Boondocker or Silber

RMK900Tractor · Sep 12, 2014

tdorval said:
Silber kits aren't running a chinese knock off turbo anymore. Their turbo's are actually pretty kick *** with oil-less options now. Please make sure to know what is currently in production not what was out 2-3 years ago...Hell isn't BD offering KPA turbos now as well?

Yes, I think Silber has changed to some other turbo. Not sure, nor do I care.

I (and a lot of others) will never buy a kit from Silber again.

I know everybody is all excited about the oil-less turbo but not me. Not interested in being Justin’s guinea pig anymore. I can’t wait to read the posts late January / February about the oil-less turbo.

From what I can see in the other posts, it does not seem like there is a lot of chatter about Silber kits any longer. Hopefully the sheep have wised up. And speaking about sheep…… the bog in my Pro Bullydog Silber kit sounds similar to a sheep when it bogs out. http://www.sheep.com/sheep_sounds.cfm Like #8

I quit trying to make the Bullydog work and bought a Vipec.

tdorval · Sep 12, 2014

Regardless of what you "care", you said they had crap Chinese turbos which is incorrect and so has been the case for going on 2 years. It's one thing to post your experience and opinion which I'm fine with, its another to share incorrect info as fact, especially when calling someone out as you originally did on the turbo not being a quality component. I'm not going to get into an argument with you as your mind is made up as far as what kit to chose, just don't like incorrect info passed around. The KPA turbo Silber uses is "Designed , Machined , Balanced and Assembled by United States Citizen's In The Great USA!" as pulled from their FB page. Have a good winter.

RMK900Tractor · Sep 12, 2014

tdorval said:
Regardless of what you "care", you said they had crap Chinese turbos which is incorrect and so has been the case for going on 2 years. It's one thing to post your experience and opinion which I'm fine with, its another to share incorrect info as fact, especially when calling someone out as you originally did on the turbo not being a quality component. I'm not going to get into an argument with you as your mind is made up as far as what kit to chose, just don't like incorrect info passed around. The KPA turbo Silber uses is "Designed , Machined , Balanced and Assembled by United States Citizen's In The Great USA!" as pulled from their FB page. Have a good winter.

Okay, Let me clear this up. On the 2013 Polaris Pro kit the turbo that came with this kit was not a KPA nor a Garrett. I heard through the SnowWest grapevine it was imported from China. I have a friend with a 2013 Polaris Pro that has this mystery turbo. I do agree the 2014 kit came with a KPA turbo.

Anthony Oberti · Sep 12, 2014

My vote is Boondocker. They have the MOST experience, thr most resources and technology, and the number of Boondocker kits on the snows doubles the amount of all the other kits combined.......and there is a reason for that. I say this with alk respect, but this is only a "question" on the internet. I feel like all the other companies band wagon customers get on here to promote their kits,but get on the snow and the choice is very clear simply by the number of BD kits. BD owners dont need to come on here and talk up their kits to help sales....their kits sell themself. But lets take this a step further. The top RMSHA racers, Keith Curtis, Erin Bukelman, and Cole Wilford, ALL RUN BOONDOCKER TURBOS. Think that is a conincidence? Those guys wouldnt buy the 2nd, or 3rd best kit. Or take a look at your top back country riders, Chris Burandt, Dan Adams, Dan Gardiner, Matt Entz, Sahen Skinner....they ALL RIDE BOONDOCKERS TURBOS. Sorry but these examples alone prove and answer the answer to this question....you can try to argue it, but the proof is in the pudding...and the numbers. And just one more point, Carls Cycle and Vohk are arguably the top Polaris performance shops in the country...guess what, they run Boondockers. Pretty sure Jack Struthers and Eric Woog(Vohk) know a thing or two. Again, i mean no disrepect to any of the other turbo kits, they are nicely made, but this should clearly answer the question.

