TOPIC:

Hello everyone. I have a 1980 ltd550 with 80k. Yep it got ran to the dirt. But It may have life left. So the bike came with 3 uni pod filters, the 4th one was crap. So as I read on a i I see the pods will mess everything up. So I guess I'll save them for my goped. So now I'm looking to get a stock air filter which I'm having a hard time doing. But I also would like the exhaust to be louder. How can I keep the bike close to factory specs but with louder exhaust. I saw on a site I can buy stock spec baffles? Would that work

Unless someone has messed with it,your exhaust will have stock spec baffles in it already. If you want it louder you take the baffles out.
Thisll put everything up to 11 and your neighbours will shoot you. Itll also make your bike run badly and maybe in the long run bugger up the engine.
The best all round set up for the bike would be stock exhaust (with the baffles) stock airbox and filter and the carbs jetted to factory settings. If the engine itself is serviced and in fine fettle,this will give you the best of the bike, balancing speed,fuel economy and performance.
If you want to tweek it,you take it from there. If you change one thing itll have a knock on effect on other things. Making it louder is not something that a lot of people strive for.To get more speed,people sometimes fit a pipe with a race baffle.Thatll make it louder (a lot)but the goal there is speed not volume.

One way to get more sound without messing with the setup would be to fit playing cards on your spokes with clothes pegs!

P.S. Do you have the standard airbox and are ust looking for the filter or do you need the airbox as well?

From the diagrams at partzilla the 1980-83 KZ550-C & 550-A had the same airbox assy.
I looked on eebbaayy but didn't see anything. Search terms: KZ550 airbox.
Other search terms: KZ550Ltd. 550Ltd. KZ550C. 550A, air cleaner, etc.

Sounds like I should make this someone else problem. If it's not going to sound like I want it to then it's a waste for me. And not the stock air box is gone. And I'm having a hard time finding one... I was hoping that I could get the air box then change the exhaust. There's a few exhaust that I seen that people said it had enough back pressure it didn't require rejetting....it sounds like a hole move but the engine all ready has 80k so I'm not worried too much

Not sure what youre on about. You want to get rid of the bike because it dosnt sound loud enough for you? Youve got pods fitted but you want to put back the original airbox setup and a different(louder)pipe.
If youve got it running with the pods,just change the pipe and away you go.
Or am I misunderstanding everything?

I was thinking if I went to the factory air box, when changing out the exhaust it wouldn't be so bad. With pod and exhaust I wouldn't have any choice but to get it rejected right....there a few exhaust not sure if it's true or not that says rejetting isn't needed cuz there's enough back pressure...

And yes if I can't have the bike to my liking without spending tons of money then I would rather not mess with it. I told myself if I tackled this project my limit would be $800....and I think that is high. The big ticket is new tires

You don't count throw away items like tires.
Steve

I'm not sure what your trying to say...

I don't see how that doesn't count. It's money I'm spending so yes the tires were in the $800 budget

You use them up and throw them away. Like a old man told me, "there's really no away."
Steve

You are probably going to have to mess with the jetting no matter what. Since you don't have the stock air filter setup, I'd recommend getting some high quality individual filters from K&N or APE. you may be able to find a decent used exhaust system, or you can adapt some aftermarket mufflers to the stock pipes. Once you have them installed and have taken care of the other maintenance items, you can start working on jets. It is especially important for the valve lashes to be correct and for the ignition system to be up to snuff before attacking the carbs.

I think I want to find the stock air box. But if I'm am stuck with rejetting do the dynojets kits work with ease or is that a pain also....now what if I but filters on the emission stuff . I seen people block it off also