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Old     (srich5)      Join Date: Apr 2016       06-08-2016, 7:51 AM Reply   
I am looking at buying a 2006 Mastercraft X Star with the 8.1L 450HP engine. I am curious about the interior space. The wraparound seating looks pretty small to me? Also, I know this is an extreme wakeboarding boat but how difficult is it to surf/ski behind?
Old     (psudy)      Join Date: Dec 2003       06-08-2016, 8:18 AM Reply   
Its too extreme for skiing.
Old     (xstarrider)      Join Date: Jun 2007       06-08-2016, 8:33 AM Reply   
The cockpit in the Xstar is extremely tight. One of the smallest if not the smallest in its class. The bow area is more on the larger side.

Surf wake is really sub par and not good at all without any aftermarket suffrage/ surf device. Especially on the goofy side.

Skiing is pretty piss poor if you want any more than a recreational two ski set. Any midrange slalom and you body will get beat.


It's a wakebording beast with arguably one of the best wakes of all time. Looks sexy as all heck in the water. Beyond that it's not very user friendly.
Old     (Riley212)      Join Date: May 2015       06-08-2016, 8:36 AM Reply   
They made huge bow seating and tiny main seating, surf just fine it looks like, there are probably better in the price range from tige or centurion. none of these big v drive boats ski awesome, they will pull a skier but the wake is not competion level. if you want something at skis well look at the 20 foot boats- X2, VTX.
Old     (srich5)      Join Date: Apr 2016       06-08-2016, 9:12 AM Reply   
well the skiing is mainly for my wife. she does not do anything crazy, basically gets up and rides around the lake going in and out of the wake.
Old     (jarrod)      Join Date: May 2003       06-08-2016, 10:05 AM Reply   
I owned two of these. As Swatguy stated the wakeboarding wake is amazing. The 8.1 Xstar will take as much weight as you throw at it and will still get on plane. The wake is huge! Even by todays standards.

Unfortunately most 8.1 big blocks had engine problems. The head gaskets blow and flood the number 8 cylinder (I think it was 8) with water. At a minimum it will strand you, or blow the motor if the motor actual fires under vapor lock. I personally blew up three 8.1s, as did Rusty, and shortly after they were discontinued. I believe J.B. O'Neill also had the same issue. We used to carry a sparkplug wench so that we could drain the cylinder, pump our water, and make it home.

Several have said that you can run better gaskets to fix the issue. If you're willing to do that you would have a more reliable boat. Personally I wouldn't buy one unless you have the mechanical ability.
Old     (markj)      Join Date: Apr 2005       06-08-2016, 10:32 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by jarrod View Post
I owned two of these. As Swatguy stated the wakeboarding wake is amazing. The 8.1 Xstar will take as much weight as you throw at it and will still get on plane. The wake is huge! Even by todays standards.

Unfortunately most 8.1 big blocks had engine problems. The head gaskets blow and flood the number 8 cylinder (I think it was 8) with water. At a minimum it will strand you, or blow the motor if the motor actual fires under vapor lock. I personally blew up three 8.1s, as did Rusty, and shortly after they were discontinued. I believe J.B. O'Neill also had the same issue. We used to carry a sparkplug wench so that we could drain the cylinder, pump our water, and make it home.

Several have said that you can run better gaskets to fix the issue. If you're willing to do that you would have a more reliable boat. Personally I wouldn't buy one unless you have the mechanical ability.
Blew up Three??? Whoa...
Old     (srich5)      Join Date: Apr 2016       06-08-2016, 12:40 PM Reply   
That's really interesting to hear. I thought the 8.1L was a great engine.
Old     (jarrod)      Join Date: May 2003       06-08-2016, 1:18 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by srich5 View Post
That's really interesting to hear. I thought the 8.1L was a great engine.
It is. It's a torque monster and makes the boat super fun. Indmar unfortunately didn't do a good job of marine-izing the motor.
Old     (phatboypimp)      Join Date: Apr 2005       06-08-2016, 1:59 PM Reply   
I have an 08 X-star but not the 8.1L - I have the 6.0 (which has plenty of power with the right prop). The interior is small - but the storage in back is huge and there is a ton of room around the motor for maintenance. Wakeboard wake is excellent, surfing is decent with a ton of weight and I wouldn't dare to ski behind it.

