Power gain from removing snokel?

Has any one done this with positive results? I ran across this review and the writer claims a very small performance gain (1 to 2 hp) and a deeper sound from the exaust form removing the snorkel on the air intake. Just wandering if this is commen practice that I have overlooked or if it is total BS! If anyone has done this please post your coments as far as sound (and power gains if actualy dyno'ed)Motorcycle Specs

 

NONE
no power gain cool sound but not the exhust.

 

Your bike will be 2.37 lb lighter once the pair valves and snorkel are removed.

 

Not for for me, the airboax sound was louder and top end a bit stronger the low and mid range went a little woolly, less crisp and that was more important. Easy mod though try it and see how you go.

 

I actually found one and put it back on, the bike was designed to run with it... I haven't done ant modifications to it, so it gets put back on.....the noiseisn't the exhaust, its the carbs sucking in mass quantities of air.. it does sound cool.... almost like a super charger........but too loud for me.. I like the stock set up...YMMV

Crusty

 

i heard goverment put the snorkle in there to slow the bike down without it top speed is around 75000 mph:thumbsup:

 

thanks for the replies guys, I think I am going to keep the snorkle(I am sure there is a reason and purpose for it being there and it does not seem to add any true benifits by removing it).

 

Just spit balling here but wouldn't more air mean less fuel and better economy, just curious

 

i got my bike with the snorkel already removed. seems fine to me.

 

I had mine off - for the intake noise. Once I got an aftermarket pipe I put it back on. A nice pipe sounds better than the air sucking noise. As mentioned, easy mod, do it, put it back if you want.

edit: Now that I think of it - I put the snorkel back in but kept the left side "de-flappered" (pull off vacuum line and plug it)

 

Generally speaking, a corked air box is used primarily to reduce engine noise. Rarely is there a mechanical purpose behind this.

Pulling the cork allows the bike to breather better by allowing the system to pull in as much air is it is designed to handle.

Will pulling the cork give you more horse power? highly doubtful. Don't think of it as a performance mod. Think of it as a 'combat multiplier'. If all the engine is doing is getting access to more air, you are essentially removing the constraint off the front end of the system. Putting on a PCIII, performance muffler, and free flowing air filter WILL allow you to reach the engines potential. Without it, the engine will always be air starved to some extent.

I'd love to see someone do a simple dyno test.
1. O2 eliminator
2. O2 elim + PCIII
3. O2 elim + PCIII + full aftermarket exhaust
4. O2 elim + PCIII + full exhaust + uncorked air box
5. O2 elim + PCIII + full exhaust + performance air filter (including uncorked box)

I'm guessing that the HP increase from test 3 to test 4 is worth 3-5 HP. It won't be huge, but it will be there, and should change power characteristics even if the HPs don't pop out at you.

Has anyone ever done this (or something like it) on a dyno?

 

The below link with lots of maths stuff seems to support my feeling on Snorkel removal and loss in my low to mid range although I did honestly think the top end was better but that may have been just the perception of louder inductution noise coupled with going fast at WOT.

Air box Linky:
Resonant Air boxes: Theory and Applications

Extracted from Linky:

" Years ago, before airboxes were designed as resonant systems, it used to be popular to cut additional holes in the air box to allow more air flow for high rpm. This is no longer a good idea. Modern air boxes can flow much more air than the engine will ever use. Modern engines have throttle bodies or carburetors with throats that are typically about 45mm in diameter, about 16 sq.cm in area. The inlet snorkel to a modern air box will be roughly 300 to 800 sq.cm - much larger than the throttle body or carburetor throat. The idea that the snorkel makes for a significant impediment to air flow into the engine is questionable at best. Drilling holes to let in more air is exactly equivalent to drilling holes in your speaker cabinets to let out more sound. Removing the snorkel from your air box is the exact same thing as removing the port in your speakers, the tube that's carefully engineered to have just the right diameter and length to reinforce the bass on your speakers at low frequencies. By altering your air box in any significant fashion, you're most likely going to cost yourself three to five hp in the mid range, and gain nothing measurable at high rpms. "

 

John
Thanks for the link, interesting article. I think that the snorkel is there mainly for noise reduction. By removing it you aren't changing the entrance size, so volumetric intake should be the same. Air will flow slightly better due to the elimination of drag on the inside of the snorkel. If you have a high flow filter, PCIII, catless header, and slip on pipe, I think it may help or at least wouldn't hurt.

Action

 

Funny, I just picked up a '99 and have begun the teardown process to see where everything's at. ...when I saw the snorkel missing I though "Hmm, strange" but wasn't too concerned. When I removed the cover from the airbox and found leaves and twigs sitting on top of the, very dirty, air filter, I ordered a replacement snorkel! lol

 

In laymans terms that was what I was thinking. Thanks for the link John!

 

It really depends on the application.

 

Come on guys, this took all of five minutes to find:

http://vfrworld.com/forums/fifth-ge...6-i-read-somewher-about-removing-snorkel.html

Look half way down the page at the dyno numbers...

 

wow.
a new King of the Internet!
nice going & thanks.

 

lol
i was asking myself this question a few months ago...