Just have to ask......

[RobertTrivanovic]

I havnt updated my for sale ad like I said I would... I kinda started to realize id go crazy without a sled, so I decided if someone really wants it they can have it for the right deal but I just cant let it go right now, its too fun! Love this thing way to much

 

[Ricks 32]

What did you build?

I sold my 2010 M8 with OVS 2871 Tial with all the goodies for $9750. It was a great sled, ran awesome at 12-13 lbs and still had a lot of life left. I never touched the PL box in the last two seasons. Garr and Trav do great work.

I'm on a 2014 Pro with a BD Tial 2860 at 10-12 lbs. 162 X3 track really makes this an amazing sled. I've got around 300 miles so far and its ran flawless. I honestly haven't pushed a button on the BD box. This sled is spot on each ride, any temp and elevation. Jared and Rocky have the Pro setup dialed.

 

[Snowmow]

I sold my 2010 M8 with OVS 2871 Tial with all the goodies for $9750. It was a great sled, ran awesome at 12-13 lbs and still had a lot of life left. I never touched the PL box in the last two seasons. Garr and Trav do great work.



I'm on a 2014 Pro with a BD Tial 2860 at 10-12 lbs. 162 X3 track really makes this an amazing sled. I've got around 300 miles so far and its ran flawless. I honestly haven't pushed a button on the BD box. This sled is spot on each ride, any temp and elevation. Jared and Rocky have the Pro setup dialed.

Sounds like you got an awesome set up now! Anything done for reliability? Different drive, pistons etc...?

I hope I can he 9750 for mine and start a new project soon.

 

[Ricks 32]

I'll reply here vs replying to all the PM's on the comparison from the M8 to the Pro.

First off, these sleds are set up completely different. The M8 had a bigger 2871 Tial turbo with a .86 compressor housing. Boost was 12-13 lbs, going as high as 15 lbs a few times. Gearing was tall at 59/61 with a diamond lite drive. I was planning on dropping down to a 55/65 or putting on a 7 tooth driver with an X3 track, but I sold the sled before doing so. The M8 was very fast and it was an excellent chute climber. It pulled hard in the top end, sidehilled anything and was always reliable. It used a lot of fuel and oil.

The Pro has the 2860 GTX Tial kit with air-to-air inner-cooler, 7 tooth avid drivers with an X3 3 inch pitch track. I'm also running a belt tensioner from Fire-N-Ice. I've added tunnel reinforcements in the footwells from Kurt's Polaris and Dan Adams bumpers front and rear. Originally I had planned to install the 2863 Tial but Jared at BD convinced me to opt for the 2860 based on my elevation and riding style.

The M chassis and the Pro have very similar mannerisms and require a lot of the same rider feedback. The transition took no time at all. My setup on the Pro is awesome in the trees. My boost is set at 10 lbs at 6000 feet and it has adjusted to as high as 12.2 at 10k feet. The Pro is amazing in tight sections and the throttle response is insane. I've never had a bog or hesitation anywhere. The combo of the GTX 2860 and the X3 is a riders dream. This setup allows me to be much more playful in tight areas than what the M8 would.

The Pro doesn't have the top end kick that the M8 did, but the Pro stays on top of the snow better and carries speed up the big chutes. I had to eat crow as I was worried that the 2860 setup would leave me wishing for more when in reality there isn't anything that I'd do different from my current setup. The Pro sips fuel and I add a little oil to each tank.

Overall, the Pro is a more well rounded setup. It's also 4 years newer and the BD box of today isn't anything like it was a few years ago. I still prefer the feel of the M8 in the steepest side hill situations. Call me crazy . The M had a better balance in the real steep stuff and I have to stay much further forward on the Pro to keep the backend from washing out.

I can seriously say I ride with about 20 different Pros that run the same setup that I have and the only issue I've experienced in the last two seasons is a few sets of A-arms and I've seen two belt-drive belts come apart. The highest mile 2013 I know of is at 1600 miles, all trouble free. This BD setup is pricy, but it works and I haven't experienced or seen any issues on the hill and the performance is outstanding.

I realize I'm posting in the Cat section, so I'll leave you guys with a little reassurance in that I know of MANY TM8's with 6000+ miles with good maintenance that are still ruining strong. That 800 is an amazing motor.