It is easy to drive and maneuver and the bow is huge. I love this boat and it is damn sexy but it is pretty tight with 4-5 people trying to move around.
Old     (imscarlet)      Join Date: Mar 2008       06-08-2016, 10:51 PM Reply   
Interesting re the 8.1 we run 5 of them over here in Jetboat and the only issue we have had is with the exhaust manifolds which we have replaced with aftermarket ones we get 2000hrs out of them before we tear them down as a precaution as they are used in a commercial operation. Never had an issue with head gaskets but for reference we use Victor Rae
Old     (jarrod)      Join Date: May 2003       06-09-2016, 6:43 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by imscarlet View Post
Interesting re the 8.1 we run 5 of them over here in Jetboat and the only issue we have had is with the exhaust manifolds which we have replaced with aftermarket ones we get 2000hrs out of them before we tear them down as a precaution as they are used in a commercial operation. Never had an issue with head gaskets but for reference we use Victor Rae
Are they Indmar?
Old     (imscarlet)      Join Date: Mar 2008       06-09-2016, 12:44 PM Reply   
Yes as I said only change made was we lost the exhaust manifolds in fairness Indmar wrote a service advisory on how to avoid the issues we experienced
Old     (holdsworth)      Join Date: Jan 2010       06-11-2016, 7:04 AM Reply   
Our 8.1L had a manifold problem that was it leaking a tiny amount of water into two cylinders. Still ran for us, but could tell by the sound something was off. When that was fixed, my dad had the heads rebuilt and had the exhaust manifold bored out a bit and after that, she ran beautifully. It's a great motor, just don't skip out on maintenance and don't treat it like a race car on the water and you'll be fine.

Last edited by holdsworth; 06-11-2016 at 7:04 AM. Reason: .
Old     (doublemwa)      Join Date: May 2016       06-16-2016, 8:31 AM Reply   
I went though two promo X-stars, an 07 & 08. The dealer I went through strongly suggested not getting the 8.1 because of an assorted bag of issues. Some of my counter parts had the 8.1 and didn't have any issues in the year they owned the boat, other than time between fill-ups at the pump. All in all I love the X-stars, but you'll be hard pressed to get a good surf wave out of it.
Old     (lifetimewarranty)      Join Date: Oct 2008       06-17-2016, 11:14 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by doublemwa View Post
I went though two promo X-stars, an 07 & 08. The dealer I went through strongly suggested not getting the 8.1 because of an assorted bag of issues. Some of my counter parts had the 8.1 and didn't have any issues in the year they owned the boat, other than time between fill-ups at the pump. All in all I love the X-stars, but you'll be hard pressed to get a good surf wave out of it.


Surf wakes are iffy on most boats prior to what...2010?

Seems these new DIY ghetto gates are making that far less of an issue though. At least it means within a couple minutes you have a pretty good surf wake out of these older hulls without surfgate stuff


Interested reading about the 8.1 though. That motor is rock solid (well...before Indmar gets ahold of it I guess...) My brother has one in a Suburban and it has been excellent.
Old     (Mattymillz12)      Join Date: Jun 2016       06-18-2016, 9:03 PM Reply   
I see someone talking about the xstar not having a lot of space....but I find that not to be true. Most days during the week I'll have a crew of 12 and most are college athletes, so they aren't little guys. We can sit most people in the back, if not all and it's still comfortable. However, it isn't as long as a comparable 23' malibu, axis, centurion, or natique. The bow space is massive though, and it fits multiple extra people comfortably.

