Sea-Doo Speedster 200 Specs and Review [Video]

The Canadian Bombardier manufactured the Sea-Doo Speedster 200 from 2005 through 2012. This 20-footer jet boat was available with either naturally-aspirated or supercharged twin-engine packages, delivering 310-510hp. Its sibling, the tiny 15-footer Speedster 150 was marketed with more reliable, single-engine packages.

In this review, we’ll take a closer look at the larger Speedster and its factory specifications.

Sea-Doo Speedster 200 Review

Specifically engineered for 4-stroke Rotax engines, the 20-footer Sea-Doo runabout was introduced in 2005 under the name of Speedster 200.

In terms of specifications, its V-shaped fiberglass hull measured 19.9 feet in length, and 8.5 feet in width, while its draft was only 1 foot.

If you folded the swing-away tongue, the overall length of the boat was 20.5 feet on its trailer.

According to operator’s manuals, the deadrise was 20° which grew to 21° for the 2009 model year.

Aside from this small upgrade, the rest of the specifications including the deck layout remained unchanged during the entire life cycle of the model.

It weighed 2,769 pounds alone and 2,831 pounds with the optional wakeboard tower. The gross weight of these setups on the trailer was 4,095 and 4,156 pounds, respectively.

The sporty but not-too-roomy top deck of the 200 could accommodate 7 passengers or 1,400 pounds.

Its bowrider-style layout was designed with a rear bench seat, two swivel bucket seats, and a smaller bow area with two cushioned seats.

The fuel capacity of the early models was 40 gallons, which was expanded to 44 gallons over the years.

Owners appreciated the spacious storage units including a rear storage, a ski/wakeboard locker, a bow anchor locker, a glovebox, and under-seat storage units.

The claimed overall storage capacity of the boat was no less than 46 cubic feet.

Engines

Over the years, Sea-Doo manufactured the Speedster 200 with many different twin-engine packages, including:

• ‘05-‘08: 310hp NA and 430hp SC
• ‘09: 430hp SC
• ‘10-‘12: 510hp SC

As a rule of thumb, each of these engine packages was based on the same 4-stroke, 3-cylinder, 1494cc, Rotax 4-TEC engine.

This power source was originally designed for jet skis, but it found its way into Sea-Doo’s jet boat division.

In the first years, she could be opted with either a naturally-aspirated (2x155hp) or a supercharged (2x215hp) engine package.

The overall performance of these power mills was 310 and 430hp, respectively.

For ’09, Sea-Doo dropped the non-supercharged variant, so from this year on the boat was only available with the 430hp engine package.

In 2010, the boat was upgraded with a much more aggressive twin-engine package. The overall performance of the two supercharged Rotax 4-TEC was a whopping 510hp.

Each of these engines was paired with an axial-flow single-stage jet pump housing a 159mm stainless steel impeller and a reverse bucket.

Features

Sea-Doo boats were known for their innovative features, and the Speedster 200 was no exception.

According to the operator’s manual, the standard features of the boat included a swim platform with a 2-step ladder, full-beam sun pad, tow hook, integrated cooler, ski pylon, audio system, wind deflectors, grab handles, beverage holders, navigation lights, mooring cleats, and eyelets.

Storage units included anchor storage, lockable floor storage, under-seat storage, console storage, and a lockable glovebox.,

Performance

As the name suggests, the Speedster 200 was designed with maximum performance in mind.

Even with the naturally aspirated engine package, the boat topped out in the mid-50s. In contrast, the claimed top speed of the supercharged 430 and 510hp variants were 59 and 66 mph, respectively.

The acceleration of the boat was also impressive, as it could go from 0 to 30 mph in 2.9 seconds with the 510hp engines.

Thanks to the separate shift levers and the responsive steering system, the boat was very easy to control either at low or high speeds.

The Speedster was not only very fast, but it was also capable of extremely sharp turns and spins offering a very rough, “jet ski-like” riding experience.

In return, it was much less comfortable than competitor models, especially on the chop.

Problems

Besides its discomfort, the Speedster suffered from various engine problems.

Unfortunately, their Rotax engines were prone to often breaking down. Especially the supercharged variants, which suffered from various issues due to their high performance and deflective ceramic supercharger clutch washers.

These washers proved to be weak and blew off in many engines, which typically resulted in major supercharger damage.

In many cases, the debris found its way into the oil pumps, which led to very costly repair bills.

From late 2008 on, Sea-Doo started to use metal supercharger washers in its PWCs, but the ceramic washers remained prevalent in their boat engines until the end of the decade.

Specs Charts

For your convenience, we’ve listed the main factory specs of the Sea-Doo Speedster 200 (2012 model, 510hp):

Dimensions and Capacities

Overall Length	19.9’
Beam	8’
Draft	1’
Height on trailer (no tower)	6.5’
Height w/tower down/up	7.1’ / 9.9’
Deadrise	21°
Dry weight (no tower)	2,769 lb
Dry weight (with tower)	2,831 lb
Gross weight on trailer (no tower)	4,095 lb
Gross weight on trailer (with tower)	4,156 lb
Load limit	7 passengers or 1,365 lb

Engine Specs

Number of Engines	2
Type	Rotax 1503 4-TEC 4-stroke, SOHC
Induction type	Supercharged and intercooled
Performance	2 x 255hp
Number of Cylinders	3
Displacement	1494 cm³ (91 cu. in.)
Engine oil	3.2 qt (U.S. liq.) oil change with filter
Fuel tank capacity	44 US gal.

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

Takeaways

Sea-Doo jet boats were known for their amazing performance, and the Speedster was no exception.

Even though it suffered from engine issues, it was one of the most exciting Sea-Doo jet boats with 4-stroke engines. (Let’s face it, the predecessor 2-stroke models were much more exciting – but even less reliable.)

Because of this, many of them are still being kept alive and can be purchased in very good condition.

If you do your research, you can find some Speedster 200s for sale on eBay, Craigslist, or dedicated classified boat sites.

You can expect their asking prices to be in the ballpark of $10,000 – $20,000 depending on the year and condition.

References:

Sea-Doo

Boatingmag.com