Honda Aquatrax Specs and Review

Up until just a little while ago, the Honda AquaTrax was one of the most popular (and bestselling) jet skis on the market. So much so, that until Honda decided to put an end to their catalog of watercraft – the Honda Aquatrax was deemed as being their premium WaveRunner Jet Skis, not to mention one of the best in the world. Impressive or what?

Unfortunately, Honda Aquatrax jet skis are no longer manufactured by Honda – but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t still available to buy. New and old fans of the Honda Aquatrax still find themselves wanting to purchase them from the secondhand market, which leads us to ask the question – is it even worth buying a Honda Aquatrax these days?

If you’re currently interested in purchasing a Honda Aquatrax, then we’re sure that you’ll be interested in learning more about this cult-favorite jet ski (see also ‘Jet Ski Prices (Complete Guide)‘). As we’re sure you’re already familiar with, the Honda Aquatrax is over a decade old, which means that it can be difficult to find an up-to-date review, but this is where we come in to lend you a helping hand.

In this review, we’re going to be taking a deep dive look into the Honda Aquatrax Jet Ski, so that you can make a more informed decision about whether or not it’s the right option for you. From important information regarding why it was discontinued, general specifications, all the way to the unique features that it offers – we’ve made sure to cover all bases. 

So, without further ado, whenever you’re ready – ready to discover whether or not the Honda Aquatrax is the jet ski for you? Let’s jump right in!

Why was the Honda Aquatrax Discontinued?

Regardless of whether you’ve been a fan of the Honda Aquatrax for years or you’ve only recently discovered them,  learning that they had been discontinued often can come as quite a surprise to all. We mean, besides being deemed as one of the world’s very best jet ski makers, Honda was enjoying extreme success with the Aquatrax, so what happened to stop the production of them?

Well, despite the fact that Honda accumulated a ton of loyal customers over the years that they spend producing and manufacturing different types of watercraft, it’s important to note that Honda was never a dominating company in the PWC industry – so it was in their best interest as a company to cut their losses.

Nevertheless, there’s simply no denying that the Honda Aquatrax is still one of the best jet skis in the world, and is a shining example of Honda’s craftsmanship. Below, we uncover it further.

Honda Aquatrax: Specifications

General specifications:

Seat specifications:

Engine specifications:

Honda Aquatrax: Review

Now that you’ve gotten a little bit of context as to why the Honda Aquatrax was discontinued by Honda, we’re now going to be talking you through a review of some of the main features of this coveted jet ski.

As we have already mentioned above, the Honda Aquatrax is a jet ski that is still very much in demand to this day, so if you’re considering buying one of your own, taking the time to read through the main features that it offers will help you to make a more informed decision about whether or not it’s right for you. Let’s take a look at them all below:

Deck and Hull Design

First things first, we’re going to be talking you through the deck and hull design of the Honda Aquatrax. Specifications-wise, the F15-X closely resembles the upgraded F12-X, and it is around half a foot longer than the F12-X. With all that being said, the Honda Aquatrax hull and deck often tend to split the opinion of its owners.

On one hand, the Honda Aquatrax is known for having a relatively powerful hull that is exceptionally good at being able to turn and maneuver- even through narrow spaces, and while it might not be known for offering extremely high speeds, it is known for its intuitive and enjoyable ride that makes this jet ski an ideal choice for all ability levels. 

In addition to offering an enjoyable and responsive ride that won’t feel out of control, it is also worth mentioning that the surrounding edges of the Honda Aquatrax’s hull and deck areas is a rub rail that is significantly thicker than older models – and this was an intentional move by Honda at the time to raise overall durability and safety levels, especially if caught in difficult water conditions.

Despite this fantastic feature, the Honda Aquatrax seems to lack cleats, which means that if you do decide to go ahead and purchase one from the secondhand market, you might have to install some of your own… unless you want your jet ski to float away when it’s not in use, that is. 

To follow, it should also be noted that one of the biggest disadvantages of the Honda Aquatrax’s hull is that it is not known for being particularly well suited for rough waters. Due to this, if you took this jet ski out on a choppy body of water, you’d likely find yourself having quite a tough time trying to safely navigate through it.

So, in other words, this jet ski is certainly not built for big waves. As for the deck? One of the main drawbacks of the deck design is that there isn’t a whole lot of space on the rear. However, while this might be the case, the Honda Aquatrax does offer an incredibly impressive three-person capacity – which is extremely impressive given how old this model is.

At the time that the Honda Aquatrax was still in production, most jet skis only offered a one to two-person capacity. 

Engine Ability and Speed

Interested in learning how fast you’ll be able to go on the Honda Aquatrax? If you love an adrenaline rush, then the Honda Aquatrax might just be the jet ski that you’re looking for.

On average, you can expect the Honda Aquatrax to reach a top speed of around 66mph – which is around the average speed of most modern jet skis that are currently on the market today.

However, thanks to the turbocharged engine that the Honda Aquatrax is equipped with, it means that you will be able to enjoy a turbo boost that tends to kick in at around 2500 RPM, which means that you’ll be able to make use of an impressively powerful acceleration ability that will make it feel like you’re gliding out on the water. In addition to that, you will also have the option to make additional improvements to the engine and speed ability – although this will come at an additional cost, which is something that you will need to keep in mind. 

Dashboard Area and Handlebars

Moving on, if you’ve already begun doing a little bit of research on the Honda Aquatrax jet ski, then you’ve likely already come across some mixed opinions about the handlebar and dashboard area that it was created with.

