no stock air box

[ron bayless]

When I posted elsewhere about having pod filters one guy said 'good luck tuning that with those pods". Thats not helpful.I bought the bike as is where is, and it had pods no airbox.it also has vance and hines 4 into 1.I dont know if main jets were increased or not.I ordered o rings from our guy here.I will replace all the orings, clean the carburetors,see if the mains are bigger than stock.I think they were 125.And the recommendation was go to 130.I know to stay with stock mikuni parts if possible, but i dont want bike running lean either.I can not find a stock airbox, and these pods keep falling off.I dont think they are pushed far enough on but they dont seem to want to go on further.my last gs 1000L had pods and stock exhausts and ran fine.My bike is an otherwise stock 81 850 g.

So,my question: Are you all running pods and do you have trouble tuning your bike.Do you know anywhere i could find a stock airbox if needed?

 

[tkent02]

No, it's tuneable if you know how and are patient. What kind of pods are on it?

And would you rather have an airbox? I think maybe I still have one.

 

[Steve]

Stock main jets are 115, not 125, and I have a lead on where to find an airbox, if Tom does not have one.

.

 

[ron bayless]

Stock main jets are 115, not 125, and I have a lead on where to find an airbox, if Tom does not have one.

.

OK, I would like to know about airbox.I think I would need to go up from 115 due to the vance and hines exhausts,but to what, 120? 125? it gets tiresome with trial and error jet changing.I like to get the friends manometer on there, get them all the same, and go.A stock airbox would make things easier how? Just curious.Each carb is connected, it seems that if the mixture is adjusted there wouldnt be anything else to have problems with. I know I am going to take them off, to clean and replace orings.The bike has 56,000 miles on it.I am hoping no other main engine issues occur once i get it started.

 

[tkent02]

OK, my airbox is an earlier one from a VM equipped 850. It would have to have the holes enlarged to use on your bike. Go with Steve's.

 

[Nessism]

It's the pods that cause all the jetting headaches. A header also changes the mixture somewhat, but if the stock airbox is still in place the jetting adjustments are more easily managed.

On a bike with more than 50k miles, I wouldn't even bother trying to tune it until the carbs are clean and the valves are adjusted. Also, check voltage at the coils. Voltage drop means problems; either fix the harness or add the coil relay mod.

Good luck.

 

[Steve]

OK, I would like to know about airbox.I think I would need to go up from 115 due to the vance and hines exhausts,but to what, 120? 125?

Yes, with the pipe on there, you will probably need at least 125s with the stock airbox. My son had a Jardine(?) pipe on his bike with stock airbox and K&N filter element. It ran very nicely with 125 mains. I kept the jets and the pipe for my 850 when we sold his bike.

One great advantage of the stock airbox is that it is a known quantity. The factory did a lot of testing and engineering to get it as right as they did. Any time you change something in the air path, whether it is the filter, the airbox, the carbs, the valves, the exhaust pipe, you will be changing how much air the system can flow. When you change how much air can flow, you will also need to make adjustments to fuel flow to keep the engine happy. When you start using things that are a bit "unknown", like off-brand (cheap) pods, aftermarket jets, etc., you will have to be the one to do all the reasearch and testing to "get it right". Simply going back to the stock airbox will leave you with just one 'unknown' item, the pipe, and it is not all that difficult to jet for.

I have not seen any dyno figures on an 850, but I'll bet you don't gain much, if any, power with the pods. Certainly not enough to justify all the time and effort to tune it, and all the noise you have to put up with all the time, not to mention all the fun of maintaining four separate filters that are much more likely to get wet in the rain.

.

 

[ron bayless]

Its a testament to the longevity.I will of course clean the carbs.As grunged up as the rest of the bike is i can only imagine.Steves airbox-he talked about it, I didnt hear him say he had one.The valves will be adjusted ,no point in riding it without all things properly adjusted.These motors run forever if taken care of.This one ran a long time with what appears to be little maintainance then someone got in there and jacked up all the wiring.The ignitor is hanging by a ziptie to the frame,for example.Buts its a GS, my favorite bike of all bikes.

 

[ron bayless]

Yes, with the pipe on there, you will probably need at least 125s with the stock airbox. My son had a Jardine(?) pipe on his bike with stock airbox and K&N filter element. It ran very nicely with 125 mains. I kept the jets and the pipe for my 850 when we sold his bike.

