AirPod or stock?

Airpods or stock? And why? Looking at putting AirPods on but not sure yet. Will give more room instead of having a big filter box

 

Pods are not recommended for constant velocity (CV) carburetors; it will require a lot of tinkering to get things dialed in. Save the headaches and either stick with the stock airbox or look for a different bike, better suited for the mode you want to make.

 

get it running correctly with the air box before even considering going to pods. if you can find some slide carbs for your bike that would make a world of differance in its conversion
what do you need the room for?

 

go to this link and watch the video then decide
Good information on Pods vs Airbox :Thanks sybe

 

I like the look of having nothing in that space and if it helps with performance that’s a bonus.

 

it will not help with performance it will hinder it unless done correctly. the guy in the video did it with slide carbs not cv carbs.

unless you have access to a dyno or gas analizer you will have a lot of trial and error work. the forums are full of threads on conversion the best claim of pods is mine runs great but my buddy did it for me and do not know what he did.
if you just want the look and to hop from cafe to cafe thats ok but when you pull up to a stock bike done right you will be in his mirrors real quick.
watch the video a few times

 

Is that your bike in the pic ? From what I have observed 'simple' mono-shock conversion as in your picture mean that the airbox is removed to create space for the top shock mount.
Monoshocks that use a pivot linkage and a more vertical shock can retain the airbox (I think!). Mind you you won't be going far on that seat so I guess you can choose for pods and put up with it.

 

Nah not my bike mate. Just a picture off gumtree. R1 shock. I just like the look of it being open in there.

 

My bike with stock airbox has carbs fully cleaned and synched my bike pulls like a freight train ... I have NO popping from exhaust any where in the power band . Oh pods may look "cool" but they are NOT worth it , constant experimenting with jetting , even if you THINK it is right , you actually will be down on power. The engineers knew how to get the most out the engine and carbs and know much more than any of us out here will ever know. When I first got my bike it had a K&N filter in the airbox it ran horrible switched to paper element problem solved in a big way. CV carbs are not meant to run pods period. Flat carbs slides they work fine. This is just MY view your bike do as you please , just trying to show the down side .

 

Thank you for the info.

 

Pods = Problems = Period......

Highly not recommended......the cool factor for Pods is BS....

The bike was designed for a stock airbox.....when dialed in, these bikes fly down the road.....

Do not even consider pods......period...

 

I know it sounds like a kill joy but many of us have tired and tried again to make the PODS work. they do look cool and save lots of space and look cool...yet I know I typed it twice. Unless you are willing to do lots of back ground reading and searching through the forums and other build sites then is it really worth it?

As other have mentioned, get her running in stock form first and then make up your mind. I will warn you, getting those carbs in and out the first few times will build character or it will brake you...just kidding. When you do pull them really clean them well and do a wet set before you put them back in. Lots of us have rushed forward to hear her run and then had to go back in and re-clean the carbs. Take your time on the carbs the first time and be confident that all is done well and up to speck.....Good Luck.

 

When all the chicks come flocking around cause I got pods on.... then we'll see who is laughing last!!

I agree - they do look cool... at least to us guys. Jury is out whether or not chicks dig them. but yeah - they are known to be tricky on the XJ CV carbs.

Here is the important part - @Jenkins this is your bike - your rules. You will get some flack but you will also get some advice from some of the smartest XJ mechanics/ electricians that I know.

 

Somewhere there was an article in either Cycle World or Motorcycle from mid 80's they did a dyno test of a couple of bikes with stock airbox and pods ....the stock airbox won by a wide margin putting out more HP and Torque ...but I do not remember which bikes I think a Honda and Suzuki just vaguely remember reading it and might not even be these magazines my buddy gave me 4 big boxes of bike magazines from the late 70's to 90's ...but in 2 house moves they got pitched .

 

OK...I will cave in a little here........

Get the bike dialed in......& then drive it around for awhile......& then make an educated decision as to whether you still want to go to pods......

Most likely ...you won't want to.......

Based on whether to keeping riding or constantly pulling carbs off & on to get it right if possible......

Just my thoughts.....

 

This is pretty old but I have just purchased a 1981 XJ550 Seca and I discovered today that the air filter and filter cover is missing... may be why the carbs are clearly clogged. Does anyone know where I could find a cover for the air box? I have been searching the past few days and found nothing. Now I’m thinking I’ll have to go with pods

 

You can make a cover or ask chacal if he has any in stock. If you want to make one... you can create a template using card stock, wrap the card stock with Aluminum tape, wax it (6 coats), then lace fiberglass to the template. Once hardened you pull the template out, cut, sand, paint and drill a new mount boom new cover. If the template is too flimsy you can place wood blocks under it to support it. I am sure you can find a youtube video about making templates and stuff for use with fiberglass

 

I may actually end up making my own but I’d rather not..
Also who is Chacal?

 

I may actually end up making my own but I’d rather not..
Also who is Chacal?

 

That is xj4ever at top right of home page, start am IM with him or email he is quick with a reply , he will give you prices and how to order instructions, he has most parts for XJ bikes in stock or alternate pattern parts.

