Kawasaki's 1100 STX has been a pure workhorse. It is a stronger choice for towing water-skiers and wakeboarders, and actually had a flip-down step on the stern for reboarding in deep water. It was, in more than one rider's opinion, the most versatile PWC on the market.
The 1100 STX D.I. has a Ficht direct injection system, which Kawasaki licensed from Outboard Marine Corp. (Ficht is the system in all OMC's direct-injection outboards.) According to Kawasaki literature, the system reduces emissions more than 70 percent and dramatically improves fuel- and oil-use efficiency — more than one-third as compared to the same engine (1,071 cc three-cylinder two-stroke) with carburetion rather than fuel injection.
On the performance end of things, the result is light-touch throttle response, smooth acceleration and easy speed control, which is a great benefit for towing boarders and skiers.
The second set of performance improvements comes straight from the hull. For 2000, Kawasaki redesigned the PWC's bottom with longer strakes for better lift and tracking, and a rounded keel for a softer ride.
Top speed for the 130-horsepower watercraft, according to Stewart Thomas of Kawasaki, is 57.2 mph as recorded on radar.
Aesthetic improvements come largely from the watercraft's deck, which also was completely redesigned for 2000. The obvious change is deeper "royal" red for the deck and hull. Less obvious to casual observers are changes in the hood and foredeck. In years past, their slope was constant to the rubrail. The hood (silver for 2000) of the 1100 STX D.I. stops at a semi-flat section in the foredeck, which then transitions to a shallow molded well. The result is a more curvaceous, almost Euro-style look that carries back into the footwells and all the way aft to the boarding platform.
In terms of instrumentation, Kawasaki has gone high-tech with a liquid-crystal display that shows well in direct sunlight. While the instrument package monitors a number of engine functions, it reads out speed and rpm simultaneously, which makes it easy to compare the two while underway. Another nifty feature at the watercraft's helm is its magnetic keyed ignition switch hidden in the glove box. The switch might help stop thieves or even children with big plans but no permission from riding off with your watercraft.
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