I can't speak on the 8.1 L, but a lot of people love it. I have the 6.0 LQ9, and it's a beast with 3k ballast wake boarding, or even more surfing. I run two 720lb sacs in the back, and additional sacs in the front. The storage is still plenty for a full boat of people.

The xstar is surfable without the addition of tabs or GSA. But, it will require additional weight. I fill all stock tanks and line the port side with a 720, 400 on the seat if friends aren't out, and 250 in the bow. Additionally, I created a plastic surfgate. If you choose the xstar, there's a lot of great threads on Teamtalk to help you design that. This boat is really versatile. However, if your looking for purely a surf boat, I'd look elsewhere.

The boat is an absolute beast for wakeboarding. Stock, it's better than most with weight. And the more weight you add, the better it gets. And it looks amazing on the water. You won't regret that purchase.
Old     (cbarguy1)      Join Date: Dec 2012       06-27-2016, 3:37 PM Reply   
I'll add to what other's have said. First off, don't know much about the 8.1, I've got the 6.0 and it's great. It's true the main cockpit is small for the size of boat. It's got a 102" beam which is as big as the new surf boats, so it is wide but short. That is offset by a huge sun platform with ginormous lockers. And as mentioned the bow area is also really big. So it depends on your mission. Not the best layout for a family but will still handle lots of people. Ladies love the sun platform which a lot of the newer boats have eliminated.

Ski = poor, like any big wake boat. Malibu is probably the best choice if you want to ski in this class of boat.
Wakeboard = nuff said on that.
Surf = so-so with just ballast. But if you add a "suck-gate" or equivalent it's actually pretty good. Check out this thread on team talk. http://www.mastercraft.com/teamtalk/...70442&page=105

Bottom line, I always tell people its a boat you buy with your heart, not your head. Unless all you care about is wakeboarding. It's not the most practical choice but they sure are sexy. And they hold their value well.
Old     (cbarguy1)      Join Date: Dec 2012       06-27-2016, 3:56 PM Reply   


Not my boat but good pic of one on the water:
Old     (Mattymillz12)      Join Date: Jun 2016       07-05-2016, 6:47 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by cbarguy1 View Post




Not my boat but good pic of one on the water:

Here's a pic of mine on the water. They are extremely sexy on the water


Old     (Pad1Tai)      Join Date: Jan 2013       07-10-2016, 12:21 PM Reply   
The Xstar hull is a difficult hull to get a surf wake out of due to the box design and convergent hull..
My dual actuator system works excellent.. this a prototype system that we try new approaches to weekly..
Attached Images
  
Old     (simplej)      Join Date: Sep 2011       07-10-2016, 4:56 PM Reply   
^ it sucks that MC won't bring this hull back. And I guarantee the surf issue is why.
Old     (beg4wake)      Join Date: Aug 2012       07-11-2016, 7:19 AM Reply   
I agree with what most have said here. I had an '08 XStar which I loved! The wakeboard wake was phenomenal! And I'm still mostly a core wakeboarder as long as my body will take the abuse! But last year I dislocated my knee, tearing some ligaments, which forced me to be bound to a surf all season. And me being a goofy footer, that was enough to get me looking at new boats. But my XStar had me ruined on wakeboard wake so I ended up getting a G23 which was the only boat I found to have a comparable wakeboard wake to my XStar!

To comment on the seating, it really does feel small fora 22' boat compared to other boats of that size. It does have a huge bow that will fit a few people, but BEWARE...that bow is notorious for taking on water, and when you load a few people into it while boarding, just be prepared to get them soaked a few times! I've been sitting dead before with about 4 people chilling in the bow and a boat came by surfing and it's wake crested the bow without me even moving!

And on the surfing... Port side can be ok with a lot of extra weight. Starboard side will not clean off unless you get some kind of "ghetto gate" or what have you. You could do something like what Pad 1 Tia above here did, but I was always told that adding tabs like that permanently would end up affecting the wakeboard wake and I personally wouldn't wanna take a chance on doing so. Therefore some kind of removable gate (maybe the new MISSION Delta would work great!) would be the only option for me.

