G23 450 w/ 17" prop vs G23 w/ 550

[perry386]

I've heard these fuel numbers an I've heard people from other manufactures try to use these high numbers to try and say there is something wrong with the G that it burns so much fuel. People need to realize that it's simple physics. Yeah the guy with the Tige may burn 5 gals a hour but the guy with the G and factory ballast full is pushing twice the weight as the little baby Tige! It's true park a G behind any other boat from an other manufacture and it looks like a dingy beside a G! Well maybe a x-80 wouldn't!
A G with full factory is what? 5400 + 2800=8,200lbs! Make a Tige,MC,Bu that heavy and see how much fuel you burn! Now if you can add another couple thousand pounds like iron J does and see how much you burn!

Why don't they still make the X-80!?!? That thing was a HOSS. I've always been curious about the wakeboard wake on those boats, I'd bet it surfed unbelievably well. I did see a picture of someone surfing a MC300 and the wave looked massive.

[nyryan2001]

Its a fine balance between huge hull and the ability to sink parts of it to create a huge wake.

most x80s are twin screws, very hard to surf as you have to lean it hard and raise that other engine up. Single screw X80s can surf pretty well, but require tons of weight. ^^ with that rationale, X55and x35 should be the best surfboats, not even close.

Malibu 247 is an awesome surfboat, while the larger 24MXZ not as good. Massive Xstar is weak for surfing.

depends on the hull and weighting characteristics.

[fatchance720]

Another data point I will add here is about fuel usage on the 550 vs 450 (2013 on a 2315).... I'd say its easily 20-25% more with the 550.

Last night I burned approx 35gals in 2hrs 45mins. So I was at about 12gals per hour. Premium, pure gas no ethanol.


Now, with that being said, I was going heavy, heavier that the 450 could have done, and the 550 made it look easy.


Make no mistakes, you will not save gas by going with the 550, unless you intend to use your G for light duty perhaps. AMAZING engine.

That's crazy! I can not believe it is that much more gas, I guess you gotta pay to play!

[fatchance720]

Haha I was just going to say the same thing but you beat me to it. 35 gallons is my whole tank and that is about 10 hours of boarding with 2K of ballast. Compared to a G, those old school 210s are downright efficient, even with a Python haha.

I said the same thing without looking at your guys posts, now I feel dumb

[shawndoggy]

Bawlin' ain't for everybody!

[swankster]

Test drove the 2014 230 Friday and the 2014 G23 with the 450 yesterday. The 230 was impressive but I don't think I could go back. The G-23 with full ballast and two people in the boat, 6.8 seconds to 23mph. Empty 4.8 seconds. In my 2013 you hear the rpm change in a turn; in the 2014 it was hardly noticeable. The 2013 tends to float at top speed but the 2014 felt solid. The changes that I saw were all good.

[nyryan2001]

^^^ so enough improvement to make the leap? Why/why not?

[c640947]

Not sure if anyone else has been curious to know how the two compare, but I know I was. Finally got out today in a new 450, with the 2:1 tranny and 17" prop. I found that the new setup of the 450 can handle about 400 more pounds than the previous model, and gets to speed quicker as well. As for how it stacks up against the 550...not even close. I loaded up the 2014 450 with the same ballast setup I run in my 2013 550. After a couple of different tries, we ultimately had to empty out about 800-1000 pounds. You could definitely tell in the size of the wake (don't get me wrong, it's still bigger than everything else out there, that I've been in). I took note of where bottom of the G23 emblem was as compared to where mine is to the water line...the 450 is about 6" higher out of the water.

Hopefully this helps those who had the same question as I.

I am still a little confused. As background I think I have decided to go G23 over XStar but now need to figure out things like what engine size. Are you saying with similar weight setups the 550 sat deeper in the water than the 550? Draft is a concern for me (shallow river in spots) so I am trying to gauge how much draft this bad boy will have once I load it down. I am researching extra ballast setups next, but would guess ill be 2000-3000 over stock. Any advice on engine selection is appreciated. Will this boat struggle to get up with 3000 extra pounds over stock with only the 450?

