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Old    akman            06-20-2005, 6:50 PM Reply   
Well I got to spend the weekend in and around the 06' Wakeworld VLX and thought I would offer up my thoughts on the boat.

The boat has that big boat feel without being a monster on the waterways, it handled boat chop very well and turned above average for it's size.

Storage was phenomenal, for those of you that spend all day on the water this would be a good boat to do it in. The rear lockers were huge with plenty of room in them even with a sack in each side.

Tower and bimini....the tower is different and does take some getting used to but overall is very functional. The bimini was big and did the job although I think it could be a little lower. Attaching the rope to the tower was impossible for me since I am vertically challenged in the height department (5'9") and that's being generous on my height. If they were to come with a small zipper hole in the middle it would be a HUGE plus in my opinion.

Gadgets....lots of them and they were all very functional, the ballast gauge read-outs were nice. They allowed you to move from front to back and watch a serious of pictures telling you how full they were.

Now I will get to the main thing everyone always asks about a boat......."how is the wake"

We rode with stock ballast (1250) plus 200lbs sacks in each rear locker and 100lbs of lead in the bow plus the wedge.

The wake was big, hard and clean, it had a long transition and a good kick at the top. The boat could have used a little more bow weight to keep it from having big bow rise but once up to speed it was fine. The wake was wider than what I am used to (SANTE) but easy to manage good pop and take tricks wake to wake. I had to choke 5' off from what I normally ride (80') but after a few jumps it was fine.

To me (and this is only my opinion) so don't flame me (mastercraft owners) the wake was cleaner, a little bigger and much harder than the X2 with similar weight.

I still prefer my SANTE and it's smallness and steep wake but for those looking for a big boat without the big boat feel the VLX is well worth the look and throws a great wake.

I can only imagine with more weight up front say 200lbs and a little more in the rear it would get really big and with a 60 gallon fuel tank and the big motor that was in this one 375hp it had plenty of hole shot and then some.

Just offering up some feedback and information to the masses.

Thanks for the pulls Dave......

Gramps


Old     (antbug)      Join Date: Jul 2004       06-20-2005, 7:44 PM Reply   
Gramps ~ great review. Thanks for pointing out the pros and cons without putting down other boats.
Old    ren            06-20-2005, 7:47 PM Reply   
Gramps, When you say "....than the X2 with similar weight."

Are you taking into account the downward force from the wedge, the weight of almost twice as much fuel, and the difference in factory listed dry weight of the boats themselves?

What is the weight equivalent to the downward force of the wedge?

What is the weight difference of the X2 and VLX dry?

I'm not flaming, I like the Malibu wake, I'm just curious if you took those factors into account.
Old     (greatdane)      Join Date: Feb 2001       06-20-2005, 7:47 PM Reply   
Thanks Gramps.

Did the tower racks ever tangle with the rope?

Is the tower easy to fold? Could you do it every day?
Old     (richd)      Join Date: Oct 2003       06-20-2005, 8:19 PM Reply   
I wouldn't recommend folding the tower a lot. Not that it's hard to do it's just that the bolts thread into straight aluminum and I can tell mine are already getting worked over just from the few times I've lowered it. Other then that the boat's perfect as far as I'm concerned. We've been going with stock ballast, 5-6 people and no wedge. The fork lift drivers have been asking me everytime they put it away if I forgot to pump the tanks or how much lead have I got in it. It's definitely a heavy boat even stock for it's size.
Old    akman            06-20-2005, 8:48 PM Reply   
As far as the "downward" force that the wedge generates as far as weight.........??? I'm not sure and I have heard numbers all over the place so I can't honestly say.

X2 Dryweight 3050lbs
VLX Dryweight 3600lbs

X2 carries 33 gallons of fuel
VLX carries 45 gallons of fuel

VLX is 550lbs heavier and has 12 more gallons of fuel it can carry (33 X2/45 VLX) so lets just start with "RAW" numbers and say the VLX starts with a 650lb advantage in weight, but also comes with a 98" beam vs 90" for the X2 so with all things being = it will take more weight to sink it.

