Gs450 doing the not-so-smart-airbox-removal

[jfsebastian]

Guys,
I KNOW that ditching the stock airbox is a bad and expensive thing to do.
But does anyone have the recipe for rejetting it RIGHT?
Itīs a bone stock 1981 GS450ex.

Am I stupid in trying this route?
I have trouble with clearance from the stock airbox top lid to my manufactured seat. Itīs not that I want pods, I see it as the only way around my dilemma unless I swap the seat.

PLEASE HELP!!!

JF

[waterman]

I just want to say I don't think you are stupid to want to remove your airbox if it interferes with your seat setup, I would call it prudent. Likewise, I don't have the answer you seek.

Someone correct me, but usually when you go to pods you will need to pull the vent hoses off of the carbs and enrichen the mixture. This is true when changing to a more free flowing exhaust system, but I am not sure with just swapping in pods without exhaust changes.

If I were to guess, I would say shim up needles a notch, and maybe a main jet one higher, adjust pilot screw for highest idle. Remember it is better to be too rich than too lean. Again, I am sorry for not having better answer.

[driftingpanda]

I'm curious about this as well. After searching several times, I still can't find any solid answers. I have an 1980 GS450L, and it seems like dynojet does not (and will not) make a jet kit for pre-83 GS450's.

Where can you buy larger jets for GS450's?

[jabberjoe87]

Forget jet kits, i don't understand why people buy 100 dollar jet kits when all that is in the kit is a few pieces. You can buy jets ANYWHERE there is a motorcycle parts department. I'm assuming you have mikuni carbs, you can call z1 enterprises and as their tech help guy, and he'll get you in a general right direction. Even if you don't feel like ordering jets you can go to cycle world or petes cycle or whatever motorcycle shop is in your area to get jets. They are 2 bucks a piece

[Calvin Blackmore]

I'm curious about this as well. After searching several times, I still can't find any solid answers. I have an 1980 GS450L, and it seems like dynojet does not (and will not) make a jet kit for pre-83 GS450's.

Where can you buy larger jets for GS450's?

Jet Needles or Needle Jets?

Teh needle jets should be standard OEM Mikuni parts
sudco should have a listing

Jet needles are a tad more difficult my bike has no alternate available alas

[LarryA_Texas]

Jet Needles or Needle Jets?

Teh needle jets should be standard OEM Mikuni parts
sudco should have a listing

Jet needles are a tad more difficult my bike has no alternate available alas

You need to change the main jet, and possibly raise the needles a bit. You can get little washers at Radio Shack to adjust the needles. Main jets can come from just about anywhere. I just bought 4 from JCWhitney.

Check this out to get an idea of what you need to do to find the right jets:

http://www.factorypro.com/tech/carbtun.html

If in doubt, you probably need a stage 1 jet kit if only going to pods. But you will need to re-jet.

[chef1366]

Forget jet kits, i don't understand why people buy 100 dollar jet kits when all that is in the kit is a few pieces. You can buy jets ANYWHERE there is a motorcycle parts department. I'm assuming you have mikuni carbs, you can call z1 enterprises and as their tech help guy, and he'll get you in a general right direction. Even if you don't feel like ordering jets you can go to cycle world or petes cycle or whatever motorcycle shop is in your area to get jets. They are 2 bucks a piece

I understand.

[Suzuki_Don]

You need to understand that a different needle shape or profile is often required. Just raising the needle sometimes is not enough.

[jfsebastian]

LarryA_Texas
To which do I change?
I am aware that some parts needs to be replaced, but to what?
How many sizes of main jets shall I buy?
What size shims and how many does it take to get the right height?
Shall I increase or decrease the float height? By which intervals do I raise it?
1mm at a time and then test run?

There seem to be an awful lot of times that the carbs need to come off the bike.
So again, the question.
Does anyone have a recipe, (in order to eliminate 10 times on/off mounting, crappy fiddling, rage, and buying unnecessary stuff) for this.
Thanks guys

JF

[dwfranke1]

bad news but you may have to take the carbs on and off, on my 79 gs1000e i had to remove and replace the carbs 13 times before i hit it dead on, i have pods and an aftermarket pipe, the PO had 29 smothbores on it and when i bought it i got the vm26 carbs in stock form, if you have a stock exhuast with say 100 mains maybe start with 110s, i dont know what size you have but go up either 5 or 10 to start and make sure everything is clean, do the plug chop method and just stick with it, at least with pods you dont have to wrestle the airbox
good luck

[Zooks]

Where can you buy larger jets for GS450's?

Ebay, any bike parts store etc.

[jfsebastian]

As we are on the subject of pods, does anyone know which are best for the buck? Both looks and that they work good.

Mufflers were not stock, but Marving. Just some inexpensive stuff.
Man, I feel that this could rob me from some serious cruising time.

JF

[tkent02]

As we are on the subject of pods, does anyone know which are best for the buck? Both looks and that they work good.

Mufflers were not stock, but Marving. Just some inexpensive stuff.
Man, I feel that this could rob me from some serious cruising time.

JF

K&N, the rest suck.

[LarryA_Texas]

I guess the point I was trying to make was that if you can go with stock then you will greatly simplify the issue. If, because putting the air box on is too difficult, you choose to change to pods you will be in a new arena. It will be necessary to replace jets, maybe needles, and take them on and off a few times to experiment. There is as much art as science involved here and if it can be done in one try, then it's being done by a better mechanic than me. (Not that it's hard to find a better mechanic than me...there are lots of them. its' just that none of them show up at my house to fix my motorcycles for free)

Even if you buy a stage 1 kit, it will have adjustable needles and probably include three different sizes of jets. Read this to get a better idea of what's involved:

http://www.factorypro.com/tech/carbtun.html

[donimo]

not to hijack, but can you put pods INSIDE the stock airbox without rejetting?

just curious...