The Kawasaki 650 stand up is one of the most common stand ups on the market. Oftentimes one of the first skis riders will pick up — and oftentimes they’re quick to replace them with something else. While the motor is fast and reliable, the 650 Kawasaki is notorious for having awkward and uncomfortable handling. But that’s where we come in.
The shred specialists at Pro Watercraft break down our recommended setups for the Kawasaki 650 stand up watercraft.
CASUAL
If you’re a casual cruiser, you are just out there for fun. Maybe some lengthy river rides, or just showing your buddies you’re faster than them. Our recommended set up for the casual 650 rider revolves around stability, and rear grip. Giving you more comfort, and less exhaustion.
36 INCH FRONT SPONSONS WITH LIP
Our 36 inch front sponsons with the lip are a great addition to the Kawasaki 650 stand up. These sponsons will instantly increase the overall stability of your stand up. The integrated lip acts as a stabilizer. If you ever lean past the “point of no return” water underneath the lip will help move the ski upright, and keep you from leaning over too far to where you can’t recover. The curvature of the sponson will also make for an easier time engaging turns, allowing you to have smoother, faster corners.
Our ride plate for the Kawasaki 650 helps with two primary functions. If you struggle with the ski spinning out in turns, the curvature of this ride plate allows more surface area for the water to travel across — effectively pushing the ski down in the back to alleviate spin outs and slips. Secondly, it’s length helps with nose pressure on the front of the ski, helping to alleviate unwanted nose bounce.
The hull extensions for the 650 are hands down our favorite upgrade. It vastly improves the overall handling of the ski, but most specifically – it helps tone down the uncomfortable nose bounce these skis are notorious for. Hull extensions effectively lengthen the hull, alleviating unwanted nose bounce and while also adding extra rear grip to prevent spinning out.
If you are looking for a little extra speed for your 650 without having to modify the motor, our pump stuffer is a cost-effective option. Much like sticking your thumb over the garden hose, our pump stuffer maximizes the efficiency of water flow from your pump tunnel to your pump. This helps with hook up/drive, as well as giving you a boost of top speed anywhere from 1-2mph.
RACERS/SHREDDERS
For riders looking to get the upmost handling performance out of their 650, riders who are fast but know they can be faster, or are looking into racing — here’s what we recommend for you.
36 INCH FRONT SPONSONS WITH LIP
For 650 shredders who are looking for a little additional rear grip, we recommend a set of our mid sponsons. These will help with rear grip, as well as straight line stability, while giving you a more pivot-style turn.