The tower from what I could tell didn't seem like something I would want to lay down on a regular basis........it did however come with a pretty sweet color matched tower sock to cover it for towing.

The tower racks pretty much got tangled if you made tight turns.......after making a few turns and having them get tangled I just made some wider longer turns and made sure the rope stayed way to one side. If I were going to buy this boat I can honestly say I would get a different tower for this reason and for the reason I can't reach the attachment point for the rope. I am just too short...

I was actually pleasantly surprised by the wake and can say without a doubt it would be my second favorite wake next to the one my boat throws. It seemed you could build the wake in size and shape with little extra weight and if you wanted it to be "crazy big" you could do so by adding say 300lbs to each rear locker and a 500lb bag in the bow.

The swimstep on Dave's boat is big.....really big, with plenty of room for 2 people it had a rubber surface and was actually nice on the feet and great on the board.

We rode with 4 adults and 1 infant and it was plenty big for my riding.

With the wedge down it made the height of the wake come up and the transition a little longer in my opinion.

We took Damien Klaus for a pull and he was throwing down big time and had no problem at all throwing all his biggest tricks wake to wake or 15' into the flats.



Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-20-2005, 9:10 PM Reply   
Sorry I don't have better pics. I kind of failed in that department this weekend. I forgot my flash and my batteries were all discharging really quick for some reason. Plus, I took it for a run before the pics and it was quickly covered in nasty water spots. I've never owned a dark-colored boat, so I'm still learning. :-) Below is probably an excerpt from my future review, but I still have a lot of exploring to do.

In answer to some of your questions, I haven't tried putting the tower down yet, but I'll have to this week. They did tell me not to try it by myself, but I probably will. I tried taking the swimstep off by myself and probably won't do that again. I think I pulled something. It's a big boy.

As long as you have at least one board on the lower racks, you won't have any tangling problems, even if the upper racks are empty. The lower racks, which are their latest style, can be removed with the twist of a thumb screw, so if you're not going to use them and you don't want the rope hanging up on them, you just take them off. I don't believe that the lower racks are going to be an option offered by Malibu. You might have to purchase those separately and install them yourself or have your dealer do it. The guys at Comp Products, which are the ones that manufacture The Blade, were nice enough to throw those on there for me.

Aki did a pretty good job of outlining the pros and cons. I have to say again that I love the stereo and swimstep. One thing that I tried for the first time was the bimini and it's one of the best I've seen because it's huge, solid and I can easily walk under it. I'd estimate that it's about 6 feet off the floor of the boat. Although the height is nice, I'd agree with Aki that it could probably even be mounted a little lower in order to get even more shade. I'd sacrifice a little bending over while I walk for more shade. I'm hoping to have a little zippered or Velcroed hole made in the bimini to make switching ropes a little easier. It's not too bad for me, but I'm 6'4". I can see where it would be a problem for shorter people.

I don't know if it's the Perfect Pass or the Hammerhead engine, but the thing really responds when there is a pull on the boat. It rarely comes off of speed when turning, doing a double up or when you've got a big rider yanking on it. In fact, I had a guy ride behind it that's super aggressive and pulls the hell out of the boat, usually landing at least 20 feet into the flats. He said he's used to pulling on the boat, waiting for the lag and then taking off, but behind the VLX, he said there was no lag. He just set his edge and it took off. I was pretty stoked to hear that cuz that's certainly not something I could test myself! :-)

It's weird because even though the boat is a foot shorter than my old one and the passenger compartment is pretty much filled with stereo stuff, it feels like I have more room in this boat than the old one. Maybe it's because there is so much hidden ballast, which frees up all the compartments, but I'm definitely stoked on all the room. I wanted another LSV at first, but now I'm glad they talked me into the VLX. I might even be able to fit it into my garage!

