Hey guys! Needing some experience. I just purchased a 2016 zx225, and it seems to run pretty smooth so far. Problem is, I see most guys getting top speeds in the low 70s and low 60s at 5K RPM. I am currently seeing a top speed of 62-64MPH, and 52-53MPH at 5K RPMs trimmed up just over 3/4. My jack plate is set at the ninth dot.

compression was good on all cylinders when I bought it and I made sure Im getting maximum throttle out of the motor

The prop is dinged up a bit, and there are a few minor fiberglass issues on the back underside of the hull. Could these issues make a 10 or more MPH difference? I dont need to be the fastest boat out there, but Id like to get the performance the boat should have.

Thank y'all!

You need about 6,000 RPM's or close.

Prop ?

A dinged up prop and hull damage can easily cost you some speed. Also, you didn't mention what model and pitch prop you're running

What motor?
What prop?

Start there.
Then, let's make sure what you've got going on.
Those speed/rpm is WFO? Full power? Why not full trim? Skeeters need a lot of bow lift to obtain their potential, what happens when you give it full trim?

Is the speed from GPS or speedometer? Boat speedometers are never right.

Is the boat lifting hard? Is it light and loose or stuck to the water?
What's your holeshot time?

Details matter, the more details the better the answers.

I have the yamaha SHO 225 with a powertech VMX3 25 pitch prop but plan on getting a new one to replace the dinged up one. Either the yamaha T2 or the tempest

when I go full trim I lose a couple miles as hour, when I just give it a few bumps down I get my best speed

I have a real light load right now, not all my gear is int the boat yet

wide open throttle I believe is around or just over 6K RPMs and the 62-64MPH from humminbird GPS

Holeshot seems a little slow to me, havent got a time on it though

First indication is you’re a little high or your prop needs attention.
If it were mine I’d send what you’ve got to Josh at Steves prop on fork. He will get more out of it than unknown in a box.

I would suspect having the wrong prop is the problem. See if you can get someone to let you try their 25T1.

I was wondering if a wrong prop (especially with minor dings) would make that much of a difference, I saw where the 25T2 comes stock on them so I guess previous owner switched it out before sale. Ill have to give it a try!

I had a 2015 and it ran 75 with two of us straight from the factory until the day I sold. Never had to adjust or change anything. Even had a dings on my prop.

maybe it is the prop then as I know I dont have the stock prop, it was sold to me with a bit cheaper one. Ill give that a go

There are at least a dozen possibilities. If the OP has no experience, and all he/she know is what they read here, they should try to find some experienced help. I know that boat well and if close to properly set up, is low 70's at about 6000 rpm/s.

I assume a 225 SHO. 25P sounds about right for a prop. 9th hole is meaningless. How far is prop shaft below the pad?

Pat is right. Those old Skeeters loved to fly.

Different hulls have different needs. The Stinson/Skeeter hulls actually are designed to compress air under them to provide lift so they reach potential. So you want high bow lift to achieve that.

A narrow pad hull like an Allison or Champion run best high and flat, so what works for one is not necessarily what works on the other.

I was out again today. At 5k RPMs trimmed all the way up, I was at 46MPH, and trimmed just over 3/4, I was at 53MPH. Wide open, I was 60-61PMH at 6K PRM. I feel like this is slow for one of these boats, even if it is not set up perfectly. Nine dots on the jack plate equate to 2.25" pad to prop, I believe. I've been told each dot is 1/4". forget to clock a hole shot time

Way too much prop slip. Start dropping the motor down 1/4” at a time until you lose speed then back up.
Every prop/hull/motor is different and should be set for what you’ve got, not what someone tells you.

1 sign that motor is too high is losing speed at full trim the other 1 is losing water pressure. Watch your water pressure gauge as you trim up.

Learn how to measure prop to pad first off.

forget "dots" and etc.. get out a good level, measurin' tape, straight edge and start here:...

http://www.stevescustomprops.com/faq.html#How_do_I_adjust_the_Prop_shaft_engine_height_

ya want ta start with 3 1/2 inches between A and B.

You say you haven’t loaded everything in yet…..Although it makes no sense to me, I’ve spoken to 2 people, 1 from the Elites and 1 boat repair shop owner, who lost speed when they lightened up with lithium battery’s. Something to do with hull design done expecting more weight.

Ok,
There's a lot of guys here who've setup a lot of boats. Ignorance is not a sin, we don't know what we don't know.

IF
You want to find your potential, there's only one way to find it, might take you a couple of hours but it's time well spent, because you'll learn a lot about your rig and what makes it do what it does.

1. Put all your stuff in it. Fill up the gas tank, when you get to the lake, fill up the livewells. A boat setup light and dry will never run right loaded, but a boat setup loaded will still run good light.

2. Get a sharpie, you'll want to mark where you start on the plate. Bring a notepad to record your results. It's too easy to mess this up without writing it down.

3. With your full load at your current setting, go run it. Track holeshot time, and WFO speed/rpms. That's FULL power/FULL trim.

Now listen to your boat, it's going to tell you exactly what it wants. Is the roostertail higher than the motor cowling? Is the boat running flat to the water? Is the steering really stiff? Those are symptoms of being too high for your prop. Now's the time for small moves, 1/4" down until you lose speed, then back up a click. You must know what too high and what too low is, it's the only way to find just right.

And if you swap out props, you get to do it all again, no two are identical.

Ok sweet, ill try that the next few trips! water pressure is holding good, so I'll start lowering the jack plate a bit!

Take it too far and bring it back. That’s how you find just right