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Why My Skunk Would Not Run Right...

OldVet66 said:
The only reason the vent hoses should be off is if you have Pods and 4-1 Pipes.
Click to expand...
dorkburger said:
Yes, the K&N directions say remove the hoses.
Click to expand...
allojohn said:
Yeah really, where did K&N come up with that one.....
Click to expand...
gustovh said:
What is supposed to happen if you do?
Click to expand...

I have always questioned the 'wisdom' of removing the hoses and had to ask myself why they might suggest it. Here is my opinion, you may do what you want with it.

In stock configuration, there is an airbox/filter assembly behind the carbs. The vent hoses are either routed behind the back side of the airbox (as in the 850 and 1000 shafties) or run over the airbox to a retainer loop on top of the filter housing (as on the 550s and 650s that I have seen). The whole point of the hoses is to provide an atmospheric reference to the float bowls so there is a proper pressure difference in the venturi so there is a proper fuel draw through the jets. If you install pods, you will remove the airbox and filter assembly, which leaves room for air to move around. That moving air is right where the hoses end, so the atmospheric reference will be changing with every little gust of wind that happens. Removing the hoses will leave the reference point at the end of the vent "T" between the carbs. The air between the carbs should be relatively calm, so it tends to work. On the other hand, if you re-route the hoses to end in a place that still has calm air, like under the seat, I feel they should still work just fine. It has worked that way on my son's 650 for the last 15 years, but I have never pulled the hoses off to see what the difference might be.

.
 
Regarding infared thermometers. They arent accurate (or at least mine isn't, per directions and verified) on shiny surfaces.
 
dorkburger said:
Regarding infared thermometers. They arent accurate (or at least mine isn't, per directions and verified) on shiny surfaces.
Click to expand...

i used the "spit on fingers and try not to burn them by tapping the exhaust" method for years, but even accounting for some inaccuracy i like the infrared thermometer better. My temperature estimation/comparison listening to my spit sizzling is probably way more inaccurate ;)
 
Last edited:
Rijko said:
i used the "spit on fingers and try not to burn them by tapping the exhaust" method for years, but even accounting for some inaccuracy i like the infrared thermometer better. My temperature estimation/comparison listening to my spit sizzling is probably way more inaccurate ;)
Click to expand...

My method for a quick tell, is a spray bottle with water and see which evaporates quickest/slowest. Again, only good at a standstill.
 
dorkburger said:
Regarding infared thermometers. They arent accurate (or at least mine isn't, per directions and verified) on shiny surfaces.
Click to expand...

But would it be consistent from one shiny surface to another enough to tell a difference rather than actual temperature?
 
Not sure. I was using mine to charge an air conditioning unit, and was reading on a shiny copper pipe. The temperature reading did not change, but it was clearly getting colder when touching it by hand.
In that instance I put a piece of electrical tape on the pipe, something that we cant do on a bike exhaust....

Maybe I'll do an experiment later.........
 
dorkburger said:
Not sure. I was using mine to charge an air conditioning unit, and was reading on a shiny copper pipe. The temperature reading did not change, but it was clearly getting colder when touching it by hand.
In that instance I put a piece of electrical tape on the pipe, something that we cant do on a bike exhaust....

Maybe I'll do an experiment later.........
Click to expand...

Please do that and report, I'm thinking of buying one.
 
I can get readings that show if one pipe is different than the others, I usually try to get a reading near the top of the pipe and same place on all pipes, works for me. (a reflective surface can bounce the beam straight back and cause incorrect readings)

The unit I have I got from Costco for about $20.00 and it seems to be very responsive and probably close to actual temp but haven't bothered having it tested.

I have also used it to find the radiant pipes in my concrete floor, I can see the difference between the areas with heat and those without when it's coming up to temperature, so many uses.

David
 
Kiwi Canuck said:
... (a reflective surface can bounce the beam straight back and cause incorrect readings)
Click to expand...
I sort of agree that shiny surfaces might not give an accurate reading, but it's not the laser beam that gets bounced back to take the reading. :-k

There is an infrared receiver at the front of the 'gun' that determines the temperature of the item under investigation, the laser just shows where it is pointed.

Another thing to keep in mind with these meters is that they measure a "cone" in front of the sensor. Both of my meters have a 12 to 1 cone, meaning that at a distance of 12 inches, they are reading a target that is 1 inch across. If you try reading that same target from 3 feet away, the meter will be looking at a 3 inch target, but your 1 inch source is only a small part of it, so it will be averaged in with the rest of the 3 inch target.

Best deal I have found for a meter is at Menards. Usually about $15 or so. When they have their 11% sale every 6 weeks or so, there will be about $1.65 off of that.

.
 
Steve said:
I have always questioned the 'wisdom' of removing the hoses and had to ask myself why they might suggest it. Here is my opinion, you may do what you want with it.

In stock configuration, there is an airbox/filter assembly behind the carbs. The vent hoses are either routed behind the back side of the airbox (as in the 850 and 1000 shafties) or run over the airbox to a retainer loop on top of the filter housing (as on the 550s and 650s that I have seen). The whole point of the hoses is to provide an atmospheric reference to the float bowls so there is a proper pressure difference in the venturi so there is a proper fuel draw through the jets. If you install pods, you will remove the airbox and filter assembly, which leaves room for air to move around. That moving air is right where the hoses end, so the atmospheric reference will be changing with every little gust of wind that happens. Removing the hoses will leave the reference point at the end of the vent "T" between the carbs. The air between the carbs should be relatively calm, so it tends to work. On the other hand, if you re-route the hoses to end in a place that still has calm air, like under the seat, I feel they should still work just fine. It has worked that way on my son's 650 for the last 15 years, but I have never pulled the hoses off to see what the difference might be.

.
Click to expand...
I can tell you what will happen. If you have no hoses and are hit by strong gusts from the side, it feels like someone took out half the cylinders. We took my 1000G up with us to Tennessee a few years ago and I was broad sided by a few strong gusts and I thought I was running out of gas. I don't get that drastic change here, but I run hoses that drop down between the engine and swing arm anyway.
 
More on the laser thermometer:
Substances with very low emissivity ratings, like highly-polished metals, tend to be very reflective of ambient infrared energy and less effective at emitting their own electromagnetic waves. If you were to point an infrared thermometer with fixed emissivity at the side of a stainless steel pot filled with boiling water, for example, you might get a reading closer to 100?F (38?C) than 212?F (100?C). That’s because the shiny metal is better at reflecting the ambient radiation of the room than it is at emitting its own infrared radiation.
 
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