2015 Kawasaki Jet Ski Ultra 310X SE Review

What makes the 310X SE so special?

With rough-water mastery, somewhat-recent newfound agility, and power to spare, the Ultra 310s are thrilling rides. But as much as they’re all alike, Kawasaki has also found ways to make them subtly different. Emphasizing a luxury touch here, or a performance attribute there, designers have tailored each model to a specific audience, making you feel almost as if there is one craft just for you…and your own unique demands.

The Ultra 310X SE is the line’s Special Edition. Let’s look at what makes it so special…but first, what makes it an Ultra.

Core Values

Dressed in Burnt Orange paint, the Ultra 310X SE stands out from the rest of the 2015 Jet Ski lineup.

Perhaps the Ultra’s greatest shared trait is a brutally powerful engine. A 1,498cc inline four-cylinder derived from the Ninja superbike, it was tweaked last year to further improve reliability (check out the laundry list of improvements here), and those tweaks had the added benefit of pushing the engine’s rating to an industry-leading 310 horsepower. That engine utilizes a Roots-type, Eaton Twin Vortices supercharger and accompanying intercooler to deliver strong power the minute you grab the throttle, and doesn’t let off until you’re hitting highway speeds of 65-plus miles per hour. (For those that like specifics, plan on as high as 67 mph in good conditions with a light fuel load and experienced driver.) Comparing torque? The Ultra 310 puts out 201 pounds of it, more than enough to jump off the starting line, power over a wake, or pull your biggest relatives on their favorite water toy.

COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2015 Kawasaki Ultra 310LX

All that power would be for naught if it wasn’t housed within an equally impressive hull. The Ultra has a 22.5-degree deadrise, a deep enough vee to help it slice through the toughest chop with consistently stellar results. It’s also stable and predictable, all reasons why the boat has become a long-running favorite of offshore racers. Several years back, the addition of electronic trim control also gave the hull some surprisingly nimble reflexes in calmer waters. Head into a corner, drop that bow, and you can carve a water-roosting turn with the feel of a two-seater. Exit that corner, raise the bow, and the Ultra’s top-speed potential is quickly realized. Control is via a toggle on the left handlebar grip. The only catch is you’ll have to take your eyes off the water to spy the nozzle position on the console-mounted info display.

Kawasaki has dominated off-shore racing thanks to its ability to slice through choppy water like no other.

Similar Differences

So what truly makes the SE model different? It’s not the addition of cruise control or no-wake mode. It’s got both, activated by buttons on the right handlebar that allow you to lock in a speed for long-distance cruising or towing, or settle the engine in at about 5 mph for those lengthy no-wake zones, and then give your throttle finger a break from the tension. The same electronic throttle/computer brain combo that makes both possible also allows for a Fuel Economy Assistance mode as a means to tame the engine and conserve fuel. As an aside, I continue to note that Kawasaki’s Eco mode still feels somewhat powerful, rather than an ultra-tamed ride.

COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2015 Sea-Doo RXP-X 260

What makes the Special Edition special also has nothing to do with the basic specifications. This Ultra still features the dual-key system for theft prevention and speed governing, five-position tilt steering, massive storage (56 gallon) and fuel (20.6 gallon) capacities, top-notch information display, and a reboarding step. It also features a not-so-special conventional reverse. True, it works well, and the portside lever location allows for simultaneous use of the throttle. But at a time when both Sea-Doo and Yamaha have adopted far more sophisticated reverse systems, it suddenly seems old-school and more cumbersome around the dock or ramp.

A skilled rider in calm conditions with a light fuel load can expect to reach speeds up to 67 mph.

No, what truly makes the SE special are those subtle, but welcome nuances. Take a closer look at the seat; it’s slimmer in the midsection, designed to help a rider grip it with their legs and take some of the strain off the upper body in aggressive turns. Shorter riders – or those with shorter legs – will also find it more comfortable as it doesn’t force the legs so uncomfortably wide. There’s a bolster for back support for the driver, as well as additional ones to help passengers stay put. Look really close and you’ll see even the seat’s cover is subtly different. It’s a grippy, textured vinyl inspired by the brand’s motocross bikes, aimed at keeping your posterior in place while you crank around atop all that power.

COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2014 Yamaha FX SVHO

And yes, what also makes it special is a variation on the classic “bold new colors and graphics” – except in this case the difference truly exists. In a sea of bright green, the SE stands alone with what Kawi dubs a Candy Burnt Orange.

Is this the Ultra for you?

In The Details

Clearly the differences are subtle. As I alluded to at the start, that seat and those colors and graphics are meant more to tailor the craft to an individual’s most subtle of preferences, rather than separate the SE broadly from the pack. But as the saying goes, sometimes the genius is in the details.

And it’s those details, for the right person, that just may make the Jet Ski Ultra 310X SE a truly smart buy.