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Old 07-19-2016, 05:07 PM   #18
rtking   rtking is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 410
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2LZ View Post
In all honesty, it's the throttle response, under load, that I'm more interested in clearing up, not just HP gain. Seems anything under 5k at all...and it's "Bawwwwggghhhh" until it really winds up. The 13 tooth helped but it just sounds so choked up sometimes. Almost like an old Honda 90 on steroids.
I understand. Sometimes the engine doesn't really spin up as quick as I think it should as I accelerate from a stop and I end-up stalling the bike. I think the same issue as you describe...which might be restriction in the intake.

I still haven't had the time for a longer ride, but I did take the bike for a bit of a ride around the neighborhood. Thinks I've noticed with the K&N filter:
  • The hesitation/sluggishness from lower RPM is reduced or gone. I'd favor the word "gone" as the bike surprised me with how tractable it was at low RPM riding. Gone was the "buck-boarding" hesitation/acceleration I had when riding right above idle. (I ride at low RPMs around my immediate neighborhood.)
  • There's way more induction noise. Not surprising in the least since there's only cotton and iron mesh between the throttle body and my ears. But the engine now sounds more like a two-stroke than a refined four-stroke single. I actually like the sound... but ask me again in a few days when I put some freeway miles on it.
  • The bike pulls quickly up the RPM range and eagerly into redline. I'm again surprised, especially since I've got the 42T rear sprocket (to drop RPMs on freeway cruise.) I have less torque multiplication, but the bike did a nice job of accelerating through 1st, 2nd and part way through 3rd. I want to say it accelerated faster than with the stock air box, but I can't be sure since it's been a few weeks since my last ride (breathing through the stock air box.)
  • I can actually feel (more-so than before) the power increase around 5,000 RPM now. It's slight, but it's there. With the stock airbox, there was a less pronounced transition as the engine "came on cam."

Before anyone goes out and tries this on their own, the standard caveats applies: You are doing this on your own no warranties expressed, implied, yada, yada, yada. But it's important to note that the filter is exposed, so no dirt riding (at least, not beyond a few hundred feet), and certainly no going through deeper puddles. The Filterwear cover will help filter dirt and repel water, so that will help in the short term.

The longer term test (again, when I have time) will be to run an aluminum tube from the throttle body and through the stock rubber boot to the K&N filter, then cut holes in the stock air box to promote better breathing but using the bottom of the airbox to help keep water and some dirt out.


 
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