HRC spend millions every year developing cutting-edge race bikes. The best air-filter they can come up with is steel mesh - just a something stop stones, birds and other object being swallowed by the engine. I like this simplicity. For years I've raced my Aprilia RSV completely open with no air-box or filters with problems (thankfully I never put her in the gravel). Vee twins like to breathe. The less you put between the velocity stacks and cool air, the better.
.jpg)
HRC Air-filters as used in WSBK
With input from my mate Steve Hillary at Redmax Speed Shop (my engine man), I decided to go for a completely open airbox. 'Box' wouldn't describe it... too restrictive. It would be an 'air-area'. I didn't want to risk anything getting into the engine that shouldn't be there, so got some HRC air-filters. With the trick Oronero carbon air-runner supplying cool air, I reckon it'll work.
Onto the job of making something to attach the air-filters to. Needed to do 2 things:
1) secure the air-filters
2) shield the air going into the velocity stacks from the hot air coming off the engine.
This is where they'll go
Heat-shield cloth - NASA stuff!
Measure it up, cut and mark it...
Resin the air-filter bases
Cut some holes...
Fit
Resin in place to get the right shape...
... once set, trim to shape and get going on the tricky front cylinder...
Riv-nut the filters - no possibility of anything coming loose then getting sucked into the engine
Fabricate some ally brackets
After a whole lot of fitting, adjusting, fiddling and a lot of swearing, we're just about done...
I didn't have time to tart it up before I dropped the bike off at Steve for the engine rebuild. A splash of paint over the pink resin would make it look less home-grown - any ideas on color? I was thinking a plain matt grey or black.
I also fitted the Oronero air-runner and other carbon deliciousness... more of that later. Steve has been working on the engine and I'll get pics of that up soon as well. We're getting there!
No comments:
Post a Comment