Many of you might have caught wind of the name Project Copperhead while reading your current March/April issue of Personal Watercraft Illustrated. Well, it's time to draw back the curtain and reveal what we've been cooking up for the last few months.
Copperhead is the codename given to our '07 Ultra 250X Kawasaki Jet Ski that has been our aftermarket test mule of sorts, being the recipient of nearly every imaginable bolt-on performance part we could get our greedy hands on. In fact, more savvy readers will recognize this as the very same Jet Ski that we installed the Riva Stage 1 kit on, the TBM telescoping steering system on, took from Dana Point, California to Oceanside and back several times, and participated in the Long Beach to Catalina and Back race in July of '07.
Named after the venomous North American pit viper known for its thick body, rich coloring, and for being an ambush predator, laying in wait until suitable prey arrives, our Copperhead Ultra 250X is designed to be an ideal endurance/offshore racecraft. Endurance racing is unlike closed course competition, where a boat requires the most horsepower possible to spring from turn to turn at the fastest speed possible.
Endurance racers build their boats with longevity and top speed in mind, chosing to retain most of the factory engine as is only to massage the plant slightly to eke out enough added horsepower to get the drop on their competitiors. Tuning the boat's trim, handling, and accelleration is second to maintaining the engine's durability. Being ten miles offshore with a smoked engine is a pretty daunting thought, afterall…
Outfitted with the best in aftermarket performance products, the Ultra's supercharged 1.5L plant has been freshly rebuilt. New pistons, rings, bearings, valves, retainers, and other consumables have been replaced, giving us a fresh powerplant to work with. Our powerhouse also features R&D's crankcase ventilation kit, pulleys, larger fuel injectors, Powershot fuel system tuner, and nearly every other item available from R&D.
Undoubtedly, many already know of the factory Ultra 250X's stellar performance and offshore/rough water prowess. The deep-V hull design provides the Kawasaki a stable ride even in rough water and allows for generous, moderate handling despite its size and weight. While closed-course racers are still taking in wins aboard the STX-15F, the larger Ultra will soon become the boat of choice for Kawasaki riders across the board.
With the help of Kawasaki, Circuit Jet Sports of Huntington Beach, California, R&D Performance, TBM, Slippery, Underground Products (UGP), Troy Lee Designs, the APBA, RIVA, and Blowsion, we have been able to piece together a long-term project vehicle that will hopefully become as synonymous with Personal Watercraft Illustrated as our committal to providing the best in race, travel, freestyle, towsports, evaluative and how-to articles.
What does the future hold for our project boat?
Well, as many already know, Personal Watercraft Illustrated's Editor, Kevin Shaw and Associate Editor, Justin Stannard, will be competing in this year's Mark Hahn Memorial 300. The 300-mile endurance race is the longest in the world – and coincidentally – a double first for the Kawasaki 250X. Not only was it the first race that the Jet Ski was cleared for (via APBA homologation rules), but it was the first win for the PWC! After the Mark Hahn, Copperhead will be shipped up to Oregon to be custom painted by John Dady at Blowsion.
Once back to Southern California, we'll begin prepping for another bout at the Long Beach to Catalina and Back race. Last year, in slightly warmed-over-from-stock trim, we were in 11th place until veering off-course thanks to faulty navigation equipment and overcast skies. This year, we plan on clinching that spot if not better. And, as a bonus to those who will be in attendance, the Copperhead Ultra 250X will be on display at the Personal Watercraft Illustrated booth at the 2008 Lake Havasu IJSBA World Finals.
Stay tuned for Copperhead updates online at www.watercraft.com and for future feature articles in issues to come!
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