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Old    tommyadrian5            02-05-2004, 7:16 AM Reply   
So i'm looking for a new set of wakeboard racks. Last year i used Wake Designs single mount racks. These worked well but I had trouble keeping them from slipping down my tower tube in rough water, so i'm switching. I've narrowed my search down to the Wake Designs & Boss 2 mount racks, and possible the Mako Rack. Does anybody have any experience with the mako rack, i'm worried about the smallish mount not gripping my tower enough to hold up the rack (the river we ride on get's pretty rough). Anybody else have any suggestions?

Old     (ripr)      Join Date: Mar 2002       02-05-2004, 7:39 AM Reply   
Tom,
One great feature about the Mako racks, is they can be mounted to the vertical or horizontal tubes of your Zero-Flex tower. Although you shouldn't have a problem with slippage, you can mount it on a vertical tube with the horizontal tube acting as a safety net for extra piece of mind.
Plus, you can remove the rack from the mount very easily and quickly for boat storage, tight squeezes, etc.

Let me know if you have any questions or would like to see a brochure.

Later,
Neil W.

(Message edited by ripr on February 05, 2004)
Old     (d_o_double_g)      Join Date: Sep 2003       02-05-2004, 8:08 AM Reply   
Spent a little time at the boat show last night. The new Mako gear is definitely sweet. One of the local Supra dealers/riders has 4 racks (2 on the side, 2 up top) and he's never had a problem with slippage or rattle that I know of. He swears by them. I've seen them online for about $260 ea. which isn't bad.
Old    tommyadrian5            02-09-2004, 12:12 PM Reply   
neil, i sent you a e-mail
Old     (bigfaceplanter)      Join Date: Aug 2002       02-09-2004, 12:38 PM Reply   
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3658808602&category=23 807

Try this guy. I purchased mine from him and there
great. I know a bunch did a "group buy" from
him and got a pretty good deal. seems like it
was around 125 per rack. Mine haven't moved in
2 years.

I have his email address somewhere if you need it.
Old    tommyadrian5            02-09-2004, 1:54 PM Reply   
I've had my eyes on those for a while. My problem is that if possible i would really like ones with a quick release feature. My boat sits in the driveway of a house that nobody lives at, and i worry about some kids running off with my $500 pair of board racks. Also, the river we ride on is off of the chesapeake bay, so almost all of the docks we tie up to are fixed piling made for large boats, so often its difficult to tie up without one of the racks rubbing on the dock or a piling. I like that guy's cnc'd racks, and from talking ot people they are awesome racks, but i would really like to find a decent quick release set.
Old     (d_o_double_g)      Join Date: Sep 2003       02-09-2004, 2:13 PM Reply   
Tom,
Have you decided what brand to go with?
I know many of the major players offer some type of "quick" release, but obviously some of them are easier to get off than others.
Example, the Wakeside Battle Rack has the lift off option. I am also pretty sure the Mako's come with some type of quick-release. The Skylon Batracks have a very sturdy clamp, and then a knob to remove the actual rack. Problem with these is that I've been on boats that when 2 boards are strapped in tight, they often rattle together. I think this is because they use one long cord as compared to a separate cord for each board.

BTW - I ride behind a boat similar to yours. Gotta love the MC's like that... solid!!
Old     (wakeside1)      Join Date: Nov 2002       02-09-2004, 2:15 PM Reply   
Regarding the Mako racks:

Mako completely redesigned their quick-release for 2004. They got away from the "bicycle seat" type quick release. Rack is available in chrome this year.

http://www.wakeside.com/page/W/PROD/mako_wakeboard_racks/mako_std_wakeboard_rack

Mike
http://www.wakeside.com
Old     (ripr)      Join Date: Mar 2002       02-09-2004, 4:07 PM Reply   
Concerning the boards slapping together-
It happens when the fork design is not 'fat' enough to keep the boards seperated at all times. The '04 Mako Racks are designed to make it impossible for the boards to slap together. Prevents board damage and that annoying slap.

Tom, I emailed you back. All your info is there.
Old     (nawakwa1)      Join Date: Jan 2004       02-09-2004, 4:25 PM Reply   
I just received the 2004 Wake Design rack and it AWESOME. It's winter here so I can't mount the racks yet. I certainly does not look like it would slip at all. It is currently one of the most expensive racks out there. Mine were $425. per side in the chrome finish. The quality, design and finish IS worth the the cost.
Old     (levi)      Join Date: Feb 2001       02-09-2004, 4:40 PM Reply   
I purchased a pair of the mako quick release racks last summer and I love them. They were always solid and they are really easy to take off and on. One word of caution....the middle fork is quite wide so the new concave wakeskates will not fit (I tried a hyperlite concave one) and some board with a lot of rocker and thick sides can be tight..... From Mako's website they have another rack with a thinner middle fork, but then you'd risk the boards slapping together?
Old    tommyadrian5            02-09-2004, 5:08 PM Reply   
D.O.GG, i like the Battle Racks, but then i'm looking at $450 a rack including the lift-off option (from wakeside), i'm not looking to spend much more than $500 for the pair. I do like the Skylon Bat Rack alot, i didn't realize it was quick release, i wish it came in something other than polished. I've got a few months until the season starts again, so i'm in no huge hurry. Thanks for the help, and any more comments/opinions are appreciated.
Old     (wakeside1)      Join Date: Nov 2002       02-09-2004, 5:48 PM Reply   
Tom - If your goal is:

