2009 vRide options

[WakeGirl]

The MSRP on the '09 vride is $44,900 with tandem trailer. Not bad.

$5000 more, 6" longer, 4" wider, & 500 lbs heavier. I think it will be a much nicer boat than the older Vride, but it seems like a step in the wrong direction. I would have guessed same size or smaller, lighter, less expensive, more economical.

Time will tell.

But much less than a '08 VLX which had an MSRP of $58,095 without a trailer. Should put a lot of price pressure on '06 thur '08 used VLXs.

I still want a ride version of the VTX!!

There's a wider gap in terms of features between the new Vride, so much so that I'm not sure that I agree with that at all. The original Vride didn't have much effect on the older VLX values, & with Malibu appearing to make an effort to further differentiate the models I think that educated buyers will see the difference in an older VLX vs. newer Vride.

[Bill_AirJunky]

Seems like the prop, engine & fin changes that Malibu implemented (in 2004?) made a huge change in the performance for the Vride vs the older VLX.

Are there any performance changes that differentiate the 09 Vride vs the 06 - 08 VLX?

Seems like there would be plenty of guys like me that are just not willing to take a bite off a $55k - $60k boat. $40k was huge & I don't see going over that any time soon.

I'd second the VTX in the Ride series. Maybe in 2010?

[WakeGirl]

Seems like the prop, engine & fin changes that Malibu implemented (in 2004?) made a huge change in the performance for the Vride vs the older VLX.

Are there any performance changes that differentiate the 09 Vride vs the 06 - 08 VLX?

Seems like there would be plenty of guys like me that are just not willing to take a bite off a $55k - $60k boat. $40k was huge & I don't see going over that any time soon.

I'd second the VTX in the Ride series. Maybe in 2010?

Just as a clarification, the Vride came out in '05, but the VLX got those improvements in '04. If I were looking for that hull, I'd be looking for an '04.

To answer your question, there are no performance improvements at all, & there are substantial downgrades on the Vride vs. an '08 VLX:

~ different top deck with the old windshield that has the braces in the corners (this goes back to '03 & earlier)

~ no bow ballast available at all, even as an option (I think this may be the biggest issue - this boat really, really needs weight up front & most older VLXs have this option)

~ center ballast is an option

~ vinyl is substantially different

~ no ballast monitoring gauges

[Bobby Light]

I would seriously buy a used vlx/lsv before I'd buy a new 09' V-ride. They are so stripped down it would be hard to ever be happy with it after being in a VLX/LSV.

Edited August 15, 2008 by 06vlx

[Bill_AirJunky]

Interesting. My buddy here on Liberty has an 02 VLX & it basically looks just like my 05 Vride, deck, windshield, etc. I believe it has a front ballast in it but I haven't really noticed a need for it in the Vride. I've read in here that it is needed. Maybe it's because I'm riding so much faster than a boarder does?

As for the ballast guages, I guess they would be nice if we were running them 1/2 full or something. But their either full or empty in our case. No in between.

His boat doesn't turn nearly as well either. We can run Around the Boat behind mine fairly easy. Again, not a trick the boarders do so it's not necessary for most. But being a foil rider, and coming from a Prostar, I wanted a boat that would turn & had good holeshot. Fully loaded the two boats drive totally different. He has smaller fins than mine. I'll have to take a second look at the prop to see what he's got.

I ride with some guys who own 23' LSVs from 07 & 05. While I notice some of the details that are different, their mostly things that I don't really need or could easily upgrade on my own, ie; more billet on the dash & glovebox, nicer steering wheel, the windshield, bow rails, etc.

[WakeGirl]

Interesting. My buddy here on Liberty has an 02 VLX & it basically looks just like my 05 Vride, deck, windshield, etc. I believe it has a front ballast in it but I haven't really noticed a need for it in the Vride. I've read in here that it is needed. Maybe it's because I'm riding so much faster than a boarder does?

Bow ballast is really needed in the '05 & newer VLX, much more so than the older hull. If you were to buy a newer Vride with no mid ballast (limiting the boat to the 2 rear tanks), I can't even imagine how bad the bowrise would be. You'd need a Hammerhead & OJ 468 just to get the thing on plane. An LCR with an Acme 537 in that boat....yikes.

