226

[Lloyd]

Looking at taking a 226 out for a test ride.Can anyone tell me abit about them,fuel consumption,handling,towing,wake is it a wake boarding boat only or will we be able to skyski behind it aswell,can u wakesurf it?Does it need moter upgrade ie z6 motor,coming from an 03 vlx any info or comments would be great.thanks lloyd

[AbunDiga909]

RE: 226

Never been behind the 226 but garuntee it'll have a great skyskiing wake. The wake for the skyski isn't that important compared to boarding but it's still nice to have a big one. I've skyskied behind a 210, 220, 206, and my 216 most often and all have great wakes. I hot my highest air behind the 210 of course but as far as shape is the 220 had a nice shape to it and I think the 226 has a similar hull to that. I can't imagine a skyskier being dissapointed with the wake behind this boat it huge...

Again, never been in the 226 but have the ZR6 and it a great engine I love it. I think its more necissary in a 226 than in my 216 but you still have to justify weather its worth the extra 4K to you, I personally think it is but that's just me...

Good luck

[wake-sk8]

RE: 226

Go for the ZR6 with the 226. IMO its too big for the 5.7 especially when using extra ballast. Driven both and the ZR6 is far better IMO. Great boat & better build quality than the Vlx, again IMO

[JoeCos]

RE: 226

Hi Lloyd,

Welcome aboard the Nautique Forum !

I've owned my 226 for over 8 months now. I have logged close to 70 hours. It’s a Team, 2005 with ZR6.

I can tell you only by my experience. The Boat is AWESOME ! It drives like a small boat despite its size. It handles chops like its not there. The gear storage and the amount of Space for passengers is amazing. The wake is nice with stock ballast. It’s not as steep as the 210, it has a nice wide and long launch ramp. It’s “Knee Friendly” – LoL. Adding more weight like pop bags will easily create serious competition type wakes. Surfing behind it is no problem. There is almost NO bow rise when you open the throttle. I tow the 226 with a 2002 Chevy Tahoe and it’s not a problem at all.

Keep in mind its a heavy boat, so I highly recommend the ZR6. As for gas consumption, well, its not the best, but its always good to know that you got that extra HP if needed. The extra $$ invested in the motor is definitely well worth it.

We are not hardcore wakeboarders. We do pretty much just about everything, so the size & steepness of the wake was not our priority. For us and what we do, it fit our needs.
So, it depends on what you are looking for and what your priorities are.

Overall, the Boat is Great. We Love it. Absolutely no buyers Remorse here and I would not trade it for anything.

If you have other questions about the boat, PM me and I’ll help you as much as I can.
I know there are about 3 more PN members here that owns a 226. Maybe they can chime in too.

Best of Luck.
Joe

[OzzieSAN]

RE: 226

We just completed a thorough test of a 226 team with friends who had almost exactly the same requirement as yourself...

Driving - Really nice... as mentioned it isa big boat but not that noticeable on teh water... with teh ZR6 there is a heap of holeshot & I can't imagine the boat with teh 330... very social and safe with an amazing amount of freeboard... it handles the rough water briliantly with teh usual Nautique solid feel...

Wake - it is no 210 but it was competing against a 05 VLX & it was as good if not better than that. These guys are social boarders and skyskiers & they had a grea ttime wioth the wake...

Fuel Consumption - didn't measure it but it wasn't to bad, we didn't notice to much change in the gauge after 3hrs on the water.

In short thought they ditched their 05 VLX & didn't bother with a 23 LSV...

The only prob is there are no production spots until later this year or early next year!

[Kenv]

Lloyd,

I've got an '05 226. Unlike Joe, I have the smaller engine, the 5.7-330hp. I ordered it that way. Ozzie mentioned that he couldn't imagine the boat with the 5.7 but I have no issues with it at all. They are not that far apart in power. I don't have a huge boatload of guys with full ballast all the time so I don't miss what I never had with not having the ZR6. Yes - it probably would have a bit more punch but the 330 is no slouch. I can't say this as fact, but I probably use less gas over a days time with the 330 vs. the ZR6. And we all know what gas is doing to the country right now. Every penny counts. I ditto everything that Joe and Ozzie said about this boat. It is SMOOTH. My wife didn't like the walkthrough when I showed her a picture of the boat. Now, after having it, she absolutely loves it. You don't loose as much seating/sunpad as you think. The tower on this boat is tight. Both as in it looks "tight" and literally is tight and strong. My bimini is bigger and I love the flight clips compared to my old loose Wake Designs crap on my 2000 SAN. I now prefer the composite platform over wood and I finally have a cooler that holds more than a six pack built into the boat!!! I've never pulled or used a SkySki or AirChair but I'm sure the wake will be more than adequate for your likes. There are some pictures of some of the 226's in the Show us Your Nautique section. For mine, scroll down 20-30 posts and look for "New '05 226" Mine is Blue/White. Joe's is Red/Black/White. Good luck with whatever you decide. Post back if you have any specific questions.

Ken

[Lloyd]

Thanks guys for ur detailed responces,we will be testriding a 226 in about aweeks time,so i post back to tell u how we went!Once again thanks for the info.

[fsts2k]

My thoughts

I echo everything stated about the boat but I also have the "small" motor. While I have never used anything else other than stock ballast, with the ballast full and six people, the boat still is a rocket. I have no problems with the "small" :mrgreen: motor.

Other than that, great boat. We use it on Lake Geneva WI, which is really choppy during the day, filling up the back ballest and cruising around at 12 mph is perfect for keeping the bow dry.

Love the boat!

[jefe]

I drove the 226 with the 330 w/ 10 people, stock ballast, 800 lbs of extra ballast in the back. I also drove another 226 with the 375 w/ 12 people, stock ballast, and probably close to 400 lbs of lead. I didn't see a significant difference between the two boats. Honestly, I was surprised that it was not more. If I were to buy a 226, I wouldn't be spending the extra money. I have had 3 Excalibur's in the past, and would say it is a top engine.

Now if the 375 had a different prop, maybe that would've helped.....