I've mentioned all the great stuff about the tower before; looks great, stiff as can be, nice bimini, speaker and light set up, etc. However, I did find a minor drawback this week while I was unloading and loading the boat on the trailer. The position of the tower does make climbing in from the side a little tougher. I like to sit on the edge of the boat and swing my legs around to the floor so that I'm not stepping on the vinyl. Now I have to do the walk in on my knees bit from the swimstep. Not a big deal, but something you might want to know about.

Another weird thing about the tower and the bimini is the way none of it comes forward. I didn't think I'd notice a difference, but it was really nice to have zero obstructions in front of me as I drove. Also, as you stare at it from the side, it looks really strange to see the windshield all alone with no structures around it. It's a very groovy look, baby!

And on the nitpicking side of things, I don't like the fact that the stereo is hooked into the ignition switch. On my LSV, there was a separate on/off switch for the stereo. Yeah, that presents the danger that you'll leave it on and burn out your battery, but I never did that in five years. It's just a pain to have to wait for the CD to start again after you turn off the engine. Not only that, but I think it's a safety issue as well because it discourages people from turning off the engine when somebody is climbing into the boat. I'm a firm believe in doing that, but I'm sure some people will refrain from doing so just because they don't want to interrupt their song.

Aki's description of the wake was dead-on. I'm doing everything I used to do, but I feel like I'm more in control and like I'm popping higher on each move. I'm hoping to have some pics of the wake for you pretty soon. I didn't get any this weekend, but a friend of mine might have. Sorry, I was having too much fun to think about work! :-)

It really only holds 46 gallons of fuel. Sorry about lying to you Aki, but I thought you'd think better of me if I had a big tank. :-)

Rene, they advertise The Wedge as being the equivalent of 1000 lbs of downward force. My Wedge is polished, so it's probably the equivalent of 1004 lbs of downward force! :-)

Let me know if you have any other questions. Here are a few pics...





Old    ren            06-20-2005, 9:12 PM Reply   
I thought you said the VLX had a 60 gallon tank?

Also, have you rode behind the new X-Star hull? I haven't yet. How does the new X-Star wake compare to the VLX.



Old    ren            06-20-2005, 9:16 PM Reply   
Nevermind about the fuel question Gramps, Dave answered it.
Old     (big_xstar)      Join Date: Nov 2004       06-20-2005, 9:34 PM Reply   
Good question Rene..Yea dave, you have ridden behind my boat. How would you say they compare?
Really curious of your thoughts.
BTW.. Great looking boat!!!!
Old     (greatdane)      Join Date: Feb 2001       06-20-2005, 9:39 PM Reply   
Thanks for the info guys. It is a beautiful boat. I would only change the tower.

I would get a different tower because of the rope tangle effect on turning, the fold capability, the bimini coverage/height and the entrance issue.

- turning around on a dime for a downed rider is key on the narrow delta.
- a folding tower is needed so I can fit the boat into a covered dock and lift.
- a huge sun covering bimini is also key under the delta sun.

(Message edited by greatdane on June 20, 2005)
Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-20-2005, 9:48 PM Reply   
From what I remember of the X-Star wake, I'd have to say that they are very similar, but I'd like to try them both in the same day. Once I hit this wake, it immediately reminded me of the X-Star. I believe the VLX wake is narrower because I remember the X-Star being as wide as my LSV. I'm also thinking that the VLX wake is a little firmer, especially towards the top, but, again, I'd have to ride them both in the same day to do a good comparison. We should do that and have a bunch of people out to do a "taste test." That would be fun!
Old    stormrider            06-20-2005, 9:53 PM Reply   
We avoid the whole tower rope tangle thing by laying our boards out on the sundeck.
IMHO, looks better that way, too. Like guns on a gun rack.
Old     (big_xstar)      Join Date: Nov 2004       06-20-2005, 9:56 PM Reply   
Intersesting thoughts Dave...
"test test"...Hmmmmmmm..that would be fun!!
I am sure we defintly wouldn't have a problem finding a third.
Whatcha doing friday???
Old     (three6ty)      Join Date: Feb 2004       06-20-2005, 10:17 PM Reply   
Kevin,
If your riding Friday and have an opening, I would love to come hang/ride.
Let me know
Erik


Dave,
That is one sweet looking boat.
Old     (dakid)      Join Date: Feb 2001       06-20-2005, 10:49 PM Reply   
kevin, me too!
Old    zboomer            06-21-2005, 5:39 AM Reply   
Nice photos, first time I've seen the CFT tower with bimini. I really like the color scheme.

