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Looking at a 2001 Sportster


bovhica

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Hey Crew,

I was looking at and 2001 Malibu Sporty LX. I own a 94 echelon closed bow and really enjoy the slalom wake. I have a teenager and friends who are beginner to intermediate wake boarders and with some ballast added it can produce an ok wake for them. This sporty has a tower and a wedge. I was thinking about upgrading to a newer boat with open bow that still produces awesome slalom, but can be used for wakeboarding for novices. What are your thoughts on the sporty. I don't care about storage or space, as we boat from our cabin dock, so that's not an issue. I was just looking for some sporty owners to chime in or anyone with knowledge of the boat.

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I had a 98 sportster. I will say that storage is very minimal. Only behind the spotter seat and under the dash. The bow is a step over so most people won't want to ride up there. The wake can be very nice for wakeboarding. I would run a single 540lb big bag between the motor and the back seat. Plenty of wake to learn 360s and first inverts. Says it can hold eight people. It's more like 5.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Exact same hull as your current boat. So the question is what will you be gaining?

--Tower. Can be added to the Echelon.

--Bow seating for one small person or two tiny ones.

--Wedge. Could also be added to the current boat, but a bit more difficult than a tower. Both finding one and installing it.

--Fuel injection? Not all Sportys were, is this one?

--Under bow storage. I know you said it didn't matter, but it's there.

Better shape, fewer hours, more modern colors maybe? Do you just want a new boat? Understandable, but figure cost vs. benefit vs. adding what you want to your current ride and weigh it out.

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I had a 2001 and a 2003 sportster lx. I ran a tube sac (370 lbs) on each side of the motor box and 300lbs of lead and wedge. It had a great wake, it can get a little cramp but we had a great time on them both.

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Thanks guys

I already have a tower on my echy, although it is a big air brand and not all one piece, we don't really notice, because I don't wakeboard, and the others are mostly novice (no inverts.) I was looking for a couple reasons.

1. Thinking about having one boat for the cabin to share with the siblings and kids and one for my home.

2. Found what I think is a smokin deal, although the boat is on the other side of the country so I have to consider shipping or pickup expenses

3. Mechanically my echy is a 9.5/10. aesthetically it is a 5/10. The interior is a little rough and the gel coat is is oxidized on the top because previous owner only had a cockpit cover for it. Also lots of nicks and a few pretty deep gouges around the boat. I know I can spend some money and time fixing issues, but if I left the echy at the cabin for family use, it would be fine as is.

The sporty only has 200+ hours and according to the ad is a one owner who is meticulous and was always garaged. It is on the east coast so I don't know if its been in salt water? I will have to ask.

Here is the link to the ad. Let me know what you think. Also If there is a Crew Member in the area who wouldn't mind checking it out for me and maybe test driving it, that would be awesome.

http://www.adsinusa.com/c/5130/5130o1104.htm

It does have the 310 indmar carb. so more horse than my 265 in the echy.

Edited by bovhica
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Uhhh that's half or less of what that boat should go for. Be very careful how you proceed, especially on what sounds like a third party "sale".

You can get your Echy close to that horsepower with Vortec heads. But I get wanting two boats at two locations.

Edited by jk13
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I was wondering the same thing. It can't hurt to call but most likely a scam. After pricing the boat on nada a few moments ago I can't help but be suspicious. Probably just keep my eye out for something local.

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Looks like the boat add was generated in Dallas-Fort Worth Texas area, says boat is located in Maine, and the registration ON THE BOAT is for Indiana....

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...and it is way underpriced..... :whistle:

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Remember that an open bow on an Echelon or Response is not only small but really puts your bow at risk for taking a wave over it when there is a person up front. The rub rail is only like 2 inches out of the water then. I rarely have an adult in the bow on an outing, mostly just a little kid or two. My Echelon walk thru is nice, though, for cruising at night or for parking and hanging out. I think a step over would be slippery and puts people at risk of falling.

Another option is a jump seat behind the driver's seat, to add a person.

post-8942-0-67260900-1398780484_thumb.jp

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I was wondering the same thing. It can't hurt to call but most likely a scam. After pricing the boat on nada a few moments ago I can't help but be suspicious. Probably just keep my eye out for something local.

Not sure how that scam is supposed to work. A little googling says that phone number is a Fax number at an urgent care clinic.

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@bovhica: one thing to consider on a Sporty, the wake is a bit harder than an Echy and there are 2 tracking fins v. 3 so the tracking is not as good. They have an awesome barefoot wake.

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Exact same hull as your current boat.

Just to be specific, this statement is incorrect. The Sportster and Echelon both use a SV23 hull design, but they are different size hulls and different weight. Not the same mold, and therefore not the same wake.

The other arguments are all valid, although I do like a Sportster more than an Echelon, for opinion's sake.

Peter :)

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Just to be specific, this statement is incorrect. The Sportster and Echelon both use a SV23 hull design, but they are different size hulls and different weight. Not the same mold, and therefore not the same wake.

The other arguments are all valid, although I do like a Sportster more than an Echelon, for opinion's sake.

Peter :)

Yeah, I was 99% on that one. Figured since the Sporty was designated a wake hull and my Echelon was pre-diamond they were the same.

I should maybe not post so late at night after a long day........

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Remember that an open bow on an Echelon or Response is not only small but really puts your bow at risk for taking a wave over it when there is a person up front. The rub rail is only like 2 inches out of the water then. I rarely have an adult in the bow on an outing, mostly just a little kid or two. My Echelon walk thru is nice, though, for cruising at night or for parking and hanging out. I think a step over would be slippery and puts people at risk of falling.

Another option is a jump seat behind the driver's seat, to add a person.

Plus the walk over is a real pain when you have the bimini up. I mostly used it as purgatory for unruly kids.

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Just to be specific, this statement is incorrect. The Sportster and Echelon both use a SV23 hull design, but they are different size hulls and different weight. Not the same mold, and therefore not the same wake.

The other arguments are all valid, although I do like a Sportster more than an Echelon, for opinion's sake.

Peter :)

Did the Sportster use the same hull as the Tantrum? If not, do you know what the differences were?

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Why not look at a Response LXI/TXI? Best ski boat out there, rear storage compartment, looks slick with a tower and you're getting the best of both worlds. Just sayin'

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If you're kids are getting into wakeboarding. I would highly HIGHLY recommend a v-drive. Same length boat will feel 100X bigger, and give you more options with activities.

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Sorry to go off topic, but want to get this straight. SV23 hulls are not all the same?

In other words, there is a 19' SV23 and a 21 SV23, same design, but different dimensions?

Thanks,

Steve B.

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perhaps what attracted the OP was the price, and not the boat...especially since he wants two boats....

makes a HUGE difference what he is willing to spend, before everyone tries to find him a 2nd boat

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You nailed it. I was just looking for a second boat when this popped up. I didnt want to break the bank, so that was priority one. Im not even going to bother with this sporty as im 99.9% sure it has to be a scam. I appreciate all the input. We decided to look into adding a wedge to the echy and a sack up front. I am going to keep my eye open for another boat, but in no hurry to find one. Thanks again...love this site.

I started another thread on the wedge but dont know how to link it here from my phone. If any echy owners have a wedge and would like to give some input, please do.

perhaps what attracted the OP was the price, and not the boat...especially since he wants two boats....

makes a HUGE difference what he is willing to spend, before everyone tries to find him a 2nd boat

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