Bayliner 160 Bowrider Review and Specs [Video]

Bayliner manufactured the extremely popular 160 Bowrider from 2004 through 2022 in the US. Released as the smaller sibling of the more spacious 180 Bowrider, this tiny 16-footer could be opted with 60-100hp Mercury outboards.

Let’s drill into the details and talk about this beginner Bayliner in detail!

Bayliner 160 Bowrider Review

Hull and Top Deck

The all-new Bayliner Bowrider family replaced the proven Capri runabout series in the mid-2000s.

Often referred to as the Bayliner 160 BR, the 160 Bowrider was the smallest member of this fleet.

As the name suggests, this little runabout featured a 16-foot body and bowrider-style top deck architecture.

Her 16-degree modified V hull was made of hand-laid Vinylester resin and featured full-length box stringers for maximum structural rigidity.

As reported by Trade a Boat, this shell came with a lifetime warranty.

Besides its solid platform, another key advantage of this model was her small lightweight construction, which ensured easy storage and handling.

In terms of dimensions, she measured in at an overall length of 16 feet 2 inches with a beam of 7 feet 2 inches.

Loaded on a matching swing-away tongue trailer, the storage length remained under 20 feet, which allowed the boat to be stored in a small garage.

Fitted with the standard engine, the boat’s claimed dry weight was 1,332 pounds alone and 1,702 pounds on its trailer.

Filled up with 18 gallons of gas and some basic gear, her gross trailering weight averaged around 2,000-2,500 pounds, which ensured easy towing, handling, and launching.

Also, she only required a small tow vehicle, which made this model accessible to more families.

Combined with her affordability and low running costs, the 160 BR made an excellent beginner boat.

Simple yet practical, the top deck enjoyed high gunnels and the Bayliner-exclusive Beam Forward design, which offered more deck space and larger storage compartments.

Are you wondering what this unique design was?

In a nutshell, this architecture stretched out the beam from the forward section towards the aft, reaching its maximum width around the consoles.

Thanks to this innovative floorplan, the 160 BR had the feel of a much bigger boat than she actually was.

The seating capacity was five people but decreased to four in 2020. This wasn’t a big issue since the boat was overcrowded anyway with five onboard.

Her fairly small bow section was designed with a fiberglass floor liner and two loungers that could comfortably seat two kids or small adults.

The center section of this bow area had two cupholders but lacked any cushions, so it functioned as a solid-textured bow step.

Protected by a curved walk-thru windshield, the minimalist cockpit utilized two bucket seats and a rear bench seat with three lumbar supports.

Each of these was made with nice cushions and UV-treated vinyl upholstery.

Moving aft, the motor took up significant usable space on the cramped swim platform.

In return, the stern was fitted with a grab handle and a telescoping three-step swim ladder.

The port console was designed with a small item tray, a 12V outlet, a grab handle, and a cup holder.

At the helm, you had a molded plastic steering wheel, a shift/throttle lever, and a tiny dashboard with gauges like a speedometer, tachometer, voltmeter, and fuel meter.

Additional features like cup holders, grab handles, mooring cleats, 12V navigation lights, bow and transom eyes, under-seat storage, net storage pockets, a floor ski locker, a 1200 GPH manual bilge pump, and a painted single-axle trailer with a swing tongue all came standard.

The list of optional features included a waterproof 120W audio system, hydraulic steering system, automatic bilge pump, high-altitude prop, ski tow pylon, custom color schemes, and canvas packages.

Engines and Performance

In the year of its introduction, the Bayliner 160 Bowrider came standard with a 4-stroke 50hp Mercury EFI outboard.

In the late 2000s, this motor was phased out by its 60hp variant.

Optional engine packages in the US included a 4-stroke 90hp Mercury or a 2-stroke 90hp DFI Mercury Optimax.

To the greatest regret of many 2-stroke enthusiasts, the latter was eliminated over the years due to environmental restrictions.

Interestingly, the 160 BR was also offered with a 4-stroke 100hp Mercury outboard on the European market.

Performance wise, the top speed of the boat was 33 mph with the standard 60hp engine and around 44-46 mph with 90hp variants.

Each engine package cruised the boat in the mid-20s, where she had a fuel range of about 110 miles.

To be more precise, the factory performance test results were as follows:

Engine	60hp EFI Mercury (4T)	90hp EFI Mercury (4T)	90hp Merc OptiMax (2T)
Cruise mph	24.8 mph	25.3 mph	24.7 mph
Cruise gph	3.3 gph	3.2 gph	3.2 gph
WOT mph	33.3 mph	46.2 mph	33.8 mph
WOT gph	4.9 gph	8.0 gph	7.9 gph
Prop	10.25×14 BLK MAX	10.25×21 BLK MAX	10.25×21 BLK MAX
Range @ Cruise rpm	106 mi	111 mi	108 mi
Cruise load weight	2,203 lb.	2,371 lb.	2,371 lb.

Let’s face it, the 160 was fairly underpowered with the standard 60hp engine with a large number of people onboard.

This tiny engine was only enough for cruising with a light load and wasn’t capable of towing any water toys.

The optional 90hp packages were not only more adequate for a heavier load, but they also offered a much sportier characteristic and could tow a tuber or even a wakeboarder with ease.

The 160 was also known for its nimble yet predictable attitude, quiet operation, and easy handling.

Problems

Even though the 160 BR was a very popular beginner Bayliner runabout, she had some obvious design flaws.

Besides the limited free deck space and a lack of convenience amenities, she was also known for having very tight bucket seats and a small forward lounger.

Her 16-foot hull was not only small and lightweight but also featured a shallow 16-degree deadrise. All of these translated into a poor rough water performance.

This is why this model was primarily recommended for rivers and small lakes rather than large bodies of water.

Specifications

In a nutshell, the factory specifications of the Bayliner BR 160 were as follows (2010-2022 model years):

Dimensions and Capacities

Overall Length (LOA)	16’ 2”
Beam	7’ 2”
Estimated Draft	2’ 7”
Dead Rise	16°
Approx weight w/ standard 60hp engine	1,332 lb.
Approx weight w/ trailer	1,702 lb.
Fuel Capacity	18 gal.
Usable Fuel	17 gal.
Max People Capacity (’10-’19)	5
Max People Capacity (’20-’22)	4
Storage Length	19’ 7.25”
Beam on Trailer	7’ 6”
Height on Trailer	5’ 5.25”

Engines

Std. Engine	60hp Mercury 4-stroke outboard
Opt. Engines	90hp Mercury 4-stroke, 90hp Mercury OptiMax

Disclaimer: Specifications in these charts are for informational purposes only. For further information, please refer to the operator’s manual.

Takeaways

Versatile and affordable, the Bayliner 160 Bowrider was a great beginner dayboat.

This lightweight runabout was very easy to store, tow, and launch, and she could accommodate a couple or a small family.

Thanks to her simple features and Mercury outboard engines, the 160 BR was one of the most reliable Bayliners ever built.

In return, she had fairly small seats, limited deck and storage space, and a poor rough water performance. Despite this, the model became extremely popular among novice boaters.

If you are considering buying one, you can find plenty of 160 Bowriders for sale on the used market.

Asking prices typically range from $15,000 to approximately $25,000, depending on the condition, engine package, and location.