·         Hand-laid fiberglass

·         Variable lift hull design

·         Meets or exceeds all appropriate U.S.C.G. safety standards

The blue/yellow Jazz 1400 got a white top deck along with some cosmetic upgrades in 1994, and a new 120hp engine option for the 1995 season.

In 1996, this model was phased out by its more advanced successor, the 16-footer Jazz 1500.

Engine

The only engine option for the early (’93-’94) Bayliner Jazz 1400 was a 1231cc, triple-cylinder in-line reed-valve Mercury SportJet 90 2-stroke marine jet engine that delivered 90hp at 5000 RPM. You could find the engine bay under a spacious sun pad located in the aft.

In a nutshell, the key features of this power mill were as follows:

·         Architecture: In-line, 3-cylinder

·         Displacement: 1231cc (75.1 cu.in.)

·         Bore x Stroke: 75.7 x 71.1 mm

·         Induction: 3 float-type side-draft carbs

·         Intake: reed valves

·         Compression ratio: 6.8:1

·         Lubrication: Pre-mix

·         Starter: Electric

This engine was paired with a single mixed-flow, single-stage Mercury SportJet pump, featuring a stainless-steel, 5-blade impeller, and a manual reverse system.

This propulsion system delivered 650 pounds of thrust in forward and 110 pounds of thrust in reverse.

In the 1995 season, the Jazz 1400 was available with two engines, the base 90hp and the optional 120hp Mercury SportJet. The latter was a 2-stroke, 1687cc, 4-cylinder, in-line marine engine with the following features:

·         Architecture: In-line, 4-cylinder

·         Displacement: 1678cc (102.9 cu.in.)

·         Bore x Stroke: 85.7 x 73.05 mm

·         Induction: 4 float-type side-draft carbs

·         Lubrication: Oil injection

·         Starter: Electric

This unit shared its propulsion system with its smaller triple sibling but featured a different gear ratio (1.1 vs. 1.14:1).

Features

The key features of the Jazz 1400 were as follows:

·         Blower for forced engine compartment ventilation

·         Bilge pump (1100 gph, with automatic float switch)

·         Cleat (bow)

·         Engine controls (forward and reverse) with a neutral safety switch

·         Eyes (3) stainless steel, bow and stern

·         Fuel fill (starboard)

·         Fuel tank, built-in 17 gallons

·         Grab handles

·         Gunwale, heavy-duty vinyl

·         Hatch, for access to engine, battery, and gear storage, opens with gas assist spring

·         Ignition safety switch with lanyard

·         Navigation lights

·         Seating, three across cockpit

·         Ski tie-down straps

·         Ski tow harness

·         Steering wheel, aluminum with padded grip

·         Sunlounge pads (forward) removable

·         Transom platform, integral, with retractable swim ladder

Storage compartments:

·         Storage compartment (bow) lockable

·         Gear storage net in engine compartment

·         Ski tie-down straps on the bow sunlounge pads

·         Under-floor storage

Trailer options:

·         Painted welded Escort trailer

·         Galvanized welded Escort trailer

Its simple but radical instrument cluster featured the most important gauges like a speedometer and fuel gauge, as well as some waterproof switches for the blower, bilge pump, and lights.

Just like the hull, these features were carried over to the ’94 and ’95 models without any significant changes.

Riding Experience

Thanks to its extremely lightweight platform and remarkable engine power, the Jazz 1400 offered a PWC-like riding experience.

Its shallow hull design made this boat very agile and maneuverable. In an experienced hand, it was capable of sharp turns and various tricks like spins, slides, and even the infamous “submarine.”

The latter was a spectacular stunt that could be performed when the operator reversed the pump thrust at speed, causing the boat to nosedive into the water. It was a great way to scare passengers and get the cockpit completely wet.

But contrary to common fears, this Bayliner couldn’t fully sink due to a large amount of floatation foams in the hull.

Also, its engine compartment and deck were completely sealed, the latter featuring two scuppers for effective deck drainage.

Under ideal conditions, you could expect the top speed of the Jazz 1400 to be in the ballpark of 37-40 mph with the 90hp engine option. In contrast, with the optional 120hp Merc it topped out in the mid-40s out of the box.

