Author Topic: Is there anything good about running pods? (Read 3382 times)

Lenny55 · « **on:** June 01, 2009, 07:49:38 PM »

Hey all, my bike came with pods already on it, didn't think much about it at first, but I've read a lot of posts on here that seem to be pretty negative. Is there any advantage to running pods vs. the stock filter? Can the bike be tuned to run just as well with the pods. My bike seems to run fine, just curious is all. Thanks, Lenny.

nobody · « **Reply #1 on:** June 01, 2009, 08:25:23 PM »

It sounds a little cooler when you snap the throttle open or shut. There might be a small performance gain. Mine had pods when I bought it and I just love the way it looks so I'm leaving them on.

Lenny55 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 01, 2009, 08:28:47 PM »

Yeah I think they look pretty cool too man. ha ha

my78k · « **Reply #3 on:** June 01, 2009, 08:33:54 PM »

mainly looks...although they flow more air than stock I don't think they breathe that much more than a uni or K&N filter. Plus with the down side of tuning it pushes alot of guys off of them...

It also depends on which pods you are talking about...I have seen more than one size

Oh and on the tuning front it also depends if you are running a stock exhaust or not. If non-stock AND pods then you have 2 factors to consider/compensate for when jetting.

Dennis

Lenny55 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 01, 2009, 08:58:54 PM »

Non stock exhaust as well, strike two! New to motorcycles, seems to run pretty good. Ignorance is bliss they say.

nobody · « **Reply #5 on:** June 01, 2009, 09:03:18 PM »

If your bike isn't running rich or lean you should be fine...

Rich will spit out black smoke and idle very rough, it will flood sometimes. Runs better in hot weather than cold.
Lean will run very hot and will seem to die out when you give it heavy throttle. Runs better when it's hot.

If you don't have either of those symptoms I'd assume that the previous owner had it rejetted for the pods and pipes.

Lenny55 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 01, 2009, 09:13:33 PM »

Hmmm, thanks, I think it could use a little tweaking maybe, but like I said, it runs pretty good. I haven't had the time to do the basic tune up on it yet. Just changed the black engine oil right after I got it.

Burnboy · « **Reply #7 on:** June 01, 2009, 09:27:07 PM »

honda man has posted that a well tuned bike with a modified oem airbox will outperform one tuned for pods. but I still sport em

Skonnie Boy · « **Reply #8 on:** June 01, 2009, 10:03:21 PM »

Mine came with pods and poor carb tuning. If there's any compensation to having to tune and rejet with pods, its that removing the pods is a snap. Makes access easier.

I do like being able to see "through" my bike, heh.

jx25 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 01, 2009, 10:15:56 PM »

Quote from: Skonnie Boy on June 01, 2009, 10:03:21 PM

Mine came with pods and poor carb tuning. If there's any compensation to having to tune and rejet with pods, its that removing the pods is a snap. Makes access easier.

I do like being able to see "through" my bike, heh.

I agree I like being able to see "through" the bike and it makes removing the carbs very easy, almost tooo easy

TwoTired · « **Reply #10 on:** June 01, 2009, 10:59:33 PM »

Best thing about pods is that they don't take up too much room in the land fill.

Technically, they may (with some pod designs) improve breathing if you are pushing the RPM above Red line, as that was outside the original engineering formula for the stock induction. They make absolutely no performance difference at mid range and below throttle settings (assuming a proper carb readjustment for their vacuum changing characteristics.)

As for asthetics and the "look", lots of people think plastic covered bikes "look" better. Based on sales figures, more people buy those than pods. So, pod lovers are a minority no matter how you look at it.

They say misery loves company. I theorize, that is a major impetus for continued pod sales.

In the end, pods are fine as long as they are on YOUR bike and not mine. I kinda think they give a street bike an amature-ish look about them. I haven't seen a pod yet that had any internal aerodynamic engineering incorporated. And this just says "unpredictable turbulence" for the buyer to deal with, to me.

Oh, and by the way. I don't like pods.

Just remember... You asked!!!

seaweb11 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 01, 2009, 11:39:42 PM »

I like mine

If it runs well, why spend the summer fixing something that isn't broke

Skonnie Boy · « **Reply #12 on:** June 02, 2009, 12:13:23 AM »

Interesting mention about the lack of aerodynamic design in pods. I remember someone trying to make "air funnels" for their pods, idea being to get equal amounts of air to all cylinders. Seems unnecessary at speeds other than illegal.

So yeah. Pods. Woo.

kghost · « **Reply #13 on:** June 02, 2009, 04:06:35 AM »

I like pods....

Makes the bike cheaper when the PO can't get it to run right

MRieck · « **Reply #14 on:** June 02, 2009, 05:15:20 AM »

A well designed airbox with minimal compromises in regard to size and placement is great. Unfortunately old bikes didn't have perimeter frames, down draft intake ports and current design technology. In general I've had good success with K&N's (but then again I can tune carbs). They are awful in the rain that's for sure (unless enclosed by side panels) and they will ultimately let more particles into the engine.

