Basic Operation & Riding - Honda ARX1200T3 2004 Owner's Manual

This section gives basic riding instructions,
including how to start and stop your engine,
and how to use the throttle. It also provides
navigation rules and important information
on riding with passengers or cargo.
To protect your new engine and enjoy
optimum performance and service life, refer
to Break-in Guidelines (page 205).
Basic Operation & Riding
Safe Riding Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
PWC Propulsion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Navigation Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Starting & Stopping the Engine . . . . . . . . . 72
Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Starting Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Flooded Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
How to Stop the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Launching & Boarding Your PWC . . . . . . 78
Launching from a Ramp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Boarding from a Dock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Boarding in Shallow Water . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Boarding in Deep Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Boarding with Passengers . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Your First Ride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Turning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Off-Throttle Steering (OTS) . . . . . . . . . . 88
Reverse Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Stopping/Docking/Beaching . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Riding with Passengers or Cargo . . . . . . . . 93
Towing a Water Skier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Post-Ride Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Basic Operation & Riding
65