Fast Bikes Test SV comment

[Jayneflakes]

I have been reading Fast Bikes recently since they started playing with a new SV and have liked seeing the things that they have done and enjoyed about the bike. However, I noticed this month a comment that had me intrigued.

The OE Airbox is a bit restricted due to the compact nature of the bike... The fix is to remove the top cover so that the underside of the tank then becomes the top of the air chamber.

Now being a fairly inexperienced home mechanic I went and asked the wife what she thought of this and she had some interesting insights, but I though I would put it to you other SV maniacs out there. The bike in question is a Pointy, not sure if the air box of curveys is the same, but if it is just as simple as removing the top cover of the air box, why is this not a common mod? Also, for road use, is exposing your air filter like that such a good idea?

Thoughts please should you wish to share them. I have no opinion on this, but am interested. Fast Bikes claim that it increases Torque by 2Nm, is there a down side?

[Kilted Ginger]

Tank risers are a common mod and would have a similar effect possibly. waits on rebuking to start

[Dean-J]

I dont see that it would be any more risky than normal really, you'd have to have the fuelling tweaked to suit, but pretty sure they mentioned that?

[SVMAT]

Maybe they mean 'de-snorkeling' the airbox, removing the top of the airbox would bean the airfilter would be loose and could come out.

[dyzio]

It's a popular thing over on the Aprilia sites, you sort of increase the size of the airbox and reduce the power dip. There are airbox plates available, like the Renegade (http://www.apriliaforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=28557&stc=1&d=1117773174).

Would this be beneficial on the 650? :smt102

[mattSV]

I had a Renegade airbox plate, and tank risers on my 650. No idea if it gave me any more power/torque but the induction sound was awesome :p

[NTECUK]

There are a lot of threads on de snorekeling .
Most think it looses out.
Curvey air box is different to FI one .

[Sid Squid]

On a Pointy removing the upper section of the airbox obviously exposes a greater area of the filter to atmosphere, and, assuming the area proves still enough, enlarges the effective volume of the airbox.
The upper section holds the filter in place by sandwiching it between the two parts of the airbox. There are a couple of places offering a filter holding bracket, but it is essentially just the rim of the upper section and you could of course just cut the existing lid and use the rim on it's own, or, as a number of people have done, use the fixing screws and some large washers to hold the filter in place.
Possible benefits are an ever-so-slightly larger still air reservoir, (the attempted function of the airbox), if the resulting area is not too turbulent, and thus maybe some increase in flow, and quite a nice noise :D, (the second of these is waaaay more realistic an aspiration than the first).
Deficit is noise, which you may not feel a bad thing but obviously Suzuki are obliged to sell you a motorcycle that conforms to the various regulations, and induction noise can be a significant part of the overall level of sound that a bike makes. Losing a dB or two from the intake and the chain, (which is what the rubbers on a standard front sprocket do), is much cheaper and commonly less performance compromising than trying to do the same at the exhaust, which explains the intake trumpet's presence on the standard airbox - it is, in a small but important way, a silencer.

[johnnyrod]

+1 on the noise! If you've never tried it, you'll see what I mean when you do.

[yorkie_chris]

Thoughts please should you wish to share them. I have no opinion on this, but am interested. Fast Bikes claim that it increases Torque by 2Nm, is there a down side?

You may have to adjust fuelling.

[Urbanfireblade]

My friend with a Ducati 900SS has done this, he just removed the top half of the air filter box and so exposing the whole top-side of the K+N filter. I rode it a few months ago, and OMG, its freakin' noisy/deafening/addictive on full throttle, but he assures me its only noisy for the rider as the sound comes straight up and not like exhausts where people hear you coming miles away. Give it a try, won't the injection sort out the fuel/air mix anyway???

[yorkie_chris]

Nah it's not that intelligent I'm afraid