Aesthetics - What to Do With Airbox?

Aesthetically, I really don't like the airbox. I am going for a stripped-down, cafe-ish look, and the airbox is just not conducive to this. It's not at all about increasing performance. Just for looks, and to regain that space in the frame to hide electrical. I might even want to remove the side covers. Not sure yet.

I really like the looks of some pods, but I know pods are not a good idea for someone with my limited experience and $$$.

So... what (if anything) would be my options?

Pods are cheap.

Do all of us a favor and type in pods in the search area. It will save you from asking questions that have been answered hundreds of times.

Welcome to the forum. There is lots of info here. Read through all that pertains to your type build. Pleanty of pictures to give you ideas. Roy

roy-b-boy-b wrote: Do all of us a favor and type in pods in the search area. It will save you from asking questions that have been answered hundreds of times.

I did already. That's why I said I didn't think they were a good idea for me. I don't plan on going with pods at all... unless a carb expert offers to make all the necessary adjustments for me... for free.

I only mentioned pods to give people an idea of what kind of look I'm going after.

I have only been here a short time and I get the same feeling that pods are problematic and not necceassari;y embraced here on this site, I have pod's no extra bracing no side wind running problems no problem whatso ever with running pods and man when I put this project together I was on a budget and I am running the cheapest set I could get my hands on at the time. If your gonna strip her down and clean up the lines you will want to replace the pipe anyway so do em both use the formula for replacing the jets when you do it (mine had already been rejetted)and enjoy em.

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationhow about these

There are plenty of us here that run pods with no issues, including myself. You do see a lot of threads about them because there can be issues when converting. Proper jetting can be an issue, as can the rubber boots on the pods themselves (with CV carbs). There are other, less frequent issues, such as side-winds (as mentioned by ramtough above), and the fact that the filters themselves can get dirty at different rates.

But with any changes you make, there are goods as well. One of the favorites for most is that removing the stock airbox makes removing and reinstalling carbs a breeze. Another one that I am currently deciding how to use is the empty space where the airbox used to be (I think I'm going to make a small box for tools, gloves, etc).

Personally, I think way too many of our members get discouraged about running pods and decide not to because someone posts for them to do research first. While I don't disagree with doing research before making changes, please remember that it is your bike. It is your decision whether or not you want to run pods, take the time to tune your carbs properly, and enjoy the benefits of a sleeker, sportier, more customized bike.

Just my 2 cents...

~Clutch

clutch wrote: Personally, I think way too many of our members get discouraged about running pods and decide not to because someone posts for them to do research first. While I don't disagree with doing research before making changes, please remember that it is your bike. It is your decision whether or not you want to run pods, take the time to tune your carbs properly, and enjoy the benefits of a sleeker, sportier, more customized bike.

Just my 2 cents...

Thanks! I appreciate that.

I guess it's not so much all the negativity why I'm discouraged. I'm shying away from pods because, A.) I have NEVER worked on a motorcycle before. It sounds like rejetting and adjusting carbs is something that should be reserved for someone with a bit more experience than myself. B.) because I really don't care about increasing performance. And C.) I don't really want to spend the money on pods + new jets + whatever else I need... only to find out that I'm in over my head and need to spend more money and effort to have a real mechanic fix it up for me.

But also, I'm a total bike newbie. I just don't know what other options there are out there. If my ONLY options for air filtration on my bike are pods or airbox... then that's the decision I'll have to make.

clutch wrote: There are plenty of us here that run pods with no issues, including myself. You do see a lot of threads about them because there can be issues when converting. Proper jetting can be an issue, as can the rubber boots on the pods themselves (with CV carbs). There are other, less frequent issues, such as side-winds (as mentioned by ramtough above), and the fact that the filters themselves can get dirty at different rates.

But with any changes you make, there are goods as well. One of the favorites for most is that removing the stock airbox makes removing and reinstalling carbs a breeze. Another one that I am currently deciding how to use is the empty space where the airbox used to be (I think I'm going to make a small box for tools, gloves, etc).