Pray for snow. My Pro needs more powder to shred!

 

[papafinger1]

Thanks guys I have really enjoyed this thread. I built a boosted 2 stroke years ago and really loved the power but after 2 years of constant adjustment for elevation change and all the other factors involved in a carbed turbo I decided stock reliability outweighed the all out smile of a turbo when it ran good. Unfortunately being from MN and other work interferences I have only been able to spend about 10-15 days a year riding at elevation so have rented the latest and greatest for the past 5 years. I have been really lucky and have not wrecked a rental yet but know that my time is coming. For this reason I have been considering a purchase but I hate the idea of giving $12,000+ to a dealer plus sales tax and license for a stock machine. Life has changed a bit here and I am finding more time and $ to enjoy my passions and sledding is #1. I have always wanted boost again and have followed the various kit developments closely over the years, following many of your posts and threads daily. I guess my question is, What is your opinion on the purchase of a used boosted sled? Would it be better to buy a used stock sled and install a new kit? When I pull the trigger on a sled, which ever direction I go, I never want to look back or regret my decision. Your knowledge and advice is appreciated.
Thanks,
wes

 

[Snowmow]

Wes.

The value of buying a used boosted sled is amazing. Obviously you can tell what sleds to consider to buy by the way they were maintained and installed. There are a lot of complete boosted sleds and used turbo kits for sale right now. Definitely a buyers market. Once you decide to buy a used boosted sled your options are almost limitless anywhere from turboed m6's to big turboed m1000's.

 

[papafinger1]

Wes.

The value of buying a used boosted sled is amazing. Obviously you can tell what sleds to consider to buy by the way they were maintained and installed. There are a lot of complete boosted sleds and used turbo kits for sale right now. Definitely a buyers market. Once you decide to buy a used boosted sled your options are almost limitless anywhere from turboed m6's to big turboed m1000's.

Awesome,
Only other issue is the distance barrier between me in MN and most boosted sleds in the western U. S. to be able to personally inspect prior to purchase commitment.

 

[Brutus]

Wes,

I was in your shoes about 6 months ago, so I'll toss in my thoughts for your consideration. Mow is right, (first time this year...) lol! This is a buyers market for sure, especially on 10 an 11 m series turbos. There are some great deals out there and some damn lemons too. Sounds like you know what to look for mechanically speaking. I spent a lot of time (months) combing these threads and picking the brains of local turbo riders looking for answers on who makes the best kit what types of fuel to run what sled to have etc... What to look for in a set up who's kit to stay away from. Do I buy a solid stocker and put a new turbo kit on or do I buy a used turbo sled? To be honest with you that whole process drove me friggin nuts. After some quick math I realized that a turbo already setup provided me with the most bang for my buck. This meant I was missing out on the most important step... Proper install. Knowing this I decided to research the kit manufactures and select one that had a proven track record and made themselves readily available to the consumer. There were 3 in my research that continually came to the surface. Cutler, OVS, and boondocker. With that said as soon as I found a sled with one of these 3 kits installed I was buying it. My only regret was the time of year I purchased, tough to test ride a turbo sled in the fall. But.... I did get a better deal out of season. Distance was also an issue for me. I looked at, called on, and missed out on several turbo sleds due to the distance issue knowing fully that the market was just getting flooded with used turbos. Patience was tested no doubt. I ended up with an extremely loaded with goodies 09 cutler m8 1500 miles for 7400. I like to think I made a good decision with little to no regret. Could I have spent more $$ and dealt with less in the shop? Maybe so.. I have learned a great deal and know this sled pretty well now. There is nothing like cracking the throttle on a good running turbo sled, nothing. I will say this.... I have had some seat time on the rk tek 925 and the Dakota performance 920 vipec both in the 14 PC and they are getting pretty friggin close. Both sleds are solid and wow are they stupid fun. Would I turbo again or big bore? I would do the big bore. The turbo will out climb the steep and deep no doubt, but the overall performance of those two set ups right until then goes to the bb. The tipping point is shop time for me. What ever setup you decide to ride, enjoy it. Cheers.

Oh yeah... If you are looking for a good used turbo sled, check out snomows m8. It's as clean as they come and he's done the shop time for you.

