[ScroogeMcChuck]

Sooo, I thought I posted this, but apparently I didn't? Cheap airbox mod requires 1. keyhole saw 2. mesh (can be found at most autoparts stores) 3. epoxy. The bolt forums seem to think it's a good fix and you can save $200 over a new name brand airbox.

 

[ScroogeMcChuck]

Anyone think this is a bad idea? Anyone? Looks like this may be my first irreversible mod, for the price (freeish) it seems too good to be true...

 

[Krixtoph]

So with this mod you've increased your air intake and exposed your air filter to potentially more moisture when it rains. Worst case scenario you run lean when it's dry out, or you glug along if your filter gets wet from being out in the rain. I doubt you'll actually feel any of those effects unless you leave your bike out to get absolutely drenched in monsoon-like, frelling [email protected] sideways rain, so I endorse this mod. I wouldn't do it personally because I actually don't mind the stock look, but it does look cool and I admire your ingenuity.

 

[eddie]

It might be okay, but from personal experience with a factory upgrade on a different model bike, I would have to say no and back away from such a mod.

The long story:
Apples and oranges, perhaps, but I bought a 1st year rubber-mounted engine Harley-Davidson XL1200R in 2004.
The easy mods included a Screaming Eagle slip-on mufflers plus jet and air filter kits.
The air filter setup came with different plastic "guts" behind the stock metal air filter housing that eliminated the forward facing air intake snorkel completely.
It had acted to both direct air into the air filter housing and divert debris & water from making direct, head-on contact with the filter itself.
The new filter had a cleanable material of what appeared to be like a coarse woven fiberglass. 2,000 miles of normal riding later, I examined the filter and was
horrified to see holes in the leading end's pleat edges where they'd sustained hits from ?? (sand?) and worn through. One could see tiny dots of clear daylight through them!
I took it back and the 1st Harley tech tried to say I had improperly cleaned it (compressed air). I let them know real quick it wasn't cleaned at all, it was clean because it was NEW and a victim of a poor design.
I got a free new filter after some debate and went home to devise a simple fix that covered the area vacated by the absent snorkel.
Plenty of air could still get in around the new backing plate as it was smaller than the outer cover.

Photo, clockwise from upper left:
Original intake with snorkel.
After modification with factory HD parts, the air filter(faint blue and white part) visible & exposed to oncoming debris.
Small stainless steel "cover" I installed over the void left by removing the snorkel.


Final note: HD went through I believe three part numbers on that air filter within a year even though I doubt they were the real issue.

 

[srinath]

The intake sucks air from between the cyls. Some enlarging and modding of that area likely will yield better results.

 

[ScroogeMcChuck]

The main reason I've waited to update the airbox is because I really don't trust the naked filter that most of our after market options have. I'm not a fan for a number of reasons, rocks and sand are one problem, rain being the main issue, that slow pull of wet air I figure the bike is way more likely to stall out at every stop when the filter is soaking wet. Went digging around some forums and found that many of the people who set up this airbox mod replaced the filter with a K&N filter, theoretically an oiled filter should repel some water, the mesh insert should also help keep the water out of the box. There is no perfect solution, but the bike needs to breathe better. It may be coin toss time...

 

[srinath]

The main reason I've waited to update the airbox is because I really don't trust the naked filter that most of our after market options have. I'm not a fan for a number of reasons, rocks and sand are one problem, rain being the main issue, that slow pull of wet air I figure the bike is way more likely to stall out at every stop when the filter is soaking wet. Went digging around some forums and found that many of the people who set up this airbox mod replaced the filter with a K&N filter, theoretically an oiled filter should repel some water, the mesh insert should also help keep the water out of the box. There is no perfect solution, but the bike needs to breathe better. It may be coin toss time...

Oh yea K&N type filters are terrible for engie wear. But the breathe better part on this bike - manifold pretty much kills your breath … You can do this mod and maybe get a little bit … but that tight U bend in the manifold = death for flow. And I'm not even sure if you get it to flow better, the motor would survive past the initial speced redline without lightening - well everything in the drive train.