The 8.1 is a beast but the only person I know that has one has had a ton of problems with it (they're actually getting it fully rebuilt now). I had the 6.0 with an upgraded prop and it was a total beast and was all I needed and it sounded AMAZING (although it drowned out the stereo a lot)!!

IMO...the 2nd gen XStar is an amazing boat, but is really only worth the money if you are truly a core wakeboarder or are just 100% in love with the way they look (like stated above, its a purchase from the heart). Otherwise, there are probably better options out there such as a Malibu 23LSV.

This was my old one, Wiz (black and yellow black and yellow)....

Old     (lifetimewarranty)      Join Date: Oct 2008       07-11-2016, 7:34 AM Reply   
You guys are killing me. Stop posting pics of X-Stars on the water please.

Charlie, That setup looks sweet! What's the wave/pocket like?
Old     (djsauer)      Join Date: Feb 2015       07-11-2016, 7:35 AM Reply   
To open up a can of worms, as someone who has never ridden behind either, how do you all feel in comparison of this 2nd gen XStar versus an Axis A20/A22? Based solely on wakeboard wakes. I see you can get an early 2nd gen Xstar in the mid to late $30ks. I'm not too sure what you can find a used A20/A22 for. But, I hear both these wakeboard wakes are phenomenal. How would they compare?
Old     (lifetimewarranty)      Join Date: Oct 2008       07-11-2016, 9:43 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by djsauer View Post
To open up a can of worms, as someone who has never ridden behind either, how do you all feel in comparison of this 2nd gen XStar versus an Axis A20/A22? Based solely on wakeboard wakes. I see you can get an early 2nd gen Xstar in the mid to late $30ks. I'm not too sure what you can find a used A20/A22 for. But, I hear both these wakeboard wakes are phenomenal. How would they compare?

I'd say Brian answered that question pretty well. He ended up with a G23 as the closest match up on wake vs his X-star.

There is no comparison in quality of an Axis and Mastercraft though. Axis is "low end" Malibu and from what I've read here and heard from others up until the last year or two they were pretty poorly put together...but of course used boats can be a gamble no matter what you get.
Old     (djsauer)      Join Date: Feb 2015       07-11-2016, 10:24 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by lifetimewarranty View Post
I'd say Brian answered that question pretty well. He ended up with a G23 as the closest match up on wake vs his X-star.

There is no comparison in quality of an Axis and Mastercraft though. Axis is "low end" Malibu and from what I've read here and heard from others up until the last year or two they were pretty poorly put together...but of course used boats can be a gamble no matter what you get.
Absolutely. I completely agree with you on this. I guess I wasn't clear. Cosmetics and quality aside, I was just curious on solely the wakeboard wake. I realize you can get a newer A20/A22 for a similar price to a 2nd gen Xstar. I realize what you get with the Axis won't be what you can get on the Mastercraft, completely. But, I've heard tremendous things about both of these wakes. So, I was curious as to solely the wakeboard wake on both of these.
Old     (boardjnky4)      Join Date: Dec 2011       07-11-2016, 12:40 PM Reply   
An A22 wake is no slouch. I'm sure it's every bit as big as the X-Star (depending on ballast configuration), but I've never had them side by side.

Axis quality is good, it's just not nearly as "fancy" or "blinged out" as a Mastercraft.
Old     (jarrod)      Join Date: May 2003       07-11-2016, 1:24 PM Reply   
From 2015 and up, you're not giving up anything by going with the Axis accept fancy billet walkthrough doors and board racks and a few other things that do nothing to improve your experience on the water. The foam density is great, the vinyl thick and the boat is put together very well. I've owned a few of the older X-stars and now have the 15 A22. Any year A22 will achieve a massive wake with less weight than the older X-star also. And everyone in the boat will be a lot more comfortable because there's a lot more room.
Old     (Pad1Tai)      Join Date: Jan 2013       07-11-2016, 7:40 PM Reply   
Tim.. The wake is pretty good for a wakeboard designed boat... The reg side is a bit better than the goofy..
Attached Images
 
Old     (dyost)      Join Date: Jan 2007       07-11-2016, 9:06 PM Reply   
MLO where'd you get the pic?
That is my buddy Dave in there, just came to visit me in KC this last weekend.
I learned so much new stuff and also blew my knee behind that Xstar.

