1997 Seadoo Challenger Specs
by Robin Cochran
Seadoo produced its first watercraft in 1968. Laurent Beaudoin, the founder of Seadoo, created the first Seadoo based on snowmobiles with the help of Clayton Jacobsen II, the inventor of the stand-up Kawasaki Jet-Ski. The 1997 Seadoo Challenger, while not a personal watercraft, was a new generation of single-rider jet boats by Seadoo.
Engine and Power
The 1997 Seadoo Challenger came with a water-cooled two-cylinder Bombardier-Rotax 787 engine putting out 110 horsepower. This engine featured a displacement of 47.68 cubic inches, a standard bore of 82 mm, a first oversize bore of 82.25 mm and a stroke of 74 mm. It had a corrected compression ratio of 5.9-to-1 and an uncorrected ratio of 12-to-1. The engine had a maximum torque of 67 foot-pounds at 6,250 rpm. The 1997 Seadoo Challenger 1800 came with two 110-horsepower Bombardier-Rotax 787 engines.
Dimensions
The 1997 Seadoo Challenger had an overall length of 14 feet 6 inches, an overall width of 85 inches and an overall height of 42 inches. The 1997 Challenger had a draft of 12 inches and dead rise of 20 degrees. The 1997 Seadoo Challenger had a dry weight of 1,232 lbs., compared with 1,980 lbs. for the Challenger 1800 model. The Challenger 1800 edition measured 17 feet 9 inches long, 92 inches wide and 53 inches high. It had a draft of 10.5 inches and a dead rise of 19.5 degrees.
Styling and Capacities
The hull of the 1997 Challenger and Challenger 1800 incorporated a composite material composed of wood and fiberglass. Standard equipment included grab handles, extinguisher holder, sun deck cushion, platform pad and weedless system. Optional equipment included a Bimini top, windshield, deck carpet and ladder. Other optional equipment included locks for the engine, ski, coolers, storage and ski rope locker. The Challenger could hold 27 gallons of fuel in the tank plus a 3.2-gallon reserve. The higher-powered Challenger 1800 had a 40-gallon capacity with a 4-gallon reserve.
Writer Bio
Robin Cochran has been writing since 1995. Her articles have appeared on national websites and in equine magazines such as "Horsing Around." Cochran has over 30 years of equine experience training hunters/jumpers and dressage horses. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in psychology and will attend law school for her Juris Doctor degree.