His boat doesn't turn nearly as well either. We can run Around the Boat behind mine fairly easy. Again, not a trick the boarders do so it's not necessary for most. But being a foil rider, and coming from a Prostar, I wanted a boat that would turn & had good holeshot. Fully loaded the two boats drive totally different. He has smaller fins than mine. I'll have to take a second look at the prop to see what he's got.

That would be the Gorilla Fins. The VLX got those in '04 & it made a HUGE difference in how the Malibu vdrives handle.

I ride with some guys who own 23' LSVs from 07 & 05. While I notice some of the details that are different, their mostly things that I don't really need or could easily upgrade on my own, ie; more billet on the dash & glovebox, nicer steering wheel, the windshield, bow rails, etc.

Not hard to believe, since there isn't any real difference in performance between those boats. The big differences come in the dash, throttle by wire, shift by wire, Malibu Cruise, Cats, & other things (a lot of which wouldn't be cost effective for a person to add, even if it's possible). But the hulls are identical.

[CTSunsetter]

I would seriously buy a used vlx/lsv before I'd buy a new 09' V-ride. They are so stripped down it would be hard to ever be happy with it after being in a VLX/LSV.

Isn't the wake the most important part of a watersports boat?

Not hard to believe, since there isn't any real difference in performance between those boats. The big differences come in the dash, throttle by wire, shift by wire, Malibu Cruise, Cats, & other things (a lot of which wouldn't be cost effective for a person to add, even if it's possible). But the hulls are identical.

IMO, switches vs. the digital dash is plus. Nothing wrong with mechanical shift (and no recalls that I ever recall). You sure Malibu Cruise isn't included on the rides? If it isn't, all the better for Perfect Pass. Cats good for the environment but not a plus.

[johnsvt]

I was under the impression there would be a Vride, 21ride, and 23ride.

Vride - 44900 (still the original VLX)

21ride - 49900 (I guess the second gen VLX)

23ride - not really sure (old LSV)

I may be wrong but that is what I was told.

[WakeGirl]

I would seriously buy a used vlx/lsv before I'd buy a new 09' V-ride. They are so stripped down it would be hard to ever be happy with it after being in a VLX/LSV.

Isn't the wake the most important part of a watersports boat?

It is, but you're paying for more than that with all of these boats. If you believe otherwise, then you're fooling yourself. But to your point, I would argue that the fact that bow ballast won't be available on the Vride has a major impact on the quality of the wake.

Not hard to believe, since there isn't any real difference in performance between those boats. The big differences come in the dash, throttle by wire, shift by wire, Malibu Cruise, Cats, & other things (a lot of which wouldn't be cost effective for a person to add, even if it's possible). But the hulls are identical.

IMO, switches vs. the digital dash is plus. Nothing wrong with mechanical shift (and no recalls that I ever recall). You sure Malibu Cruise isn't included on the rides? If it isn't, all the better for Perfect Pass. Cats good for the environment but not a plus.

My comments that you're referencing were referring to Bill's comments about how his buddys' '05 & '07 23' LSVs were so similar in performance, & my comments really didn't have anything to do with the Rides. But FWIW, I think that Cruise is one thing that they did leave on the Ride series.

[Bill_AirJunky]

I was under the impression there would be a Vride, 21ride, and 23ride.

Vride - 44900 (still the original VLX)

21ride - 49900 (I guess the second gen VLX)

23ride - not really sure (old LSV)

I may be wrong but that is what I was told.

I believe the Vride & the 21ride is the same boat..... essentially a scaled down 2008 VLX.

And like you said, the 08 LSV will be the 09 23' Vride.

Should be interesting to see how they all turn out.

[travlnmannn]

Well everyone here is trying to figure out whats up with the '09 VRide. Just a few things about it. It does have Malibu Cruise control. Bow ballast is not available on it. But at 5am riding I could care less about a little bow rise. And I'm not being invited to any Pro Tour stops on the wakeboard circuit so I'll survive without that extra weight. It definitely doesn't have all the "Bling" the LSV or VLX has but I just traded my 1998 Sunsetter LX so you can imagine how jacked I am about moving up. I didn't see the need to spend an extra 15-20k on a boat possible smaller and with all the "Bling".