2018 Ri rumors

[wheels 151]

So who knows what changes are in store for 2018 ri. Here's what I know

cats will now be an option

new type of flooring 

[h20king 794]

I hear new quick surf tabs and hull change

[Sparkycollier 32]

Edit - I thought you said Fi

Edited July 5, 2017 by Sparkycollier

[Capdoogie 2]

Hull change for ri237 for sure!  Possibly to  ri217. No hull change to ri257.  They changed the bottom to mimick the ri257.   Also new upholstery.   Took away some colors added colors. New flake material in paint.

[Sparkycollier 32]

Will they reveal it on July 12 with the new Fi or later?

[Bawshogg 77]

Through the looking glass, things will look different......

I heard..NO MORE SCREW CAPS! but that might have just been a rumor.

[257Tsunami 50]

Ri 217/237
- New Windshield
- New Hull (Similar to 257)
- Single Screen (No more SxS) Dash Same is Fi
- No more Screw Caps
- Ramfill an Option (Meaning you'll be able to opt for more PnP instead of Ramfill)
- CATS an Option

Ri257
- New Windshield
- No more Screw Caps
- CATS an Option
- Ramfill an Option

Would be nice to see shorter gearing with the XR7. Wonder if that'll happen for 2018.

You hear lots of things. Hard to tell what's real and what's speculation. I'll believe everything I see once I actually see it with my own eyes.

Edited July 5, 2017 by 257Tsunami

[Bawshogg 77]

FI dash will be just that. FI. RI will still use SXS screens across all models.

[Sparkycollier 32]

1 hour ago, 257Tsunami said:

Ri 217/237
- New Windshield
- New Hull (Similar to 257)
- Single Screen (No more SxS) Dash Same is Fi
- No more Screw Caps
- Ramfill an Option (Meaning you'll be able to opt for more PnP instead of Ramfill)
- CATS an Option

Ri257
- New Windshield
- No more Screw Caps
- CATS an Option
- Ramfill an Option

Would be nice to see shorter gearing with the XR7. Wonder if that'll happen for 2018.

You hear lots of things. Hard to tell what's real and what's speculation. I'll believe everything I see once I actually see it with my own eyes.

I think they will have new gearing for XR7, at least for Fi

Edited July 5, 2017 by Sparkycollier

[Cwazy1 89]

I'm missing something here.. what are screw caps referring to? 

[257Tsunami 50]

The little bumps on the dash and vinyl panels that you see. There are screws under them. They put the vinyl screw caps on them to cover them up.

[Capdoogie 2]

So, why would you not order the ri237/257 with ram fill or cats?  I thought that was one of the selling points.

[257Tsunami 50]

My understanding is that some people prefer the bags because you don't have to be moving to fill/empty. And if I'm not mistaken, you can get more weight in the same space using bags instead of Ramfill. Or use the extra space for storage. That's what I've been told from others who ordered older Centurions without the Ramfill option. I can't see any reason to NOT order CATS aside from saving a few bucks.

[InfinitySurf 302]

I don't think you can get more total ballast without Ramfill tho I could be wrong (if Quickfill made up the difference). I have Ramfill on my 2014 SV244 (first year of Ramfill) and get 1250 per side....and then have 700lb PnP bags on each side....so 1950 total per side in rear for total of 3,900lbs. Guess the new RI locker size may be different without RF, but I know on the SV244 that I have, without Ramfill you can fit 1100lb bags....I have heard of people getting 1500lb if they also go up under side seats with custom made bag but then you lose all that storage space I believe. With Ramfill, it does take up like half of the storage under side seats but you still have some storage area left tho its only like 6-8" deep, so kindof sucks in that regard for sure.

Personally I really like Ramfill option since I use it a lot... tho for someone who just wants storage and does not surf a lot, I could see the benefit of not having Ramfill and it IS nice to be able to fill PnP while sitting still. Course not sure why you would buy a boat like this if watersports is not your thing.

[CO Surfer 289]

Why would anyone want to wait 7-8 minutes to fill bags when you can just drive down the lake for 30-40 seconds and be done?

[wheels 151]

Cats are an option because centurion has to pay a royalty for every boat with cats 

[Sparkycollier 32]

Opti-v

[Sparkycollier 32]

http://www.freedompowersportsusa.com/default.asp?page=xInventoryDetail&id=3622345&p=1&make=centurion&s=Year&d=D&l=freedom marine&t=new&vt=boat&fr=xallinventory

"This new model is optimized from the running surface up to exceed Centurion’s dominant water sports performance. The Ri237 furthers this storied performance with a newly designed Deep-v Hull pushed by GM Gen 5 direct injection power from PCM with C-Force."

 

[Cdifranco 463]

11 hours ago, CO Surfer said:

Why would anyone want to wait 7-8 minutes to fill bags when you can just drive down the lake for 30-40 seconds and be done?

Even with ramfill arnt you waiting to fill the PNP bags afterwards? 

[BoardCo 110]

I have to be careful when talking about 2018 stuff but this is an area that I can hopefully provide some helpful info.

Ramfill and CATS are options for the 2018 boats and there are a few reasons why they are options instead of standard equipment.

CATS - When it comes to this one it is correct that with the recent Correct Craft / Malibu Lawsuit settlement Centurion has to pay a royalty for all CATS systems that are put into a boat. In the past the CATS fin made a huge difference for the quality of the wakeboard and surf wakes, especially in the SV and FS series boats. With what Centurion has coming down the line for 2018 CATS isn't nearly as vital and has only minor benefits. As a dealer trying to explain and demonstrate the benefits of CATS is a very difficult process and 90% of customers rarely use it.

CATS has major benefits for boat owners looking for the ultimate in customization, however for the majority of Centurion owners it is a system that adds another level of complication and isn't utilized. By making it an option for 2018 it allows those that want the benefits to get a boat with it but also allows those that don't need it to save some $$$.

 

RAMFILL - Ramfill is the bees knees, that's pretty much it. It is an option for 2018 but the ballast capacity and storage will be identical whether you choose to have Ramfill or not. The primary reason why it is an option is for marketing purposes and I am in favor of this change even though we will probably never sell a boat without Ramfill. By having it as an option Centurion puts themselves in a stronger when going head to head against another boat brand. Here is an example:

CURRENT SALES GUY CONVERSATION (Comparing against Brand A)
"We do our ballast system differently than Brand A, we offer a system that fills and empties faster and is superior to Brand A's System"

2018 SALES GUY CONVERSATION
"We offer the same ballast configuration as Brand A in our boats. Beyond that we offer an upgrade that allows you to take your ballast fill time from 18 minutes to 45 seconds. We are the only boat manufacturer that offers this system upgrade and it is amazing."

 

Nobody should ever order a boat without Ramfill but it does put Centurion in a stronger position when showcasing the benefits of Ramfill by making it an option. If someone tries to order a boat without it I will probably slap them and require a 50% down payment on the boat. There have been a few warranty issues with the system but Ramfill is pretty much the best thing ever.

Also, with the amount of ballast that the 2018 boats hold the ballast fill or empty time would be around 20 minutes without Ramfill. We took a Supra SE550 on trade for a 257 this year and the time to fill the ballast clocked in at 17 minutes and 40 seconds (we timed it). After having Ramfill that seemed like the longest 18 minutes of my life.