How long before Malibu (not Axis) have a pickle fork bow?

[scottserena]

After researching like crazy my new boat purchase, it seems like MC & Tige really are pushing the "Pickle Fork" bow.

For me it was not the best option. Most of my crew like being in the main cabin under the bimini as the heat at Lake Havasu can be a killer. So we don't use the bow much at all.

A pickle fork bow really takes up a lot of room, and cuts down on the space in the main cabin. I did like the bow ladder on the MC, and it seemed like a nice entry point when the boat is beached.

Then I noticed Axis went "pickle fork" and wondered if Malibu would come out with a pickle fork model.

Your thoughts?

[Chia]

After researching like crazy my new boat purchase, it seems like MC & Tige really are pushing the "Pickle Fork" bow.

For me it was not the best option. Most of my crew like being in the main cabin under the bimini as the heat at Lake Havasu can be a killer. So we don't use the bow much at all.

A pickle fork bow really takes up a lot of room, and cuts down on the space in the main cabin. I did like the bow ladder on the MC, and it seemed like a nice entry point when the boat is beached.

Then I noticed Axis went "pickle fork" and wondered if Malibu would come out with a pickle fork model.

Your thoughts?

on beaching the bu?? I now everyone in havasu beaches their boats, including the go fast boats, but i hate to do it.

on getting in and out of the bu, never had a problem.

Getting a pickle fork to make beach access easier is just too big a price to pay for that small convenience (not a fan of the pickle fork design) but if malibu wants to exploit the part of the market that likes them, why not.

I would prefer to see such a design change made for reasons of on water performance rather than possibly lose some on water performance for cosmetic reasons.

[txwakejunkie]

It will have to look better then the Axis, I dont mind the Tige's. But i dont see malibu doing it at all.

[jesutton3]

Only on water performance advantage I've seen is it's harder to dip the bow with the pickle fork. This is from driving a friends X2 almost as much as my VLX. But then again that all comes back down to how you've weighted the boat.

[Blindside_137]

I doubt they ever do that, you'll only see them doing pickle forks with Axis..

Edited August 6, 2009 by Blindside_137

[bigD]

I believe Malibu will go a step beyond and come out with a very innovative Trident ® fork bow design and a new Logo

[BlastRlxi]

I just hope that if they do ever go to a picklefork design, it is only on the wakeboats and not on the dd skiboats. Even Mastercraft left the skiboats alone.

[BB LSV]

I believe Malibu will go a step beyond and come out with a very innovative Trident ® fork bow design and a new Logo

[Pistol Pete]

Are they still making axis?

Anyone ever see one on the water that someone actually owned and wasn't sponsored by Axis?

[boatswaiyn]

Are they still making axis?

Anyone ever see one on the water that someone actually owned and wasn't sponsored by Axis?

We were on the lake the other night and saw a Rockwell sponsored boat and could not figure out what type of boat is was. We just thought it was a MC after seeing the pickled fork bow. Come to find out it was an Axis. They have one on the showroom floor at the local dealer. The cost I saw was 49K, that doesn't seem to me like an entry level price. This is the add the dealer put in the local classifieds.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&a...id=&cat=147

[WAKE-RIDER-01]

The pickle fork bow definitely gives you more room in the front of the boat, but IMO takes away from the looks alot.

[mellen_mpz]

I'd settle for a bow that is 2" taller!

[wakeup]

After researching like crazy my new boat purchase, it seems like MC & Tige really are pushing the "Pickle Fork" bow.

For me it was not the best option. Most of my crew like being in the main cabin under the bimini as the heat at Lake Havasu can be a killer. So we don't use the bow much at all.

A pickle fork bow really takes up a lot of room, and cuts down on the space in the main cabin. I did like the bow ladder on the MC, and it seemed like a nice entry point when the boat is beached.

Then I noticed Axis went "pickle fork" and wondered if Malibu would come out with a pickle fork model.

Your thoughts?

I thought pickle fork bow increased the space of the front and was the same amount of space in the main cabin, but it's smaller in the main cabin due to the pickle fork??

Many of our tournaments are pulled by MC and I have to admit those wakes are killer coming from the pickle fork boats. I hated the look of the front for a very long time, but on MC it has really grown on me and I actually have begun to like it. But on other boats like Tige, MB Sports and even Axis it looks more pronounced in the front of which I do not like.

Will BU follow with one of their own? They did, called Axis. IMO, I think the Axis was a test bed for how a pickle fork would sell for BU, but unfortunately Axis has been the recipient of a huge down turned economy just as it was getting introduced. The pricing also got beat up by huge left over inventories of 08 Malibu boats. You could (we did) buy a brand new 08 VLX back in Dec for mid 40's. That pulled the rug out from under the Axis pricing model IMO.

