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Sept. 15, 2004

Contact:           Fred Sparling

                        Application Engineer

                        Phone:  715-386-4203

800-927-3545

                        Fax:      715-386-4219

                        E-Mail: freds@konradmarine.com

Challenger Unable To Break Konrad Stern Drives

HUDSON, Wis.­ – Last April, Kurt Flachbart of Naples, Maine, retrofitted his Top Gun Cigarette Powerboat with Konrad 540 PRS (Performance Replacement System) stern drives, replacing his obsolete TRS* system. Flachbart then spent the entire 2004 boating season insanely challenging the durability of the Konrad 540s, intent on discovering their failure point. Now, upon the closing of Maine’s boating season, Flachbart reports that the only failure to occur was in his inability to break the Konrad stern drives.

Flachbart states, “I’ve experienced, firsthand, a very rare occurrence in the performance boating world ... we have logged just over 100 hours and every one of them were totally trouble free.”

            “I’ve done everything to the Konrad stern drives that you’re not supposed to do, and there hasn’t been the slightest bit of fuzz on the drain plug magnets. Hammered it out of the hole like it was a Mastercraft all year long. Slamming the throttles and just plain beating on it like it was an ANVIL, and absolutely no drive failures this year! I can’t break them.”

            “Other than regular oil changes and minor preventative maintenance, all we did this season was put fuel in the boat. Still running the same plugs that were installed during spring commissioning.”

To read more about Flachbart’s amazement with Konrad 540 PRS stern drives, go to the bulletin board at offshoreonly.com, a website for boating enthusiasts, where he writes about his experiences regularly.

Flachbart adds, “If you would like to TOTALLY ELIMINATE drive failures, check out the Konrad 540s, they are an incredibly well-engineered unit. I’m convinced I can’t afford to run anything else.”

Konrad Marine is located in Hudson, WI. For information on their stern drives call 800-927-3545 (local: 715-386-4203) or visit their website at www.konradmarine.com.

*Original equipment manufacturer’s names are used for identification purposes only. Konrad is in no way implying that their stern drives are the original equipment manufacturer’s products.

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