BlackHawks vs. Bravos

[HiPerf2000]

What would be some of the pro's and cons on having blackhawks over bravo's?

Which is a faster drive?
How accesible are blackhawk parts?
Are they any different to rebuild? (tooling etc.)

[Cord]

The blackhawk on the correct hull will be faster than a bravo. Cats can see as much as 10mph! They tend to shift hard at idle as the props bit hard. This can make things interesting around the docks. Some hulls also had trouble meeting a 5mph no wake speed. Some people have reported breaking the drive, presumably because the props hook up so well on reentry. The biggest issue with the bh is not the availability of parts, but props. If you really want to go fast, you may be faced with building custom props. Many of the bh parts have been discontinued, but the people that are experienced with the drive will know where to get them. I really don't feel that this is an issue. The camps on the bh are very sharply divided. You will either love the drive or you will absolutly hate it. There seems to be no middle ground.

Props will be getting harder to find. But most of the parts are the same as the Bravo I and Bravo III with the exception of a few parts. The blackhawk drive must have a hull that does not need a lot of positive trim. I beleive that this is why they worked so well on cats. The cat hull packs are under it to lift the bow. Deep V's need rocker built into the hull so they will have good bow lift.

My opinion on the blackhawk is if you boat in big waves and get a lot of air then the drive is not for you. The props do bite hard and this will put a lot of stress on the drive. If you do not get a lot of air the drive will work great on the right hull.

Idle speeds are definitely a concern. My boat idles at 6-7 mph.

[aTX427]

Need the right hull. I picked up 10mph. Stock they are only good for 400hp, with gears 500.