Nice reviews too, probably spot on with my assessment after owning an '05 VLX for several months. I love the boat.

You guys mentioning having to be tall to get the rope on points to another difference between the CFT tower and Illusion-X. With the Illusion-X, the bimini is on top, stretched tight like a drum, and there is a hole where you can stick your hand through to put the rope on. I'd say someone as short as 5'4" could probably do it.

Anyway, now I just have to decide if I want to buy some '06 Decals for my VLX.
Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-21-2005, 6:37 AM Reply   
Do you have any pics of your bimini? I don't understand why you have to have a hole in the bimini if it's on top of the tower. Does the tow point still stick out higher than the bimini? You definitely wouldn't want to go over the top with the Blade bimini. That would definitely make it too high.
Old     (richd)      Join Date: Oct 2003       06-21-2005, 7:01 AM Reply   
On the illusion tower there's a round tube that sweeps back from the tower itself where the tow ball attaches unlike the blade where the ball is on the main part of the tower. The bimini has a hole so it doesn't "tent" over the top of the ball. The bimini is very easy to install and is nice and quiet when at speed. We haven't had any problems with the line hooking up on the racks unless you're making a powerturn. (and nobody here does that right?)

Old     (slipknot)      Join Date: Aug 2001       06-21-2005, 7:16 AM Reply   
It looks great! I rode in in '05 VLX this weekend and was very impressed with the storage. The beam at 98" is like a caddy inside as well as the plushness of the interior.

Those pictures are great with the mountains in the back.

Where are the wake pics? No Blabel 720 pics? Aki 360 pics?

Did you try the wake without the wedge?



(Message edited by slipknot on June 21, 2005)
Old     (socalwakepunk)      Join Date: Dec 2002       06-21-2005, 7:20 AM Reply   
So that's where Damien was!!!!
Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-21-2005, 7:28 AM Reply   
No, I haven't tried it without the Wedge yet. Still much testing to be done! It might be time to dust off the Wakealyzer!

Sorry I didn't get any riding pics. Like I said, I had a few camera problems.
Old     (bummerkit)      Join Date: Apr 2003       06-21-2005, 7:57 AM Reply   
How much taller is the CFT blade than the regular illusion tower? I hit my head on the Illusion.
Old    mia            06-21-2005, 7:59 AM Reply   
dave,

congrats on the new vlx...it is a great looking ride !!
Old     (bond)      Join Date: Nov 2002       06-21-2005, 8:21 AM Reply   

Dave - are both sets of racks the same. I'm looken to add another set to mine but they look like they will be close together???

Mike@wakeon.com
Old     (big_ed_x2)      Join Date: Jul 2004       06-21-2005, 8:28 AM Reply   
Great looking boat.definetly want to test it against the x-star.If you guys are going out and need or want me to go,then I'm there!!
Old    xtremrider            06-21-2005, 8:58 AM Reply   
What lake is that VLX on in that Picture?
Old    wakeref            06-21-2005, 10:07 AM Reply   
The lake? That’s no Lake, that's the "Secret Spot".

