Hmmm...that does seem a little off, make sure the prop nut is tight...also could be the gas - try fresh from a different station, pull the spark plugs and make sure they all look the same - should be a dry light brown look, if any look off you could be dropping a cylinder at WOT...see the dealer and have them look things over...good luck

my experience with most car motors, they don't get faster with break-in, you are just doing that to extend their life or not blow up day 1. however, the way most car motors are built these days you don't break them in, you run the piss out of them mile 1. you want them to run hard and hot from the get go, get everything seated. That's the racer in me though.

If the set up and prop is wrong you will never get where you should be. This is the best advise you have received call Steve and get the right prop and adjust you motor to the correct height. My 150 class boat runs low 60's and I think this one will too with the proper set up and propped correctly.

Yep, I think you should be 55-60 on that setup. I can get to 51 in my 17' Triton with a 115 Evinrude and a light load. Got to 52 once, but 50 is a more common number.

You'll be surprise how much weight we carry
on the boat..!

I don't want to know what all I have in mine.....

I would think 60 is definitely possible. I have an 06 TR 186 with a 150 Opti, (not Pro XS) no jack plate, and a 23 Tempest Plus. I am a 300 lb guy and the best I have seen is 58.1 at 5800 rpms. Normal touney load and 2 people is 54-55 at 5700 rpm. It is 52-53 with the 36 gallon livewell full, but still turning 5700 rpms.

This boat was originally rated for a 175, this year the rating got dropped to a 150. I looked at one last year with a 175, but it was a little out of my price range. I settled for the 18 Pro (formerly labelled Explorer series) with a 150 ProXS. Mine came with a 23 Tempest Plus prop.

I don't think you will see 60 out of it. If I remember right, you've got about 500 pounds dry weight on me. Your boat is also a couple of inches wider and has much nicer livewells, and also has nicer trim than mine. It also holds a bit more fuel I think.

That boat really needs a 175 to run optimally I believe. I think you will top out at around 55-60, probably not breaking 60. Try raising the jack plate to get your prop shaft about 2 3/4 inches below pad. That will probably be a VERY good starting point for your setup.

Mine taggs the 6100 rev limiter topping out at about 63 with the 23 on it.

I run an '05 Merc150XR6 on a Triton186, it'll do about 60