Bravo 1's w/ 350magMPI's...400 hrs and they look like new inside. Service every season, swap rotation and use synthetic....can't beat a small block/Bravo set-up for longevity.

I have had at least 4 boats 35-42' with 525's or 600's and never had 1 issue of any kind. And I ran them HARD.

42 Executioner with Bravos and sportmasters had 100 hrs of So FL big water and never missed a beat.

Now these guys know how to drive em with Respect!! Good work guys!

I drove my B1 (Mr. Gadgets) rebuilt 2 seasons on a 27 ft Baja behind
a Steve Morris Procharged 1078 hp without issues before switching to a to a XZ Drive.... no problems Just was careful, never applied full power untill speed was 65 to 70 mph.

They will live on smaller v bottoms but cats kill em its when surface drive em xpower drive is the way to go pay me now or pay me later

Very True!! Cats are a differnt breed. Differnt rules apply there!

I seem to go a season or two between "issues".

My old 250 Sport ran 500 hrs with a 454 and a Stock Bravo One. Replaced a blown engine at about 500 hrs with an HP500, ran another 400 hrs till I sold it, Same stock original Bravo. Two major factors, whose on the sticks, and did the guy that assembled your drive at Merc get laid recently.:drink: MR

First 2 boats with black power, several hundred hrs,
no problems.

Last boat w/ HP500's, 420+ hours no problems.

Current boat, 575's, XR's, stellings boxes and 5 blades,
high X.

Have had issues with both.

And it's not my right hand, or reaction time causing it:D

The shortest time span was about 1 season.

Fall 05', had a tooth break off the driven gear, got wedged
between drive gear and pinion, pushed pinion assy
forward, breaking the case right , replaced with new XR
upper.
Fall 06' cone sheared off of gear, gear appeared to have
crack in between one tooth that may had resulted in this
failure.

Had a couple other issues with gears flaking apart,
just as recent as this summer.

I'm starting to wonder if merc is having these
gears made in China ?? ....the quality doesn't seem too
good, seems to be crappy material, or voids, just under the tooth surface, once they wear a bit, the flakes start
showing up on the magnets.

If or when the next problem happens, I'm tempted
to try my luck with a set of regular X gears.

My boat is a 24' Sunsation w/450 horsepower engine. The drive wasn't under warranty. Athough I bought the drive brand new, it wasn't installed untill two years later when my hull and engine were done. The upper verticle shaft snapped.
I did run the boat hard, but 15 hours is absurd with only 450 horses. I did change the drive oil 3x in 15 hours.
My friend has a stock Bravo I on a 28 Pantera with an HP 500, 150 hours-no issues. My boat is lighter and has less power than my friends boat-so I thought a stock Bravo I would be ideal.
Even though I run the boat "hard", I don't think it should break. Imagine if you bought a "car" and it "broke" because you put your foot to the floor.
I'm having the drive rebuilt with XR gears. I hope to have better luck with the new gears/shaft.
Does anyone know if KONRAD is coming out with a Bravo replacement?