pod style air filters?

which ones, k&n's (pricey) or uni's ? on a stock motor with 4 into 1 with straigh pipes.:dry:

K&N is to pods what Ketchup is to tomato paste, Coatex is to sanitary napkin. Emgo I think makes a pod filter do they not.

I had Uni pods. The foam disintegrated.

I had Emgo pods. They're made of paper and can't be cleaned, stop flowing air if they get rained on.

I have K&Ns. They're the last filters I'll ever have to buy. Clean and re-oil, repeat as needed.

Put it this way: Million Mile Warranty

Is there an advantage to pod filters? I am assuming that they are the equivalent of an open-air intake on a car. I heard that they actually have some issues in windy weather or when being passed/passing other vehicles...at least on 400's. There is a pair of UNI's on ebay right now for my bike...opening bid $19.99, would they be worth that?

Jerka wrote:

There is a pair of UNI's on ebay right now for my bike...opening bid $19.99, would they be worth that?

My two cents is ..that it's a waste of money NOT to buy REAL K&N's the first time;)
Of course mine have ONLY been on the bike since 1978... so I almost have gotten my moneys worth out of them. ( that's a joke incase someone didn't catch it )
As far as problems with pods.
I have had NO problems as far as I can remember with my REAL K&N's. Maybe.. once when it sat outside in a down pour it was harder to start MAYBE. But the oil helps with that.
The reason I stress REAL K&N is that many companies sell "K&N style" pods just to hook people into thinking you are getting the real deal at a great price.

I am guessing here..but I would think that the style of bike would make a difference on wind and rain. As the side covers would cover more or less of the filters. Also some folks say their leg placement affects it..
I'm old and ride 99% of the time in the same place/style. And TRY and stay out of the rain if I can.
I'm sure other will tell you to do a search on this subject and add their own two cents..
Pat

Post edited by: patmann, at: 2006/08/17 16:15

I have UNI's. Much better than Emgo, but I wish I would have saved up for K&N's. I've had my Uni's for a year now, and they are still pretty nice, but if you allow them to get dry the foam does disintegrate a little. This process is speeded up when you leave your fueltap on overnight :whistle: because it dissolves the oil and dries out the foam. Buy the K&Ns if you have the dough.

Jerka, use the search box in the top right, this has been discussed many times and pods have pros and cons. Some people like them, some people don't.
Quick list:
PRO
- easy carb removal
- look cool
- good top range performance (more airflow)
CON
- might loose some low range performance (torque)
- crosswind sensitivity
- if they get wet while parked in the rain you're screwed

A lot depends on whether you set your carbs up correctly. You WILL need to rejet your carbs to adjust for increased airflow. I am very happy with pods.

I'm sure other will tell you to do a search on this subject and add their own two cents..

One step ahead of me, Pat :laugh:

Sorry, but what does it mean to "rejet" a carb?

I remember my buddy had a KZ900/1013 back in the 70's with K&N's and he had an after market shield ( nice chrome one ) that covered the tops and came down the sides of the outside pair. He said it was for rain and crosswind protection. But i'll be dammed if i can remember who made it.

Jerka wrote:

Sorry, but what does it mean to "rejet" a carb?

:blink:

Inside your carburetors are things called jets. They're little screws, usually made of brass, that have a hole down the middle. You change these things to vary the air/fuel mixture, it's part of tuning your bike. When you alter your intake and/or exhaust to flow more freely, you're flowing more air so you need to compensate by using larger jets (bigger holes for the fuel to flow through) to flow more fuel so that your engine isn't running lean. A lean condition can cause problems like burned valves and pistons.

Emgo suck. Period.

K&N's are great but will you keep your bike long enough to make it worth spending (in my case) $160 for air filters? I bought a set of UNI Pods from JCWhitney (great price, perfect filters) for my KZ1000 and they totally and completely rock. Then I sold the bike and bought another with 4 K&N's on it. Go figure.

You will do fine with UNI Pods - they're excellent quality and performance, comparable with K&N's IMNSHO>

Okay, so let me get this straight...every time I get off the bike I need to switch the fueltap to off? Is that on the petcock? Every night or every time I get off the bike?

If I go with the Uni filters, do I need to rejet? If I do need to rejet, how do I know what size jets I need and where do I get them, also how much $ for new jets?

Sorry, I'm a total Noob, but things are starting to make more sense...if it's any consolation.