Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Performance Mods Pod Filters ??

I want to do the whole airbox removal, batt relocation deal but have to do it on limited funds. Can I remove the airbox and put the pod filters on without moving the battery at this point or won't they fit?
Just to make sure I got the DIY freak mod right are the parts needed:
Filters
Battery relocation bracket
carb brace
larger jets
anything missing?

Battery can stay put for now with no problems.

You can move your own battery box with some creativity-I'll help if you want with instructions on what I did. Not to steal Toms business. His is top notch. Carb brace can be a $2 toggle bolt. In the vault. Uni or KN pods will work. Might find some on eBay or gently used here. Jets may be around too if you ask in classifieds.

thanks Guys, 08America I like the way you think

You will need a 1/2" crankcase breather filter as well. I went with the UNI Part number UP-123, but there are other options out there.

Why use a crankcase breather filter? The point of the breather is that the crankshaft can vent. If their is any blow-by or the bike is run real hard and the engine foams, the filter will catch any oil and clog. The engine will stop running because gaskets and seals will blow. Most vintage bike guys (like myself), run a hose from the breather over the swingarm. The only possible downside is that if you live somewhere where mud-dobbers live, they can clog the hose.

What size pods are needed? I would recommend the cheap Emgo pods with paper elements. Paper filters are effective for a couple years unless you are in a real dusty environment. They are a lot cheaper and you just swap them out every season or two. The K&N or UNI filters need to be maintained; that is, washed and then oiled. Most folks are not consistent when oiling and this greatly effects the air fuel mixture. The CVK carbs on the BA are easy to tune; the pilot jets are the same type as used on the Vulcan with CVK carb or a Harley CV carb and the main jets are easy to source. There is no primary/secondary jet system as earlier Keihin CV carbs and it really isn't necessary to raise the jet needles; only bump the pilot jets a size (slow jets) and main jets need to be around #140 I would guess with pods. If you have no baffles in your mufflers, this requires a bit of adjustment as well and can create tuning issues (flat spots) that are hard to get rid of and require shimming the jet needles (washers are made specifically for this purpose for Keihin carb). The CVK carbs are actually pretty good choices and while throttle response is quite as perky as the Mikuni flat slide carbs I have seen, with proper tuning they will be more than up to the task.

the OD of the carb inlet is 54mm. like this:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p...0&_from=R40

Good ideas above. So where are you in the mod process?

I keep Emgo 54mm in stock for my business (use them Mikuni BS34) and when a customer requests using K&N, I buy them as needed.

Just to throw this out there. I bought the foam unifilters when I did my airbox removal,I hate them. The chrome part is constanly coming loose from the foam and requires re hotmelt gluing at least once a season for me. When I replace them I'm going with the KN pods. What George states about the crankcase breather makes good sense to me,I always assumed we put them on there just cause it looks cool

What makes you think that? I got them from newbonneville listed for the america. I got the right ones according to them.
yup, looks like I got the right ones according to them.
http://www.newspeedmaster.com/html/cone_and_pod_filters.html

Thanks George, that is some very helpful info for sure. Steve thanks for posting the link to the PODs, the money I'd save with those over the K&Ns I could probably do the battery box relocation all in one move.
08America, just gathering info and parts now . Would like to see your idea for the battery box move, I consider myself a fairly decent DIY guy and would like the project.
Going to have to get a bike jack first to get the airbox out, forgot to add that in the budget for this mod but I need one of those anyways.

well as it turns out they are the wrong ones to get in terms of performance and durability. Something tells me you are simply being a smarta$$ though

I'll get some pictures around and send them to you. I had a guy on here help me a lot too.

Craig,

Shoot me your email in a PM, I tried to email you and it didn't work. I have some pics and info for you. Just hard to attach here.

Brett

Getting ready to buy the Pods and got to thinking it rains alot around here in the summer and wonder what effect it might have, any filters better for wet weather than others? I know you can get covers for the K&N's but you got about $130 into filters when all said and done.

K&N pods can be had on Ebay for about $30 last I looked with free shipping so about $60 for the pair. I have ridden in very heavy rain for extended periods of time, like NE PA to the northern end of Vermont in the driving rain with pods and no issues.

thats good enough for me and thanks for the Ebay tip, I'll check them out.

My daughter just gave me her pristine 2006, uber low mileage Speedmaster. I shipped it home a couple of weeks ago after sitting the last three or four years. My friend has it up on his lift with the carbs apart for cleaning, trying to get it running right by the time I get home this week. He also said that the filter had deteriorated and needed to be replaced. I initially told him I'd be getting the K&Ns since this is a common mod for the Rockets, one of which I had until last year.

Is it a filter or a breather that is put on the crankcase hose? I still have vintage Triumphs and as George said, the practice is to drape the hose over the swingarm. On some, like my 68 Bonnie, the hose runs along the inside edge of the rear fender all the way to the end. The problem is the same with the old Harleys prior to them venting to the heads. I tried several kinds of filters/crankcase breathers on my 78 shovel and a 1988 Evo before going back to draping the hose over the swingarm. It can get a bit messy though.

Back to the K&Ns, my daughters carbs were jetted by Pensacola Triumph owner Dink McClendon when she bought it new there and had the Bub mufflers installed. Thus I am not sure whether or not the carbs will require additional jetting with the K&Ns. Keep in mind that K&N adamantly denies that their filters will make a bike run leaner.

usually the pods will require a little re-jetting. The crank case vent is just a wee little pod filter, much like the K&N, just mount it horizontally just above the case. Mine never gets messy.

"Keep in mind that K&N adamantly denies that their filters will make a bike run leaner".

In some instances they will not, and certainly not if you oil the crap out of them as some do. What usually happens though is in many applications where the pods are put on the method of air delivey has also been changed. In our case going from a restrictive box under the seat and a snorkel etc to right behind the carbs. When this is done it usually results in a leaner mixture , usually can be dealt with on the low end with an adjustment to the fuel/air screw but may need a step up on the main jets nearer the top.