bravo vs. #VI same boat same power
 

Has anyone switched from bravos to #VI and kept the same power? What were the speed results. Curious how much power the #VI eats up.

I am sure there are a couple top guns that can be compared, 700-800 horsepower, one with bravos, and one with #VI's.

Anybody have an apples to apples comparison. I know on Skaters site, they claim the #VI is faster????

Re: bravo vs. #VI same boat same power
 

look at super vee race boats, most have switched to sixes now.... must be faster in the long run or they wouldn't have done it... plus they won't break as often....

Re: bravo vs. #VI same boat same power
 

good point. I guess they don't eat that much more horsepower than the bravos then.

I remember someone saying that transmissions eat about 12-15 horsepower, so I figured that is about 1 mph loss, in the tranny alone, then the VI has to eat more with the big gears, but maybe the hydrodynamics are better, and they can run at a higher X dimension????

Re: bravo vs. #VI same boat same power
 

you get the semi-surfacing design of the six plus the prop benefits that come with that.....(bigger and better prop selection)

if money isn't an issue, i would put the sixes on and never have to worry about them...

Re: bravo vs. #VI same boat same power
 

I read somewhere on OSO that #VI's eat up about 35hp more than Bravo's...if your considering an upgrade Merc's been talking about a tweener coming out soon (Miami show?) On a different note - VI's look really cool hanging off the back of a trailer :cool:

Re: bravo vs. #VI same boat same power
 

Changing from a bravo to a speedmaster you will lose 4- 5 mph my friend. Unless you go to a dry sump #6. That I have no idea. I went from a bravo to #4. On the good side no down time with drive problems unless UPS looses your prop for a month. Cat hulls love high x dim. They already have natural bow lift. V bottoms are different story.

Re: bravo vs. #VI same boat same power
 

correct me if I'm wrong but don't #VI's also need relatively expensive yearly service?(relative to a Bravo, not the cost of the VI)

Re: bravo vs. #VI same boat same power
 

I heard that it takes over 100hp to push a bravo lower unit throught the water. Instigator, who set some V-bottom record (with 525's I believe) has #6 drives. A dry-sump 6 should be faster than a bravo. Wet-sump 6's are a different story though.

Re: bravo vs. #VI same boat same power
 

150 hours.... i wouldn't call that yearly, but i am sure it costs more than a bravo... unless you are replacing bravos all the time.... :D

Re: bravo vs. #VI same boat same power
 

Good point (I thought it was less than 100 hrs)- especially for those of us north of the Mason/Dixon line (its friggin snowing out)

Re: bravo vs. #VI same boat same power
 

I thought the VI used a forced oiling system so the gears were not immersed in oil like a Bravo. Windage of gears fully immersed can be quite high. A straight comparison of power in vs power out I thought I read in a magazine recently that the VI was more efficient than a Bravo.

But like others have said, any gain in efficiency is probably more than offset by increased weight.

Re: bravo vs. #VI same boat same power
 

Bravos eat less HP, but #6 drives handle more HP. #6 dry drives eat about 75 HP and Bravos eat 35HP. Not to mention the huge weight savings over the #6 drives.

Re: bravo vs. #VI same boat same power
 

For those of us that go about 100 hours per year, that would still be a yearly service every winter....... otherwise that 50 hours would end in the middle of the summer which would mean down time in prime season. So that sounds like yearly to me!!

Re: bravo vs. #VI same boat same power
 

very true.... but if you are pushing your bravo drive, you probably have missed time during the summer with that as well... i rather freshen every winter and not have to worry about it during the summer..

Re: bravo vs. #VI same boat same power
 

true, true......................

Re: bravo vs. #VI same boat same power
 

Oh yea, I have a Huber transmission and was concerned about how much power it was eating in my setup. Called, and had nice long talk with Huber. Nice guy. Says he did testing that showed his transmissions eat about 12hp, that's it.