Well here’s my observation of the wake and the pull behind the VLX. Started out my run with a pretty mellow Scarecrow and the Wake looked and felt great. Well my second trick was “going” to be a Raley. I started my cut pretty aggressive, if you have ever pulled me you know I have a pretty hard pull and I count on being able to slow the boat down to create a progressive edge. Well all I can say is, this is the first boat that didn’t care who it was pulling, it never even budged. By the time I hit the wake it felt like I was doing close to 3 g’s. The second my board hit the wake my back foot shot out of my Hyperlite 3ds binding, also a first! I careened through the air and took the full force of the impact on my ribs. I let the boat know I was OK and put my board back on. I had to figure out what just happened. Well as I continued my run the boat still didn’t care that I was back there at all. I had to change my riding style quite a bit for this bad boy. I had to start my cuts a lot slower and let the boat do most of the work. As far as the wake, it was very nice. It has a mellow transition with a firm kick at the end. I think it favors riders who know how to wait for the pop. The wake is fairly wide, I rode 80’ and the wake seemed good from 70’ to 85’ making it nice for different rope lengths. Overall I would give the wake very high marks if you have an extremely aggressive cut, you might want to ease into things. The strong pull could have been attributed to the perfect pass boat the boat still did not have much side to side rocking either. Dave, thanks again for the pull and the bruised ribs. Would love to give it another shot behind that monster!!
Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-21-2005, 10:57 AM Reply   
The racks themselves are the same, but the way each one is mounted is different. The top ones are the "old" style where they through-bolt it into the tower and they can't be removed without an allen wrench. The lower racks are quick-release where they mount a plate on the tower and you install the rack just by sliding it onto the plate and tightening a thumb screw.

The racks are pretty close, but the angle of the tower allows you to get away with that because the boots on the bottom board of the top rack don't line up with the boots on the top board of the top rack. Therefore, they interlock and cause no interference.
Old     (antbug)      Join Date: Jul 2004       06-21-2005, 11:05 AM Reply   
ooooohh that's Gramps secret spot
Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-21-2005, 11:06 AM Reply   
Damien, any time! I should be making my way up to Elsinore soon, so I'll be sure to be in touch. Or if you want to venture to San V on Friday, it looks like we'll be doing the VLX/X-Star "taste test."

Kevin, Friday sounds good. How about 7:00 AM and then we get the 10:00 pass for the course?

Ed, I'll put you down for Friday on the Wakesetter if that time works for you.
Old    zboomer            06-21-2005, 11:13 AM Reply   
David, regarding the Illusion-x Bimini, those photos Rich posted show it fairly good. The bimini is stretched on top, but the tow ball sticks up above it through a hole. This hole in the bimini is an elongated oval, so you can stick your hand up through it and attach the rope.

The bimini is so taught you can drive home without taking it down.
Old     (dakid)      Join Date: Feb 2001       06-21-2005, 11:16 AM Reply   
dave, i know your overlooking my post was unintentional. either that or my post was misleading. it wasn't just directed at kevin.

Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-21-2005, 11:30 AM Reply   
We'll take all comers for Friday!!
Old     (jeffry)      Join Date: Feb 2005       06-21-2005, 12:37 PM Reply   
How much was that boat with all the goodies on it?
Old     (greatdane)      Join Date: Feb 2001       06-21-2005, 1:02 PM Reply   
The pull point on the illusion is much farther back because of the cross member they added -- this was to help with the rope/rack issue.

The blade does not have this cross member.
Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-21-2005, 1:10 PM Reply   
I believe the retail on this one should be between $60,000 and $65,000.
Old    xtremrider            06-21-2005, 1:58 PM Reply   
Ahh that river is killing me, the worst part is i live in LA county and i know it must be withing driving distance!!! Well thats a sick boat, and a nice lake. Rock on guys, and let me know when you are up by Elsinore, i would like to see the boat in person
Old     (buzz_grande)      Join Date: Mar 2004       06-21-2005, 2:46 PM Reply   
Congrats on the new ride Dave. Always good to have another VLX around. Looks like I don't have the best looking VLX on the lake anymore (j/k). She's a beauty!!! Can't wait to see it in person.
Old     (mike_gilbert)      Join Date: Sep 2004       06-21-2005, 3:55 PM Reply   
Buzz, is that a Fluid Concepts tower? I like the look of it with your boat.
Old     (timber)      Join Date: May 2004       06-21-2005, 5:16 PM Reply   
That boat is sweet!
Maybe my next boat
Old     (greatdane)      Join Date: Feb 2001       06-21-2005, 6:34 PM Reply   
Buzz, me too. Your boat/tower look nice!
Old     (buzz_grande)      Join Date: Mar 2004       06-21-2005, 8:09 PM Reply   
Mine is the Skylon tower, made new for the 05 VLX. I LOVE it!!
Old     (big_ed_x2)      Join Date: Jul 2004       06-21-2005, 10:13 PM Reply   
Thanks Dave I'm in!!

