2FastMoto Foam Pods??? eBay Purchase

[MadeThatMyself]

As I rebuild my first XS650, I have been doing a ton of reading on what to do and what not to do thanks to all the contributing members on this forum. So first off, thank you all for sharing your expertise and experiences.

In terms of pod filters, I have gathered that the consensus is the UNI foam pods are going to be the best for performance on my BS34 carbs with open exhaust. To be completely honest, I am just not a huge fan of the look of the UNI pods.

That being said, I already have a set of UNI filters so I can properly tune once my bike is back together, but I am curious if anyone has tried these 2FastMoto 54mm foam pods on eBay?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-of-Po...AsAAOSw2FVbMR8-:sc:USPSFirstClass!14609!US!-1

2FastMoto Pods

• MadeThatMyself
• May 15, 2019

I like the look of these filters because they have the tapered outer mesh screen, but the actual filter element is foam like the UNIs, so I am hoping it wont have the same negative air turbulence effect of the cheap K&N style filters that I have read about. Has anyone tried these on BS34s? If not, I already ordered a pair, so I will report back on any differences I see between the UNIs and these. I am currently rebuilding my engine though, so it may be a while before I get to the testing phase.

My plan is to get it tuned properly with the UNIs and then switch out the filters and see if there is any noticeable difference.

 

[Superjet]

Looks to be made similar to pleated pods and may have the inner lip that partially blocks the carb openings. You wont know until you get them. Sorta like the look of the Uni pods on mine. Had to get the 3" versions cause of the wiring box.

 

[5twins]

It's also said that these CV carbs don't like a tapered filter. Don't know why that is but I guess you'll see. I also like the longer UNI filters because the ends are foam too, not capped. You get flow in the ends and through the sides. I looked at your link and there does appear to be a large inner lip on those filters. On the cheapo K&N copies, you can cut that lip out in spots so it doesn't block the air ports. That doesn't look like it would be possible with these filters.

 

[MadeThatMyself]

I see that lip you guys are referring too. I didn't think about that. I was focused on the foam filter aspect vs the pleated. I'll have to take a better look at them once I get them.

If they don't look like they are worth messing with, I guess I'll have to settle for the UNIs. I believe I have the shorter UNIs with the plastic end cap though. PO of the bike had them installed when I bought it.

 

[5twins]

I know those are necessary in some situations where clearance is an issue, but I prefer the uncapped versions. We put those short capped ones on a local guy's '78 (BS38s) and didn't have to re-jet at all. What that told me is they weren't flowing much more air, if any more, than the stock airboxes.

 

[MadeThatMyself]

Interesting. Clearance is definitely not an issue on my build. I already rebuilt my BS34s and went up a couple jet sizes for the mains and pilots (cant remember what sizes I started with off the top of my head). I assumed I was going to need it with the pods and open exhaust. I'm hoping to avoid having to buy the Canadian needle set up if I don't have to...

 

[Superjet]

That is interesting 5T on those 38's that didnt need to rejet. I had to rejet my 34's. I would have to check my notes on what I have installed but pretty sure was a few sizes up on the pilot and at least 1 up on the main.

 

[arcticXS]

In my opinion, it makes sense to have a short piece of tubing between any "clamp on type" filter and the carb. Even better, use a larger ID filter, and a velocity stack. I have posted a link to this SR250 setup before:
https://www.jadusmotorcycleparts.com/product-page/jadus-sr250-intake-kit
KEDO in Germany offer a similar setup for SR500.

The XS has similarities with those 250 and 500 singles, so will more than likely benefit from that kind of setup. Basically harmonic tuning
The stock battery box will be in the way, but on a custom build that should be possible to work around. As for looks, maybe a perforated alloy or stainless shield would look good?

 

[5twins]

Yes, the BS34s require some jet tinkering even for the slightest change from stock. I thought my '83 was all stock but noticed the headpipes turning yellow or gold up near the head. They shouldn't be doing that because they're double wall. When I looked closer, I noticed the P.O. drilled a bunch of extra holes in the ends of the mufflers .....

Just this minor change was enough to upset the carb tuning a little. It still ran OK with no popping or misfiring, it was just a little too lean. So far I've decreased the air jets 2 sizes and upped the mains one. It's happier like this but I may still do some tinkering. But I really don't know how long I'll be able to stand leaving it mostly stock, lol. I absolutely HATE the stock airboxes and that stock exhaust is pretty unimpressive too, even with the extra holes in it.

 

[Superjet]

Mine are nice from what I have noticed. They are the cheap Emgo and have removable baffles which can be modified. They could be modified but I don't think I will. It was a requirement to get the green light from my wife. Needed something baffled on it to get the approval lol.

 

[MadeThatMyself]

So based on articXS's comment, it sounds like something similar to the image below could be fabricated to utilize other pods besides the UNI? The custom extension could eliminate the blocked air passages and potentially reduce the turbulent air flow caused by the pleated material or tapered filters? Is that a fair assessment?

Pod Extension

• MadeThatMyself
• May 15, 2019

Has anyone tried something like this on the XS? That image is from a Honda forum (google image searched "pod filter extension")

 

[5twins]

I originally started out with genuine K&N pods, but they suffer from the same flow issues as the cheap knock-offs. They don't block the air ports but no matter, they still don't work right because of the pleated element. I tried them on 2" or 3" extension tubes but it made no difference. Maybe my extension tubes weren't long enough, but that's all the space I had between the carbs and battery box.

These bikes have been modded for many years. Most everything has been tried and what works best has pretty much been figured out and documented. They respond well to basic hot rodding stuff like pipes and pods - if the proper components are used. So far, the foam pods seem to work best as far as pods go, and exhaust pipe diameter shouldn't be made too big. About 1.5" seems best. If you do go bigger, like 2", you should add AR inserts at the heads and what they call torque inserts back where the mufflers attach.

But, you never know what you might uncover so go ahead and experiment. Many of the mods we do today were just recently discovered over the past few years, and new stuff keeps coming to light. There's some talented, hard core tinkerers and experimenters riding these bikes today. Through forums like this, we're able to communicate and swap ideas, and the bike is being improved because of that.

 

[5twins]

Superjet, are those BMW rear shocks I see on there?

 

[Superjet]

Superjet, are those BMW rear shocks I see on there?

Oh yeah! I got them with a loot of stuff from a buddy of mine and they ride great. Good combo with HD fork springs and preload caps on 1st notch.

 

[RC4MAN]

Not sure how easy those will be to clean and re-oil with the screens if they're glued together as a unit.