Boating — December 2018

(Brent) #1
SEE THE
VIDEO

SPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATIONnaut. stat. n. mi. s. mi. sound
rpm knots mph gph mpg mpg range range angle level
1000 5.13 5.90 2.10 2.44 2.81 147 169 1 78
1500 6.52 7.50 1.60 4.07 4.69 246 283 1 78
2000 7.73 8.90 2.50 3.09 3.56 187 215 3 82
2500 8.52 9.80 4.00 2.13 2.45 128 148 6 86
3000 10.95 12.60 5.90 1.86 2.14 112 129 5 92
3500 19.38 22.30 7.50 2.58 2.97 156 179 3 95
4000 24.16 27.80 8.80 2.75 3.16 166 190 3 95
4500 27.63 31.80 11.00 2.51 2.89 151 174 2 96
5000 30.59 35.20 15.40 1.99 2.29 120 138 2 98
5500 33.37 38.40 19.30 1.73 1.99 104 120 2 101
MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEED

High Points
XPower-actuated captain’s chair
goes up and down with the push
of a button.
XL-shaped ballast tanks fi ll to
precise measurements with the
plug-and-play system.
XFoldout WakeView transom bench
creates a rear-facing viewing
lounge for passengers to watch
the riders.
XIncreased storage means you can
bring along more gear.

Specs
· LOA: 23' · BEAM: 8'6"
· DRY WEIGHT: 5,000 lb. · SEATING/
WEIGHT CAPACITY: 15/1,974 lb.
· FUEL CAPACITY: 65 gal.

How We Tested
ENGINE: Indmar Monsoon 450 6.2L
PROP: 15" x 16" 4-blade Acme Nibral
GEAR RATIO: 1.78:1
FUEL LOAD: 35 gal.
CREW WEIGHT: 380 lb.
Price
Unavailable (at press time)

MALIBU


23 LSV


The boat does well when
on plane and running at
cruising speeds. Powered
by an Indmar Monsoon 450
6.2L inboard, the 23 LSV hit
a top speed of 38.4 mph with
no ballast, just over a half-
tank of fuel, and two crew
members. That’s fast for this
category. It climbed onto
plane in 3.7 seconds and took
12.1 seconds to hit 20 mph.
With the ballast tanks fully
loaded, the 23 LSV climbed
onto plane in 8.5 seconds.

What do you do when you already have
the world’s best-selling wakeboard boat?
You make it even better. In the case of
the 23 LSV, Malibu made the hull a little
deeper, creating more displacement and
increasing wave amplitude. This had the
side benefi t of increasing storage space
too. Overall, the redesign will help keep
the 23 LSV atop its lofty perch.
Where to start? Notice how the transom
seats are deeper with more-comfortable
backrests and hold larger storage tubs
underneath. Also note how there’s now a
walkway atop the aft sun-pad cushions for
easier access to the cockpit, so you won’t
scuff and dirty the vinyl every time you
transit between the cockpit and the swim
platform. Maybe the coolest thing is the
foldout WakeView bench in the transom.
When deployed, it creates a rear-facing
love seat for an amazing view of the action
behind the boat. New L-shaped ballast
tanks, combined with the plug-and-play
system at the dash, make fi lling and moni-
toring your tanks as easy as pie and create
a better weight distribution. At the helm,

the intuitive touchscreen monitors give
the driver fi ngertip control of the boat’s
functions and surf tools. The driver will
love the powered captain’s chair, which
raises and lowers at the push of a button.
Does the 23 LSV still perform at a high
level? Yes, says our team of riders, who,
after a session behind the boat, called it
pro-level. Thanks to Malibu’s features and
systems, the wake was highly customiz-
able to each rider’s taste. With the Power
Wedge at 3, our surf testers felt the wave
had a good combo of steepness and length,
allowing them to get farther back and drive
forward with ease to work on big turns and
airs. And for wakeboarding? Forget about
it. That’s why this boat is a best-seller.

PHOTOS: COURTESY MALIBU BOATS


MALIBU BOATS
Loudon, Tennessee; 865-458-4578; malibuboats.com

To watch our
video review
of the 23 LSV,
scan this tag or
visit boating
mag.com/
bbg18/
malibu23lsv.

C


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