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Sporster


1608malibu

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Thinking of buying a new sportster.Does anyone have any feedback of this boat through the slalom course?Is the 3rd fin a good option?

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The Sportster is a great little boat. One of the best barefooters out there. For running the course...keep the fuel tank down at 10 gallons or less. The narrow, non-diamond hull puts out a hard little wake when you start adding weight. With the tank near empty (<10 gal), no extra equipment, and just a driver, observer, & skier...it will put out a wake very close in quality to the Response LX (I ski behind a RLX almost as much as I ski behind my own Sporty). The difference being the Response can go out with a full tank, extra people,...and still have that small, soft wake...that's the diamond hull working.

I have contemplated adding the third tracking fin to mine but haven't yet. I'm only 160 pounds and don't pull the boat around much but some of my bigger ski buddies can yank it around pretty good. Maybe someone else has experience with the tracking difference with and w/o a 3rd fin.

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I can't tell you with or without, but with, it turns on a dime and tracks well, (although we don't ski a course). For $80 when I ordered it, it seemed like a no brainer.

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I added the third fin to mine and it helped. It's a subjective statement, but I did notice a difference and for less than $100 it was a worthwhile improvement in my mind.

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Thinking of buying a new sportster.Does anyone have any feedback of this boat through the slalom course?Is the 3rd fin a good option?

PLEASE, PLEASE. PLEASE tell me were you found a place to buy a new Sportster...

Edited by 1FootDan
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PLEASE, PLEASE. PLEASE tell me were you found a place to buy a new Sportster...
Australia.

What Dealer? Jorges Martinez from Malibu Headquarters in Merced told me that there were no Sportsters being made anywhere. I even showed him a link claimimg having a 2006 Sportster and he said that it must be a 2005 overstock and that there was no way to order a new Sportster. I am confused... Does the 2007 Sportster have the new billet dash with speed control and cable free throttle control?

Edited by 1FootDan
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1Foot, I remember you posting about trading your Response in for a Sporty. Are you having trouble finding one? They seem pretty plentiful in New England.

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Dan, they are no longer made in the USA. Apparently they may be available in AUS, but shipping it back here and paying import fees is gonna hurt.

Peter.

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they are being made new in Australia. Have a search on www.wake.com.au boats forum & you'll find a big thread about them

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Does anyone know if it is the 2005 model replica or did it evolve with the new standard features such as: billet dash, speed control, electronic throttle, etc..? Can anyone post a picture of the dash and VIN# ? Not that I don't beleive you, but it seems to good to be true... Surprised.gif

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And just to clarify that point fully (just in case Dan & others may not know), Malibu has a third plant that is located in Australia that doesn't always conform to the same models produced stateside.

They still making pre-'05 Sunsetter Lxi's by chance????

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Hi All,

They are still making the Sporster and Sporster Lx here in AUS. You can find them listed on the AUS factory web site http://www.malibuboats.com.au. The only engine option is the 310hp Carb motor and unfortunately haven't progressed with all the dash, engine, speed control etc upgrades that the rest of the models have. The AUS factory stopped making the Sporty in 2005 and brought them back last year due to popular demand. There is no 2005 model Sunsetter in the AUS factory line up.

Cheers Ian J.

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Does anyone know if it is the 2005 model replica or did it evolve with the new standard features such as: billet dash, speed control, electronic throttle, etc..? Can anyone post a picture of the dash and VIN# ? Not that I don't beleive you, but it seems to good to be true... Surprised.gif

Yes the sportsters do have the new billet dash,dont know about the electronic throttle and speed control.Go to www.gremarine.com.au and look under new boats in stock and there you will see

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Well feed me garlic and call me stinky.. they do still make them down under!! It says on the Aussie Malibu site that the max HP is 340, so I assume you can upgrade to the Monsoon. However, I am not sure it is the same Sportster as we know here in North America. The Hull is a SV23 Diamond instead of a SV23 Wake.

Taken from WWW.Malibuboats.com.au:

Sportster Overview

Sportster

*RRP: $39,990.00 AUD

*RRP is inclusive of Tandem Galvanised Trailer and GST.

Excludes dealer delivery, registration and statutory charges.

Overall Length: 6.1m (20')

Beam: 2.18m (86")

Draft: 0.56m (22")

Seating Capacity: 6 persons

Weight: Boat Only (approx.): 1021kg (2250 lbs)

Fuel Capacity: 144L (38 gallons)

Hull: SV23 Diamond

Standard HP: 310

Max HP: 340

The Sportster series provides no-nonsense performance for those buyers who are looking for the quality of a Malibu boat with finance friendly support. Constructed with the same exacting standards of all Malibu Boats, the Sportster series enables enthusiasts to enter the water sports market and experience the satisfaction of owning an expert-level towboat. The Sportster and the Sportster LX come equipped with Indmar’s 310 Vortec Engine. Whether you plan to rip through the slalom course or take flight on your Wakeboard, the Indmars provide all the power you need to reach your peak performance level.

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I disagree, I think the wake hull has less drag, so better top speed and a better wake for barefooting. (No "V" shape channel between the wakes).

Edited by 1FootDan
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(No "V" shape channel in the middle of the wake).

Can you say face plant?

FWIW the SSP completely removed it on my Rlx, but it's not as effective on my Rlxi.

Hard telling what it's effect on a diamond hull Sportster would be.

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I disagree, I think the wake hull has less drag, so better top speed and a better wake for barefooting. (No "V" shape channel in the middle of the wake).

Non diamond is better for footing, but for skiing, the diamond hull on a Sporty is probably better than the Response for skiing because the boat is smaller and lighter. Just a guess on my part. I like my Sportster just the way it is, with the closed bow hull and the closed bow deck.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Sorry Mike, but the 2005 Sportsters all had 320 hp or more, and while I haven't GPS'd it, I doubt the '05 with the Hammerhead will do 55 either.

....the Response SS on the other hand....

Peter :)

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Just as an FYI, thinking top speed v. hull drag, it takes a lot of horsepower to up the speed on these boats. The drag to speed correlation is actually a cubed function, therefore, a lot of hp is needed to bump up the speed. My Echelon has 385 hp and about 300# pulled out and it tops at 55 mph just to give you a reference on what it would take. The wetted surface of the hull on a tournament boat at speed is significant, so that is why they have so much hull drag. The added hook on the new diamond hull increases the wetted surface area by pushing the nose down, thus increasing drag at speed. I would go with the 3 fins for sure, extra stability would be worth it (it will have a bit of drag and cost a small amount of top speed).

The SSP was mentioned for improving the wake, can you give some details? I use my Echelon for skiing and footing and am thinking about adding the SSP for two items: barefooting and slower ski speeds for the women/kids to reduce the 22" off bump, any comments on that?

It's cool that the Sporty is still available, it is a great boat.

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