BRAVO Question

[GOMA-LA]

What is the difference between the Bravo 1 XS and the Bravo 1 FS.

Thanks
GOMA-LA

[Savage]

The answer depends on what year the Bravo1 XS is.

[Bullet 20cc]

XS has the dual vent holes (8 total) to help build rpm to get out of the hole, thinner blades and has short barrel (no bell) on the back...2 stroke bass boat applications. FS (stands for Four Stroke) has only 4 holes total, thicker blades and a short barrel too...4 stroke outboard applications. I run a standard Bravo 1 for a stern drive application that has thick blades, no holes and a longer barrel with full bell on the back. But I've had some work done to it...labbed (thinned razor sharp blades) and drilled (4) 1.25" mammoth vent holes in it. Best all around prop I have ever ran by far...

[Savage]

Like I said it depends on which year the XS was made in........Early XS versions had 1" NON ADJUSTABLE vent holes. 2015-Present XS versions have 8 adjustable PVS holes.

[GOMA-LA]

Thanks for the info.

[dwoodfin]

I have an older (Got it 4 years ago Bravo XS) that has the 4 big vent holes. Its a 24 and it has been worked by Mark twice. Last time he told me that it was getting very thin. I'm looking at getting a new prop and was thinking of going with a 25 Bravo instead of the 24. I was turning about 6k wot when I first got the 24. Over time, it creeped up to 6100 before I had it worked by Mark. What performance difference is there in the newer version of this prop? I know that the vent holes have been changed but I assume that only influences the hole shot? My prop was good on that. I'm running on a 198 Champion. I've been waiting the last year to try the new 3 blade that Mark says he's working on but I'm looking to do something over the next couple months.

[Savage]

A 25P Bravo1 XS is REALLY just a 24P with EXTRA cup. You should the 25P.

[Bassin Bob71]

I run a 26P Bravo FS on my Pro XS since, at the time I bought it, the XS Bravo's didn't have adjustable vents which I wanted. I had Mark add (4) additional vent holes to it but I have really been impressed with this prop on my Ranger. I know the FS is supposed to mean 4 stroke, but with the additional venting it runs great on my boat. Best speed to date is 74.1 solo along with a great holeshot and its damn near impossible to blow out.

[Bullet 20cc]

Merc's application recommendations mean absolutely nothing to me as well. My Bravos 1's were originally made for stern drive applications that are on big, fat, heavy, deep hulled, inboard/outboard powered boats that sometimes even have multiple big block V-8s in them. And yet they will rip on my small, skinny, light, shallow hulled, outboard powered bullet. The only reason you have the other "application" models now is because some retard stuck a Bravo 1 on an outboard, drilled some holes in it and figured out that it ran better on an outboard than almost any other prop made for outboards at the time. Hence the Bravo 1 market as we know it now was born. Then here comes all the 'new' models...XS, new XS, FS, LT, XC, OC...so many now that I have lost count.

Throw recommended applications out the window and tune your Bravo for YOUR rig...blade thickness (labbed or not), barrel length (full bell, slight bell or no bell), cup size, vent hole size and even double vent hull size. I'm lucky to have found the magic formula for my boat...everybody has to do the same for their rig. I can tell you that I've never seen another Bravo 1 tuned like mine...it's a completely different animal than what Merc sold it as and intended it to be...and it is the original Bravo 1 with no fancy initials behind it.