- Around $500 for the pair
- Quick-release (lift-off) included
- Not polished

then the Mako rack fits the requirement very well. The Mako rack is $510 a pair, includes new style quick-release, and is clear anodized (no tarnish).


Skylon includes a quick release knob but the cost for a pair is about $600 and they are polished.

Most of the Chrome racks cost between $300 and $450 each.

In your case, the Mako rack probably makes sense.

Mike
Old     (d_o_double_g)      Join Date: Sep 2003       02-09-2004, 6:13 PM Reply   
Thanks Mike for all the info...

and the winner is.... Mako!!!

While at the boat show this weekend, I did check out the new Mako racks and speaker setups. One word: saaweeet!
Props to Mako, they have really stepped it up this year! Good luck Tom, and keep us posted.

(Message edited by D O double G on February 09, 2004)
Old     (sw1)      Join Date: Nov 2003       02-09-2004, 6:19 PM Reply   
Hey guys aren't the Monster racks the same as MAKO? Or am I confused?? (sometimes thats not difficult to do!!)

They are $195 apiece.
Old     (wakeside1)      Join Date: Nov 2002       02-09-2004, 9:44 PM Reply   
The Monster racks are no longer the same as Mako. For most of the 2003 season, Monster Tower had their racks manufactured by Mako and they were identical to the OEM Supra and Moomba racks. Sometime during the late summer, Monster Tower had the 2003 Mako rack copied and manufactured by another company.

Alex and Brian at Mako assured me that the Monster racks from about mid-August on were not supplied by Mako and they are not 100% the same. Dimensionally, the Monster rack is identical to the 2003 Mako rack, but the detail construction is not the same.

For the 2004 season, Mako improved the rack again with a completely re-engineered quick-release (no bicycle clamp). They also changed the finish from anodized black or silver in 2003 to clear anodized or chrome in 2004. Quite an improvement.

Supra and Moomba are really pushing the OEM Mako products this year. Some of you may have noticed the Mako Four Speaker Light Bar Combo with chrome finish prominently displayed in a Supra ad in Wakeboarding Magazine.

We believe that the Mako racks are enough better to justify the extra $60 each (it's actually less if you consider the $25.50 in Reward Points).

We may need to get Brian from Mako to explain all of the differences but he told me two weeks ago that the 2004 Mako rack and the Monster Tower rack are quite different except for the actual dimensions and the copied design.

Mike
http://www.wakeside.com
Old     (ripr)      Join Date: Mar 2002       02-10-2004, 6:32 AM Reply   
Mike has everything correct.
Old     (monstertower)      Join Date: Mar 2003       02-10-2004, 7:39 AM Reply   
Mike is correct. Brian and Alex are great guys that do excellent work. Mako makes top-notch products. Like many companies in this very seasonal market it is easy to become overwhelmed with orders during the peak season (and be starving for orders during the slow season)

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) we overwhelmed Mako with orders last year and got over 100 racks on back order. We did over $100K in business with them in our 5-month relationship. Our customers were quite upset and started canceling tower & rack orders because we could not get racks. This buried us in support calls from quite unhappy customers. We initially had some made just to catch up and get them to our customers and save orders from being cancelled, but as you would expect Brian and Alex were quite pissed at us and chose to not do business with us anymore. I respect and understand their decision.

They believe we flat out copied their product and not that we did what we had to do to support our customers. There have been design modifications to our racks since. There’s always more to it from both sides but bottom line is they are great guys making great products and we did what we had to so we could provide products to our customers on a timely basis. Our speakers are done now, we have one more product on the drawing board then we will be doing new racks later this year.
Old     (nar722)      Join Date: Dec 2003       02-10-2004, 12:07 PM Reply   
Don't overlook fluid concepts. Very solid racks and reasonably priced
Old     (sw1)      Join Date: Nov 2003       02-10-2004, 3:30 PM Reply   
Bill and others --

Sorry guys I did not mean to bring up a sensitive subject..I didn't know!

Again, I am sorry

I got my Monster Tower and I am very happy with it!

