Sporster 1800 Top speed?

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H€PHÆ$TU$

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I don't really care about going faster, I just want to know what I should expect for my top speed with the dual 717's for overall boat health benchmarking purposes.

Right now I'm getting a reliable 42mph on a GPS speedo. Is that about right? I saw someone in another thread claiming high 50's but I find that difficult to believe.
 
That's right around what I'm getting, somewhere between 42-45 depending on weather. Glad to see you are seeing the same. Just got mine about a month ago.
 
I've heard that unless you switch out the impeller or repitch it, it is pretty common for all the boats to achieve around 40-50mph. With the bigger engines you are just getting there quicker.
 
I was seeing around 47 mph on the GPS. Factory speedo was showing a little lower, around 42-43
 
I'm liking the black sides on your boat... Is that a wrap?

Thanks. It's actually not even real. I did several digital renderings of possible wraps a while back for my wife to visualize. We liked that one the best and are deciding if we want to tackle it ourselves or pay someone. We've done some smaller wraps before but nothing this big. Since that pic was taken we've also decided to reupholster the boat with gray and white instead of the gaudy lime green that it came with. So that green logo will probably be white. I've also removed the wake tower and installed a bimini so that it fits in our garage. We don't wake board and these aren't very good wake boats anyway.

We're actually thinking of selling the boat to get something a little bigger. We have good friends who are a family of 5 and we are a family of 3. I know these boats are technically rated for that many people, but space is sure tight with 8. Plus, we live on the gulf and these little boats are pretty uncomfortable in seas over a foot or two, which is pretty common here.
 
Thanks. It's actually not even real. I did several digital renderings of possible wraps a while back for my wife to visualize. We liked that one the best and are deciding if we want to tackle it ourselves or pay someone. We've done some smaller wraps before but nothing this big. Since that pic was taken we've also decided to reupholster the boat with gray and white instead of the gaudy lime green that it came with. So that green logo will probably be white. I've also removed the wake tower and installed a bimini so that it fits in our garage. We don't wake board and these aren't very good wake boats anyway.

We're actually thinking of selling the boat to get something a little bigger. We have good friends who are a family of 5 and we are a family of 3. I know these boats are technically rated for that many people, but space is sure tight with 8. Plus, we live on the gulf and these little boats are pretty uncomfortable in seas over a foot or two, which is pretty common here.

Sounds like me, 1-2 seas is the norm - we are in Pensacola and stay in the bays/river. Going from one bay to the next you never know what you are going to get, it still amazes me what water can do.
 
Sounds like me, 1-2 seas is the norm - we are in Pensacola and stay in the bays/river. Going from one bay to the next you never know what you are going to get, it still amazes me what water can do.
We're in Gulf Breeze! 2 days ago I launched from Oriole Beach and the water was glass. I went around to Pensacola Bay and had to turn back because of 4' seas! It's all about which way the wind is blowing I'm told but I haven't figured it out yet! I have this mission to make it from Oriole Beach to the bluffs on Pensacola Bay someday but I've not been out yet to find similar water conditions between the two. One or the other is almost always too choppy.

I think I want a bowrider with a Chevy engine, preferably 350. I've worked on Chevy v8s my entire life and am very comfortable with them.
 
We're in Gulf Breeze! 2 days ago I launched from Oriole Beach and the water was glass. I went around to Pensacola Bay and had to turn back because of 4' seas! It's all about which way the wind is blowing I'm told but I haven't figured it out yet! I have this mission to make it from Oriole Beach to the bluffs on Pensacola Bay someday but I've not been out yet to find similar water conditions between the two. One or the other is almost always too choppy.

I think I want a bowrider with a Chevy engine, preferably 350. I've worked on Chevy v8s my entire life and am very comfortable with them.
And we have fought through Escambia bay into Pensacola bay and IT was like glass! I have dreams of going to crab island next summer but not sure how realistic it is at this point. I thought that bridge in your video looked familiar!

Can't go wrong with a SBC but you will miss the accessibility of the seadoo motors. I swear with the SBC boats they build the boat around the motor, never considering that you might actually need to work on it.
 
And we have fought through Escambia bay into Pensacola bay and IT was like glass! I have dreams of going to crab island next summer but not sure how realistic it is at this point. I thought that bridge in your video looked familiar!

Can't go wrong with a SBC but you will miss the accessibility of the seadoo motors. I swear with the SBC boats they build the boat around the motor, never considering that you might actually need to work on it.

My neighbor rides his skis to Crab Island on a monthly basis. I imagine if he can make it we can? From Oriole Beach that's about a full hour of non-stop 42mph. I figure it's realistically about 1.5 hours one-way. I'd have to plan a fuel stop on the way home to be safe and bring plenty of oil! :)

Most of the bowriders I see with an SBC have a dog house that comes off and the motor is basically just sitting there on the deck of the boat. Are we thinking about the same thing?
 
My neighbor rides his skis to Crab Island on a monthly basis. I imagine if he can make it we can? From Oriole Beach that's about a full hour of non-stop 42mph. I figure it's realistically about 1.5 hours one-way. I'd have to plan a fuel stop on the way home to be safe and bring plenty of oil! :)

Most of the bowriders I see with an SBC have a dog house that comes off and the motor is basically just sitting there on the deck of the boat. Are we thinking about the same thing?
I don't worry that the boat will not make it I have watched the videos of these things going whitewater rafting so what we put it through is nothing. My wife and I ventured out one evening to go to red fish blue fish and gave up because by the time we rounded gulf breeze we were soaked so we figured there was no point continuing. I guess next time we try that we will pack extra clothes lol.

We are thinking about the same thing with the dog house but I have seen some where the motor is about flush with the deck it's set so far down in the hull. Makes sense the bigger the boat the lower the motor has to be but I think it was a larson I saw the other day where the motor was that way. I think the design plays into it, jetboats tend to devote the stern area for engine/swim deck from what i've seen, where your typical cruise boat has seating and whatever else they can cram in. Just something to remember to look at when you are shopping around I guess.
 
I'll second the comment on marine V8s, my dad had a Rinker with a Mercruiser 454 and it was a lot harder to work on than these seadoo engines. I'm impressed with how minimal the engine compartment is in these boats.
 
I’m about 41-43 mph solo , Bimini top down.. 140 psi on all cylinders. I don’t know what these people saying they get 50+Mph are smoking... ... they must be running race fuel or something ... Hahaha.
 
I’m about 41-43 mph solo , Bimini top down.. 140 psi on all cylinders. I don’t know what these people saying they get 50+Mph are smoking... ... they must be running race fuel or something ... Hahaha.
When we first got the boat we GPSd to see and we got 44-46 tops with glass smooth water, I think the gauge said a few MPH faster. 148-150psi all cylinders. Stock impellers. I'm with you on the 50+ crowd. I think they may be quoting their gauges.
 
I'm on my second Sportster 1800. Same pumps and impellers on both. Identical Max RPMs on both. With around 25 gallons of fuel and two adults, the 98 did 42 mph, the 99 does 43 mph on a good day both on GPS.
 
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