 

Constant VACUUM, not constant velocity, also, a lot of the suff bandied about here on pods is BS. What isn't is that getting it right will take a lot of doing, butit can be done and they will work. Are you up for a battle?
Let us know how you get on.
My shields are up folks you can't hurt me

 

We have had this discussion repeatedly. Please stop bashing the forum.

 

Yes we have, and you've told me to disagree respectfully. Do you want me to dissapear kmoe? I'll quite happily do that if it makes you happy?
If I stay you'll have to live with me dissagreeing with things I see as myths, suppositions and, well anything I dissagree with. It doesn't mean I'm right though...

 

A lot of what is bandied about pods on here isn't BS.
That's where the respectfully part comes into play.
Full disclosure of information is preferred when working a problem.

 

We all need to stay respectful , we all have opinions our goal is to help people , many are new to bikes and this is all down to experience , putting pods on a bike can be daunting to set up "right" and a newby to wrenching may not be up to this . A quote I may not agree with what you say, but defend your right to say it...Ben Franklin

 

According to my research, both terms are acceptable.

 

I guess I agree with all four of those statements

I agree with that one, too!

 

I learned them with both, as well

 

The only reason we have this repeatedly is that I refuse to agree to this nonsense. If I shut up and go away you can all agree pods will never work and be happy and smug.
I've never said it was easy, I've never said I recommend fitting them (other than in jest, before someone digs a quote out).
As far as constant vacuum Vs const velocity, you fail to understand the significance - the whole ethos behind these is that the vacuum, or suction, depression, is constant. That gives the main jet a constant suction signal - velocity is neither here nor there. Once you understand this you begin to see why the supposition that dropping the atmospheric pressure is just a matter of balancing the suction at the jet to that above it. The answer being, in most cases the spring.
Sure, there are issues around helmholtz resonator theory, size of airbox etc, but that is allways frequency, and from this rpm specific. It will help somewhere, sure, but if you reduce filter pressure drop you will increase airflow somewhere, usually at the top end.
So, I don!t stick my head up for the sake of an argument, more than the person who says it can't work does.
But, I've had enough. No more will I bother. Enjoy your beliefs, myths and self perpetrated nonsense, I enjoy my 750 with keihins on K&N pods, look forward to tuning my mikuni equipped maxim 650, but also look forward to completing my std '81 650 seca, on std airbox no less....
Bye...

 

Bye

 

nevermind

 

For everyone else who has been reading and trying to learn more about pods......I don't believe we said that pods NEVER work. I DO believe we have said that they are very difficult to try to dial in; they usually require changing the jetting; and/or modifying the air filter, etc......usually have t tinker with the mixture screws, etc....and so on. We have also c insistently said that the engineers knew what they were doing, and you're not going to get much more performance than there already is. Of course, there is more that CAN be done, but it will take effort and probably $. If someone wants to believe that it's all nonsense, then tell you what---go put your pods on and then hopefully for you you bike will run better, have better mpg, more hp, and none of the know flat-spot issues with pods.......without having to play with it or modifying anything. But, I'm pretty sure you'll have to tinker. My bet would be that you:
1. End up with different jets, or needles, or more
2. End up with adjusting mixture screws
3. End up with a different air filter, etc.....

Pods can work...pods do work. But you'll have to do q lot of work to GET them to work the best that you can get them to work. Some of us here would rather have the bike work the best it can, and that is to simply go back to factory stock. I personally don't care if you agree or not.

 

I wouldn't work on anything that has std's

 

Keihin carbs are not Hitachi carbs. The air port to the diaphram chamber is in a different place on the carb, and that does matter.

One cannot compare an orange to an apple and say that apple juice can be made by squeezing the orange.

 

BS.

This thread was dormant for months, yesterday’s news.
It was resurrected recently and Sybe (one of the known and respected pod runners) replied with a fix that would allow the air box to still be used. But you get all bandied up on brandy and start poking the bear, stirring the pot, kicking the sleeping dog... acting like a jerk.

If that ain’t seeking an argument then I’m the Pope.... kiss the ring.

@Minimutly You have been here long enough that it should be clear to you where the majority of active members stand on pods. I get it, we get frustrated at life in general and sometimes we need to let it out and just be heard, not be right but be listened to.
Pods are your thing - that’s cool. But as clearly pointed out in recent replies in this thread and others - pods often require a higher skill level and longer tinkering time to get them just right... and the majority of advice is to Keep It Simple.

Maybe the website needs a dedicated pod page where you and other experienced XJ Pod Runners can assist those that want to go down that path. We don’t want members leaving, we want to nurture people helping people.

 

Anyone is free to start a thread about how to run with pods, and several already exist.

 

Was going to make this exact point! It's so easy to make pods work! All you have to do is switch the carbs. Easy peasy!
For some reason, i bit my tongue.

 

I have decided to take on the task of making my own cover. May even try to 3d print one. The only problem is I can't seem to find a good picture of one to go off of, specifically for the inside of the cover. If you have one could you please post a picture of it for me?