get the low pitch prop and you're good to go. we have a 400 lb bags in each of the rear compartments, 300 lb bags in each of the front compartments. and a 650-750 lb bag in the walkthrough by the driver (more towards the front than center). Add that to the stock ballast and throw in a good looking blonde riding shotty and id say you've got yourself a winner. as far as how it drives....well....i'd say it drives pretty well considering the size/shape of the hull and the amount of weight you'll be putting into it. we have the 350 mcx and we have no complaints. if we had the bigger engine we'd definitely be upping the weight in the back compartments but thats just un-necessary for the level of riding we are at.
keep the engine oil and transmission oil changed every 50 hours--even though most people probably do every 100. Fluids are the life of the engine and should be taken seriously. also, you'll want to take a white lithium grease gun and lube the two nipples (hehe) for the steering system. One is located on the rudder shaft and the other is on the pivot. You can also spread some white lithium grease on the steering cable. Grease everything 1x per year and that'll really help the steering stay consistent for the life of the boat. the two fittings that you'll need the grease gun for have seals that can be busted if you squirt too much in there so i'd stick with 1-2 pumps per season--max. we've got about 600 hours on our 2009 x-star and have had no issues at all. one extra tip, the fuel pump is located in a weird spot on the tank for that year and you can burn up the pump REALLY quick if you get the tank below 1/2 tank frequently. keep 'er full since it will give you a bigger wake anyway