1994-1995 Bayliner Reflexx Specs and Review [Video]

The 1994-1995 Reflexx was a lesser-known member of the 2-stroke Bayliner jet boat family. This model featured a closed deck architecture and a 90hp Mercury SportJet engine. Its more popular, bowrider-style brothers were the Jazz 1400 and the top-of-the-line Jazz 1500.

In this post, we’ll take a close look at this very rare 2-stroke Bayliner runabout and its key specifications.

Review

Bayliner introduced its first mini jet boat, the open-deck Jazz 1400 for the 1993 season. In the following year, this line was expanded with a family member, the Reflexx.

These boats had a lot in common, but the model had a closed bow design and a stylish windshield. In terms of dimensions, she measured 14 feet in length while her beam was slightly less than 6 feet.

The claimed dry weight of the boat was 1180 pounds, so you could expect its weight on a trailer to be 1600-1700 pounds.

Its bow area was completely closed, which ensured limited space and a less practical layout.

In return, it had greater capacities than its open-deck sibling, which could only carry 3 people (or 500 lbs.) and 17 gallons of fuel.

Thanks to its different design, the Reflexx was rated for 4 persons or 600 pounds, while its total weight capacity was 700 pounds. It also housed a slightly larger, 18-gallon fuel tank.

Its cockpit featured two chairs, one for the captain and one for a side passenger. The crew could also sit on a well-padded bench seat in the aft section.

Located in the middle, an oval-shaped dashboard featured analog gauges and switches.

Engine

Unlike the Jazz 1400, which was marketed with the base 90hp and the optional 120hp inline-4 engine options, the Reflexx was only available with the 90hp power source.

Labeled as Mercury SportJet, it was a 2-stroke, 1231cc, triple-cylinder 2-stroke marine jet engine rated at 90hp at 5000 RPM.

This simple engine configuration not only proved to be underpowered in this hull but also lacked advanced technologies like oil or fuel injection systems.

Engine power was delivered to a single mixed-flow, single-stage pump.

This Mercury SportJet propulsion system housed a manual reverse system and a stainless-steel, 5-blade impeller.

Riding Experience

Let’s face it, the Reflexx was the slowest Bayliner in the 2-stroke jet boat line.

Powered by a modest single-90hp engine, the top speed of this boat was only 33-35 mph with one person onboard. With 1-2 passengers its maximum speed decreased to 30 mph.

Due to a defective weight distribution, the third passenger had to stand up in the cockpit and lean over the windshield at every start to help the boat get on plane.

Once the boat was in motion, its shallow-V hull design offered great maneuverability and a fun riding experience.

It was also capable of quick turns or even 180-360-degree spins as you can see in this video:

Problems

Unfortunately, this 2-stroke Bayliner jet suffered from many problems and design flaws, which were as follows:

Engine malfunctions

It’s safe to say that the biggest problem of this vintage Bayliner was its low engine reliability.

But even if it was working, its 90hp jet engine proved to be inadequate in this boat, especially with passengers onboard.

Outdated deck design

Its traditional, closed-bow deck design offered very limited free space and storage capacity.

Its seats were fairly uncomfortable while the lack of bow seats contributed to its poor weight distribution.

Also, if you sat lower in the helm seat, the frame of the windshield obstructed your view.

Lack of a swim platform

Due to its design, this boat lacked a stern platform and ladder, which made reboarding from deep water near to impossible.

Poor rough water performance

Last but not least, the Reflexx was infamous for its poor performance on the chop.

Its lightweight hull with a relatively shallow deadrise couldn’t cut through the waves, which resulted in a bumpy riding experience.

On top of that, its freeboard was also very low, which made offshore rides fairly risky.

Specs Charts

For your convenience, we’ve compiled the factory specs of the ’94-’95 Bayliner Reflexx under one roof:

Dimensions and Capacities

Overall Length	14’ 1” (m)
Beam	5’ 11” (m)
Approximate weight (w/90hp jet)	1180 lb. (    kg)
Maximum people on board	4 / 600 lb.
Maximum load capacity inc. gear	700 lb.

Engine Specs

Number of Engines	1
Type	2-stroke
Number of Cylinders	3
Displacement	1231 cm³ (69 cu. in.)
Performance	90hp (67.1 kW)
Number of Carburetors	3
Fuel tank capacity	18 US gal
Recommended Oil	Quicksilver TC-W 3 or TC-W II outboard oil

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

Takeaways – Looking for a Bayliner Reflexx for Sale?

Since it never became widely popular, the Bayliner Reflexx appears quite rarely on the used market.

But if you happen to find one, it is still not recommended to buy, even if it has an attractive asking price. (These boats are typically sold for $1,000-$5,000 with a trailer depending on their condition and accessories.)

As we’ve discussed, these boats suffer from a lot of design flaws, from poor engine reliability to an impractical deck layout.

If you want to own a 2-stroke jet boat by any means, you should invest in a Yamaha or Sea-Doo jet boat instead.

These vintage boats enjoy more advanced, open-deck configurations and have much more reliable engines. Sure, they are usually offered at significantly higher prices.

References:

Bayliner.com

Floydmorr.blogspot.com