Kawasaki Jet Ski SX-R (2017+) Simplified Maintenance Schedule
This is the maintenance schedule and service intervals for the Kawasaki Jet Ski SX-R, Kawasaki’s stand-up watercraft powered by a huge near 1500cc engine.
Kawasaki first announced the Jet Ski SX-R in 2016 for the 2017 model year.
The Kawasaki Jet Ski SX-R is powered by a 1,498cc inline DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine. driving a 3-blade impeller and high efficiency 148mm axial-flow single-stage jet pump.
Maintaining your Jet Ski SX-R is a blend of maintaining any other watercraft and a motorcycle.
You have to periodically
- Flush the cooling system, and the bilge line and filter
- Lubricate everything to prevent corrosion
- Check everything to make sure it’s not leaking, replacing any suspect parts
- Change the engine oil and filter
- Inspect the valves
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What to use to service your Kawasaki Jet Ski SX-R
If you’re doing a basic service on your Kawasaki Jet Ski SX-R, you will need the following items.
| Part | Kawasaki Jet Ski SX-R spec |
|---|---|
| Engine oil | Kawasaki Performance 4-Stroke Jet Ski watercraft oil, or another SAE 10W-40 oil with API SG or higher, JASO MA rated oil. |
| Oil filter | OEM part for the oil filter is 16097-0007. You can also use a Hiflofiltro HF204RC. |
| Spark plugs | NGK CR9EKB, plug gap 0.7-0.8mm |
| Battery | Dead battery? Swap it out with a Yuasa YTX20L-BS |
| Cable lubricant | Use Protect all cable life to maintain your throttle cable and keep it rust-free. |
Maintenance schedule for the Kawasaki Jet Ski SX-R
Below is the maintenance schedule for the Kawasaki Jet Ski SX-R.
It’s derived from the schedule in the manual, but simplified to be easier to read.
Maintaining your Jet Ski SX-R is mostly about
- Every use, flush the cooling system
- Inspect everything to make sure they’re not leaking or seizing
- Every 25 hours, do a series of basic checks to make sure it’s breathing, fueling, and starting correctly.
You only have to change the oil every 50 hours, and inspect the valves every 100 hours.
| Every X hours | 25 | 50 | 100 | Or every |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flush cooling system | X | After each use in salt water | ||
| Lube jet pump bearings and seals; inspect and replace bearings/seals if necessary (*) | X (*) | X | Year | |
| Flush bilge line and filter | X | |||
| Inspect all hoses, hose clamps, nuts, bolts, and fasteners | X | |||
| Replace fuel hoses | 5 years | |||
| Inspect throttle control system | X | |||
| Clean throttle bore | X | |||
| Lubricate throttle body cable fitting at throttle body | X | |||
| Lubricate throttle body control cable and throttle cable fitting at throttle case (Protect all cable life) | X | |||
| Lubricate steering cable ball joints and steering nozzle pivots | X | |||
| Lubricate handlebar pivot | X | |||
| Clean fuel pump screen | X | |||
| Inspect fuel vent check valve | X | |||
| Inspect/clean air box drain caps | X | |||
| Inspect/clean inside of air box | X | |||
| Inspect spark plugs. Replace if necessary (CR9EKB) | X | |||
| Inspect battery terminals and charging condition | X | |||
| Replace engine oil (Jet Ski watercraft oil) | X | Year | ||
| Inspect/tighten engine mount bolts | X | Year | ||
| Inspect hull drain screws (replace if necessary) | X | |||
| Replace engine oil filter (HF204RC) | X | |||
| Inspect/adjust valve clearances | X | |||
| Inspect impeller blades for damage | X | |||
| Inspect/replace coupling damper | X | |||
| Inspect throttle shaft spring (replace throttle body if necessary) | X | |||
| Inspect steering cable | X | |||
| Inspect drive shaft holder | X | |||
| Inspect evaporative emission control system | X |
Manual for the Kawasaki Jet Ski SX-R
The above maintenance schedule is derived from the one in the Jet Ski SX-R’s manual.
You can get the maintenance schedule from Kawasaki here.