RMK900Tractor · Sep 13, 2014

Anthony Oberti said:
My vote is Boondocker. They have the MOST experience, thr most resources and technology, and the number of Boondocker kits on the snows doubles the amount of all the other kits combined.......and there is a reason for that. I say this with alk respect, but this is only a "question" on the internet. I feel like all the other companies band wagon customers get on here to promote their kits,but get on the snow and the choice is very clear simply by the number of BD kits. BD owners dont need to come on here and talk up their kits to help sales....their kits sell themself. But lets take this a step further. The top RMSHA racers, Keith Curtis, Erin Bukelman, and Cole Wilford, ALL RUN BOONDOCKER TURBOS. Think that is a conincidence? Those guys wouldnt buy the 2nd, or 3rd best kit. Or take a look at your top back country riders, Chris Burandt, Dan Adams, Dan Gardiner, Matt Entz, Sahen Skinner....they ALL RIDE BOONDOCKERS TURBOS. Sorry but these examples alone prove and answer the answer to this question....you can try to argue it, but the proof is in the pudding...and the numbers. And just one more point, Carls Cycle and Vohk are arguably the top Polaris performance shops in the country...guess what, they run Boondockers. Pretty sure Jack Struthers and Eric Woog(Vohk) know a thing or two. Again, i mean no disrepect to any of the other turbo kits, they are nicely made, but this should clearly answer the question.

Great points – hard for anybody to argue.

I want to make one more point about the kit costs. A Boondocker and other kits cost more than the entry level kits. My experience dealing with these inferior kits you will end up investing about the same amount of money to get them to run decent. Any backwoods yahoo can bend plumbing in and out of the turbo. The real magic in a turbo kit is research and development of the control system – this is the area where you need to invest your money. Why do you think the inferior kits are less expensive – because they don’t have the R&D investment. It’s a lot less expensive to go buy some other companies kit and copy it.

Don’t skimp on the electronics! Do you research - read all the posts over the past few years and you will soon discover what kit to buy.

You can save a couple hundred bucks but will probably end up frustrated. We get a lot of money invested in our travel, lodging, fuel, etc….. during our riding trips so when we get there we want to ride and not sit around all day trying to get someone from technical support to answer their phone to trouble shoot.

Don’t let the inferior kit “cheerleaders” fool you. Do your research!

Spaarky · Sep 13, 2014

Holy crap, some of you BD guys just didn't drink a cup of the BD koolaid, you drank the entire pitcher.....:face-icon-small-sho

I love how you come on here and act like BD is the holy grail of turbos..

Just to summarize for you guys that believe everything they read on the internet...

1.) BD is not the MOST experienced, I cant even count the number of turbo guys with more experience on two hands.
2.) They do have good technology, but they are not on the forefront.
3.) Sponsorship $$$ = riders = boosted sales. Pretty simple concept. Nascar has utilized for about 60 years.

Just a quick question, if they are the holy grail of turbo's???
1.) How is it in one simple step of replacing the clutching, I can easily upgrade performance. When I say replace, I mean both springs and helix.. I know clutching is subjective. Its hard to argue with the fact that when you switch one, the rest of the group wants theirs switched too. The common question of "why doesn't mine run like that?" One rider that wanted his switched, just happens to be on your list of sponsored riders.
2.) Replacing the fuel controller will also yield a performance gain? That's one of the fundamental pieces and either the controller or mapping need work.

BD makes a nice high quality kit. They are not the holy grail of Pro turbo kits though.

My opinion is... you need to buy the kit that suits you best. Every kit and builder has their strengths and weakness's. Pick who fits you best.

95% of us that ride or are on the forum, its just a toy. I think that is forgotten. We are not making money off it, we don't race, our lively hoods aren't affected by it. So just go out and have fun, enjoy the arm ripping, white knuckle action of riding a T-sled. There is nothing better than having 2-3' of pow and grabbing the loud button on a t-sled. Makes me smile just thinking about it.

