Venting a 04xb intake cover..good, bad?

[TeXB12s]

Dont have a lot of experience around buells so anytime one rolls into our shop i geek out. A 09xb12 came in and i noticed the intake cover was vented...would this help or hinder my 04xb12 if i did similar venting?

 

[GregoXB]

I believe the 2004 XB funnels air through the left side scoop and upwards through a hole in the gas tank and into the air box. That hole is sealed off in later model Buells and so the cover is vented instead.

 

[TeXB12s]

Oh..hince the vent on the front of the airbox cover on the 09...gotcha. so id probably be taken in to much air if i vented mine.

 

[Chicknstripn]

The hole in the frame was actually designed to accommodate a factory turbo set up. This was Erik’s original plan. Harley nixed the whole idea and so models after 05 have no hole but obvious signs of a design change.

I don’t believe the hole does much for airflow. Otherwise Buell would have kept the frame design the same. BUT I’ve never seen the inner airbox of a 03 to 05 Buell so I’m just speculating on the airflow.

HOWEVER. It does seem to make sense that the hole was “plugged” up the same year airboxes were designed to intake/flow more air.

Anyway, the original idea behind the frame hole was to accommodate turbo plumbing.

 

[GregoXB]

Oh..hince the vent on the front of the airbox cover on the 09...gotcha. so id probably be taken in to much air if i vented mine.

People do all sorts of things to maximize air flow to the intake like cutting more holes into the inner air box, removing the inner air box altogether, and installing K&N high flow filters. Installing an 09 outer air box will not harm the bike, but it won't revolutionize it either.

 

[outthere]

I could show a pic of the outer cover on an 09' if it would help. No idea if it came this way through. It's full of 3/4" holes.

 

[TeXB12s]

People do all sorts of things to maximize air flow to the intake like cutting more holes into the inner air box, removing the inner air box altogether, and installing K&N high flow filters. Installing an 09 outer air box will not harm the bike, but it won't revolutionize it either.

Lol..i love the revolutionize. Honestly i really wanted to do it for a look im going for. But im not the form over function type so id squash the idea if i felt it would cause a issue.

 

[outthere]

You can't see the airbox cover once the outer skin is in place or am I wrong?

 

[GregoXB]

Hold the phone..... TeXB12s, did I just get roped? lol

 

[njloco]

That's funny ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^!