Are pods worth it?

So here I am, finally got my 83 KZ550 LTD running, but I've been doing some reading and debating.

Before I did much reading, I threw out the stock air box, and threw on some pods. I have no idea what to do about the crankcase evac system (pardon me if its not the proper term, I'm a car guy), or anything. Not to mention, I've read a few guys have had issues with losing torque and not being able to carry a passenger.

Now for the debate, I've read that the stock air box can be modified for better flow, and that there is a K&N filter available. At this point, is it worth it to find a stock air box, modify it, drop a K&N in, and run that rather than pods. It sounds like pods are a big hassle, and a pain to tune with.

first you have made a bad choice, never throw out stock parts. that is sin number one because that leaves you with less options after these parts are becoming hard to find by the day . most if not all of the 650's and 750's use the same air box and filter so you may get lucky on that. if you have no plans to take your bike beyond stock stay with the stock parts.

I will never ever run a stock air box. (unless i find a cherry KZ)

I do a lot of carb work and i don't like to hassle with the air box.

There is a lot of articles about this and you could get in the ballpark jet wise by doing a little reading. Roy

It's not that big a deal if you don't mind doing a little carb tuning. If that's not your thing then yes, I would hunt down an airbox.

Perhaps someone with more knowledge on the 550s will weigh in, but I recall reading that aftermarket jets for the carbs used on the 550s are not available. Running pods will certainly require fiddling with jetting. There is no way around it.

With all due respect to Roy, I don't like doing carb work unless necessary so I run stock airbox and stock jetting and both of my '650s have plenty of power for me.

A stock air box with a K&N filter flows more air than you think, even with a 4/1. Anything above that then pods come into their own.

Just gonna try to butt in here cause for some reason i'm havin troubel startin a new thread.Does anybody make a aftermarket air filter that will fit my 83 kz440ltd?I'm new at all this(other than a few minis back in the day)this is my first street.Got my bike from a old dude who got it from another and i'm in teardown,tuneup mode for the spring.My local Kaw shop recomenced pods but i'm reallt not sure which way to go.Thanks for any help.Take care.

scott

Welcome Scott. To start a new subject just click on forum tools in the upper right. Roy

It's pretty simple really. Do you like wrenchin and squeezing every last 1/32 HP out of your bike. Then pods might not bother you. There are reports of side wind and passing trucks that cause a lean out condition that is experienced by SOME. Rain and wet conditions can cause some headaches as well. You should find an alternate way to support your carb bank so you do not wreck your carb engine connectors. But if you can live with these... pods may be ok with you.

Airboxes were designed to even the air flow and the jap engineers (pretty clever) designed the things to provide good power and few headaches. The biggest headache being the hardening of the boots. Hard boots will ruin your good mood. So will all the bad things mentioned in the pods paragraph. IMHO I'll get new boots and stick with the box. A bike with soft boots is no harder to remove the carb bank than one with pods.

Had both and love the box...It's a personal choice but you do need all the facts to make it.

Plus never burn your bridges by throwing away or selling anything stock. That $10 you got for it will cost you 4X to replace it with a crummy one.

whitedevileone wrote: "Does anybody make a aftermarket air filter that will fit my 83 kz440ltd?"

Which part(s) do you need? The filter itself (item number 11013 in the picture - part number 11013-1027) is still available at dealer. If you need the rest of the box, eBay may be a good source. Ed

pods are always worth it. wash them and oil them -reason to tinker. every motorcycle I own is modified. has been like that for me since I was young.

my bike I re-jet 3 times yearly from winter to hot humid summer. spring and fall are the same setting.

(main jet sizes and idle mixture settings only).

some guys find a carb tune up that runs great for them year round.

The 550 LTD motor is very low-end-torquey to begin with. If you lost a little low end torque and gained a little top end horsepower, I don't think it would hurt anything. The key is to rejet it properly. The 550 LTD (KZ550C) model uses TK-22 carbs. You can still get the stock jets in the K&L rebuild kits out there.

To get bigger jets, you can use the Dynojet mains, or use some small-head Keihin jets, or just drill the jets you have. For the pilot jets, I don't know of a source, so I drill my own for those.

Like Loco says, crosswinds etc will affect some and not others. From my o2 sensor tests, I can say that crosswinds, trucks, or even just your seating position can affect the air to the pods. I believe it affects all pods that way, but you will only notice it if you are in a little too lean on the jetting to begin with (during light cruise). According to the wideband O2, the AFR can fluctuate by 1 and sometimes 2 AFR points. This means if you are cruising at 14:1 and you get a gust that throws you up to 16:1, you will notice a slight hesitation possibly. But if you are cruising at 13:1 (not a big difference in the needle setting), that same gust won't make a noticeable difference. I've experienced both while watching the AFR needle.

It's only during cruising when the jettting is set lean for fuel economy. You should never experience anything while on heavy throttle.

Sounds like you already did a search, but there are quite a few threads on the 550's TK-22 carbs and jetting.

I have bikes with and without the airbox. The airbox bikes are a little less work to ride around in heavy traffic, but the bike with pods is little more fun when the highway is wide open.