Anthony Oberti · Sep 13, 2014

Lol.....pretty much sums up my point. The question was asked which turbo is better/best so I gave an answer. Your question regarding clutching is in no way relevant to this discussion so I see no need to address that and stray from the question at hand. Your comment to sponsorships also makes no sense.....are other turbo companies forbidden from doing this giving BD an unfair advantage? Dont you think Chris Burandt could get a free turbo from any company out there????? Must be ironic that he, as well as all the other riders i named, all choose BD(must be the koolaid huh). Do you realize that some sponsored BD riders pay as much for a fully loaded BD kit as the the public pays for other turbo kits? Hence , the cost is a moot point......and the decision is based off performance and reputation and support(must be the koolaid still). And lastly, the top Polaris dealerships in the country run BD......ummmmm....guess they are drinking too. I never said anythjng about a Holy Grail, i simply answered the question at hand...maybe you should try the same.

turbonium · Sep 14, 2014

Turbo

I had a silber in 2013 and a boondocker in 2014. The boondocker was much better quality. Boondocker also made much more power. I didn't have any problems with either kit.

goridedoo · Sep 14, 2014

I just put money down on a Silber kit this week. Main reasons being simplicity and price. Self lube, external waste gate, stainless housing, no gauges, no fuel controller, and the ability to run straight 91 at any elevation.

This is my first turbo, and my turbo and tuning related knowledge is VERY minimal, so the ability to put the kit in, reflash the ECU, and ride it is huge to me. I don't NEED the best, highest horse power sled, highest quality kit, inter cooling, etc. I can't imagine that the performance vs. boondocker is THAT different, I can't imagine the quality is BAD, boondockers maybe be BETTER, but as long as the silber is good I will be happy. I don't climb chutes, so I don't see the need for an intercooler as an option.

I know that Silber had some bog issues last year, but that has been resolved from the way it sounds, and besides that and the bullydog(which they did away with) I don't think there were many complaints. I am really looking forward to running this kit, I am hoping it runs crisp and consistent, if I can get that I will be super happy.

Anthony Oberti · Sep 14, 2014

Honestly, i am sure you will love your sled.

Sinister306 · Sep 14, 2014

goridedoo said:
I just put money down on a Silber kit this week. Main reasons being simplicity and price. Self lube, external waste gate, stainless housing, no gauges, no fuel controller, and the ability to run straight 91 at any elevation.

This is my first turbo, and my turbo and tuning related knowledge is VERY minimal, so the ability to put the kit in, reflash the ECU, and ride it is huge to me. I don't NEED the best, highest horse power sled, highest quality kit, inter cooling, etc. I can't imagine that the performance vs. boondocker is THAT different, I can't imagine the quality is BAD, boondockers maybe be BETTER, but as long as the silber is good I will be happy. I don't climb chutes, so I don't see the need for an intercooler as an option.

I know that Silber had some bog issues last year, but that has been resolved from the way it sounds, and besides that and the bullydog(which they did away with) I don't think there were many complaints. I am really looking forward to running this kit, I am hoping it runs crisp and consistent, if I can get that I will be super happy.

I'm also in the process of getting a turbo setup for my 14 Pro and it will be my first one, it looks like ill be going with a Silber setup also, I'm not a pro rider by any means but just looking for a pull rope and go kit with the best bang for my buck, looks like a great kit with good options from what I have researched, and there's no way I would drilling a fair size hole in a brand new tunnel that appears to already have strength issues.

Some of the more experienced guys will probably chime in but i don't think running straight 91 at ANY altitude is a very good idea ,even at low boost from what i understand anyway, I live at 1800 Ft and wouldn't go any less then 50/50 race or straight avgas around here.

Anthony Oberti · Sep 14, 2014

I run 30% race per tank at 11-12lbs

kanedog · Sep 14, 2014

Just to clear up any confusion, there is no turbo kit that is simply pull and go. If someone tells you there is, they are flat out lying. They minimize a bog here and there, they forget about setting up clutching, they forget about fuelling for different elevations, they forget about running better fuel, they forget about suspension setup, and they forget about the maintenance they do when no one is looking. Or they could be the guy that sits on trail and looks cool with his Turbo brand sticker on his hood for all to see.
Its similar to putting a chip in your truck that makes 25% more power. You have more maintenance, more tire wear, more tranny problems and you have to watch the gauges.
It can be done if you have the time and ambition to learn how it all works together and it's not rocket science by any means.
I don't want you to be disappointed that you will have to tinker a little or most likely, a lot. Not a big deal, but be prepared. You can have a good running turbo. It just takes time.

