Transparent airbox!

[tt_four]

I know it's not technically GS related, so I'm sticking it in the odds n ends section, but I just got done opening up the airbox on the XB and wanted to share it. There's so many things you can do to this bike that just make me love it even more. I've got some reflective heat shield I'm gonna use to line the bottom to reflect the light a little better, but it's getting late and I'm about to head off to bed.

[mister]

Cool  factor

Michael

[ohgood]

soooo, you and the xb did what nasty thing and then tossed your clean-ups on the gs ? oh my !


ya, the transparent thinger is a cool touch. i always figured someone would rice it up with some LEDs, but haven't seen one on the road yet.


edited:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7qyJNIrI1w

[tt_four]

Haha, the GS unfortunately spends about 75% of it's time being used as a shelf. It still gets ridden on occasion, but anything stationary in my basement usually gets things stacked on it, just because I'm messy.

When I said 'reflect the light' I just meant normal daylight. I've seen a few with some LEDs, but not too bad compared to most japanese bikes or cruisers. For the most part, people who have them are strictly business. I do have one LED strip already. I feel bad for having it, and wouldn't ever just use them to light up random things for no reason like the rear wheel, motor, or ground under the bike, but how often do you have a clear airbox where the tank would be? I'm trying to think of a way to light it up so you can't actually see the strips, but it's hard to do when the whole thing is clear. I really want it to just have a nice even glow to it. I wish there was just a way to make the actual air filter glow, but I think it's way too thick for any real light to get through.

[yamahonkawazuki]

Tuck a light in wiht a deflector behind the seat under the airbox cover. will cast light up and forward w/o being directly visible

[tt_four]

I've thought about that, but there's really not that much space under that part of the cover as it looks. The frame comes up and the airbox pretty much hugs it right where it meets the seat. Ideally I'd love to mount the lights on the back of the "Buell" stickers so they just shined downward, but I don't really have a way to attack them there without some kind of serious glue. I originally had one stick inside the old airbox with double sided tape and it vibrated loose(imagine that!). I'll probably try to find somewhere that they can be ziptied. I'll most likely just run a ring around the inside along the outside edge and just deal with it.

I need to figure out my switch too, or else just buy a different one. Instead of "off" and "on", I only get an "on" and a "half on" option, so I'm not sure what I did wrong.

[The Buddha]

Oh yea, you know there is more air flow when the air can see where its flowing into.
Cool.
Buddha.

[tt_four]

I was just playing with some stuff in the basement tonight while I was watching TV and I found out the one LED strip I have actually does light up the filter if I put it inside of it. I was originally going to run the LEDs around the bottom edge of the cover, but I think I'm going to get 2 or 3 more and stick them all inside of the air filter to give it a nice glow without being able to see the actual lights. Either way I would've needed a couple extra to do it the old way, so I"ll try out both and see what works the best.

[jeremy_nash]

so where is your gas tank at then?

[GeeP]

Buells don't need gas.

They run on pure badassness.

[tt_four]

The gas is held in the frame, that's why it's so big. It lowers the center of gravity a LOT. I know that after I've run a tank almost dry on my GS, and then go dump a couple gallons into it to fill up, there's a huge difference in how top heavy it feels and it would take me a few miles before I would really feel comfortable with the shift of weight. It was the same way on my old Triumph. I can't tell the difference between an empty and full tank on the Buell, so I can tell the lower center of gravity definitely helps. That's also the reason they're so big on the exhausts being mounted under the motor. I love undertail exhausts as well, but I'm always amazed that japanese manufacturers are willing to stick a 10-15lb exhaust at the highest part of the bike.

The other nice thing is that when winter comes I'll never have to worry about rust getting in my tank from the bike sitting too long.

[GI_JO_NATHAN]

The other nice thing is that when winter comes I'll never have to worry about rust getting in my tank from the bike sitting too long.

Or it'll just be harder to get out. lol j/k

[Poorboy]

I was just playing with some stuff in the basement tonight while I was watching TV and I found out the one LED strip I have actually does light up the filter if I put it inside of it. I was originally going to run the LEDs around the bottom edge of the cover, but I think I'm going to get 2 or 3 more and stick them all inside of the air filter to give it a nice glow without being able to see the actual lights. Either way I would've needed a couple extra to do it the old way, so I"ll try out both and see what works the best.

I like I like. Looks like it's alive or something.

[tt_four]

Or it'll just be harder to get out. lol j/k

Well I guess if there was rust inside, that's what I'd deserve for putting it inside an aluminum frame in the first place.

Originally I was going to put the lights around the inside edge of the clear cover so it would glow pretty well, I was thinking it would take 3-4 to line the inside edge along the cover. I only have one LED now, so I need to get more, but I took it out tonight with the one LED strip in there where you could see it and I was pretty paranoid about getting pulled over with it there. I'd definitely be even worse with 3-4 strips in there. I'm really glad I found out that you can see it through the K&N because I think a cop would be much less likely to pull me over and give me a ticket for a glowing air filter instead of a bunch of visible led strips.

[Poorboy]

only way your gonna get corrosion in there is by putting oxygenated fuel in it.should see what it does to the intake ports if not flushed out every time with straight gasoline on the quads I build. so stay away from vp c serires race gas.

[tt_four]

no race gasses, I just stick to the 91 out of the normal pump.