Glad to hear it worked out for you Dennis!
After I cut the hole in the bottom, I couldn't believe how much of a difference it made. I noticed the same thing regarding the carbs looking like they were "huffing" for air before the mod, and now it runs much smoother after.
It also made a slight difference when I took out the "wall" that the inner snorkels mount too, but not like when you cut the bottom out. What I did notice is that my bike runs better now. It was still running a little on the rich side and was popping on decel - with an occasional *light* backfire. The backfiring went away completely once the wall was removed and the air mixture opened up to 3.5 from 3.25 turns. It just needed a little more air.
Al, GO FOR IT! The TBS needles are cheap, and make a nice difference in the mid range. The airbox mod is *free*. How often to you get to mod your bike to get extra HP for free?
