Intake and exhaust choices

Wombat · #1 (**permalink**) 01-26-2009, 01:04 AM

Newbie with bone stock KFX. Spent the 1st day reading and searching the topic.

I'm definitely going with the PC3 thanks to EXCELLENT advice in these forums.

I read all the anecdotal "I use this and it's awesome" as well as the dyno charts etc. I'm a casual Oregon dunes rider that wants to rip up hills with the best of them but don't want to cower whenever the rangers have a sound check station (law is 93db but 96-99db will have them checking someone else that's louder). Getting caught in a rain storm 40mins from home is a fact of life and so is riding slow through 12"+ water in year round riding.

A (popular) 13" Dasa is not an option which leads to my questions. Any options that fit the criteria above (db and proven HP gains), preferably that have dyno results as opposed to plain favoritism? Intakes from Fuel, FCI, TRP and BCS all are good products but their 'airboxes' seem too open when riding wet weather. KOQ makes what I think I need but it is WAAY over priced. I want a replacement air tube to replace the joke stocker to work with stock air box, lid on or off, as needed. Any other suppliers I'm missing? I'm not a 'jury rig it yourself' type so I don't want to cut and splice. I'll pay $250-350 for an intake tube like FCI's WITH an air box that is comparable to a stocker and more than a water deflector or a lid for FUEL's nice air box. I know I'm not the only one looking for this combination!

BTW, thanks to FUEATV for the pipe shoot, very informative, and to dlkfx450 for his informative posts.

This is a great resource to be an informed consumer.

masterp0606 · #2 (**permalink**) 01-26-2009, 01:30 AM

I haven't had a problem with water in my FCI air box, as long as your not in water up to the air box i think you will be fine. Plus it comes with a water proof air filter and awesome gains.

450speed · #3 (**permalink**) 01-26-2009, 08:54 AM

as far as the pipe goes, im not sure that their will be much power to have with low decibel numbers like that. here is the intake I have and love it, just my opinion, but money very well spent.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Kawasaki-KF...sQ5fAccessories

offroadhunter · #4 (**permalink**) 01-26-2009, 10:46 AM

You can get most of the new intakes with a box...the only item you won't get with them is the cover but as long as you use a pre filter and dont ride in knee deep water i'd think you will be ok. I'd take the before and after dyno's into account if you are looking at the gains, so long as they are honest about the results and not manipulated you'll be fine (from what i've seen they have all been honest results)

Slaytanic454 · #5 (**permalink**) 01-27-2009, 03:37 AM

I run the same intake box as 450speed, and I bought it for the exact reasons you stated. Everyone will tell you that you don't need a lid, but sometimes you just do, bottom line. I ride through knee deep mud puddles, through small creeks, etc. (And like EHS says, nobody likes a dirty box)

What I did was I ground the welds down flat on the top of the CFM (eBay) box, and then custom made an aluminum lid, with a rubber gasket underneath, and the EHS pre-filter lid on top. Seems to work pretty well, my filter bag is still clean after a few good rides. (I also had to custom machine an adapter ring to fit the K&N filter that came with the velocity kit I bought first. Ah the joys of being a machinist, with a nice CNC lathe)

That being said, the intake tube on the CFM air box is kind of ugly, as it is made up of bent/welded aluminum plate, but it sure as hell is an improvement over stock. And with 2 pre-filters I'll never flow as much air as someone running an FCI, but I'll never toast my motor because I get into some deep stuff either.

450speed · #6 (**permalink**) 01-27-2009, 09:39 AM

Ya that intake is nice. You like it? I got so much shit from people when I posted it on here, saying that thing wont flow any air, stuff like that. I run mine with out the lid and it runs like a raped ape.

Slaytanic454 · #7 (**permalink**) 01-27-2009, 09:31 PM

I like it ok, it mounted up nice, and it's a good alternative to those of us that had to tear the shit out of the sub-frame to get those damn airbox mounting bolts out. (I had to rip one of those useless thread inserts right out of the frame to get it out, and another just spins now)

But, if FCI made a lid-compatible intake, and I had the money, I would tear that thing right off in a second. It's a good bang for your buck, but not the best by any stretch of the imagination. Anything other than flowing round curves won't be good for airflow is what it boils down to. (Sharing a building with one of the biggest fluid-power companies in Canada at work, I knew this, but you gotta take the good with the bad I s'pose)

Also, 66th post

450speed · #8 (**permalink**) 01-28-2009, 09:14 AM

I had no problem with the holes. He also said you had to finish drilling them out, but I didn't have to on mine.

dl11sec70dodge · #9 (**permalink**) 01-28-2009, 05:14 PM

air lid = less power.... and most of us want the most power we can get.... that is why there is no air lid avaliable on the best intakes out...

Slaytanic454 · #10 (**permalink**) 01-28-2009, 09:31 PM

I'd much rather have the option available, and just run it with the lid off when I can. It's stupid that you CAN'T run a lid on these "boxes" if you want to (A box has six sides). I wouldn't take much of a design change to allow for an optional lid. They obviously just weren't designed with every potential type of terrain in mind.

You can't make much power trying to get mud/water to combust.