At the time that it was in production (which was well over a decade ago)  the handlebars and dash area set a new industry standard for its innovativeness and user-friendly functionality. However, fast forward to the modern-day, and dash and handlebars are now extremely outdated. Let’s uncover this more below:

When the Aquatrax burst onto the watercraft scene in 2002, it was one of the first jet skis ever to be built with a digital dashboard, which helped to set an industry standard alongside the other jet skis that were being introduced at the time with the same technology, such as the Kawasaki Ultra 150.

With that being said, the Aquatrax was one of the first watercraft in the world to be created with a digital dashboard, including all of the functionality that you would expect from a jet ski.

The Honda Aquatrax features a clock,  a speedometer, a fuel gauge, overall distance, as well as how much time you have left until the gauge becomes empty and there will be no more fuel left to power the jet ski.

Despite the fact that these features are all basic components that you would expect to see on any digital dashboard, at the time of the Honda Aquatrax’s release – this was seen to be pretty modern and advanced.

This contrasts greatly with modern-day, latest-generation jet skis that tend to come with far more high-tech dash features, including LCD color touchscreens, GPS chart plotters, integrated apps, and more. 

As for the handlebars? Despite serving its basic function of ensuring that you are able to safely navigate the jet ski while remaining your balance, the Honda Aquatrax fails to offer adjustable handlebars that are so commonly seen in modern-day jet skis – which can be of the biggest problems that many people face when riding a Honda Aquatrax.

Unlike latest-generation jet skis that come with handlebars that can be adjusted, the Honda Aquatrax jet ski comes with handlebars that are in a fixed position, which means that you might encounter quite a bit of restriction, especially if you’re a jet skier that likes to stand up quite a lot. 

Fuel and Storage

Another important consideration to make when deciding whether or not to purchase the Honda Aquatrax is its fuel and storage capacity.

For the most part, the storage capacity upon the Aquatrax is what you would expect from any basic jet ski, and contains enough room to be able to accommodate everything the standard rider would need to bring.

For convenience, the Honda Aquatrax features one compartment situated directly underneath the bow, which is 21.4 gallons in size and is ideal for storing larger essentials and onboard safety necessities.

Alongside this large compartment which is situated underneath the bow, the Honda Aquatrax also comes with a glove box compartment that is perfect for storing water and personal items, as well as a tray located directly underneath the seat that offers a 1-gallon storage limit.

All of this storage combined is pretty impressive and should be more than enough to store all of your necessities with room leftover. However, if you would like more storage space than this, then you might need to consider upgrading to a different type of watercraft – as there aren’t too many jet skis on the market that offer any more storage space than this, not even latest-generation models. 

Moving on to the fuel capacity, it’s worth noting that the Honda Aquatrax offers some of the most impressive fuel capacity that we’ve ever seen!

Besides offering an impressively large fuel capacity that works out to an equivalent of 16.6 gallons, it’s also extremely economical by today’s standards. After filling up the tank to full capacity, you can expect your Honda Aquatrax jet ski to last you at least an entire day before needing to refuel, and even longer than that if you only plan on using your jet ski on actions.

The main reason for this comes down to its super-powerful turbo engine, as well as its weight which works out to just over 955 pounds.

General Advantages and Drawbacks:

As you will have seen from reading our review above, there are a variety of benefits to the Honda Aquatrax jet ski, although that doesn’t mean that it is without its faults. To help you make a better buying decision about whether or not the Honda Aquatrax is the jet ski for you, check out the pros and cons below:

Pros

• Ideal for families
• Very economical (fuel)
• Big fuel tank capacity
• Reliable and durable
• Affordable pricing
• Huge storage capacity

Cons

• Doesn’t feature any cleats, which means that you’ll need to improvise while tying it up, or pay to get additional cleats installed
• Relatively outdated by today’s standards
• As it is no longer in production, replacement parts might be hard to come by and extremely expensive
• Each model currently on the secondhand market is at least 10 years old or more

Final Thoughts

So, is the Honda Aquatrax worth buying? If you’re currently on the fence about whether or not to purchase one of your own, we don’t blame you for feeling reluctant to purchase it.

As we have already talked about above, the Honda Aquatrax is no longer in production, which means that besides being costly to repair and even harder to come by replacement parts – you’ll be buying a jet ski that is at least 10 years old. For these reasons alone, many people often question whether or not purchasing a Honda Aquatrax of their own is worth it. 

Nevertheless, while this might certainly be the case, there’s simply no denying that the Honda Aquatrax is an extremely reliable model that comes with a variety of features and amenities that rival even some of the latest-generation of jet skis currently on the market.

From its incredibly huge storage capacity to the fact that it’s extremely economical on fuel, the Honda Aquatrax is, in our opinion – nothing short of impressive, reliable, and worth the money.

Sure, even though the Honda Aquatrax isn’t going to come with all of the convenient and high-tech features that are seen in some of the more premium models on the market, the Honda Aquatrax is reliable and durable. 

Thanks to that, it means that the Honda Aquatrax is a solid option for those that are in the market for a second-hand jet ski that’s going to be suitable for family days out and solo trips on the water alike – and did we mention that they are also excellent value for money? If you’re in the market for a second-hand jet ski and you don’t mind dealing with the potentially high costs of repairs and replacement parts – then we say go for it.