We used to roll around with 3800 lbs ballast in that boat, best wakeboard wake ever (disclaimer: I have never ridded a G).
Old     (Mattymillz12)      Join Date: Jun 2016       07-12-2016, 10:33 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by jarrod View Post
From 2015 and up, you're not giving up anything by going with the Axis accept fancy billet walkthrough doors and board racks and a few other things that do nothing to improve your experience on the water. The foam density is great, the vinyl thick and the boat is put together very well. I've owned a few of the older X-stars and now have the 15 A22. Any year A22 will achieve a massive wake with less weight than the older X-star also. And everyone in the boat will be a lot more comfortable because there's a lot more room.


I'm on my best friends 2016 Axis t23 when I'm not on my xstar. The wake isn't even comparable...the xstar had way more Pop with stock ballast over a weighted axis. The 6.0 in the xstar is way more powerful than the axis, but the improvement in ride quality has gone up over time. The quality is nice inside granted my xstar isn't as new, but axis performance isn't near what mastercraft has to offer in terms of wake. The t23 is a much better surf boat, but not comparable in the wakeboard realm. Axis is coming along though.
Old     (Mattymillz12)      Join Date: Jun 2016       07-12-2016, 10:34 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by boardjnky4 View Post
An A22 wake is no slouch. I'm sure it's every bit as big as the X-Star (depending on ballast configuration), but I've never had them side by side.

Axis quality is good, it's just not nearly as "fancy" or "blinged out" as a Mastercraft.


I have to disagree. I ride both in my xstar and in an axis and the wake is a lot bigger in the xstar stock over the axis. Any day. But a new xstar is 100k and decently new axis could be considerably less for not much of a performance downgrade
Old     (mikeski)      Join Date: Aug 2003       07-13-2016, 11:35 PM Reply   
I have skied behind my buddies 2005 X-Star with the 8.1 and it's a beast of a wake. The boat had 8 people in at the time I kind of did it to prove a point. The biggest problem was the transom tow point that causes the rope to go through the wake and pull the handle away from you in the turn. I should have used the tower but a low pull point generally works better for slalom skiing as long as it is above the wake. I've been in this boat many times, now I just leave my ski at home when we take his boat.

One of my favorite wakeboard wakes with stock ballast even compared to Malibu's with stock plus 1,000-2,000 lbs.

The 8.1 really moves the boat well but it is a very thirsty beast too. Not many wakeboats can keep up with it. Top speed is close to 50 with a stock prop.
Old     (Mattymillz12)      Join Date: Jun 2016       09-25-2016, 5:10 PM Reply   


Reg side wave. Long pocket decent height. Full stock ballast, 910 sacs in rear, dual 350 In bow, 500 on port side seats.
Old     (gnarslayer)      Join Date: Sep 2008       09-25-2016, 7:04 PM Reply   
Whats up guys, here is my two cents on the 8.1

First of all, the 8.1 completely puts the 6.0 to shame.... The 6.0 is far from a beast so don't even get that idea in your head.

Secondly yes I blew up an 8.1 motor in 2012, but it was ran like this every single day


The motor didn't blow because of any of the reasons above. The motor was ran with low oil because the dipstick was too long and said we were at 100% every time. The motor never completely blew and would still get on plane every time and ran it like that for 3 months. Ended up trading the core and getting a remanufactured 8.1 in january 2013 and have had zero issues since.

starboard surf is horrible, port surfs fine, dont think I even own a ski so I wouldnt know about that.

5.7 = dont even bother
6.0 = more reliable, smaller wake
8.1 = pure beast, mega wake, less reliable

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