I'll just need directions to San V!Never been there!
Old     (goochy)      Join Date: Feb 2002       06-23-2005, 7:28 AM Reply   
More PICS, the boat looks SWEEEEEEEET !!!!!!! ,any pics of stock wake ? with stock ballast. I have a 2001 VLX Wakesetter with 500 MLS and 300 lbs in hall , and 400-500 in rear on each side of engine ( no wedge ) . Would the 2005-2006 VLX wake with stock ballast be the same as mine with SACKS ??? My wife LOVES our wake with the extra ballast. Looking for a boat with a stock ballast system to match my old 2001 VLX with sacks added. Do you have perfect pass in the 2006 ? Looks great keep up with all the great looking pics Thanks !!
Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-23-2005, 10:08 AM Reply   
The new boat with stock ballast is probably just as big or bigger than your loaded 2001 VLX. And it does have Perfect Pass. I wish you were local so you could come check it out tomorrow. Hopefully, we'll get some pics of the wake.

Here is a new pic that makes me very happy. It actually fits in the garage!!!



I also need to get some better numbers. Hopefully my yellow Domed Numbers will be here soon.

Old     (goochy)      Join Date: Feb 2002       06-23-2005, 10:15 AM Reply   
Looks great !! My dealer has a 2005 LSV 23 ft wakesetter in stock , the new 2006s have a HUGE price increase ! I would be able to get the 23 ft 2005 cheaper than a 2006 VLX , 23 or 21.5 VLX ?? What to buy ????
Old     (lzyboy)      Join Date: Jun 2001       06-23-2005, 10:34 AM Reply   
sweet sweet sweet ride~ CONGRATS!!!

Does the bimini fold up against the tower or does it hae to be removed? pics?

Also, the tower lights seem super close to the bimini?


Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-23-2005, 11:07 AM Reply   
The way the bimini comes up in back, it sort of blocks the rear lights, but it doesn't run into the lights. The front lights clear the bimini since it comes down in front. This would be another reason to bring the whole bimini down a couple of inches, not that you'll ever need a bimini and lights at the same time! :-)

I didn't realize it until I had taken the bimini all the way off, but it does appear that you can leave it mounted on the tower while it's folded. I'll have to try it the next time I have it out and take some pictures.
Old     (big_ed_x2)      Join Date: Jul 2004       06-23-2005, 11:19 AM Reply   
Yeah you do needs some #!Why don't you get them painted on?how bad was it to fold the tower down?



Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-23-2005, 2:19 PM Reply   
I like the drip molded numbers. I think they look better than the painted numbers. They're going to be yellow with silver outline.

The tower was easy to fold, but it definitely takes two people just because you can't take the bolts out and hold it at the same time.

Ed, are you in for sure tomorrow??
Old     (big_ed_x2)      Join Date: Jul 2004       06-23-2005, 5:05 PM Reply   
I'm in for sure!

7am?
Old     (twakess)      Join Date: Mar 2002       06-23-2005, 6:37 PM Reply   
dave where did you get these drip molded numbers?
Old    drewsky24            06-23-2005, 7:47 PM Reply   
Squid~ look at the link inbetween Dave's last two pictures.
Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-23-2005, 11:11 PM Reply   
http://www.domednumbers.com
Old     (evil_e)      Join Date: May 2004       06-24-2005, 7:53 AM Reply   
Hey Dave, forget the domed numbers, that masking tape is sweet! Where can I get some?! Nice boat by the way, wish I lived down there so I could check it out.
Old     (michaelb14)      Join Date: Jul 2001       06-24-2005, 7:17 PM Reply   
Good looking boat but is it really an 06 or just an 05 in 06s clothing? The 06s don't start in production until July...