One great advantage of the stock airbox is that it is a known quantity. The factory did a lot of testing and engineering to get it as right as they did. Any time you change something in the air path, whether it is the filter, the airbox, the carbs, the valves, the exhaust pipe, you will be changing how much air the system can flow. When you change how much air can flow, you will also need to make adjustments to fuel flow to keep the engine happy. When you start using things that are a bit "unknown", like off-brand (cheap) pods, aftermarket jets, etc., you will have to be the one to do all the reasearch and testing to "get it right". Simply going back to the stock airbox will leave you with just one 'unknown' item, the pipe, and it is not all that difficult to jet for.

I have not seen any dyno figures on an 850, but I'll bet you don't gain much, if any, power with the pods. Certainly not enough to justify all the time and effort to tune it, and all the noise you have to put up with all the time, not to mention all the fun of maintaining four separate filters that are much more likely to get wet in the rain.

.

Do you have a airbox to sell me? I hope.

 

[850 Combat]

Most people end up with a Dynojet kit before they get their pods to work. It just doesn't seem worth it.

 

[Steve]

Do you have a airbox to sell me? I hope.

I don't have it in my grubby little paws, but will locate it for you.

.

 

[ron bayless]

I don't have it in my grubby little paws, but will locate it for you.

.

I would appreciate it. I already am having a terrible time with the solenoid.An airbox would eliminate one more problem.Those pods are a problem for sure.

 

[ron bayless]

I bought the airbox shell off ebay for $20.00.It doesnt have anything else,dont know what other parts it is supposed to have.Something like end covers for looks,some sort of rubber boots to connect to carburetors? I dont know if I made a good purchase or not.If you know of the missing parts, you had a line on an airbox.I dont know if I should cancel that one ebay,on bike bandit it shows a lot more parts.

 

[Steve]

I have no idea what you got from eBay, but if it's missing what you say, you will spend MUCH more getting all the missing parts (if you can even find them all) than you will getting a complete airbox here.

I am trying to get hold of the guy that has the airbox, it might take another day or so. He has a strange work schedule, getting response times to mesh up is difficult.

.

 

[ron bayless]

I have no idea what you got from eBay, but if it's missing what you say, you will spend MUCH more getting all the missing parts (if you can even find them all) than you will getting a complete airbox here.

I am trying to get hold of the guy that has the airbox, it might take another day or so. He has a strange work schedule, getting response times to mesh up is difficult.

.

Steve,thanks anyway.I cancelled the one I bought and found another one complete.z 1 enterprises carries suzuki items.$45 per boot.I found complete setup with box,boots,etc for $45.00.I can never beat that one.I do appreciate your trying to help me locate one.I have never actually seen a gs airbox except for pictures.Quite a few parts.

 

[Steve]

OK, when the guy contacts me, I'll tell him "never mind". :-\\\

.

 

[almarconi]

If Mr. Bayless never had any problem setting up a bike with pods (he used to own a bike with pods and never had any problem tuning it), why did he opt to use a stock airbox? :-k

 

[Montanaman]

I'm one of the grouches who curses pod filters - and I'm probably too quick to criticize.

On my first couple of bikes I put on pod filters, expecting huge horsepower gains, and I tuned the carbs endlessly, trying to get the inside two cylinders to carburete as clean as the outside filters, then the weather changing, carbs not working right, and then trying to get the carbs to work seamlessly from idle to redline.

I always settled at a compromise, until I went back to the stock airboxes, and they worked again.

I then read an article where they took a 1980 KZ550 and wanted to see what it would take to make it a GPz550. They first put on a KERKER K-series pipe, pod filters, and rejetted, and promptly LOST 4 hp. The dyno doesn't lie - unlike my butt-dyno ! Ha Ha!

They had to go higher compression, oversize Kawasaki pistons, and cams to hit 55 hp. No magic gains from pods or pipes.

I'm sure that there are wizards here who are much better than I at tuning carbs - but I won't put pods on a UJM ever again.

 

[blowerbike]

the parts work...some makes a couple hp some makes more depending on the bike.
you caN NOT go off of a 30 year old magazine article...
we live in the 21 century now...the kits have changed.
the difference between me and the majority of members here...
i have actually done it...not just read it on the web.
an 850 with pipe and st.3 can be smooth and have more power(seat of the pants feel).
this is up to the owner...like air boxes...run one.
like quality filters...get a st.3 kit and be happy.
sometimes this is like a sewing circle of old bitties....
carry on

 

[rapidray]

EVERYTHING Terry just said!!!!! Same here! Been jetting bikes for over 30 years. Some people understand what it takes & can get it. Most don't, get frustrated & talk crap about jet kits & 4 into 1s. Ray.