POD air filters

[89Decepticon]

Does anyone have suggestions on getting rid of the box and putting on pod filters?
which filters would work best? would just a off the shelf work, or should i look for bike specific?

[Paulcet]

Wiki!
http://wiki.gstwins.com/index.php?n=Upgrades.AirFilter
I recommend the "lunchbox".

[RichDesmond]

Does anyone have suggestions on getting rid of the box and putting on pod filters?
which filters would work best? would just a off the shelf work, or should i look for bike specific?

By and large, airboxes are a very good thing. Without them you will typically lose low end and midrange power, get worse gas mileage, and probably have a very hard time getting the bike jetted so that it runs properly. In return you may (or may not) gain a couple of HP up top.

[mach1]

I had uni pod filters off the shelf and I had it rejetted to suite. the bike ran fine but a bit rich for my setup but the addition of a vance and hines exhaust fixed that but was a bit lean at idle and rich at WOT. but the bike sounded beefy with those filters.

[89Decepticon]

The links in the wiki don't really lead anywhere....but i see the product number....what about re-jetting?

[007brendan]

There's a section for that on the wiki, too.

http://wiki.gstwins.com/index.php?n=Upgrades.Rejetting

[aero_b]

Beware: The Buddha may or may not hate you as a result of this decision.

The lunchbox filter DOES make it sound cool but it DOES make it VERY lean. In fact, The Buddha would say that it creates lean spots and rich spots across the range, which makes it hard to jet properly. I know all this because I currently have the lunchbox filter with stock exhaust and am only mediumly (couldn't find the adverb for "medium") happy with it. It definitely makes taking the bike apart WAAAAAY easier...

My jets are 37.5 pilot and 140 mains, though I need to go higher on the latter. I think I have 3 washers on the needle. If you have a post-2001 (I think that's when the carbs changed), this information will be useless. Refer to the wiki and rejetting matrix (search for links to it in this forum) either way.

Best of luck (and by the way, rejetting is NOT hard and makes you learn a lot about how the GS works, so don't let that particular detail deter you).

[tucsondude]

i hit up buddha for jets for a lunchbox a month ago, pretty much told me to forget it.

if you do it make sure you have an exhaust. I am trying to get the money together for this and a carb rebuild, o rings and gaskets are freakin expensive.

ps: i hate the factory air box and its super snug fit to the frame.

[007brendan]

Yeah, the stock airbox sucks for maintenance.  It makes pulling the carbs way more difficult than it should be.

[k.rollin]

The stock airbox wasn't an issue for me when removing the carbs, but it was a PITA when I was trying to put the entire intake side back together.

[reload]

i didn't really mind the stock box but then my petcock broke. i went for the newer style unit which took up more space so instead of making a bracket i just went for the lunchbox.

petcock works great. lunchbox sounds good. working on the carbs is a lot less of a hassle.

i went for the 140 mains/1 washer setup as the wiki suggests. i have a stock exhaust. i do detect a slight dead spot/lag somewhere in the mid-range but i've never rode a stock gs so i have no baseline for comparison.

[aero_b]

i went for the 140 mains/1 washer setup as the wiki suggests. i have a stock exhaust. i do detect a slight dead spot/lag somewhere in the mid-range but i've never rode a stock gs so i have no baseline for comparison.

Ditto on the lean spot somewhere mid-range. Sorry to start a side-conversation in your post, 89Deception, but I hope this will help you make a decision re whether to drop the stock airbox...

Reload: Have you looked at your spark plugs since you changed to the LunchBox and jetted to 140 mains + 1 washer? Are they white as ghosts? I find mine are and think that this is still too lean.

[reload]

@aero. i haven't gotten a chance to check yet. i haven't been able to ride lately so i only put about 30 miles on the bike with the new filter. i was gonna check the plugs after a couple hundred miles.

buddha suggested i go with 150 mains.

i'll make a decision after some more saddle time

[aero_b]

@aero. i haven't gotten a chance to check yet. i haven't been able to ride lately so i only put about 30 miles on the bike with the new filter. i was gonna check the plugs after a couple hundred miles.

buddha suggested i go with 150 mains.

See 89Deception, my slight derailing of your topic wasn't all bad: now you have an idea of the issues surrounding this air filter. One of them is: no one seems to agree on appropriate jet set up! Having said this, I think 150 mains is probably much closer to being correct than the 140's I have in there now. In case you haven't noticed, The Buddha knows his stuff so you might want to start at 150 mains and do the good ol' spark plug check afterward (definitely don't start at 132.5 as I found in one of the re-jetting matrices!).

[89Decepticon]

I'm taking it all in. Learning as I go. Its good to know everyones experiences with this. thanks to all.
I wasn't planning on changing the exhaust. but I guess maybe something i should look into, but i think that is a different thread.
Is buddha no selling the kits anymore? if so.....are these available at my local bike shop?

[aero_b]

I'm sure he'll chime in any moment now and let you know what's what (I'm sure he's still selling the kits).

Having said that, all you're probably looking for are 150 main jets so you can get those from the dealer for cheap. My local one even has a bunch in stock. What you might be able to get from Buddha is a set with a bunch of sizes to try (I would recommend this). If you figure out what works best, let me know! I know I need to go richer than 140, but that's about it.

Also, the #4 washers to put on the needle are fun to find. I think I saw on the map that you're from Nova Scotia, so what I did was get #4 lock washers from Canadian Tire and banged 'em shut (pretty much need a vice for this, or a friend holding it with needle-nose pliers). The #4 washers they sell (at least here in Ottawa) are too wide; the hole is the right size, i.e. #4, but the outer diameter is too big. What the local dealer told me was that they use some of the really small o-rings from carbs to do the same thing. That would work too!

[The Buddha]

The good name of the buddha is being dragged through the mud ... anyway ... its easy enough to jet with a K&N pod and pipe. Too many people have done it, several 1000 at a low count I'd say for it to be urban legend. It can be jetted to where it is near perfect with 2-3 tries of a even average or below average mechanic. No high end only BS with the 150/40 method using stock needles, the high end only crap was due to the dynojet needles.

However My issue is with the increased wear on the motor with K&N. I'd count a mile run with K&N as 2 X the miles. sadly that is true for both airbox and lunch box.
"anytime you open the throttle you sand blast the top of your piston".
Cool.
Buddha.

[reload]

sand blast my piston doesn't sound good. what's happening to gs buddha?