[scottserena]

I don't think the pickle fork bow does anything for the wake.

Being that Malibu design is cab forward allowing for maximum main cabin space, a pickle fork would cut down on the main cabin space. Look at all the brands of boats with a pickle fork, i.e. MC. The X-45 is a bigger boat then the Malibu 23 LSV, but the main cabin on the Malibu is 72 square feet and the Mastercraft is 71 square feet.

I want maximum main cabin space, bow space is not important to me

[scottserena]

I don't think the pickle fork bow does anything for the wake.

Being that Malibu design is cab forward allowing for maximum main cabin space, a pickle fork would cut down on the main cabin space. Look at all the brands of boats with a pickle fork, i.e. MC. The X-45 is a bigger boat then the Malibu 23 LSV, but the main cabin on the Malibu is 72 square feet and the Mastercraft is 71 square feet.

I want maximum main cabin space, bow space is not important to me

A better comparison would be the Malibu 247 to the Mastercraft x-45, same size boat.

main cabin space in the x-45 is 71 square feet

main cabin space in the 247 is 83 square feet

12 extra square feet of main cabin space, same size boat.

[Baddog]

Are they still making axis?

Anyone ever see one on the water that someone actually owned and wasn't sponsored by Axis?

We were on the lake the other night and saw a Rockwell sponsored boat and could not figure out what type of boat is was. We just thought it was a MC after seeing the pickled fork bow. Come to find out it was an Axis. They have one on the showroom floor at the local dealer. The cost I saw was 49K, that doesn't seem to me like an entry level price. This is the add the dealer put in the local classifieds.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&a...id=&cat=147

When compared to $85K it is.

[liljohn]

Funny I talked to my dealer about it the other day. They sold the only one they bought. the owner brought it in the other day for service and this season alone he has 200 hrs. NO issues what so ever and loves the boat he said he couldn't be happier with his decision. now this gentleman runs in salt water so they had to add closed cooling etc. and the water does get rough at times but he said that it handled very well in all the conditions. He liked the pickle fork. Personally I don't think Malibu will go the fork route I feel like they already have its called AXIS..

Edited August 7, 2009 by liljohn

[Brad3607]

Funny I talked to my dealer about it the other day. They sold the only one they bought. the owner brought it in the other day for service and this season alone he has 200 hrs. NO issues what so ever and loves the boat he said he couldn't be happier with his decision. now this gentleman runs in salt water so they had to add closed cooling etc. and the water does get rough at times but he said that it handled very well in all the conditions. He liked the pickle fork. Personally I don't think Malibu will go the fork route I feel like they already have its called AXIS..

The only way to make the bow area bigger is to move the cabin space back. The bow area in my 25 LSV is huge but get very little use, as we are always in the cabin space. I will be looking for a new 247 in the next year or so and I hope that Malibu does not go with the pickle fork as imo they are ugly. I looked at the pictures of the Axis and I don't think its a very attractive boat either. I think Malibu would have been better off lowering some of the ammenities on their current models therefore lowering the cost of the boats. I could care less about the maliview on a boat and some of the other bling factor on them. I think the most important factor in buying a boat or from a manufacture stand point is a solid reliable boat.

[BaBaLoO]

problems that they have been having with the mc pickle forks is that it does dip the nose quite a bit more, weather they improved that or not i dont know but i do know that they specifically have dain holes in the rear floor of the cabin, I have 2 friends that have X stars that have been driving for years and they both say it is a pain. It does look great but no need for it. Malibu shouldnt go that route

[scottserena]

problems that they have been having with the mc pickle forks is that it does dip the nose quite a bit more, weather they improved that or not i dont know but i do know that they specifically have dain holes in the rear floor of the cabin, I have 2 friends that have X stars that have been driving for years and they both say it is a pain. It does look great but no need for it. Malibu shouldnt go that route

My Malibu also has drains holes in the rear of the cabin, they are just under the carpet.

[MN_LSV]

The front view pictures from the Axis add posted earlier in the thread remind me of an 1980's tri-hull front. IMO it looks cheesy.

[funkcity]

It looks cheesy but some folks like it. (Not me!)

There is also a bit of bow area room afforded by it.

However if you look at the California daycruisers of past years (Campbell, Spectra etc...) you'll see that the bow does not narrow to the point as quickly.

The overall shape is more rounded leaving a potential larger play area up front.

The newer variation of that theme is played out by Chaparral and it's copycats. SSi 236 model (not their smaller ones they too now have pickle-forks!! yikes!)

My point is that if you wanted to maximize forward functionality, the picklefork is not the only way.

Malibu never got ANYWHERE playing follow the leader!