[AVMECH]

I removed my snorkle after about 3 months of having the bike. Coming up on about a year without it. It did make a difference, and I am happy with it. Since I removed it, never realising that this might be related, every once in a while my bike would act like it was running out of gas on the freeway, wich is elevated and open on both sides. Thought it might be a jet problem, electric problem, all kinds of problems, but I could never reproduce it on demand and it was so few and far between and the symptoms so mild I just ignored it. about two weeks ago, it happened a little more severe than I could remember it, so the next night I rode the bike for miles trying to reproduce it, thinking it might be temp related, nothing. Rode to work tonight, winds (VERY rare in Baton Rouge) were out of character and gusting to 40 knots or more. Every time that wind gusted, bike did it without fail. On the way home, winds were less and at my back for the first half of the ride, but when they became a crosswind, BAM! same problem. Thinking back, I realized that it was only doing it as I passed Semi's and such giving me a good, turbulant blast. Sounds crazy, but I think that strong winds are causing turbulace in my airbox stronger than the pull of the motor. Anyone else out there had anything similar? The snorkel would smooth any air coming in so it would stop this. Anyway, never going back, always forward so it's time to lose the airbox!!!

 

[tcb]

This is a very interesting thread! I have a wideband commander on my Thruxton for quickly determining jetting changes needed for racing at different altitudes, and last year, before I took my airbox off, I found I could affect air/fuel ratios on my guage just by moving my leg in or out next to the left sidecover, or even more dramatically by putting my hand down there and changing wind direction. I suspect we could effect all kinds of changes in air/fuel ratio by redirecting airflow in that area. :???:

 

[johnyC]

Avmech,

I had exactly the same problem you describe on my old M900 Ducati monster. Riding with a severe crosswind seemed to suck the life out of the engine, so I'd give it more throttle only for the bike to fly away when the gust calmed. This only happened with a straight, fierce wind running across the air intake from one side to the other. I fixed the Duc' when I removed the airbox lid and fitted a K&N.

I've ridden in all sorts of weather on my Scrambler without the symptoms you have, but aswell as removing the snorkel I also removed the internal restrictor plate from the airbox. I don't know if this is relevant though, the wind might not blow the same way on you again to prove it :???:

 

[AVMECH]

Removing the restrictor would definatly change the airflow enought that you might not experiance what I am. The winds were very heavy and being on the elevated freeway makes it worse, so mabey others with the same setup don't really get wind as severe as I was riding in. Rode to work with a 10-20 degree list the whole way. I do know that when I got to work, the winds were strong enough to make our aircraft's APU RPM's fluctuate up and down with the gusts. Many smaller planes were diverting. JohnyC, that's exactly how it was. when it blew, I couldn't get much past 75 then when it died, the bike blasted to 90+. I'm just glad I solved this, it has been messing with me for months! I figure if I do a home airbox removal, it should solve the problem.

 

[alfacliff]

maby if the airbox didnt suck from only one side this would not happen. I have ridden in typical Kansas winds, gusting to 45 or so, but have not had this problem.
cliff

 

[357Bob]

Not exactly the same issue but before I bought my Bonnie I was riding with a friend. I was on my CB450 Honda & he was on a Speedmaster 790. We were in NW Okla in a bad cross wind. My Honda was full throttle at 70 MPH. That was pretty much normal. But after we stopped he said he was also full throttle at 70 MPH.We couldn't figure it out but assumed the cross wind was pulling air away away from his air box. Never did figure it out but sounds like the same thing. Except it was a Speedy. I am going to show him this thread at work tomorrow.

 

[byjingo]

Just to add my two penny worth, is it possible that the side wind is causing a depression in the float chambers? The vent pipe would be affected by the Bernolli effect if the wind was blowing over the end of the tube.

Just a thought.........