Let‘er
Breathe
By: Nate T.
I’m sorry to say (not really) that it’s come time for me to touch on a
very controversial subject for quite a few of you out there…air cleaners.
You know…those things that let the motor in your scooter breathe…or
maybe wheeze depending on what you have going on. The problem is that
aircleaners are probably about the easiest thing to customize on your bike,
but at the same time, that super cool guy aircleaner can have a huge effect,
good or bad, on performance.
The first thing y’all need to consider what kind of customizer you are.
While there are a few different shades in between, for the most part, you’re
either looking for the best performance possible or style. I’m not saying
one is better than the other, but what I am saying is you really need to be
honest with yourself one way or the other. For the sake of argument though,
I’m going to assume that most of you are at least a tad bit interested in the
performance of your ride. So, with that being said, there are a number
of things that you should be considering when shopping for that next
aircleaner so that you know it’ll be an upgrade instead of a downgrade on
what you have now.
First and foremost, you’ve got to take into consideration whether you’ve
got a fuel injected or carbureted bike. The reason being here is that if you’re
carbed, then you can change out your aircleaner to just about whatever you
want, and worst-case scenario a couple of jets might have to be changed
out. On the other hand, if your bike is injected and you change the how the
engine breathes, its electronic brain may not be smart enough to adjust fuel
to where it needs to be to compensate. Most of the time, this involves quite
a few simoleons and dyno tuning time. There are some ways around that I’ll
be getting to in a later issue.
Once you have the carb versus injection thing worked out, things get a
bit more interesting. There are dozens of choices out there for bolt on intake
modifications…enough to make your head spin. There’s everything from
washable filters, to stainless filters, to backing plates, to complete air cleaner
assemblies. Prices vary just as much from twenty or so dollars on eBay to
several hundred dollars of cool guy blinginess. As far as performance goes,
some of these just go by reputation and here say while others claim your bike
will break the sound barrier as soon as you bolt their product on. Regardless
of any of that, it all comes down to one thing…airflow.
Being that your engine is essentially an air pump…pumping more
air is better than less. Therefore, if you’re interested in performance, less
restriction in the air cleaner is better. To be completely honest simplest way
to make this happen is to switch out your tired, old OEM paper filter with
one of the high-flow washable ones like K&N has to offer. There’s not a lot of
snake oil, the cost is low, and you can literally change one out in just a few
minutes. On top of that, the fuel injection crowd will be excited to know
that you can definitely get away with it without having to pay for dyno time.
Changing a filter is really just slapping a band aid on a bad flowing aircleaner
assembly though…and here’s where things get a bit more complicated.
When I was looking around for a good flowing aircleaner that didn’t look
like something I just scraped off my shoe, I realized just how daunting the
task is. Sure, there are a lot of good looking ones out there (more of them
not so much), but not many of these companies actually have flow numbers
to tell me if they are better…or worse than what the factory saw fit to put
on my scooter. For most of us that work hard for our paycheck, this can be an
uncomfortable gamble. If you want my two cents (feel free to give change
back), stick with companies that have some sort of performance data on a
bike that’s as close to what you have going as you can. It’s at least a bit less
of a shot in the dark that way. Beyond that, look for aircleaners that have the
biggest filter that you’re prepared to sacrifice style for. Parts also should fit
together nicely, finishes should be nice, and instructions should be clear and
straightforward. Try to pick out one that makes the air going into your mill
make as few changes in air direction as possible too as changes in direction
tend to slow air down.
In all of this, I guess what I’m trying to get across to all of you scooter
jockeys out there is mainly to be mindful of what you’re bolting on your bike.
Remember that the heart that smile a mile machine is an air pump. The
happier that air pump is, the bigger your grin will be when you twist that
wick up. Even though it may be easy as pie to get it changed out and back
into the wind, you might be biting into a sandwich that you’re not terribly
fond of. So, use your noodle and make the best choices you can. Until next
time, keep it between the lines and shiny side up. Shovel on.
www.jambooziecustoms.com/product/lil-sucker-nipple-air-cleaner
http://forkco.com/category/select/cid/17/pid/8780
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touring-models/
301073-modifing-a-stock-air-cleaner.html#&gid=1&pid=1
22 Thunder Roads Magazine Louisiana/Mississippi | April 2018 | www.thunderroadslams.com