Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Performance Mods British Customs or Freak

OK, I am going for the Mikuni's but it sounds like I need to install the Freak or the British Customs version of the Freak. My question is which one seems to be a better quality piece? I remember hearing both ways, any suggestions?????? I have been waiting patiently for Pat (Dinqua) to offer the carb set-ups but to no avail so I am planning on trying it myself. Thanks, Ron

Go with Brent. He supports this site and is amazing to work with.

Ron,
Yea yea yea, I been a slacker this winter. If you're gonna build your own Mikuni setup like mine and Ed's, I will be glad to assist you with any details you may need too. I would also recommend going with the Freak since I know for a fact that it will fit.

Ok, really, I'm gonna get the mikunis on my bike today! Really! No, really! I am getting my dremel out and do the final cut on the cable and will take a bunch of pix and send you some with measurements if you want as well.

The weather has been great here and we've been riding a lot recently too so been too busy to work on it instead.

Definately go with Brent in my opinion. Had nothing but good experiences with him. (except a little slow sometimes due to chromer delays) But stands behind his stuff and a good guy to talk to too.

Brent, he takes care of all of us. Nothing but positive experiences.

And he is sponsoring tshirts for the ga. rally!!!! Besides he has a new hungry mouth to feed and they usually only get bread and water for dinner... all the other money goes back into R & D for our bikes .... support our supporter / brother, Brent.... ride safe...Gordon

another vote for brent

Frank

The Freak was my original choice but I have seen posts from individuals stating that they were not that impressed with the quality of the Freak and this is why I was wandering if anyone has seen the difference between the Freak and the Air box eliminator that British Customs offer. On the Brent thing I agree that he is great to deal with as he has already gotten a great deal of my money already. Thanks for everyones input. Ron

Ronal,

I bought my Freak from Brent in Dec. I can not see how you could get a better quailty setup, although I have never seen the British version, I can tell you from personal experience the directions and fit of the box was perfect.

The only thing I had doubts about was the jets he sent with the kit 160's which seemed to big to me. I used Pat's carb. cal. and settled on 150's which Brent exchanged the 160's for.

I finally got out yesterday by myself with a couple of buddies and if was not for that new windshield and the buffeting over 75 I would have easily done 100+ when I opened it up on a straight away. I had to shut it down around 95 as I my head was bouch around like a ping ball.

Believe me Big Poppy was fast last year (as fast as I needed it to be) but after the freak there is comparison.

Go with Brent.

PS: The use of a bike jack will make the whole process painless and you will not destory the old box as most guys have to when removing it with out the a jack.

I asked the same question to my local T dealer and he said that he has seen them both and FWIW, thought that Brents FREAK was of better quality. Besides Brent is awesome. Looks like a one sided vote...must mean something..

I think some of the original fitment issues with the freak have been worked out.

Has anyone used the British Customs kit? Any pics?

I just purchased and installed the BC kit. I would definitely go with the Freak. I actually had to use the Freak installation manual, because the BC manual left out critical info. I've never seen the Freak in person, but from the pictures in the manual, they look fairly similar.

Not sure if its been asked before but what does installing the freak and the larger jets do to all youse guys gas mileage?

Go with the Freak for sure I put it on mine and fit almost perfect. The 160s are too big. I run straight pipes and the Freak with no AI and I was rich with 160s and I'm at just under 2,000' elevation at most and do most of my riding at 1500' to 1800'. Mileage is a tough question since so much depends on how you ride and how hard the engine is working. If you are running hard you will use more than if you are just putting around with the same carb. set up.At my altitude and set up 155 mains is about perfect and I have 48 pilots I might drop those down a size not sure yet.

I think the milage discussion will be similar to the discussion about open pipes. More power means the bike doesn't have to work as hard, so theoretically you wouldn't NEED to twist the throttle as much, but you WILL twist the throttle more

After adding the freak, with 152.5 mains, I'm getting around 43mpg, and a good portion of that is in town, so probably a bit higher on the highway.

So whats the average gain in HP overall based on going from just the snorkel removed/t/bike pipes and say 130 mains?

That is a good question.... I wanna say around 10 or so.

Wow...thats a reasonably fair increase...around as many as you get from adding aftermarket pipes and upping the jets and pulling the snork.

The increase is just like that...

If I remember the origonal basic HP I got 13HP increase with my set up.

Wait I rethunk it... Maybe not that much compared to the modified airbox. But I think it'll be a noticable bump.

Did you drill and Uni first Benny? Cause I'm trying to decide what to do. Rob thinks that since I'm running TORs I might not get the full effect of getting freaky.

Our bikes are both enjoyable and fast stock so any mod is a matter of perosnal preference.
My advice and opinion are get the freak if you have the money. Those filters are washable the kit comes with jets and then if you decide to do further performance mods you already have that done.

On that note if you don't think you will be going any farther in that respect then you probably won't benefit much from the Freak with TORs.

I love my bike and all, but one thing it wasn't when stock, and that's fast.

On the reversable note the Freak is fully reversable if you keep the airbox too.

Yeah but the dremel removal method is so much faster...

Oh you cut up the airbox? It is a real pain to get out in 1 piece for sure!!!

Yeah I did. Then a week later I bought a jack. Shoulda gotten the jack first! Oh well...

Had my BA for 5 yrs 2 yrs ago I had it bored out to 902cc by Norman Hyde in the UK, increase in torque of 40% with jetting it now rides much better(www.normanhyde.co.uk). He does a kit on his webb site. We also have a guy called John Preston ( www.tribalaccessories.co.uk) who makes out of Stainless steel items for the BA&SM range.

Ah yes, I remember him. Borrowed a design or two.....

Example:

Brent's orginal bar-end design


John Preston's bar-end 'design'

There are plenty of other similarities on that site also.
Wasn't that a big controversy last spring?

I've heard people say that the "factory knows best" and leave it alone, well once you install the freak and open up those pipes......you realize, that's the way this motor wants to run. It's a beautiful thing!

I was lucky enough to test ride a friends bike who had the freak and bubs while my bike was mostly stock.....I took the hammer to the piggy bank as soon as I got home that nite......

stealing to me. An idea and product should not be copied without permission except maybe a 1 time part made in a garage by the owner of the vehicle not for resale!

The worst part was the guy was a complete arse when called on it.

Did Brent patent it? Would it be worth the trouble to do anything about it?

Doubt it.