For those of you Malibu guys who hate the pickle fork ...

[Jab31169]

I threw up in my mouth a lil bit. Put me in the ugly category

[JDubya]

A FakeSetter??

So let me get this straight. I can get the same boat for $20K cheaper if it says AXIS on the side as opposed to MALIBU. C'mon man that is a re-badged A22 with a G3 tower

Seems like the whole idea behind AXIS is slowly being absorbed into the Malibu lineup. My gut feel is that the "AXIS project" as they call it was simply a proving ground for Malibu to test some radical new designs and introduce a more radical features to prevent them from disheartening the Malibu faithful. My opinion is that as time goes on Malibu will absorb the AXIS family, along with their claim of an "affordable boat" and disappear.

Selling an AXIS boat at $40K+ as an alternative to a $50K+ MALIBU is not really opening up a new market segment IMO. Bring in a new model that starts at $35K and you have broke the mold.

For me as I get older and start to mature somewhat I find more often than not, function out-ways looks. It is not the best looking pickle fork design, but the plus out weight the bad IMO, so I give the picklefork Malibu design .

***edited for poor grammer***

Edited May 31, 2011 by JDubya

[Pistol Pete]

Mailbu ISPEC does not show a pickle fork Wakesetter and the Axis ISPEC does not show a hull with that cut design on the side.

Malibu's website has been known to lack.

Edited May 31, 2011 by Pistol Pete

[martinarcher]

Not a fan at all.

[justhrowit]

From what I understand this boat is called the MTX, it's 22ft, and not a VLX replacment. The VLX will still be around

I sure hope this is true. Not a fan of the fork!

[Chattwake]

You guys crack me up. I think the new boat is great looking. Although, I also think that the A22 is a great looking boat. You know what, I also think the VLX and LSV are attractive boats.

I understand people having a preference for a traditional bow, but to bash another malibu product and the Axis lineup, and I mean bash, is comical. Who cares if Malibu offers a pickle fork boat that looks somewhat like an Axis? An Axis looks somewhat like an Xstar too. All picklefork boats look somewhat alike due to the bow construction. The A22 and the Xstar handle completely different, produce a completely different wake, etc. To assume that the new BU is the same boat as an A22, will produce the same wake, and will fight for the same customer, just because it has a picklefork, is rediculous.

The fact is, the market wants picklefork boats because they offer more room up front. That's pretty dang simple. The A22 and this new boat are not realistically going to compete with each other for customers. The interior/tower styling is way different, the wakes will be different, the prices are going to be drastically different. If anything, the new boat may have the effect of reducing the demand for the VLX. Unless someone is a die hard closed bow enthusiest, if prices and wakes are at all similar, why would anyone buy a vlx when they could have a boat that's one half foot longer and with a ton of more bow room?

Edited May 31, 2011 by Chattwake

[MARiley]

absolutely vile.

[obski]

Not bashing, just not my cup of tea as it were.

[Baddog]

MalAxisBu

I can't even say that three times fast, nor would I want one.

[Baddog]

I threw up in my mouth a lil bit. Put me in the ugly category

What movie is that from? My wife and I were talking about that statement yesterday and we could not remember from where it came?

Edited May 31, 2011 by Baddog

[Bill_AirJunky]

What movie is that from? My wife and I were talking about that statement yesterday and we could not remember from where it came?

Dodgeball

Edited May 31, 2011 by Bill_AirJunky

[zad0030]

Definitely not a A22. There are a lot of differences if you look at the two side by side. Platform, transom, windshield, tower, just the overall lines of the boat. Also it has the cut out where it says Wake Setter!

[Bobby Light]

Nobody said it WAS the A22 just that it looked alot like it, and it does.