Andrew

[ers906]

I doubt you will be happy with a 450 with that much weight over stock, even with the change in V drive ratio and 17" prop. Ryan and Jay will definitely have more experience running over stock, but when I run that much weight you can even feel it in the 550. It still runs great and gets up on plane relatively quickly, but you can tell that the boat is over 10K in weight

[nyryan2001]

the 2014s with the 450 with new tranny and 17" prop are so new you arent going to get good data or feedback for a while on the custom ballast jobs you are describing. i reccomend you go to your local dealer, tell them you want to demo a 2014 G23 and you bring your sacs and Tsunamis pump with you and test it the way you want to.

I have a 2014 550 with 1100s plumbed off the factory pump with Y valves and I love it. Amazing power. I had the same setup in my 2013. I am not tracking any performance changes 2013 to 2014 on the 550s. Ther are SIGNIFICANT improvements in performance on the 2014 G 450s with that new tranny and 17" prop.

The only thing I will add is the G's need more weight in the bow. even with that 950lb sac under floor, it could easily use another 500-1000lbs. Ive put 1100 up there and it could have taken even more.

[wakeslasher69]

I am still a little confused. As background I think I have decided to go G23 over XStar but now need to figure out things like what engine size. Are you saying with similar weight setups the 550 sat deeper in the water than the 550? Draft is a concern for me (shallow river in spots) so I am trying to gauge how much draft this bad boy will have once I load it down. I am researching extra ballast setups next, but would guess ill be 2000-3000 over stock. Any advice on engine selection is appreciated. Will this boat struggle to get up with 3000 extra pounds over stock with only the 450?

Andrew

FWIW, the G23 is a DEEP boat! There is a spot on my lake that I have been across a thousand times in my old Malibu 247 LSV, one week after getting my G23 I crossed the same spot weighted with factory ballast only (granted I was at idle) but I tore my prop to pieces. So if you question at all a shallow spot on your river I'd stay WAY away from it! I'm sure I was easily drawing 28-30 inches at the time, though thats a S.W.A.G

[ironj32]

I am still a little confused. As background I think I have decided to go G23 over XStar but now need to figure out things like what engine size. Are you saying with similar weight setups the 550 sat deeper in the water than the 550? Draft is a concern for me (shallow river in spots) so I am trying to gauge how much draft this bad boy will have once I load it down. I am researching extra ballast setups next, but would guess ill be 2000-3000 over stock. Any advice on engine selection is appreciated. Will this boat struggle to get up with 3000 extra pounds over stock with only the 450?

Andrew

No they didn't have the same weight setup, the 550 had another 1000 pounds in it. But as someone pointed out...it could have just been that the emblem decal was placed a bit lower on my new boat. The 450 will not push 3k pounds over factory ballast (neither the 2013, nor the 2014). It can only handle about 2k extra. The 550 can handle 3k over stock.

[c640947]

The only thing I will add is the G's need more weight in the bow. even with that 950lb sac under floor, it could easily use another 500-1000lbs. Ive put 1100 up there and it could have taken even more.

Where are you putting the ballast in the nose? Are you putting it under the seats?

[c640947]

No they didn't have the same weight setup, the 550 had another 1000 pounds in it. But as someone pointed out...it could have just been that the emblem decal was placed a bit lower on my new boat. The 450 will not push 3k pounds over factory ballast (neither the 2013, nor the 2014). It can only handle about 2k extra. The 550 can handle 3k over stock.

Well if this is true i think the decision is made on what motor to get.

If you go to a lake that doesnt have premium at the pumps, you think you can just regular and put octane booster in there? Normally Id do premium but sometimes if i get fuel on the lake 85 is all they have.

[c640947]

FWIW, the G23 is a DEEP boat! There is a spot on my lake that I have been across a thousand times in my old Malibu 247 LSV, one week after getting my G23 I crossed the same spot weighted with factory ballast only (granted I was at idle) but I tore my prop to pieces. So if you question at all a shallow spot on your river I'd stay WAY away from it! I'm sure I was easily drawing 28-30 inches at the time, though thats a S.W.A.G

Well I am not quite as concerned with it loaded and we are usually deep enough water when riding, but getting there or getting to someones house it can be shallow. Website says unweighted draft is 25" which is less than my current Mastercraft X2. Anyone comment on how deep she runs when empty?