Air Pods and Bicycle Inner Tubes: An Experiment

[Carter Turk]

Bicycle inner tubes come in handy when the intake boot clamps have stretched and are touching.
Cut a little chunk, wrap over boot, keep riding while waiting for backordered intake boot clamps.

[BigD_83]

Bicycle inner tubes come in handy when the intake boot clamps have stretched and are touching.
Cut a little chunk, wrap over boot, keep riding while waiting for backordered intake boot clamps.

That's an interesting fix. Do you clamp over the inner tube or just leave it?

[nejeff]

Well lets see the fix then.

[mmattockx]

I'm going to conduct a little experiment with airpods before I do the inevitable and buy a new set of boots for $70. If the core issue with pods is too much air, why not adjust the amount of air that is allowed to be pulled through?

1) If you bought a set of pods and they were cheaper than the $70 new boots cost they are crap.
2) What's wrong with just doing it properly and jetting it to run with pods?

It's your bike and your time, but I'm never a fan of a half-assed solution. I predict you will end up spending twice as much $$$ and a bunch of time only to have something that doesn't work as well as either the full airbox or properly tuned pods. If this is your first bike as you say, you might want to consider that you are better off learning to ride than screwing around in your garage. I guess it depends on your priorities, though.

Personally, I'd take the time to jet and tune the carbs correctly, as opposed to rigging up something with tape or inner tubes. Sheesh!

+1.


Mark

[Big T]

To further what mmattox said, you don't want to buy those $29 pods on Ebay, you'll spend more than $70 for Ape or K&N pods

Besides, your time must be worth nothing. The amount of time you'll spend making your idea work is time not spent riding

[Carter Turk]

That's an interesting fix. Do you clamp over the inner tube or just leave it?

Just cut a little strip from the tube (full circumference), stretch it over intake boot where the clamp resides, it's about a 1/4'' or 10 cm? wide.
Sure it's a bandaid, but helps with the waiting period for new clamps and provides a little space between clamping ends, for extra tightening.

[JJ]

No thanks. I'll order the correct parts and do it right.

[gullywhumper]

You guys are a bunch of sweethearts. I like to tinker. So tinker I will. The bike is running fantastically now with the cheapo pods some electrical tape and inner tube. I'll upload some pictures this evening when I get home. Heres the kicker. I've ordered a new set of airbox to carb boots. They will go on and the bike will be stock again as soon as I get them! Naysayers rejoice. My time has value as long as I value what my time is spent on. Riddle me that! Perhaps I'll just leave the pods on?

[hannibal]

Props to you for a successful experiment!

[BigD_83]

I'm a fan of successful bodges...

one thing for sure, if you are taking the carbs off and on quite often on for whatever reason, pods makes the job 10X easier.

[mvalenti]

you think thats weird, you should see what I fabri-cobbled.... I'll tell you, the airbox is magic.... anything else your in for a looooong time of fiddlin and tuning.... nothing wrong with that... just saying...

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy23/mvalenti/BIKE/Intake/011-3.jpg

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy23/mvalenti/BIKE/Intake/012-3.jpg

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy23/mvalenti/BIKE/null_zps2bd257a1.jpg

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy23/mvalenti/BIKE/0570ef27.jpg

[JTGS850GL]

I'm a fan of successful bodges...

one thing for sure, if you are taking the carbs off and on quite often on for whatever reason, pods makes the job 10X easier.

That depends on which bike. The GS 850, 1000, 1100's are a piece of cake to remove the carbs. Takes all of 5 minutes on those. Others???? Some are a real pain in the butt.