 

[RobertTrivanovic]

I would look to buy one already built aswell, I just finished (well i guess its never finished) building my turbo and it ran me a lot more money then I originally thought it was going to. Its just the little things that add up, I wish I bought one already built, but at the same time I now know everything about my sled and can take it apart pretty much completely and actually know what im doing, which really helps when you run into issues. Theres pros and cons to both but I say just buy on and through in some fresh pistons!

 

[papafinger1]

I am certainly torn on which kit and even which sled to put it on. After renting I have had the opportunity to ride all makes of sleds and stock for the moment would be a pro rmk but I have yet to ride a 14 cat. I have heard the handling has improved tremendously since 2012. Honestly I would rather buy a cat, especially considering boost. I think the cat motor is just better equipped to handle the extra power and strain the turbo creates. Having said that, I am looking hard at the silber turbo kit just because he is in mn and 2 hrs away. Have spoke with him several times and am impressed. I could not imagine the scrutiny received if you only have a few kits with problems especially with quick access to a forum such as this. I believe he handles himself pretty well. Interested to read more reviews as more of his cat kits hit the hills. You know good or bad they will hit the forum. I have been around sleds my whole life but unfortunately never really dealt with efi and certainly have little hands on knowledge of the technical side of the new kits. Be interesting no matter what my decision. One note on riding style I do spend a lot of time in the trees. Slow methodical riding at times picking lines both up and down the mountain. I get faster every time I ride but certainly poke around compared to a lot of the vids I have seen. Lots of starting and stopping, direction changes, and on off throttle work. Saying that I want the power to be pretty linear. Boost to come on early and easy to manage. Crisp and clean. Many times I have wanted more power from stock just so I can make adjustment to lines and directions on more difficult terrain without the fear of a lacking in power.

 

[Brutus]

Wes,

You're on the right track. Select a kit manufacturer that makes the best sense based on what ever criteria provides you with what you are looking for out of a manufacturer. Sibler has a fair number of pro's on the snow now. I haven't seen much on cat setups but you could get a good idea of product quality and availability for assistance references by surfing the turbo pro section on here.

Also there is some good reading on the 12 PC vs the 14PC in the pro climb section. Some dude just got torched for jumping to a 14xm and comparing it to a 12PC. If it were me I wouldn't turbo anything but a 14 PC. That chasis is a pretty decent now. With that thought in mind, you loose the "value bang for the buck" piece to which makes entering the turbo market so attractive to most sledders today.

In regards to your ride style comments... I think this is what could be at the heart of Hillclimbpro's initial question in this thread IMO. The fuel injected turbo's of today don't exactly have linear power. It's marginal at best on the bottom and friggin banana's on top, which is what makes them stupid climbers and kinda luggy boondockers. This is just my experiences based on seat time both on a turbos and a big bores. Others may be different. It's easy to get yourself out of control with a turbo in the trees or tight terrain. The real power is up top, which is what I want to feel. Your description of ride style and terrain is pretty much spot on with mine. Which IMO is not very conducive to the power curve a turbo sled has to offer. I think this is why guys like Chris Burant and Sahen Skinner have a turbo pro and a Carls Cycle 900 BB pro in the trailer. If there were no limitations I would have a turbo and a big bore in the trailer at all times also. Which is where I'm headed. My next sled is a 2014 920 big bore with the vipec or the 925 RK tek. I've been on both and both are insane all the way through the curve but flat stupid with what they are capable of on the bottom end. My turbo sled will always be in the stall for two reasons... I'm in it right and it puts a huge smile on my face!!! Unfortunately I have found out that my ride style and terrain I usually find myself in is much more conducive to the power curve offered up by the big bore. Not to mention there is (once set up) a much more proportionate situation when it comes to shop time vs ride time with the BB. Sorry to be so long winded there Wes, but I think more people are in your shoes than you think. Certainly not trying to talk you out of boost but the more information you can have the happier you will be with your decision. If you want some good reading on how the fuel injected turbo sleds operate today from install to fuel boxes check out cutler's website. They have a 16 page detailed install PDF with a link to attitude industries fuel controller which has an interactive control box you can play with on line. Happy trails looks like most of the west is getting snow right now.