Joined
·
162 Posts
I finally got everything installed and buttoned up this weekend. Firts off, I'd like to say "Thanks" again to Scott at Scott's Motorcyle Service for his help and tips. He has been an awesome source of info and help, as well as showing great dedication to his customers.
I ordered the Turn One CF Race Airbox, CF Snorkel, Scott's LED Eyebrow kit, Kyle Racing clip ons, and a Factory Pro Shift Kit. I've installed everything except the shift kit, since I have to drain the oil and coolant to do it, and I'm waiting until my next oil change.
My first impressions of the carbon pieces were that the quality was very good, and that the weight difference between the blast furnace that is the stock unit and this piece is HUGE. The same goes for the snorkel. The instructions from Scott's were very detailed and well thought out, with plenty of numbered pictures for reference during the process.
Anyone considering this should be advised that these pieces will NOT bolt right up like the stock pieces. This is an involved, but not overly difficult install in my opinion. If you are not mechanically inclined, or do not wish to devote an entire day (possibly longer) to this install, find a professional to install it for you. I'm not going to detail the istall here, but just point out a few things to make you life easier if you decide to do it.
> First, try to use as much of the fuel in your tank as possible before beginning.
> Second although not mentioned in the instructions, a longer fuel return hose would be nice, since the CF unit has hole for it to enter and connect ot the thottle body assembly, and this restricts the rearward movement of the tank when accessing the airbox.
>Third, a small right angle screwdriver or a low profile rotator ratchet is a big help and aggravation saver when removing and retightening the throttle body to intake boot screws. They are deep in the airbox, and difficult to reach with conventional tools. Make sure they boot sare fully seated on the runners and tight before proceeding.
>Finally, make sure to route all your cables, hoses etc. into the airbox before securing it to the top of the intake runners. Be especially careful with the throttle cables, idle adjustment, and fast idle cables.
>>VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure you mark or measure and write down the distance the idle adjustment cable was threaded into the throttle body assembly. This ensures your idle is close to normal when firing the bike back up. I used a digital caliper, and mine was right at 6mm (5.98 actually).
>Regarding the Intake, a 10mm wrench with a flex head is a must. The locknut and washer that secures the upper cowl "special screw" ( the one above the intake opening under the windscreen) is a pain to tighten without one. I actually used a piece of duct tape tuirned sticky side out on my index finger to hold the locknut on the screw to start it, then tightened with the wrench.
Also, the intake bolts are secured on the inside of the frame with a washer and locknut, and they are pretty deep in the frame. The instructions call for a "spanner wrench", but that isn't what you need (not even sure if that is the right term). A 10mm flex wrench saves the day again here! It allows you to securely hold the locknut and tighten the bolts from the outside with a 5mm hex wrench. Trust me, this will save A LOT of cursing and aggravation. Start them with your finger, reaching in from the front of the snorkel. If your hands are too big, a shallow socket may help.
I also flipped the bolts securing the meter assembly bracket, so that the nuts were on top. The reason for this is that when you try to get a hex wrench in the bolt from the top, the meter is in the way and I did not want to scratch or scuff my meter assembly. I flipped the fasteners and used an open end wrench on the locknuts up top. Be sure to keep the wide washers on the inside of the snorkel. They look bad on top, plus they are necessary to spread the clamping forces of the fasteners. There are two smaller washers that go on top.
All in all, I am VERY happy with these mods. The quality is very good, and I can tell a big difference in weight up top. Nearly a 10 pound reduction!!! I need to measure to be sure. The throttle response is much improved, and the part throttle drivability improved as well. The throttle is not as jumpy as before at partial input.
A word regarding the necessity to have a custom remap for these mods:
In my opinion, it is NOT absolutely necessary. My converstaions with Scott on the subject confirmed this. Scott has not remapped or dynoed his bike since the swap, and he rides it all the time with no issues. He did say that it would maybe improve the power a tiny bit, but unless you race the bike and ride at WOT most of the time (street riders don't) it's may not be worth the money. There is a map for the Thorsten airbox on RC51.org which I plan to try and see how it works. My street rides have not shown any issues with the mapping, but it's worth looking into.
