How fast in Speedster 150 with bimini top up

[hancop]

What speed should you stay under if driving with bimini top open.
Don't want to wreck the top but hoping that you could drive say around 25mph with it up while towing a skier or tubers

Thanks

 

[Moejay]

The salesman told me he has driven 55 MPH down the highway with the top up......LOL
So first day out, I left mine up from my house to the boat ramp, at about 40-45 MPH it peeled back breaking the latches.
I was able to repair the straps but haven't had it up since.
I would say less than 30MPH but it depends on the head wind and how brave you are.

 

[speedster32940]

Different boat, but I have gone around 50 for a limited period with it up. Probably not too smart though... Mine is an OEM top that a dealer installed for me after I bought the (used) boat. Perhaps the mounting point on the speedster 200 being on the metal rails helps make it stronger? I normally will keep it under 40, and think the top should be able to handle that.

 

[WaTeRMaNiaC407]

Mine was installed at the dealer when I bought the boat. I have gone top speed in the boat with it up and have never had a problem. I guess it all depends on the top and how it was installed.

 

[Steve_Cay]

Just got a new to me 2008 Speedster 150 with the Bimini Top, can't wait to get it in the water!

I have seen youtube dealer videos that stated you can go full speed with top up, but I take that with a grain of salt.

That being said, while admiring my boat in the garage I noticed the Bimini top was not quite strait on the top tubes. Pulling back the canvas, I noticed the tubes were not well joined in the middle with half the screws missing, and the others having come loose. Easily fixed: bought some stainless steel screws of the same type, put loctight blue on the inner metal tube joining the two tubes to prevent it from coming loose again, and re-installed 4 screws per tube.

Obviously with the tubes not properly joined on top, the whole thing would have collapsed under speed, and probably break the 4 attachment points!

 

[TomScott]

As long as the top is level when the boat is up on a plane you should be able to go full speed. If it is acting like a parachute, you'll need to lower the front edge of the bimini so that it dosent catch as much wind underneath. MIght take a little trial and error to get it just right but worth the time if you plan to use it all summer.

 

[vwDavid]

Mine had a tower - with the bimini out I never noticed a significant change in top speed (even checked by GPS)