Ok, now we're cooking with fire. Runs exceptionally well, can get 5th gear to 80 mph and it slowly climbs, I guess this is normal.
80 is routine. It shouldn't show any signs of slow acceleration until about 90.
Also, I have those cheap pods that is like running with nothing on the carbs. I got some unis coming in.
You have the stock exhaust. Why oh why do you not use the stock air box and filter?
The carbs are tuned for that air box and exhaust and runs famously with that combination.
With pods you are now looking at a carb rejet. Pods alter the carb throat pressure, raising it closer to atmospheric. The difference in pressure between the outside atmosphere and the carb throat is what pushes fuel through the carb's fuel orifices.
Picture a tube where vacuum is presented at one end. At the tubes inlet end, the pressure is normal outside atmospheric. Half way down the tube there is half the vacuum as what is presented. Even while there is airflow there, is still a pressure drop within the tube. This is called pressure equalization. Low pressure at one end is equalized by the higher pressure at the other end. Block the tube's inlet and the whole tube experiences source vacuum all along it's length. Alternately, shut off the source vacuum end and the whole tube will experience the pressure presented at it's inlet.
The bike's intake was made with a length of tube. Vacuum is presented by the falling piston at the intake valve seat end of the tube. Air is sourced at the inlet of the air box and that length is about a foot and a half-ish. The carb throat is also part of the tube and located about 1/3 the distance between the intake valve seat and the filter box inlet.
For simplicity, lets say the carb fuel jets are being pushed by 2/3 (66%) of what the falling piston develops, since it is 2/3rds the distance between the vacuum source and the inlet supply. ( It is closer to the vacuum source.)
Now take off the air box and put pods directly onto the carb inlets. The inlet supply tube has now been shortened by nearly 2/3rds. The carb throat is now about 2 inches away from atmospheric pressure air supply and about 8 inches away from the source vacuum presented. The carb throat fuel jets now sees about 2/8th of the supplied vacuum or about 25% of what it saw with the stock air box arrangement. From 66% of source vacuum to 25% of source vacuum is a loss of fuel flow push force of 41%. All the carbs fuel jet orifices will experience a reduced flow fuel. Pods do not present any less air volume than the stock air box for upwards of 3/4 or more of the engine's RPM range. But, all pods shorten the inlet duct and alter the pressures by which the factory set the jet sizes in the carbs. A 41% drop in available fuel pressure flow force necessitates increasing all the fuel orifice sizes to compensate for the loss of throat pressure differential induced by pod's intake runner length shortening. In other words, pod conversion routinely demands a carb re-jett and re-tune.
Pods
MAY allow more air flow volume than the stock airbox at RPMs hovering around Red line. At all RPM ranges below7/8 of redline, the stock filter and box arrangement supply equal volumes of air compared to any pod filter. The engine only demands just so much.
There are also other issues of turbulent air reaching into the carb throat upsetting the fuel orifice exit ports. This is what the velocity stack portion of the stock air box address.
Looked at your video.
FYI: The tank color is original for that year model. Looks like a pretty nice survivor of the era. I have the same model in orange. Stock exhaust and air box. It gets to 95 mph pretty easily even with a Vetter Quicksilver fairing fitted to it. But, then the air drag resistance starts to demand more HP than the motor can produce.
... and it get 50 MPG. I've never heard of any pod altered 550 getting close 50 MPG. This speaks the power plant's overall efficiency of the model.
When new, the prices for the F and K model were nearly the same. The difference is in the styling. Motors are the same for each model. But, I think the F models were a bit lighter, due to the exhaust system difference.
Best of luck with your 550.
Don't see why you are unhappy with the stock airbox. Lots of engineering dollars and work went into that design. Shame to throw it away. But, if it's for sale, do let me know. I think I have a project bike that can use it.
Do count the sprocket teeth for the drive chain. Many cases where taller sprocket ratios were used, when the owner didn't like the higher cruise RPM compare to other bikes. This actually diminishes the top speed capability, since there is no extra power provided to compensate and the ratio's mechanical advantage is diminished.
Cheers,
Lloyd
