Product Review: iBooster
A Name for the Electronics Generation/ Performance for the Budget-Conscious
By: Jason Giacchino
Go ahead and blame Apple if you must, but the trend of putting the small letter I in front of products has become all the rage these days. iPod, iPhone, ipad; the list goes on. Hence when we heard of a new ATV product called the iBooster, our initial reaction was that it must have been tied somehow into electronics and entertainment.
It turns out we weren’t too far off the mark only Apple had absolutely nothing to do with this one and the I in iBooster stands for ignition. Of all of the performance enhancing mods we’ve encountered throughout the years, it is entirely possible that the iBooster may be one of the simplest to install and dollar per dollar, offers up some pretty tantalizing performance claims. Bur before we get into that, let’s take a moment to cover the basics.
What is it?
The iBooster from Booster Motorsports is an aftermarket spark plug boot. Yes, that little rubber boot and wire that snaps onto the top of your ATV’s sparkplug that runs back to the coil.
The small device attaches directly to the plug and is then connected to the stock boot your quad came with from the manufacturer. Install time is around a minute and is a one-time affair. No fiddling with fuel map reprogramming or ignition settings; a wonderful “set it and forget it” modification in the days of ever increasing engine complexity.
What does it do?
The claims are pretty astounding for a modification so affordable: Increase power and torque, improve throttle response, improve fuel economy/efficiency, reduce exhaust emissions, and run cooler. Say what? We kid you not, nothing shy of an entirely new engine could make such claims typically and yet that’s what the iBooster sets out to do. So just how does it handle such a diverse laundry list of tasks you wonder? The answer is surprisingly simple.
Acting like a capacitor, the iBooster intercepts the electrical charge being generated by the ATV’s coil and then meters it out in a manner that allows the spark plug to fire for increased duration.
The electrical charge being generated within the combustion chamber isn’t stepped up so much as it is drawn out longer, which in simple practice should result in fuel more thoroughly combusted per cycle.
Does it work?
Yes. It’s difficult to accurately describe the gains achieved by the simple device but they are noticeable nevertheless. Down low the engine seems to run a bit cleaner with snappier throttle response. We noticed a bit less flame-out on our KTM 450XC test machine, an issue we thought we would just have to live with.
The improvements aren’t dramatic enough to be reported on dyno charts or horsepower comparisons but, and much to our surprise, the claims made by the company seem to come into fruition immediately.
One tester put it in perhaps the most universal of terms: “It reminds me of discovering the perfect fuel map on a fuel-injected machine. Even though the KTM is cerebrated, the gains in throttle response and crisp ignition feel like those usually achieved by correcting the fuel map on my injected YFZ.”
Do we recommend it?
Riders looking for cleaner engine delivery or even the slightest competitive edge would definitely be hard pressed to do better on the performance front for less scratch. Best of all Booster Motorsports offers the iBooster in three configurations (all around .95) to cover four strokes, two strokes, and small bore engines.
For more information or to purchase direct:
http://www.boostermotorsports.com