At least we agree on one thing..................

Johnny,

I thought it was the XRs that were so parasitic..?

I guess I've just never thought of the thing that is actually doing to pushing to be a drag as well. Seems odd...

Thanks. Brad.

There is no real speed (therefore, HP) loss between a bone stock bravo 1 and a bone stock XR. Whoever told you that is flat out wrong. We've replaced hundreds of bravos with XZ, 1X, XR, etc. These are boats not F1 cars. They just aren't that sensitive. XR are louder and break less. That's it.
I get what you're saying, but yes, 6-7 blades will literally have more drag than 3, even if they're doing the "pushing". Drag. Parasitic loss. Power loss. Speed loss. Call it whatever you want, they are considerably slower.
Like I said a few posts ago, less blades = more speed if you can get them to hook up. I would almost guarantee your PQ would run its absolute top speed with a modified mirage plus, but stink in the midrange. I wish they made a mirage big enough for me to try on the krypto. I know it would put me over 110.
Sportmaster and IMCO lowers are also slower until you're running over 90 or so. A standard bravo lower (if at the correct drive height) is worth 3-4mph, until it sufferers from blowout in the low 90s. The ins and outs of prop, setup, drive height, gearcase size, gearcase design, are immense. Sometimes what you think will work wont even get on plane, and sometimes two identical boats act totally different. We have a wall of props to aid in dialing boats in after repowers. We also work very closely with Brett Anderson. The coolest is when we've dialed boats in at Lake X, but that doesnt fit into all budgets.

Johnny,

Gotcha. Interesting that I’ve read that the XR robs HP probably a couple dozen times here on OSO, in comments made by members whose voices I’ve learned are worth listening to. The straight cut gears, as opposed to spiral, are the proposed culprit, and the noise (which is an indicator of drag/friction) supports that. I don’t doubt you at all. You’re one of the few members here that actually play boats for a living, so….

Back to the OP topic…. As you stated, it’s obvious the original buyer wasn’t concerned with too speed, or they would have started with bigger power and drives to match. Seems kinda like buying a Corvette and putting knobbies on it, I guess…. Sweet ride, though.

For the record, I wanted to try a Mirage Plus 29P on our PQ, but was told I’d likely never get it on plane. Have not tried it.

Thanks. Brad.

Not the same, but.... Cobalt 263 with 496 HO whipple charged with bravo XR 3.

Claims to do 72 MPH on GPS.

https://www.cobaltchat.com/viewtopic...e+263&start=15

Here's a short vid of him doing 30 - 60 MPH.

While noisier, straight cut gears are actually slightly more efficient.

….and their best attribute

Pits

What a great post thanks for sharing. Had suspected some of these issues as I'm working thru some handling issues of my own and confirms what I thought.

Absolutely loved when it looked like this. Very clean and classy.