I ordered the Turn One CF Race Airbox, CF Snorkel, Scott's LED Eyebrow kit, Kyle Racing clip ons, and a Factory Pro Shift Kit. I've installed everything except the shift kit, since I have to drain the oil and coolant to do it, and I'm waiting until my next oil change.
My first impressions of the carbon pieces were that the quality was very good, and that the weight difference between the blast furnace that is the stock unit and this piece is HUGE. The same goes for the snorkel. The instructions from Scott's were very detailed and well thought out, with plenty of numbered pictures for reference during the process.
Anyone considering this should be advised that these pieces will NOT bolt right up like the stock pieces. This is an involved, but not overly difficult install in my opinion. If you are not mechanically inclined, or do not wish to devote an entire day (possibly longer) to this install, find a professional to install it for you. I'm not going to detail the istall here, but just point out a few things to make you life easier if you decide to do it.
> First, try to use as much of the fuel in your tank as possible before beginning.
> Second although not mentioned in the instructions, a longer fuel return hose would be nice, since the CF unit has hole for it to enter and connect ot the thottle body assembly, and this restricts the rearward movement of the tank when accessing the airbox.
>Third, a small right angle screwdriver or a low profile rotator ratchet is a big help and aggravation saver when removing and retightening the throttle body to intake boot screws. They are deep in the airbox, and difficult to reach with conventional tools. Make sure they boot sare fully seated on the runners and tight before proceeding.
>Finally, make sure to route all your cables, hoses etc. into the airbox before securing it to the top of the intake runners. Be especially careful with the throttle cables, idle adjustment, and fast idle cables.
>>VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure you mark or measure and write down the distance the idle adjustment cable was threaded into the throttle body assembly. This ensures your idle is close to normal when firing the bike back up. I used a digital caliper, and mine was right at 6mm (5.98 actually).
>Regarding the Intake, a 10mm wrench with a flex head is a must. The locknut and washer that secures the upper cowl "special screw" ( the one above the intake opening under the windscreen) is a pain to tighten without one. I actually used a piece of duct tape tuirned sticky side out on my index finger to hold the locknut on the screw to start it, then tightened with the wrench.
Also, the intake bolts are secured on the inside of the frame with a washer and locknut, and they are pretty deep in the frame. The instructions call for a "spanner wrench", but that isn't what you need (not even sure if that is the right term). A 10mm flex wrench saves the day again here! It allows you to securely hold the locknut and tighten the bolts from the outside with a 5mm hex wrench. Trust me, this will save A LOT of cursing and aggravation. Start them with your finger, reaching in from the front of the snorkel. If your hands are too big, a shallow socket may help.
I also flipped the bolts securing the meter assembly bracket, so that the nuts were on top. The reason for this is that when you try to get a hex wrench in the bolt from the top, the meter is in the way and I did not want to scratch or scuff my meter assembly. I flipped the fasteners and used an open end wrench on the locknuts up top. Be sure to keep the wide washers on the inside of the snorkel. They look bad on top, plus they are necessary to spread the clamping forces of the fasteners. There are two smaller washers that go on top.
All in all, I am VERY happy with these mods. The quality is very good, and I can tell a big difference in weight up top. Nearly a 10 pound reduction!!! I need to measure to be sure. The throttle response is much improved, and the part throttle drivability improved as well. The throttle is not as jumpy as before at partial input.
A word regarding the necessity to have a custom remap for these mods:
In my opinion, it is NOT absolutely necessary. My converstaions with Scott on the subject confirmed this. Scott has not remapped or dynoed his bike since the swap, and he rides it all the time with no issues. He did say that it would maybe improve the power a tiny bit, but unless you race the bike and ride at WOT most of the time (street riders don't) it's may not be worth the money. There is a map for the Thorsten airbox on RC51.org which I plan to try and see how it works. My street rides have not shown any issues with the mapping, but it's worth looking into.