Thanks Bill
Old     (ripr)      Join Date: Mar 2002       02-10-2004, 4:45 PM Reply   
Got that right Shawn, Monster Tower does make the best bang for the buck tower, IMO.
Old     (wakeside1)      Join Date: Nov 2002       02-10-2004, 7:44 PM Reply   
My point was that the Mako rack and the Monster rack are different as of late last summer and that Mako has redesigned their quick-release and finish options (chrome) this year.

I really don't know much about the details that Bill explains above, that's really between Brian and Bill. This subject is not sensitive to me.

We want everyone to know that the 2004 Mako racks are different from Monster racks. Many people still think that they are the same and are being manufactured by Mako.

On a separate point, I agree with nickster that the Fluid Concepts racks are very solid and a good value. I have been working closely with Jerry at Fluid over the past few weeks and we just got his racks and tower speakers up last week.

http://www.wakeside.com/page/W/CTGY/fluid_concepts_wakeboard_racks

Mike
Old     (sw1)      Join Date: Nov 2003       02-10-2004, 7:53 PM Reply   
" the Mako rack and the Monster rack are different as of late last summer and that Mako has redesigned their quick-release and finish options (chrome) this year. "

That would have been enough said, don't you think??
Old     (d_o_double_g)      Join Date: Sep 2003       02-10-2004, 7:59 PM Reply   
Back to the original topic...
Tom, has any of this info been useful in helping to find you some new board racks?
Old     (wakeside1)      Join Date: Nov 2002       02-10-2004, 8:05 PM Reply   
"Hey guys aren't the Monster racks the same as MAKO? Or am I confused?? (sometimes thats not difficult to do!!)

They are $195 apiece."

Shawn, you also thought that these racks are exactly the same and that the only difference is the lower Monster price. Without some detail, it would be too easy to compare apples and oranges and not know it.

Some people spending $500 on a pair of racks want to know exactly what they are getting.
Old    tommyadrian5            02-11-2004, 5:52 AM Reply   
DOGG, yes, I've pretty much narrowed it down to the 2004 Mako racks and the Skylon BatRacks. I like the Mako's, but i'm a little worried about the smallish mount not getting the grip it'll need on my tower crossbar in rough water. I've talked to a could people that have the racks and they've acknowledged this is a problem. I know I could mount it on a vertical tower, using a crossbar to support it, and it wouldn't move at all, but then the boards will be in the way getting in and out of the boat to the side. I wish the Batracks came in something other than bling (polished), I have no bling on my boat and i like it like that. Also, it's $40 more for the round horizontal mount for the skylons, making them $300 each, more than i wanted to spend, especially for a polished rack that i would have to pay more to have powdercoated. Anyways, thanks for all the help, I'll keep you informed as to what i end up with, season is still 2 months away at least.

(Message edited by tommyadrian5 on February 11, 2004)
Old     (d_o_double_g)      Join Date: Sep 2003       02-11-2004, 7:49 AM Reply   
Tom, in your original post, you mentioned the Wake Designs as leading choice. It stands to reason, even though they are more expensive, that you may end up spending approx the same once you consider the after-market powder coating.
I calculated 2 Wake Designs (in black) to your door for around $600. (vs $540 for the BR + powder coat)

In a comparo of the BatRack vs. Wake Designs - it has been my experience with the batrack that the one single bungee and slim center fork allows the boards to rattle against each other. WD has two bungees, pulling the boards away from each other.
Other mfg's (ie. Mako, Fluid) compensate for this by having a thick center fork.

On the flip side, maybe it's time to add some BLING to the boat and go with the masses... chrome.

(Message edited by d_o_double_g on February 11, 2004)
Old    tommyadrian5            02-11-2004, 7:54 AM Reply   
DOGG,

I want them to be quick release, for security/docking problems.

I have 2001 Wake Designs Single Mount (QR) racks right now. I like them, but they don't stay put at all on the tower.
This is why I'm worried about the mount on the Mako Racks. If I could be guaranteed they'd hold, I'd get them today.

Bling attract thieves in my "hood".

(Message edited by tommyadrian5 on February 11, 2004)
Old     (d_o_double_g)      Join Date: Sep 2003       02-11-2004, 7:59 AM Reply   
You're in luck, the WD dual mount has a quick release pin for easy removal!!

So you can have your black and your easy removal - stealth and hidden from the thugs living in the crack house next door!
Old    tommyadrian5            02-11-2004, 8:27 AM Reply   
Does it really, i didn't notice that. I'm looking into it right now.

I don't see how it works, looks like they are fixed, at least the ones on wakedesigns.com.

But, it says it does on wakeside, does anybody have these racks that can confirm this??? How does it work. Does it rattle like the old quick release ones did.

