Considering these two boats.
Cafe
Solid ride
Predictable deep vee
Full Cabin
Playboy
Better top end for the same power
Updated styling
These are my assumptions. What are the real positives / negatives comparing these two types?
Thread: Cafe vs Playboy
Results 1 to 20 of 69
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07-04-2009 03:19 PM
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07-04-2009 07:36 PM
You pretty much sum'd it up right there. I"ve spent lots of time on both boats and loved them both.
Only other thing I can say is the Cafe feels like a bigger boat, possibly because it has more free board and is heavier. There's some great deals on Cafe's. Only a handful of playboys (35 T/S's) built.Making the best in the industry BETTER since 1990...LIP-SHIP Performance: 305-933-9988
2010 Desert Storm Poker Run extravaganza - 04/22 through 4/25 Lake Havasu, Az.
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07-04-2009 08:25 PMThe price can be double between a Playboy and a Cafe due to age differences.......
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07-05-2009 07:36 AM
I love both boats, but I think it comes down to money. The Playboy will cost more but will have better resale and the Cafe comes in at a great value. My advice if you buy the Cafe find one that has already been gone through and spent all the money already then you can get a smoking deal. But then again the playboy's are already 80 mph+ boats.
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07-05-2009 04:14 PM
Not alot of people cross-shopping a Cafe and a Playboy because of $$$ in my opinion.
Determine what is important to you for YOUR boating experience. Is the full cabin with enclosed head important enough that you would sacrifice top speed and hull efficiency? Are you comfortable with having a stepped bottom boat (ie is this your first HIPO boat?).
I know when I was shopping the cover-girl cabins didn't work for what my wife and I were going to be using the boat for so we ended up in the cafe, but I would certainly love an extra 10++ MPH I'd get in the stepped hull....
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07-06-2009 04:01 PM
My current boat is an 80 mph boat, but I have to pick the days to be comfortable. Besides, 60 mph is a nice cruising speed for me. An extra 3 feet and 2000 pounds would make a difference.
I'm comparing the cafe to the playboy based on length only. 35' is about as long as I want to go. I've given up hauling 14 people with me wherever I go, so my interest has turned to ride comfort with classic styling. I want to like the cafe because of the practical cabin and standard vee I am familiar with. I'm not sure if a cafe with 525's will be a bravo eater though.
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07-06-2009 08:17 PM
The cabin layout on the Cafe (and the gun) is one of the best I've ever seen, layout wise. I love ours in our Gun.
A Cafe with 525EFI's and Bravos will run 75 or so. Not a bravo eater that I've seen, if you know how to run it (i.e. easy on plane, get off the throttles when aired out). A buddy had this combo on his Cafe for many years and blew maybe one or two drives in that time. The bravo is definatley a week link, but I think you'll be fine if you dont beat on it.Making the best in the industry BETTER since 1990...LIP-SHIP Performance: 305-933-9988
2010 Desert Storm Poker Run extravaganza - 04/22 through 4/25 Lake Havasu, Az.
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07-06-2009 08:49 PM
Both are really nice boats. IMHO, you can't beat the layout of the 31-foot Bullet. Because of its weight and deep V, it rides like a much bigger boat.
Good luck!If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!
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07-07-2009 11:04 AM
Clay,
I had considered a Bullet as well, but thinking the Cafe will give me a noticeably better rough water ride and a little more room in the cockpit and cabin.
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07-07-2009 01:35 PM
The number of Bravo's you will break will be DIRECTLY correlated to your right hand...
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07-07-2009 10:08 PM
Speaking of Cafe Racers....anyone know this boat? I really wish my boat would sell right now!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/35-CI...3A1%7C72%3A317
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07-07-2009 10:13 PM
Well it looks like I'm leaning toward a Cafe. The Mrs. likes the idea of a/c in the cabin. I've checked the more popular sites for ones that are for sale. Should I be afraid of Hawk 525SC's? About 200 hours on rebuild.
Maybe its time to start a "looking for a cafe racer" thread.
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07-08-2009 10:39 AM
I'd go for the Playboy...T/S; fewer built; better resale; faster.
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07-08-2009 11:00 AM
But does the Playboy offer the same ride quality at the same speed as the Cafe when the water gets rough on a holiday weekend at LOTO?
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07-08-2009 02:29 PM
I can't speak specifically to the Playboy since I haven't had the pleasure of riding in one but I can say that my T/S doesn't have any problems at all...but then again how can the Cafe possibly offer the same ride at the same speed as the Playboy when it isn't as fast?
Last edited by Tommy Gun; 07-08-2009 at 02:47 PM.
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