Looking at a 150 Speedster - 155hp enough?

[gerapau]

:agree: I was thinkin the same thing, not to mention that a challenger weights more then a speedster.... I OWN A 155hp and it has more then enough power

I believe he has one of the older challengers. I think they were 14.5 foot boats so probably not heavier than the newer speedsters.

 

[vilord]

I was going to ask that, my challenger ('96) is similar to his 14.5, 1232 lbs.
How much does a newer speedster weigh?

 

[sporsterjoel]

I was going to ask that, my challenger ('96) is similar to his 14.5, 1232 lbs.
How much does a newer speedster weigh?

I though challengers were 18ft lol my bad.... 150's weight 1400lbs

 

[robertm]

Lets ingore differences in haul design and kinetic losses due to hual surface area for a moment.

If the challenger 180 with 215hp is enough for any watersports then the 150 speedster with 155hp should be just fine. Doing the math the speedster carries 9.3lbs for every 1 hp or 9.3 lb/hp. The challenger comes in at 8.9 lb/hp. This is an extremely small difference. In fact, if you carry just one additional person on the challenger then it has worse power to weight. One additional person at 150lbs puts the challenger at 9.6 lb/hp.

Owning a 215 hp challenger and knowing what its like loaded up with people, there is no doubt in my mind the 155hp challenger has got to be an absolute blast to drive. There is no way its lacking in power for any type of watersports an owner may want to do.

As an example, with 4 people still in the boat, inc lifevests, two coolers, etc, I can pull a 73" dia intertube with 3 people on it with zero problems. If anything the boat has too much power, as I'm constanly monitoring speed trying not to go too fast. With all 7 of those peoople on board the boat will quickly do over 40 mph.

So, a 155hp speedster with fewer people and less weight should be more than enough for any typical day of watersports and fun on the lake.

 

[vilord]

Lets ingore differences in haul design and kinetic losses due to hual surface area for a moment.

It sure would be nice if you could do that

Your 18' challenger may actually have a faster hull.... Ignoring everything else, longer hulls are faster than shorter hulls.
Smoother ride too (less porpoising)

 

[robertm]

It sure would be nice if you could do that

Your 18' challenger may actually have a faster hull.... Ignoring everything else, longer hulls are faster than shorter hulls.
Smoother ride too (less porpoising)

More or less power isn't going to change the fact that the speedster may poroise. I'm simply stating that a 155 hp speedster should have plenty of power to go out and have fun on the lake doing whatever watersports the owner likes.

The title of the thread asks 'is 155 hp enough for a speedster 150'. He states he's trying to keep costs down.

If it were me, I'd probably get the 215 hp model. But to me an extra 2k isn't a big deal. If it were then I wouldn't have a problem with the 155hp model. In fact it uses less exp gas, should burn less per mile, and def. have lower maintenance costs over time.

 

[sporsterjoel]

More or less power isn't going to change the fact that the speedster may poroise. I'm simply stating that a 155 hp speedster should have plenty of power to go out and have fun on the lake doing whatever watersports the owner likes.

The title of the thread asks 'is 155 hp enough for a speedster 150'. He states he's trying to keep costs down.

If it were me, I'd probably get the 215 hp model. But to me an extra 2k isn't a big deal. If it were then I wouldn't have a problem with the 155hp model. In fact it uses less exp gas, should burn less per mile, and def. have lower maintenance costs over time.

:agree: if your on a buget then go 155hp.... everyone should drive one befor saying that you need more, i choose the 155hp version 1) boat cost less 2) WAY less maintenance 3) cheaper to put fuel in it 4) 215hp uses permium fuel witch can be hard to find when out on the water, closest pump with high test is a 20 min boat ride.