I've pretty much known about the new X-Star since about a month before the 2003 MC Dealer Meeting this past year. But all I've seen has been pics, no first hand accounts because I haven't been able to get near this boat! But this past weekend at Table Rock Lake INT I finally got my chance! I talked the owner into letting me ride in this huge boat with my digital during the outlaw class!
First Impressions: This thing was huge! I was rolling in my Prostar 190 and this thing just towered over my little boat.
The boat itself was set up nice! The fit and finish was second to none! I really liked the bow, there were 3 full size adults in it and we were all lounging comfortably in our own space!
There was enough storage in this boat to fit 15 people's worth of gear (ie. wakeboards, towels, coolers, you name it).
The tower was pretty cool. Very thick, and very solid. I liked the new bimini because you could walk under it and not hit your head.
Wake: The wake was bigger than I expected! If you have any doubts talk to the 2002 INT Outlaw champion Gabe Fowler and he will tell you how huge this thing is! Outlaw riders were freaked out at how big the wake was.
Weighted setup: Stock KGB Ballast (1200lbs) + 550 lbs of lead (150 in the bow, 400 in the rear). Plus .5 tank of gas, and 7 people!
Complaints: Okay here is a big complaint. I felt like with the boat weighted down that the MCX didn't have enough HP's to get the boat up on plane fast enough. It dogged coming out of the hole and you had to turn wide enough to keep the boat up or it would lose speed. This boat should not be sold with anything less than the 6.0 liter or at best the 8.1. It's just that big of a boat that it needs the power! My other complaint was that the new board racks kind of suck. I saw a couple boards slipping around in them because they merely clamp the sides of the board and there isn't anything keeping the board from bouncing out of the rack from the top.
Overall I truly enjoyed riding in this boat! Even when this boat crossed its own rollers (which were HUGE ) it was solid as a rock! Thanks to the Fowler family for bringing it down to Table Rock and for letting me ride in it!
These pictures don't really do the wake justice, but here they are. Oh and these guys were riding at 22.5 mph.
Hybrid Mode
