15 400R news

**Double Rigged** · 03-12-2015, 06:49 AM

Tux,
They are definitely forward for sure. Mine are not quite that far but I have all rigging forward as well. My boat has great balance in the rough water also. It was a beautiful looking boat. What props did you run?
Rotation?

**tux974** · 03-12-2015, 08:57 AM

~Mercury 14 3/4 X 34 Labed 3 blade Cleavers.
~Out
Love to have had the option of wheels that are available now!

**Thunderduck** · 03-12-2015, 01:53 PM

**MODVP22** · 03-18-2015, 07:40 AM

Someone sent me this the other day:
http://speedonthewater.com/new-boats...r-hits-108-mph

Not sure how to interpret this...Looks like it doesn't sit too low in the back, BUT I can't help but think the boat would run just as well with a single 800hp big block and good outdrive, and not weigh 1200-1400 lbs.

**JPEROG** · 03-18-2015, 08:01 AM

"14 mph faster then with the XS rigging" is good news for cat outboard guys. It will be interesting to see what gains are seen on a lighter hull-

Joe

**MODVP22** · 03-18-2015, 09:10 AM

Part of me wants to throw the BS flag because you know the Merc guys are there helping with the "tuning".

I also find it interesting that the thru-hub props are being used so much-Bravo, Trophy, Rev4 and not Cleavers and ET's

**Mr. Demeanor** · 03-18-2015, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by MODVP22

Someone sent me this the other day:
http://speedonthewater.com/new-boats...r-hits-108-mph

Not sure how to interpret this...Looks like it doesn't sit too low in the back, BUT I can't help but think the boat would run just as well with a single 800hp big block and good outdrive, and not weigh 1200-1400 lbs.

The DCB 29 ran 129mph with a single Merc 1350.

**MODVP22** · 03-18-2015, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by Mr. Demeanor

The DCB 29 ran 129mph with a single Merc 1350.

Exactly. With 450hp less I think it's possible

**whipper** · 03-18-2015, 12:24 PM

They say they used only 32 pitch props and it didn't matter what the load in the boat was, 1 or 3 full or empty. That tells me she should have no trouble turning 34 to even 35 pitch props light for a whole lot more speed.

**1BadAction** · 03-18-2015, 02:10 PM

I notice some people just hate these things so bad out of pure spite they can't even decide what angle to bash them from. It's comical. Must be tired of rebuilding their 300 drags and 260s every 3rd time they get to hit the water.

Someone can buy 2 400Rs and have around 50 grand left over for the price of one 850SCI (for comparison sake), and the 850/#6 drive dry weight is 1700+lbs! Have fun tearing into the big block every 125-200 hours and adjusting the valves after a 3 day weekend of running. The V-rats are easily thousand hour motors with no valve adjustment, they're near silent off plane, and they idle like swiss watches. Now step up to something current like the 1100 and you're a little better off, but then talking 189 THOUSAND dollars MSRP for a drive package, somewhere around $125k more than a pair of 400Rs. I'd much rather have the extra room in the hull and give up a few MPH on top.

Originally Posted by Mr. Demeanor

The DCB 29 ran 129mph with a single Merc 1350.

At over 200 thousand dollars, it should run 129, and have a blonde that crawls out of the engine compartment to give a little knob slobbin once you break triple digits.

**SCT** · 03-18-2015, 03:59 PM

"At over 200 thousand dollars, it should run 129, and have a blonde that crawls out of the engine compartment to give a little knob slobbin once you break triple digits."

Bad, I'm sitting here at my desk laughing my ass off!!

**whipper** · 03-18-2015, 04:02 PM

i dont see to much bashing? They seem like there going to be a home run for merc. The big boy boats will love them with twins and 4 and 5 and 6 hanging off the back of there 40-50fters. The stout 21 to 25fters should love them on there hulls in a single over the 300xs. about the same power to wieght only 70+ more HP and the big thing I see is HP& torque between 6500 and 7000 rpm!! Thats what caught my eye. They should be able to spin a 34-36 pitch prop to the limiter on the right hull with a single.

I think when most say anything derogatory its more that they wont work on there smaller hull. i for one love to see the new great stuff being made BUT i would like to see at least ONE offing in the 300hp range thats more inline with the weight of the 300hp motors they built almost 20 years ago with RPM to at least 7000 or 7500. A 3.0+lt 300hp 400lb 7500rpm motor you would think is easy for them to make since they made so many like that sub 400lbs and 9500 rpm+in a 2.5. Ill bet a every 28ft tunnel or Vee and less running 300XS motors would change to 400lb 300hp twins or singles in a heart beat with 7000-7500 rpms with a 2 year warrenty. Thats a very large market!! The 300XS is doing the trick but but they accually decreased performance over were they were. They never went forward, they went backward in performance. Thats never good. Cars and Bikes are always breaking new territory in performance. Merc Outboards until this motor haven't since the 300X. This 400R is for a very smaller segmant of the market. The rest of the boats are stuck with what they have. The 250 and 300xs. No were near a 2.5 300 drag other than sip fuel. The 200xs needs to be punched out to 300+ without adding weight with 8000rpm and warrenty then they would have something for everyone. Theres lots of 200xs spinning 7500+ and living a long time so they could have had a warranty because not to many would have needed it anyway. My old 96 225 promax is 10 years on the first rebuild and still strong and I spin her with the side pinned to 7500 regularly those motors weight 364 lbs!! Its to bad merc is loosing the skilled perople they once had to produce those type of motors. They have been into car motors to heavy for to long Im afraid. The new techs might be getting to young to ever know what there company once could produce. Hears my dream motor but really was already made before they just forgot how to make them. 390lb 350hp 8000 rpm 15 and 20 inch 2.8lt or 3.0lt DFI SM 162,175,187. They make car motors with more HP, lighter than that with 8000 rpm!!

**Mr. Demeanor** · 03-18-2015, 04:08 PM

Using a boat speed/HP calculator:
http://www.go-fast.com/boat_speed_predictions.htm

So I plug in the numbers that are known for the 1350hp at 129mph and then change the HP to 800 and get a top speed of 99mph.
Thats the best I can do witout knowing a lot more details like weight of each boat etc.