PODS or Stock Airbox?

dutchz wrote:

Hey all... just a little update on pods. Following the bike's rebuild I am now running it with K&N's instead of UNI pod filters, so I can compare the two.
Just wanted to let you know that the bike seems to be a LOT less sensitive to crosswind / draft with the K&N filters than it was with the UNI's. With the UNI's the carbs would even respond to small changes like moving my legs in/out etc. With the K&N pods this has virtually no effect.
Hope this helps people that are in the market for some pods. I'd recommend the K&N's over UNI filters.

Hey Dutch, I ran those same UNI pods that you had for a while but they started dissentegrating on me after riding the bike pretty hard for a season... I replaced them with the thicker dirtbike foam pods by UNI (no chrome cap)... they've worked out great but tend to suck in rain pretty quick. They make a cloth mud/water sock for the filters when running them on dirtbikes... I think I'm going to buy a set and store them with my tool kit to use if I get caught in the rain.

BTW, your bike is looking great man!

Post edited by: KZReeder, at: 2008/02/07 21:50

For those who subscribe to Cycle World or can get their hands on the January 2008 copy, Kevin Cameron's column on page 16 gives some insight into the job of the airbox. From what I understand of his column the experiences many of you relate with pods seem to make sense.

I have the green:pinch: UNIs on mine and I don't care for them at all. Too noisy for my taste. So, I picked up an airbox and I am switching over just as soon as this damn cold weather passes (maybe March)

Anybody got the Cliff Notes to the Cycle World with KC's article? They disappear around here purty quick. Nice investigation NONB!
One more note when switching to pods. Make sure your sidecover grommets are in good shape or wire them on. The added space allows more air to get behind them. I lost one twice before getting new grommets AND wiring them. First one I got lucky, second one I had to repaint and that convinced me to wire. Yup! Sometimes you have to hit me in the head with a shovel to get my attention. :ohmy:

I just went out to the garage and read that article, very complex. But basically what he is saying is that many (if not all) race teams are using a central airbox (2cyl,4cyl) which has better control of all the high, low pressure, intake, exhaust pulses, than the very unpredictable and uncontrollable individual stacks or pods.

As you can tell, I'm catching up on winter CW reading.

From January 2008 Cycle World's Service column conducted by Paul Dean comes this bit of more insight (page 88):

Air pods, not ipods

Q I'm thinking of de-smogging my 2001 Ducati 750SS Sport, including ditching the stock airbox and all those ugly, unneeded black rubber hoses, and installing either foam or K&N pod filters. Why don't more motorcycle owners do this? We pretty much guarantee a failed state inspection with the aftermarket exhausts we install, so why not keep the ball rolling on the intake side as well? Other than a carb rejet/fuel-injection remap, what are the "cons" of using pod filters? I know in my case (air-cooled V-Twin), the air entering the throttle bodies will be subject to the hear coming off the cylinders, but that's only when the bike is running but not moving. Pod filters must be used somewhere or the companies wouldn't bother making them. Please enlighten me.

Ken Hotaling
Bushkill, PA


A For those who might not know, pod air filters are small filter elements that clamp onto the intake maouth of a carburetor or fuel-injection throttle body. Each carb/throttle body gets its own individual filter, eliminating the airbox entirely.

Pod filters once were very popular, since they often allowed better breathing than many of the filtering systems of that period. But these days most performance bikes have very sophisticated, well-engineered airboxes that not only house the air-filter element but are a key part of the engine's tuning package. So, removing the box in favor of seperate pods can have negative impact on the overall power delivery. I don't know the specific effects this might have on your 750SS, but I can tell you that your Ducati is likely to end up with a narrower powerband. The separate pods effectively give the intake tract a short, fixed resonant tuning length that may benefit power production in the upper RPM ranges but at the expense of performance everywhere else. The large volume of the airbox helps mitigate such fixed-resonance problems, which is one reason bike engineers spend som much time developing them. Racers who constantly operate at higher engine speeds don't care about any losses down low; but for street riders, performance in the low and middle RPM ranges can spell the difference between and enjoyable ride and one that's not very rewarding.

Airbox schmairbox. You can't really compare an old KZ airbox to a modern pressurized one on a down draft engine. However, in a similar fashion to what tuners did 30 years ago when they put stacks and larger carbs on race bikes, and all the kids followed their lead, modern race teams use larger volume, unrestricted airboxes and intake ducts to ram air into the motor. Even though that probably is detrimental to idling and bottom end torque, there are kids out there putting these evil things on their street bikes along with the dreaded power commander. These race airboxes are the modern air pod, if you will.
On an old turd like mine, pods work well enough except for in rain, maybe.

As far as tuning goes, my bike still has a stock motor with pods, yosh pipe and good carbs, it purrs like a kitten on idle, has plenty of bottom end to haul my ass around and has a beautiful wail when it comes on the pipe. I don't mind the intake noise, I love it. Like I love the clacking of the cams and the clunk when I shift into first. All part of the package, and it makes the ride better for me. Don't have to worry about loosing my side covers either... I like pods.

Thanks for the props Claude.

In all honestly, I wouldn't mind trying pods again except for the damn trial and error of jetting. Plus ordering, waiting a week and finding you still need bigger jets. My bike runs so strong now that I'll just keep it as is. Plus I only have 3 K&N pods now, lost one years ago.

Seems to be a do what ya gots to do thing. You either love pods or hate them. The only bad is not having what you want or having a bad runner. It's interesting to hear from all perspectives before deciding. Plus the fact someone will always say "I told you so!" or "tain't so!". But nobody here would do that! We are as individual as our bikes! Some of us have multiple personalities...hence multiple bikes!:blink: Schmairbox...is that Latin?:blink:

I have to admit that tying little cloth booties to my pods when it rains would drive me up a tower with a few high powered waterballoons.:pinch:

Bluemeanie wrote:

In all honestly, I wouldn't mind trying pods again except for the damn trial and error of jetting. Plus ordering, waiting a week and finding you still need bigger jets. My bike runs so strong now that I'll just keep it as is. Plus I only have 3 K&N pods now, lost one years ago.

I feel ya... I was lucky enough to have access to a dyno this time around, so I got a quick fuel curve. It ran a little rich on the main, but otherwise fine.
With my old setup (hooker 4-2, stock carbs, uni pods)I had to do it the old fashioned way and it did take some doing to get the jetting right... I have the tackle box of jets to prove it :laugh:

BTW, here is the thread I have going over on the CW forums.

dutchz wrote:

... With my old setup (hooker 4-2, stock carbs, uni pods)I had to do it the old fashioned way and it did take some doing to get the jetting right... I have the tackle box of jets to prove it :laugh:

Ha! Me too... I started out with velocity stacks to finish off the cafe look I was after... I'd have to change the jets when the weather changed. Ran awesome wide open though.

It took me about a month to dial my bike in properly with the pods and it wasn't until I put a small baffle ring into my open pipes that I could get a decent power curve without flat spots.

As far as the convenience of putting covers on the pods... who gives a rip. If we wanted comfy reliable and quiet bikes we'd all be riding stockers... I love that after I really get on the pipe and run through the gears at full throttle my ears are ringing for about 10 minutes. I love a bike that feels alive and connected to the road... is that what they call soul?

Post edited by: KZReeder, at: 2008/02/08 17:17