Pods or Airbox on a KZ900 with Smoothbores?

I picked up an airbox from a 1974 Z1 in great shape. I currently have cheap pods which are going away. I will replace them with K&N pods or an airbox. I have Kerker Headers and VM29 Smoothbores. Should I use the 1974 airbox? Look around for a true 1976 airbox or go with the K&N pods?...Russ

if it is the one piece...it is a great box and as good system as you can get...a k&n box filter and you have a nice quiet killer deal....way better the pods....my 2 cents.....wish i had one.....does it bump into the battery on our 76's???can it be also used to support the carbs from bouncing and wearing out the seal/to head on intake boots ...???

You will find that the installation of a true 76 airbox is a real BI**H. Go with a set of Emgo or K&N pods to get the airflow you want. The thing is though, that you will not notice much difference in performance unless you also do some head work and at least a mild cam. The head work is the most effective though. The 26s that came with the stock engine are more than enough carb for a stock 900 engine. Some porting and polishing would go much farther than a set of new carbs, or just a new cam. The ports in the head are not 29mm so you don't need 29mm carbs.

Otto

If you go with pods do not use Emgo pods. There crap. Go with K&N. Cost a bit more but filter better and you will not have surge problems like Emgo. Stock (76) air box is good but the 29's flow better with K&N's.

otakar wrote:

You will find that the installation of a true 76 airbox is a real BI**H. Go with a set of Emgo or K&N pods to get the airflow you want. The thing is though, that you will not notice much difference in performance unless you also do some head work and at least a mild cam. The head work is the most effective though. The 26s that came with the stock engine are more than enough carb for a stock 900 engine. Some porting and polishing would go much farther than a set of new carbs, or just a new cam. The ports in the head are not 29mm so you don't need 29mm carbs.

Otto

otakar,

I bought the bike out of a shed exactly as it sits and now have it running very well. It runs great and I have not opened the engine up. With the additional items on the bike I am sure some engine work has been done.

I havent tried to fit it yet and I am sure someone has used one on a KZ900 and has some input...Russ

otakar wrote:

You will find that the installation of a true 76 airbox is a real BI**H. Go with a set of Emgo or K&N pods to get the airflow you want. The thing is though, that you will not notice much difference in performance unless you also do some head work and at least a mild cam. The head work is the most effective though. The 26s that came with the stock engine are more than enough carb for a stock 900 engine. Some porting and polishing would go much farther than a set of new carbs, or just a new cam. The ports in the head are not 29mm so you don't need 29mm carbs.

Otto

all right i'll bite on this one...head work will be great when i get my current motor out to re-do....BUT.....never say that a stock motor with a header won't be improved by putting 29 smoothbores on it....that is not true ...the motorcycle is way different after 29's than before...and plaenty fast for a street bike.....a stock motor with a dyna ,29's,and a good header is a ripper.....and builds power just fine.....all that motor work is great but must be done right and matched up right....at least that was the point of kevin camerons top dead center book ...unless i read wrong...not flaming...just think the statement may be wrong...peace

arai60 wrote:

If you go with pods do not use Emgo pods. There crap. Go with K&N. Cost a bit more but filter better and you will not have surge problems like Emgo. Stock (76) air box is good but the 29's flow better with K&N's.

How about a K&N filter in the 1974 box on the 1976 KZ900?.

Yes triangle it is an original 1 piece box.

...Russ

all i know is you can run it on smoothbores.....the dude who was a z-1 builder where i grew up and had sick/crazy bikes..... pointed at my one piece box one day and said..."don't ever throw that away" ..."the old style air box is the best flowing one made and a gem"...that's all i know....if it'll fit under the seat area it's a go...right!!!!

I don't know, but, when I put my 29s on my 76/900 with a header and Dyna it only made my gas millage worse. The header and Dyna which was installed quite a bit before the 29s did quite a bit more. The only thing that might be different is that the 29s usually (but not always) come with an accelerator pump which the stock 900 carbs do not have. When I went back to the 26s I got a set from a KZ1000 that had a pump on them. That did make a difference. When it comes to Emgo filters, I have used both Emgo and K&N for the last 30+ years which I have been riding both on the track and on the street and they both performed identically. One disadvantage to pod filters is in the rain. Your outside carbs will take in watter and the engine will cough. This is not a problem with an air box. I am not sure though how the one piece 73/74 box will fit under the 76 covers. I know that the 73/73 covers had bulges to accommodate the outer ducts.

Otto

Russ Jackson wrote:

arai60 wrote:

If you go with pods do not use Emgo pods. There crap. Go with K&N. Cost a bit more but filter better and you will not have surge problems like Emgo. Stock (76) air box is good but the 29's flow better with K&N's.

How about a K&N filter in the 1974 box on the 1976 KZ900?.

Yes triangle it is an original 1 piece box.

...Russ

No I wouldn't. It will still be restrictive. Pods will flow better.

my emgos might have been sitting around for years cuase they fell of the boots a couple times....i used some gorilla glue and they are ok now...i wanna get the head done right for sure....

trianglelaguna wrote:

my emgos might have been sitting around for years cuase they fell of the boots a couple times....i used some gorilla glue and they are ok now...i wanna get the head done right for sure....

Mine did the same thing. Not the best quality product...Russ