JS550 · « **Reply #15 on:** June 02, 2009, 06:28:07 AM »

I love reading Twotireds posts! if I lived out west I would have coffee with you every morning. Just for the record...I run an airbox.

nobrake · « **Reply #16 on:** June 02, 2009, 06:36:09 AM »

~ cool looking ~
I know it's not functional. As a noob I can't wait for people to stare at my pods.
For me it's a about uniqueness. There are so many rocket bikes and so cheap to buy one used. Old hondas with some bit of modern look really distinguish from modern bikes.

Esthetically, just putting pods really change the look I think. Besides I rather work on tuning carburetors over engine anytime.

I used to mod Holleys back in HS. It seems honda carburetors just don't have enough
adjustments to fine tune them. Having 4 instead of 1 carburetors just make things more difficult. If any one can find a way to equalize the vacuum on all the pods it might be easier to tune them

MJL · « **Reply #17 on:** June 02, 2009, 06:55:50 AM »

Quote from: TwoTired on June 01, 2009, 10:59:33 PM

Technically, they may (with some pod designs) improve breathing if you are pushing the RPM above Red line, as that was outside the original engineering formula for the stock induction. They make absolutely no performance difference at mid range and below throttle settings (assuming a proper carb readjustment for their vacuum changing characteristics.)

The stock airbox and the stock exhaust were designed to work together. Both were designed to be quiet, which also means restrictive as we all know. Many 650 owners will agree to this, that once the stock exhaust was replaced the bike wouldn't run much over 60 if they were lucky. Once the airbox lid was removed, it was a whole different animal. I learned this the hard way around '01.

IMHO, once you change the exhaust, the induction and carburetion needs to change to match. With a free flowing 4-1, pods and proper jetting might not be a bad idea.

JS550 · « **Reply #18 on:** June 02, 2009, 06:59:51 AM »

Quote from: Burnboy on June 01, 2009, 09:27:07 PM

honda man has posted that a well tuned bike with a modified oem airbox will outperform one tuned for pods. but I still sport em

I went looking & couldnt find? Anyone point me in the right direction?
jim

MRieck · « **Reply #19 on:** June 02, 2009, 07:14:29 AM »

Quote from: nobrake on June 02, 2009, 06:36:09 AM

~ cool looking ~
I know it's not functional. As a noob I can't wait for people to stare at my pods.
For me it's a about uniqueness. There are so many rocket bikes and so cheap to buy one used. Old hondas with some bit of modern look really distinguish from modern bikes.

Esthetically, just putting pods really change the look I think. Besides I rather work on tuning carburetors over engine anytime.

I used to mod Holleys back in HS. It seems honda carburetors just don't have enough
adjustments to fine tune them. Having 4 instead of 1 carburetors just make things more difficult. If any one can find a way to equalize the vacuum on all the pods it might be easier to tune them

You can synch the carbs.

Bodi · « **Reply #20 on:** June 02, 2009, 10:05:25 AM »

I don't know about performance increases commonly claimed by K&N. They look OK to me, and free up the airbox for storage of emergency supplies.
Tuning is time consuming but not impossible. Installing an aftermarket header/muffler will require the same kind of tuning time, and they are pretty popular. Doing serious head work or installing a big-bore kit ditto. One big advantage if you're doing carb tuning anyway (for one or more other mods) is that pods make removing and replacing the pods about a thousand times easier than with the stock intake octopus. Tuning the carbs for an airbox without using that octopus (ie tuning with open throats) is pointless, although it seems a good idea to save the cursing and finger piching of dealing with it... the carbs will run way different with the airbox connected.
I have ridden in severe rain with the pods and never had the problems described. Some unusual side wind speed and bike speed combinations will cause slight surging, but it's rare.

Inigo Montoya · « **Reply #21 on:** June 02, 2009, 10:36:25 AM »

Some get pods to work right, some do not. I think the brand of pod matters though. People seem to have more luck with k&n than other brands. i prefer the airbox with a k&n.

sangyo soichiro · « **Reply #22 on:** June 02, 2009, 12:20:14 PM »

I heard NASA uses pod filters on the space shuttle.

Duke McDukiedook · « **Reply #23 on:** June 02, 2009, 01:08:24 PM »

The shuttle also uses a mondo computer with a whopping RAM memory of 128K.
My HP calculator that is about 15 years old has more memory than that.

I chucked the crappy EMGO pods the PO put on mine without rejetting, it ran like a lean 8-cycling POS. Got the old airbox back on and eventually got a K&N filter. Runs like a top now.

Hope · « **Reply #24 on:** June 02, 2009, 02:24:19 PM »

Quote from: TwoTired on June 01, 2009, 10:59:33 PM

Best thing about pods is that they don't take up too much room in the land fill.

At least until everyone tosses them after reading twotired's thread.

News:

Author Topic: Is there anything good about running pods? (Read 3382 times)