[TrickyNicky]

I must say I don't like the look at all. I love the idea of more room and even more ballast or less tendency to chilli dip. I even think the pickle fork looks good on an x-star or on an axis. I just always felt those boats were more "cut-up" in there design and thats why it worked. I've always felt the malibu wakesetters were a bit "smoother" the design seemed to flow a bit more and thats specifically why I don't like the look of it. The rest of the boat flows and than you have these jagged angles at the front. So not against the pickle fork although I still prefer the standard bow myself but I definitely think they need to soften the lines of the pickle fork on this "mtx".

And for what its worth I wouldn't be surprised if that is the exact same hull as an A-22 which in my mind will catch a lot of suckers spending way too much on a boat when they could of bought an axis. Just my $0.02. Love it or Hate it.

[Ronnie]

It never ceases to amaze me when a new style comes around all the hating we hear. Anybody remember when we used to have closed bow boats and went to open bow? How about the first Illusion tower? That caused an uproar on the forums. How about the G3 tower? Same thing. Most of them work. There are cases like the Corvette that don't and they quietly go away. Malibu has it's core customers and not too much trouble keeping the majority of them when they upgrade to another boat. So they bring in the Axis for another segment of customers. Guess what? It's working. So they want to try it again with a pickle fork bow. Don't you think there are customers out there that love the Malibu but actually might want a pickle fork so they go somewhere else. Now they can come back to Malibu. So what if they only build one every other day or even one every day. That's more sales and most importantly more production which keeps Malibu afloat. I'm all for anything that makes Malibu a stronger company so they can stay in business. I want my next boat to be a NEW Malibu when I get ready for it.

Like it or hate it. It might not have been designed for your segment.

[Steve B.]

I dont like being a hata, but that boat doesn't work for me..at all.

I went to the Axis website trying to find out a little more about the company but there's not a whole lot of info there. Is Axis a sister company of Malibu, or a competitor or built in the same factory's as Malibu?

Steve B.

[bcoppess23]

MTX - Malbiu Tops X-Star... Malibu Too X-treme... hmm.. just saying..

The great thing about Malibu, wait to see what they do next year... Keep up the innovation.

Like many have said, it is not for everyone but for some. Can't wait to get a closer look at this thing!

[Slayer]

Not bashing, just not my cup of tea as it were.

[Bu hoo]

I like the pickle fork design. My wife "lays out" and rides in the bow of our boat almost exclusively. Extra storage room would be nice and extra ballast couldn't hurt either.

The A22 is a sweet looking ride and puts out a sick wake (check out Chattwake's photos). People will want the fit and finish of the VLX with the benefits of the PF bow. Seems like a logical step in design for Malibu really.

Pickle forks are popular. There isn't any sense in ignoring a segment of potential buyers. Why should Malibu not catch up to the market? It's good business. It's not like they are going to scrap the VLX.

*edited due to cell phone typos

Edited June 1, 2011 by Bu hoo

[Sixball]

I will buy a used boat before ever buying one of those ugly things.

[rugger]

Looks cool to me. Nothing wrong with an option IMO. Remember how many people were up in the air over the G3 the first time too.

The pickle fork is not my immediate preference but I'll bet it's good business -- which benefits us all.

Edited June 1, 2011 by rugger

[Bawshogg]

I dunno, IMO Malibus have always had a sleek smooth look on the water. That boat in the pictures is very angular and just looks funky. I dont like the fwd leaning stance or the broken up lines. Doesn't fit the bill for me. Pile me up with the "YUK" pile, but hell, with the rumored 90k price tag I will never have to worry about owning one. Just cause I don't like it don't mean you can't buy one.

[WakingMeHappy]

I'll stick with my 99 Sunsetter.

[Fman]

Biggest issue I see and its purely opinion is that it looks so much like an axis. I like axis but I thought the axis and malibu line were supposed to be stand alone lines. This boat blurrs that line severely and looks like an axis in malibu clothing.

You nailed it.

[CRASH]

I kinda like it Now if it doesnt have the stupid a** MUX switches and goes back to the original rocker switches it will be worth owning! JMO