(Message edited by tommyadrian5 on February 11, 2004)
Old     (wakeside1)      Join Date: Nov 2002       02-11-2004, 9:20 AM Reply   
Tom,

If you send an email to sales@wakeside.com, one of the tower guys will find out for you. Wake Designs redesigned their racks again for 2004. We have the new pricing and options on our site but the images are still last years racks. We are supposed to get the images this week. We will just contact them and get you the answers.
Old    tommyadrian5            02-11-2004, 9:31 AM Reply   
Thanks, i sent them an e-mail, will they be able to e-mail me pictures of the new ones.

Old     (d_o_double_g)      Join Date: Sep 2003       02-11-2004, 10:03 AM Reply   
Thanks Mike for the update. It does look a little confusing when you look at the current picture.

Tom, post the '04 WD pics when you get them... if you don't mind.
Old    tommyadrian5            02-11-2004, 10:04 AM Reply   
I will post them if i get them.
Old     (d_o_double_g)      Join Date: Sep 2003       02-12-2004, 8:04 AM Reply   
Any luck yet?
An answer from WD or Wakeside?
Old    tommyadrian5            02-12-2004, 10:50 AM Reply   
wakeside said they didn't have any pictures yet, but that they would get into contact with WD and try to get some pictures and e-mail them to me when they did. DOn't worry i'll put them on here the moment i get them

Old    tommyadrian5            02-12-2004, 7:28 PM Reply   
This is what they sent me, said they would have more soon.

Didn't answer my question about the QR, and this doesn't look QR, but still looks tight!

Old     (d_o_double_g)      Join Date: Sep 2003       02-12-2004, 9:34 PM Reply   
Those do look TIGHT.
If your notice, it looks to be a knob on the side for quick release.
Tom, if you can get these in black, thats the way to go!!! IMO
Old     (wakeside1)      Join Date: Nov 2002       02-12-2004, 9:55 PM Reply   
We should have more images soon.


Wake Designs Dual Mount Rack
Old    tommyadrian5            02-13-2004, 5:37 AM Reply   
Yea I think these are gonna be it, once i get a definitive answer on the quick release. don't know white or black. My tower's silver, i have white right now, and like it. Picture of boat in profile. These do look awesome though.
Old     (d_o_double_g)      Join Date: Sep 2003       02-13-2004, 7:06 AM Reply   
I'm sayin black would look sweet with the silver tower!
Old     (wakeside1)      Join Date: Nov 2002       02-13-2004, 8:19 AM Reply   
Chrome is the most popular finish for this high end rack. This is one of the most expensive and detailed racks on the market. Chrome really finishes it off although black or white would look good too.
Old     (d_o_double_g)      Join Date: Sep 2003       02-13-2004, 8:39 AM Reply   
Chrome is BLING.
However, Tom's "hood" obviously has some rats running about that like shiny things... so he's going stealth mode with white or black.
Old     (wakeside1)      Join Date: Nov 2002       02-13-2004, 8:51 AM Reply   
In that case white would show off the rack better than black would.
Old     (salmon_tacos)      Join Date: Jan 2003       02-13-2004, 9:30 AM Reply   
Tom,

I am next to certain that those are not quick release. Those look the same as the 2003 racks with a new fork design. The older Wake Designs racks had a quick release but the new ones don't. The new ones do look nicer and they allow you to adjust the angle in two different ways, i.e. rotating the forks and/or rotating the cross bar.

I also required my racks to have a quick release. When I ordered some 2002 WD racks from Boarders Paradise last year, they sent me 2003 racks. I couldn't use them so I sent them back and they dug up some 2002's from one of their stores.
Old     (d_o_double_g)      Join Date: Sep 2003       02-13-2004, 11:30 AM Reply   
Somebody just needs to call Wake Designs at
800-989-WAKE or 480-813-1833 and put an end to the mystery and guess work.
Old    tommyadrian5            02-13-2004, 5:10 PM Reply   
damn

Alright sorry it took so long, but directly from Wake Designs there is no quick release for the 2004 wakeboard racks, and they actually haven’t done it for the last two years. Let me know if I can answer any other questions though.
Old     (wakeside1)      Join Date: Nov 2002       02-13-2004, 9:28 PM Reply   
Mako, Skylon, and Titan all have quick release but none are powder-coated. If that is real important you may want to get them painted after the fact. If it were me, I would go for chrome or polished. That would look good on any color tower.
Old    tommyadrian5            02-14-2004, 5:12 AM Reply   
yea, looks like i'll have to go that way, i still have a few months to make a decision, i don't know, those wake designs racks are pretty tight, might have to forgo the QR option
Old     (gmarkham1)      Join Date: Sep 2003       02-14-2004, 5:37 AM Reply   
if you want mako, and want them powder coated, look up NAW, he can you help you get some at a great price(powder coated) cheaper then having it done yourself!

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