The 2002 GTX received yet another complete overhaul, reportedly making it a more receptive platform for the four-stroke powerplant. Hull of a Change Although the GTX has been around since 1995, the model has received three complete hull redesigns and many tweaks over the years. The closed-loop system also keeps saltwater out of the engine and should lead to a longer life through less wear and tear. In one of those, 'Why didn't I think of that?' moments, it's easy to see the logic behind it but hard to figure out why no one had done it before. Bombardier introduced a closed-loop cooling system with a 'cool' twist - a ride plate that acts as the radiator. The GTX 4-TEC also breaks new ground with an innovative cooling system. With 4-TEC weighing in at 785 pounds, it needs all the power it can get it can muster. The engine for the Sea-Doo 4-TEC is a 1,500cc, three-cylinder, four-stroke multi-port fuel injected powerhouse that delivers a respectable 155 horsepower. The new-for-2002 4-TEC closed-loop four-stroke engine produces 155 horsepower. Here's the 'English' (for engineers speak a language all their own) version of what they told me. While the others took their first rides, I spent some time with the engineers responsible for the new powerplant. Lucie, Fla.-based Ralph Evinrude Engine Test facility recently acquired by Bombardier. Have the manufacturers solved the age-old power-to-weight dilemma? Has performance been compromised? Inside the Ride In late August, a select group of marine editors and writers got their hands on the GTX 4-TEC at the Port St. They also raise a few new questions that only a day on the water with them can answer. (A promised Honda four-stroke watercraft has yet to be released.) The Sea-Doo and Yamaha models have their own strengths and weakness, but overall they answer the critics' screams for cleaner, quieter and more environmentally responsible watercraft. Both Yamaha and Bombardier introduced (simultaneously, no doubt) long awaited four-stroke models. Amid the loud and somewhat childish claims of 'We're first,' something important happened in the personal watercraft industry this summer - the four-stroke PWC was born. Thanks to a new hull that's well-matched to its four-stroke motor, the Sea-Doo GTX 4-TEC is an exceptional multi-rider cruiser.

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