Topic: Home made pod deflectors. Needed? Any alternatives?

[b1jackson]

Hey all.

My recently acquired CB550 has some home made pod deflectors on the outside 2 carbs.






They do look abit ghetto and I have read that they do actually have some possible function for preventing lean conditions on a cross wind or something to that effect.

Are they really needed? Should I just put the stock air box back in?  Bike seems to run fine or if I decide to keep them, is there an alternative place to get them or is homemade the only way?

[BomberMann650]

Its only weird if it doesn't work.

Have you done any plug chops to determine how well its jetted?

[DaveBarbier]

If you aren't against the stock airbox then the bike will probably run better with it and the stock exhaust in place, using the stock jetting of course.

But if it runs well, I don't see any reason to change it.

Some places, like Steel Dragon Performance makes "breadboxes" which houses pod filters to calm the airflow.


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[b1jackson]

Its only weird if it doesn't work.

Have you done any plug chops to determine how well its jetted?

No.  Just acquired the bike last week.  Ran great in some test runs. Maybe a wee bit of top end bog.  Thing starts on a split second turn of the key.  I've never once choked it.  I currently have it on the operating table cleaning up Chrome and repainting exhaust.  (4 into 1)

[jonda500]

'Are they really needed?'
Well, do you think that you will never encounter rain while riding or parked outside?
John

[Bodi]

I'm not in love with pods and slightly regret installing them when I was much younger and had the time to go through tuning...
However - rain and wind have not been a problem. Very rarely at speed in strong crosswind there is a minor effect. Shifting knee position relieves it.
Rain? No problem. At all. Although I try to avoid it now, when I had no alternative transport or went far from home, riding in downpours was not unusual. Rain-X on my faceshield allowed clear vision and a cheap rainsuit slightly delayed my clothes' total soaking (plus a wetsuit effect reduces wind chilling). Carburetion was not affected by however wet the pods got. Performance was better if anything - as is usual in 100% humidity - although without a windshield illegal speeds got painful.

[b1jackson]

Well I'm a fair weather rider so if I get wet on a ride, its because I didn't check the weather forecast! .

I'll most likely keep the pods on but will confirm after a bit of riding how it performs and if the PO had things tuned properly and jetted correctly.  I do have the stock set up as well in a bin of parts from other bikes.  I will avoid the itch to tinker if I can confirm its performing as it should.

[ekpent]

 I have had problems with rain and pods on a 750 multiple times.

[PeWe]

I had no problems with pods on my CB750 with std carbs either. Riding all day long in rain most of the time in higher speed. My legs with rain trousers and boots might have worked as a windshield.
Jetting might have an effect on pods in bad weather if running closer to lean? I had closer to rich..

Today still pods with other carbs.

But why pods if the engine is not modified and bike look original?

[Bankerdanny]

I have what appear to be the same identical pods on my 550. I have considered making something similar for mine for my road trip to Colorado next month.

My bike runs great with them, but 3,000 miles over 12-13 days there will certainly be rain and I would like the most protection I can get for them.

I have a stock box I could swap in, but too many other things to get done to worry about changing something that seems to work just fine.

[jonda500]

I had problems with wet unifilter pods when I had them on my 400F,  thinking about it though, it probably was when it got rained on whilst parked, it still always started but ran poorly till they dried out. I took to carrying little plastic baggies in my pocket to slip over the outer pods when parking outside.
John

[b1jackson]

I took to carrying little plastic baggies in my pocket to slip over the outer pods when parking outside.
John

Dang...that makes my  beer can looking ones appear right fancy

[scunny]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Just spat out a cup of coffee, and inhaled a cheese sandwich through my nose at the same time there.

[Bankerdanny]

IDK, I'm thinking one made with a colorful craft brew can would look cool.

[CBGhia]

I actually think those look pretty good.  I might have to try something like that.

Maybe paint them with some wrinkle paint or something to give it some texture and hide the little imperfections from bending the tabs.

[garyS-NJ]

I tried two sets of pilots and 3-4 trials of fuel mix screw on each and probably 4 trials on air screw setting for each fuel screw setting....  on my '79gs1000 with K&N knock off oval pods, 4:1 header and open pipe.  I got close and started looking at the pods thinking about shielding or guiding the air..  well I already had the front half of the pods taped and then made stacks from PVC sliding them inside the pods (like in an airbox) and this made the bike get to 95% including low end and low cruise..

[b1jackson]

I actually think those look pretty good.  I might have to try something like that.

Maybe paint them with some wrinkle paint or something to give it some texture and hide the little imperfections from bending the tabs.

Ahh...the light just came on.  I may make a trip to the dollar store and pick up a couple of those thin stainless steel water bottles.  I think you can even get colored ones.  I can use these as a template and fab a couple out of some nicer material.  Stay tuned.  Patent pending!

[CycleRanger]

I took to carrying little plastic baggies in my pocket to slip over the outer pods when parking outside.
John

Dang...that makes my  beer can looking ones appear right fancy

Pod Condoms ™

Available in six different colors!

Remember, you saw it here first. 

[BomberMann650]

I took to carrying little plastic baggies in my pocket to slip over the outer pods when parking outside.
John

Dang...that makes my  beer can looking ones appear right fancy

Pod Condoms ™

Available in six different colors!

Remember, you saw it here first. 

Sell me, a condom!  In fact, make it a
French Tickler!  Because I'm a protestant!

[b1jackson]

Well I found a couple of spice canisters. But when I trimmed them into shape, they were pretty much just shinier versions of what I had.  Gnaw marks from the snips, etc.  I think it's a fail so I just spray bombed the old ones for now.

[BobbyR]

You may find putting the stock airbox on is a simple preventative measure. I am jetted a 120 and have no issues in weather or wind. You can just put it on and forget it.

[CBGhia]

Well I found a couple of spice canisters. But when I trimmed them into shape, they were pretty much just shinier versions of what I had.  Gnaw marks from the snips, etc.  I think it's a fail so I just spray bombed the old ones for now.

Yeah, snips will kill it.  Dremel is the answer there.  I just has the same experience making my electronics box for under the seat.  I made it out of an old style lunch box.

[b1jackson]

You may find putting the stock airbox on is a simple preventative measure. I am jetted a 120 and have no issues in weather or wind. You can just put it on and forget it.

I just popped a bowl off and see that the PO had them jetted 110.  There is a 4 into 1 header on it.  Perhaps I'll just swap the airbox back in and leave things as-is.

[b1jackson]

My gawd!  I forgot what a wrangle and twist job that was.  It's in.  The clutch cable goes between boots 3 & 4 but does it also go under the carb bracket at the back of the carb.  2 ten mm bolts holding a dog bone shaped piece.  It gives me a bit more room to push the box and boots onto the carb bodies.

[CBGhia]

You are going to have to take that back down to 100 mains.  It is either 100 or 98 for your stock 550.

The guy with 120s is on a 750.