Air Pods

[cowboyup3371]

So I installed the new throttle handle and right handle switch onto the bike today. Thank you everyone for the advice told to me in the electrical side, it was much appreciated. I used my step drill bit to put the hole into handlebars after using a regular drill bit to put my indentation in place (couldn't find my punch).

Now I am looking at replacing the air filter and still looking for clamps to the air box. My girlfriend's ex-brother-in-law is looking in Denver at Steeles Salvage but not having any luck. He's thinking I can just put some regular hose clamps on and that will work for now. But I am also wondering if I should just get rid of the air box altogether. If I replaced it with four air pods, what does that give me compared to using the stock air filter for this GS550? Will I have to buy different jets compared to the stock rebuild kit?

[blowerbike]

what year 550?

[tkent02]

I should have the clamps for the 550, PM me if you want them.

[cowboyup3371]

Blower, it's a 1981 550T

Tkent, I'll send the PM soon as I know whether he found them.

[GS ace]

Pod Filters

Time and time again I see motorcycles with pod filters that shouldn't have them. IN most cases, they serve no purpose and can have an adverse effect on performance unless the carbs are rejetted AND a performance exhaust is installed. I recommend the use of the OE airbox based on the design of those two systems.

[blowerbike]

WOW AGAIN!!
stick with your stock box and save money.
GS CV's only work properly with a st.3 jet kit when the air box is removed.

[cowboyup3371]

Thank you all. I'll stay with my stock setup then.

[TheCafeKid]

Time and time again I see motorcycles with pod filters that shouldn't have them. IN most cases, they serve no purpose and can have an adverse effect on performance unless the carbs are rejetted AND a performance exhaust is installed. I recommend the use of the OE airbox based on the design of those two systems.

I would agree with what you're saying except for one aspect. Often times a "performance" exhaust is nothing of the sort. Aside from weight savings perhaps. A simple Vance and Hines 4-1 megaphone exhaust is not going to flow a larger volume of air unless of course it's left wide open. If you look at their prostock pipe, it has larger than stock, as well as larger than their street pipe header tubes. This is obviously by design because generally a person who runs that exhaust system is looking for max HP and doesn't give a rats ass whether his neighbourhood likes him or not cause he is either running it at the track only, or an inconsiderate jerk* ( ) If the total volume of air, at the collector is not the same as your stock exhaust system, the performanc gain will probably be pretty minimal. That is to say, if, at the collector, your pipe diameter isn't at LEAST 90% or BETTER the measurement of the combo of your four into two stock, you're choking it off. In some cases it could be argued that the stock system will flow better or as well as a garden variety 4-1. This doesn't take into account for large diameter "race only" designed Yosh or Bassani or the like. But most people don't have those. My point is, a stage 3 jet kit with pods and a stock system may perform as well as or better than the same with a header. Of course, the weight of a stock system could very well offset any potential power gains from said set up, but it could also somewhat enhance driveability for some of the "putt around town" kinda crowd. Me? I run pods, a kit, and a pipe on my 1100ES, and while a touch of the bottom end grunt is lost, the retro rocket like blast off running 6k rpm out of an apex is enough sugar on my Wheaties to make me chit and grin

[GS ace]

Air/fuel Flow

Cafe kid, you're right on the mark. All one needs to consider is "what goes in must come out". Years ago (30+), I presented this to a couple of friends that just slapped 4 into 1 pipes on their bikes and other than sounding like they might have ran better, they didn't. I once ran a Bassani and loved it, only because other mods accompanied it. There was a price though. It really reduced ground clearance, it was LOUD, and it had to be taken off for oil changes. I should have felt guilty about it, but a guy traded me straight across for a system off of his brand new 1100ES.

In defense of those who put 4 into 1 exhausts on their machines, it's sometimes the only thing that can be done. OE exhausts are getting very hard or impossible to find for some models. I had to run one on my 750B for well over a year until I finally got an NOS system put together. Once it was done, I ended up paying more for the exhaust than I did for the bike!