| Author | Message | ||
     Sped214 |
I've been tossing around the idea of cutting the airbox for quite some time now, maybe you guys can help me with making my decision. I've got an '03 XB9s, with the K&N filter, but it doesn't seem to have quite the power that I want it to (I can't lift the front wheel up without rapping it and dumping the clutch). I live at high altitude (around a mile). Would it benefit me at all to cut a few extra "breating holes" in the airbox, or would this be a mistake? The only other mod I've done is to remove the snorkel, which yielded very little results, if any. | ||
| Lucas70374 |
get a 12 airbox | ||
| Kdan |
Get the American Sport bike open airbox conversion. One of the best mods I've done yet! Very reasonably priced too. | ||
| Shawn_9r |
Sped214, Cut it/swisscheese it...it does make a difference. Not A HUGE one but it does make one. Plus you get to hear all the top end noise(louder). I have an 03 9R and like it. Shawn | ||
| Scitz |
I have an 03 9R with a race kit that i put on the dyno recently and it's running rich. I drilled a few holes around the base before the run but now realize I need to drill a lot more all over. | ||
| Whiskeytango |
I rode my XB12s for a month with the air box intact and then cut it. The exposure to the elements made me nervous (unwarranted, I guess since the stock 06 XBs are essentially running filters more open than mine) and the need for minor warranty service prompted me to buy a new one after about a month and a half. I just installed it last night and rode about 40 miles this AM. As soon as I got home, I put the cut one back on. I'll switch it out the day I take it in for service, but you really can tell a difference in terms of both noise and willingness to rev. I don't know if it's any faster, but I know that I like to ride it better all cut up! Take care, WT | ||
| Reepicheep |
Also consider the new 06 airbox inner covers, that is more open then the stock unit and has the nipple. I have a completely cut 05 inner airbox (with the nipple) mounted with velcro tie downs, and I am thinking of getting an 06 model inner box. Pictures of my approach are in the knowledge vault, it seems to be working fine. | ||
| Kenny_v |
Where do you guys cut them ?? | ||
| Reepicheep |
Good thread... http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/32777/81495.html?1098955255 Here is mine... http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/32777/81085.html#POST337442 | ||
| Typeone |
On my 12 I didn't like my inner airbox swiss-cheesed at all. I felt like I lost power down low, not much but I could feel it and the additional noise drove me nuts after a while. I've been in the rain a lot this season and the inner box would get full of sand. No issues with water but lots more stuff was making its way in. Was like a beach towards the back of the box. Eventually went back to the stock inner, currently running that way. I'm actually going to try the snorkel back in too just for the hell of it. SOP comparison. | ||
| Kenny_v |
Very interesting , the one shot of the air box with all the holes looks like something that I might try .... I really makes a difference ??? I wonder if it will help that little stumble I get off Idle ?? | ||
| Reepicheep |
FWIW, Odie was getting the best dyno results with his airbox cut, but the stock snorkel left in. That is what I am getting at by wanting to go to the 06 setup. Plug the snorkle passage in the frame with a tool pouch, do minor cutting on the OUTER airbox, and use the updated inner airbox. I think it would be a great balance between noise, performance, and features (the extra tool storage would be nice.) | ||
| Scitz |
I was wondering if you could put an oil catch can in the spot in the frame where the snorkel is or would it need to be located below the rocker box? | ||
| Reepicheep |
It'd work fine there. It comes out as a mist, and just needs a place to condense, so the level of the catch can is not that important. If you have dips in the hose, the oil can accumulate in the low spot, and "blort" out all at once. So don't create any valleys, make sure it goes uphill only once and downhill only once when you route the hose. That being said, it was a PITA with rerouted breathers on my Cyclone. I am happy to route that stuff back in the intake now, I don't think the performance hit or carbon accumulation as a result is significant. | ||
| Sped214 |
Wow! Thanks for all the replies, everyone. I think I've decided to hack it. If it doesn't work out, then I'll just get a 12 airbox. If it works out well, I may get a 12 airbox and hack it.  | ||
| Blake |
In the future please post topics like this to the applicable topic in the Knowledge Vault. We'll be moving this one there soon. Thanks for helping to get BadWeB organized.  172689 | ||
| Xbolt12 |
Blake, Is it possible for you to divide Knowledge Vault topics into tuber and xb categories? Respectfully, I have found it tedious to find relevant xb topics in the past without having to wade through a lot of old tuber info. xbolt12 | ||
| Sped214 |
I second that. Seeing as I've never owned a Buell before my XB, I have no use for information as it relates to the old tubers, and rarely visit any other area of the site. | ||
| Scoobytwo |
Reading through this it makes sense to cut the inner air box but my though on the intake snorkle is that it doesnt make sense to cut it. Iam a aircraft mechanic and the air intake is what we would call a bell mouth inlet. It will actually decrease the turbulence of the intake air. Just look at the intake on a helicopter, and I think they new what they were doing when they designed it that way. | ||
| Kevinfromwebb |
Hey Scoob, I believe when they talk of the intake snorkle they are talking about the one that goes thru the frame on the '05 and earlier models... Some of the earlier 9 models had a different inner airbox that didn't have the bell mouth. That's why some are suggesting the 12 airbox, inner that is... Kevin | ||
| Kmfw160 |
Thanks to everyone providing all the great advice. I just cut my box tonight. I'll post pics as soon as I figure out how to shrink em. | ||
| Kmfw160 |
here it is.   | ||
| Bueller69 |
Or, do this, with about $2. bucks worth of hardware:  | ||
| Kmfw160 |
looks nice. very clean install. |