Not busting your chops or anything, really just curious. I am guessing this was one of the prototype 06s. Just didn't know if it was truely titled as an 06.
Old    dave_e            06-24-2005, 10:55 PM Reply   
Here are a couple pics of a stowed bimini on a Blade tower. It only takes a minute or two to stow. I would recommend stowing the bimini when towing the boat.



Just a few comments of previous conversations about the Blade.

The tower can be lowered every day. The bolts go into stainless steel inserts and will not wear out.

It does take two people to lower do to the forward swoop of the tower or you can make a simple stand from a 2x4 to support the tower while removing the bolts.

The pylon location is in the same spot on both the Illusion X and the Blade except the Blades pylon is higher. The cross member on the Illusion X is in the same location as the back of the Blade. The Blade was intentionally made higher to give more headroom and to allow a place to locate the four 6x9 speakers.


Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-25-2005, 11:07 AM Reply   
Yes, it's a 2006. It is the first one off the line that they used for the catalog, so it is missing a feature or two that will be available on the production 2006 models, which should be rolling off the line as we speak.
Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-25-2005, 11:36 AM Reply   
Here are some pics of the wake from San V yesterday. Right, left and one with Kevin, so you can get an idea of the relative height.



Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-25-2005, 11:45 AM Reply   
Here are the shots of my bimini folded up...



Old     (greatdane)      Join Date: Feb 2001       06-25-2005, 12:12 PM Reply   
Neat looking tower. Nice finish. But, the tower lights are a little awkward (lots of connecting parts), I would probably avoid them. It also looks like they shine right into the bimini.

The wake looks nice -- it appears to have a definite sweet spot.
Old     (buzz_grande)      Join Date: Mar 2004       06-25-2005, 12:48 PM Reply   
Dave,

Thanks for the invite. Had to work. I drove up to the dock twice in the afternoon hoping to bump into you guys or Kevin's crew. No luck. Anyway, glad everyone had fun. Boat and wake look GREAT! Congrats!

Hope to see you out there soon. Keep in touch and let be know about your next trip there.

Buzz
Old    dave_e            06-25-2005, 1:09 PM Reply   
Dave,

If you move the bimini to the upper attach brackets when stowing, it will stow in front of the pylon. That is the intended stow position, not in front of the speakers.
Old     (big_xstar)      Join Date: Nov 2004       06-25-2005, 9:26 PM Reply   
Nice pics of the wake Dave, but honestly the pics dont do it justice.. I really enjoyed the ride. Only one thing. I can make any wake look huge when I am next to it. ( the short jokes are for you Dave!)
Sorry we missed you Buzz. We were hanging around the dock for about 45 min. around 12:30 or so.
Wish we knew you were gonna be there.
Old    edward            06-25-2005, 10:10 PM Reply   
nice boat. i just noticed a brand new vlx tucked back in the corner of our lake about 3 weeks ago and it has not been moved from its lift since i've seen it there and its killing me. i can't wait to see it out on the lake so i can try to get a ride.
Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-26-2005, 8:59 AM Reply   
Dave, if I move the bimini to that position, will the new tower cover fit over both the tower and bimini?

Buzz, we'll get you next time!
Old     (solo)      Join Date: Oct 2001       06-26-2005, 9:19 AM Reply   
Dave,

The new ride is just sick. Maybe I should drive over and get a pull. Keep the pictures coming!
Old     (wakeworld)      Join Date: Jan 1997       06-27-2005, 10:28 AM Reply   
Come on over! You're more than welcome!
Old    hotlantaman            06-28-2005, 12:36 PM Reply   
What are the major differences between the '05 and '06 VLX? I have heard that the '06 has a hydraulic wedge, but I bet there's more changes than that......
Old     (batman)      Join Date: Nov 2001       07-01-2005, 7:27 PM Reply   
B A D T O T H E B O N E !!!!!

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