Jimb · Sep 14, 2014

sledneck 900 said:
So guys ive switched from cat to a 2012 pro. I want a turbo and was wondering which kit would be the better choice as far as reliabilty and performance goes, Boondocker or Silber

If you use the search function and read up on feedback from 2013 I think the choice is fairly obvious. Asking as an open ended question just puts owners / dealers into justification mode. The kit that has the least amount of press usually the better one.

edavis0202 · Sep 14, 2014

goridedoo said:
I just put money down on a Silber kit this week. Main reasons being simplicity and price. Self lube, external waste gate, stainless housing, no gauges, no fuel controller, and the ability to run straight 91 at any elevation.

This is my first turbo, and my turbo and tuning related knowledge is VERY minimal, so the ability to put the kit in, reflash the ECU, and ride it is huge to me. I don't NEED the best, highest horse power sled, highest quality kit, inter cooling, etc. I can't imagine that the performance vs. boondocker is THAT different, I can't imagine the quality is BAD, boondockers maybe be BETTER, but as long as the silber is good I will be happy. I don't climb chutes, so I don't see the need for an intercooler as an option.

I know that Silber had some bog issues last year, but that has been resolved from the way it sounds, and besides that and the bullydog(which they did away with) I don't think there were many complaints. I am really looking forward to running this kit, I am hoping it runs crisp and consistent, if I can get that I will be super happy.

Please keep us posted on your experienced. And take a look at how many kits are for sale on the forum page compared to boondocker...

goridedoo · Sep 14, 2014

Will do. There is only one Silber KIT off a Pro for sale in the forums, and I don't think that really says much. I won't argue that boondocker is or isn't the best kit, because honestly I don't know, but I do know that Vohk builds/set up a very good running sled and I know that a lot of that credit belongs to boondocker... If I had the money to go that route I very well may have, but for now I am gonna go ahead and give Silber a try, and I credit a lot of that to BostonRacing- from what I have seen he works very hard to keep his customers happy and their sleds running like they should.

skibreeze · Sep 14, 2014

edavis0202 said:
Please keep us posted on your experienced. And take a look at how many kits are for sale on the forum page compared to boondocker...

I don't think this is a good barometer. Without knowing how many kits each manufacturer sells is one problem. Another is the fact that some kits can't be removed easily, thus you don't see kits for sale, it's the whole sled for sale.

I ride with a bunch of guys that have Vohk tuned Boondocker kits and just as many with Silber kits and they all run good and we have a great time riding together.

Anthony Oberti · Sep 14, 2014

skibreeze said:
I don't think this is a good barometer. Without knowing how many kits each manufacturer sells is one problem. Another is the fact that some kits can't be removed easily, thus you don't see kits for sale, it's the whole sled for sale.

I ride with a bunch of guys that have Vohk tuned Boondocker kits and just as many with Silber kits and they all run good and we have a great time riding together.

Thats all that really matters, having a great time with your buddies. Someone brought up the point about dealer set up and i think this is worth discussing. Carls Cycle buikt my BD turbo pro(my last few for that matter) and they are building me a 15 this year again. I cant say enough about Carls Cycle and their BD set up. I never touched my box, or clutching, all season and just ran the piss out of my sled. Dealer set up is very important on these sleds.....especially when you start playing with the motor and adding turbos, etc.

kanedog · Sep 14, 2014

Didn't California have almost no snow last year?

edavis0202 · Sep 14, 2014

skibreeze said:
I don't think this is a good barometer. Without knowing how many kits each manufacturer sells is one problem. Another is the fact that some kits can't be removed easily, thus you don't see kits for sale, it's the whole sled for sale.

I ride with a bunch of guys that have Vohk tuned Boondocker kits and just as many with Silber kits and they all run good and we have a great time riding together.

I've ridden with both and I'm glad with my choice is all. Some ppl don't wanna shed out the cash for a "name" but the performance doesn't lie.

But...don't take my word for it...ask the pros...I don't see a lot of silber turbos in videos and race cucuits

Boondocker or Silber

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