Personally, I think way too many of our members get discouraged about running pods and decide not to because someone posts for them to do research first. While I don't disagree with doing research before making changes, please remember that it is your bike. It is your decision whether or not you want to run pods, take the time to tune your carbs properly, and enjoy the benefits of a sleeker, sportier, more customized bike.

Just my 2 cents...

~Clutch

Well, said. Count my 2 cents in on that as well.

Out of all respect for you and mutual caring for all riders out there, I have some advice. Please assess what brought you to buy a bike in the first place. We were all newbies at somee point, and Ive only been riding about 5 years myself, but the first thing I did was buy a repair manual for the bike and some good safety gear. I wasnt worried about what the bike looked like, or perfromacne upgrades, etc...If all you care about is looks or performance or reliablity, these will steer you down different paths. If your just riding to work, going to cruise ins, pods may or not frustrate you, but if your putting any amout of miles on it, pods will need attention. You will need to tune the carbs and theres no way around it.

With my first bike, I did my basic mantainence and got it road worthy. Take your Safety test. Having "old" bikes means you have to upkeep them, diagnose them, and fix them, worst case scenario...on the side of the road in a rain storm (dont ask) If you dont know the basics of wrenching and tinkering...read and practice. You will need to carry AAA motorcycle coverage if you get stuck on the side of the road or have a good friend with a truck to rescue you....Take things apart and label them. Put them back together again. These machines aren't really complicated. Even a newbie can take carbs apart. It just takes a clean workspace, seperate containers for small parts, patience and a manual. Dont get me wrong, Ive had my share of carb troubles and other gremlins with old bikes, but you figure it out and work past it. If you do get pods, most cheap pods are DISPOSABLE. Remember that, K&Ns are reusable. You will have to replace those junk pods yearly. Honestly you may as well just zip tie some old socks to your inlets....

If youre unsure about stuff, this forum is the best place for advice.

Good luck

hal0tw0 wrote: Out of all respect for you and mutual caring for all riders out there, I have some advice. Please assess what brought you to buy a bike in the first place. We were all newbies at somee point, and Ive only been riding about 5 years myself, but the first thing I did was buy a repair manual for the bike and some good safety gear. I wasnt worried about what the bike looked like, or perfromacne upgrades, etc...If all you care about is looks or performance or reliablity, these will steer you down different paths. If your just riding to work, going to cruise ins, pods may or not frustrate you, but if your putting any amout of miles on it, pods will need attention. You will need to tune the carbs and theres no way around it.

With my first bike, I did my basic mantainence and got it road worthy. Take your Safety test. Having "old" bikes means you have to upkeep them, diagnose them, and fix them, worst case scenario...on the side of the road in a rain storm (dont ask) If you dont know the basics of wrenching and tinkering...read and practice. You will need to carry AAA motorcycle coverage if you get stuck on the side of the road or have a good friend with a truck to rescue you....Take things apart and label them. Put them back together again. These machines aren't really complicated. Even a newbie can take carbs apart. It just takes a clean workspace, seperate containers for small parts, patience and a manual. Dont get me wrong, Ive had my share of carb troubles and other gremlins with old bikes, but you figure it out and work past it. If you do get pods, most cheap pods are DISPOSABLE. Remember that, K&Ns are reusable. You will have to replace those junk pods yearly. Honestly you may as well just zip tie some old socks to your inlets....

If youre unsure about stuff, this forum is the best place for advice.

Good luck

I agree with this. You should definitely get the bike road worthy BEFORE making any changes. It will be easier to diagnose and repair anything, without modifying things first. First and foremost, you should make sure the bike is safe, then make sure it runs well, and then start looking into modifying things to your liking.

PaulyWally wrote: I just don't know what other options there are out there. If my ONLY options for air filtration on my bike are pods or airbox... then that's the decision I'll have to make.

There are velocity stacks as well. I don't know much about them personally, but I believe some of our members run them. There may be other options as well

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