couple of easy questions, please help out

[redking]

well, thank you in advance for the help, I have two questions.

1. I found a guy willing to sell me the thunder mfg air kit for $100, which seems like a heck of the deal, but I'm not really interested in putting on after market exhaust and the fuel/air regulator. Will the air kit by itself do me any good? It doesn't have to be much for the price this guy is asking Even just cooling down the engine a bit would be a sufficient benefit.

2. I have read a lot on here about a vacuum leak. I'm not sure that my bike has one or that I would even be smart/educated enough to know if it did, but I thought I would just play it safe and buy the gasket from mfg for it. My concern is instillation. Does it require taing off the tank and taking apart the top half of the motor? If so, it sounds like to much of a hassel if there is not a for sure problem.

Thanks for any guidance

[cactusjack]

By itself, the Thunder air kit is mostly ornamental. If you let more air in, you also need to let more air out, which means an aftermarket exhaust system. Since the increased airflow will lean out the already lean mixture, you need to add a fuel processor. They go hand in hand.

Can't comment on the vacuum leak, since I never owned a 1700.

[smokey]

An air kit does not need an aftermarket exhaust, a lot of people run them without changing the pipes, it will as stated allow more air in thereby leaning the mixture, you will probably require and fuel processor as stated. If you are just going to change the air box, I would go with the Cobra or any one of the other tunable ones, if you are thinking of changing the exhaust later it may be prudent to go with one of the auto tune models, The PCV will require drilling of the exhaust in order to insert an oxygen sensor if you want the auto tune capability, the Cobra auto tune doesn't need the oxygen sensors but IMO doesn't do a good a job.


The vaccum leak is an easy fix, but it will require removal of the right side of the air intake system, (sitting on the bike) and also removal of the intake plate, it doesn't require any taking apart of the actual motor, about 3o minutes to remove the stuff, a bit of fiddling to get the gasket in place, and then reassemble everything, just make sure that when you tighten the three bolts that hold the intake plate in place you do each bolt the same, in other words don't tighten one down and then the other, do them the same as you would lug nuts on your car wheel. First thing you should do though is download the manual from this site and read it, it will tell you you how to take the item apart and how to put them back together.

I have done it three times so far.

[redjay]

redking. Seems to me you are thinking of spending $100 on the intake but do not really need it if you leave the rest of the bike stock. Why do you think you need it ? Adding more fuel will make the engine run cooler. Not sure that an intake by itself would do anything beneficial.

[Top Cat]

These bikes rum pretty well stock.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
87,000 ( all put on by me ) miles on my stock 2007.

[Cajunrider]

Aftermarket intake is normally the last of the 3 basic performance mods. On my 1600 I went with the Dobeck TFI, aftermarket pipes, and opened intake in that order. The open intake made a huge difference after the other two. I feel the stand alone air kit is a waste of money and will only make an already lean running engine run even leaner.