With some basic mods like an aftermarket impeller and a reflashed ECU, this variant could hit 50-52 mph with ease!

But even with a lot of aftermarket mods, it remained less powerful than its twin-engine competitors from Yamaha and the Canadian Sea-Doo.

Problems

It’s safe to say that the biggest drawback of the Jazz 1400 was its poor engine reliability.

Compared to rival Yamaha and Sea-Doo engines, Mercury SportJets proved to be much less durable and required a lof of maintenance.

Another problem with this boat was its poor rough water performance.

The shallow deadrise combined with its little freeboard made this boat uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous in rough water conditions. While it was amazing running on a glass surface, it offered a really “bouncy” experience even on a light chop.

The Jazz 1400 was also often criticized for being uncomfortable and a lack of convenience features, which were significantly improved on the Jazz 1500.

Bayliner Jazz 1400 Specs Charts

For your convenience, we’ve compiled the factory specs of ’93-’95 Bayliner Jazz 1400s under one roof:

Dimensions and Capacities

Overall Length	14’ 0” (4.27m)
Beam	5’ 8” (1.73m)
Bridge clearance	2’ 8” (.81m)
Overall Length on Escort Trailer	16’4” (4.98m)
Overall Width on Escort Trailer	6’10” (2.08m)
Approximate weight (w/90hp jet)	1000 lb. (454kg)
Maximum people on board	3/500 lb.
Maximum load capacity inc. gear	550 lb.

Engine Specs

Engine Opt.	Mercury Sport Jet 90 (std. ’93-’95)	Mercury Sport Jet 120 (opt. only in ’95)
Number of Engines	1	1
Type	2-stroke	2-stroke
Number of Cylinders	3	4
Displacement	1231 cm³ (69 cu. in.)	1687cc (102.9 cu.in.)
Bore and Stroke	85.7 × 71.1 mm (3.375 x 2.80 in.)	85.7 x 73.05 mm (3.375 x 2.876 in.)
Cylinder Material	Cast Iron	Cast Iron
Piston Material	Aluminum	Aluminum
Performance	90hp (67.1 kW)	120hp (89.5 Kw)
Supercharged	No	No
Lubrication System	Pre-mix (50:1)	Oil injection
Induction System	Float-type side-draft carbs	Float-type side-draft carbs
Number of Carburetors	3	4
Intake System	Reed valve	Reed valve
Ignition System	CD Breakerless Magneto	CD Breakerless Magneto
Staring System	12V Electric	12V Electric
Cooling System	Thermostatic and pressure-controlled	Thermostatic and pressure-controlled

Drive Unit

Propulsion System	Jet pump
Jet Pump Type	Axial flow, mixed stage
Transmission (90hp jet)	1.14:1 constant mesh w/reverse bucket
Transmission (120hp jet)	1:1 constant mesh w/reverse bucket
Impeller Type and Size	Stainless steel/5-blade/6.43 in.dia.
Nozzle	Ski type (low angle discharge)
Reverse	Twin-aperture flow diverter
Thrust Forward (90hp jet)	650 lb.
Thrust Reverse (90hp jet)	110 lb.

 

Fuel and Oil

Recommended Gasoline	Automotive-Lead-Free: 87 octane minimum
Recommended Oil	Quicksilver TC-W 3 or TC-W II outboard oil
Fuel tank capacity	17 US gal (64.4 L)
Oil Tank Capacity	– (Pre-mix)

These specifications are for informational purposes only. For further information, please refer to the operator’s manual.

Looking for a Bayliner Jazz 1400 For Sale?

Despite its advanced age, the Jazz 1400 is still popular among buyers looking for a used boat.

This is no surprise since the asking prices of these vintage mini jet boats are as low as $1,000-$5,000 depending on their condition and motor option. If you are considering buying one, you can find plenty of Bayliner 1400s for sale on Craigslist or classified boat sites like BoatTrader.com or Boats.com at roughly these prices.

(Interestingly, the original price of this boat with the 90hp engine was $8,459 back in ’93.)

You may also be able to find some valuable info about these boats along with some good deals on Bayliner Facebook groups and forums.

But if you are looking for something more reliable and fun, you should take a close look at 2-stroke Sea-Doos and Yamaha jet boats.

References

Bayliner.com