I'm looking into picking up the cobra powerflo however I'm worried about issues with heavy rain and water getting into the engine. For the most part I use my bike for commuting on any day there isn't rain, snow or ice on the ground. But I also do larger trips, rode the blue ridge and tail of the dragon last fall, and plan on going cross country next year. During these trips I have no choice but to ride in heavy rain and at times for hours on end. With aftermarket air intakes does consistent and heavy rain cause any engine issues??
cobra powerflo questions
1 - 18 of 18 Posts
Joined
·
4,199 Posts
i've gotten caught in downpors at least 3 times since the initial install, no issues yet, i do think you can buy a rain sock for it though
It's possible, but highly unlikely. Any water that gets past the filter would be vaporized in the intake and pass through the engine, causing it to run a bit cooler. There is always water vapor passing through the engine as there is always water vapor in the air; water is also a product of combustion. You would pretty much have to drown it to get it wet enough to stall. More likely the filter could become saturated with water, loose its shape and begin to leak over time. If it makes you feel better you can put a water resistant sock over the air filter to help keep it dry. You might want to research "water injection systems" that are used on high performance engines to reduce pre-ignition by cooling the combustion chamber and increasing performance and fuel efficiency. It was used extensively in aircraft engines during wwII.
Joined
·
4,672 Posts
This is also a concern of mine because of where I live and refuse to put my bike into hyphenation for the winter. So I am glad to see someone come up with this question. I was going to go only as far as a high performance air filter that fit the stock air box and cut out the back of the box to allow more air intake and maybe put a real fine mesh screen on the area I cut open. But I really don't like the big stock air box. And the big stock exhaust pipes either because it looks like two different bikes from side to side.
Trigger is correct... water vaper is good for an engine... BUT... large volumes of water are not... Fortunately... the Powerflo has a slot on the backside to allow the water to drain off before it can pass thru the filter. Unless you plan on fording a river deep enough to cover you intake... you have nothing to worry about.
I put on the powerflo intake, power pro auto turner and the difference in how the bike performed was amazing, not to mention how much cooler the bike looks. For what it's worth I have been really happy with the Cobra parts. With regard to water vapor, I have been riding in SF through the fog and drizzle and have never had any issues with the intake.
Has anyone put only the cobra powerflo intake on without putting the tuner on as well. I was wondering if only installing the air intake would lean the engine out too much since it would be increasing air flow but not richening the fuel aspect of the mixture. I'd love to do both, but money is only there for the intake right now.
Joined
·
4,746 Posts
If you dont have exhaust you should be fine
Joined
·
326 Posts
I have the powerflo intake and cobra swept exhaust with no tuner. I've only had the bike for a week so take what I say with a grain of salt. The bike seems to run fine and it's not over heating or anything, but I haven't checked the plugs to see if it's too lean or not.
In my experience with cars and bikes, if you add an intake or an exhaust you are probably fine without a tuner because you still have some air restriction. But if you add both the intake and the exhaust, you're moving more air through the system and you should increase the amount of fuel as well to take full advantage of the extra performance you should be getting. That means bigger jets for carbed bikes or a tuner for FI bikes.
In my case I plan to get my ECU flashed and then see if I still need a tuner.
In my experience with cars and bikes, if you add an intake or an exhaust you are probably fine without a tuner because you still have some air restriction. But if you add both the intake and the exhaust, you're moving more air through the system and you should increase the amount of fuel as well to take full advantage of the extra performance you should be getting. That means bigger jets for carbed bikes or a tuner for FI bikes.
In my case I plan to get my ECU flashed and then see if I still need a tuner.
Joined
·
401 Posts
Hey Folk's, I can assure everyone that there is no worries with riding in the rain with an "open style" air kit... If your bike starts to cut out from rain ya don't need to be on a bike, ya need to be in a boat!
Seriously you would have to run a garden hose directly onto the filter to cause issues...
And... If you run any after market intake, you need to use a FI controller, the stock ECU cannot add or correct fuel delivery for these types of modifications and you will cause damage to your engine without one.
Shane
SS Custom Cycle Inc
Seriously you would have to run a garden hose directly onto the filter to cause issues...
And... If you run any after market intake, you need to use a FI controller, the stock ECU cannot add or correct fuel delivery for these types of modifications and you will cause damage to your engine without one.
Shane
SS Custom Cycle Inc
on my other bike I got caught in a down pour and the water shut down the bike. I had a K&N on it, This bike I did it right and got a rain cover from Kuryakyn for my Power Flow exposed filter. They come in different shapes. You can also use it when washing the bike to keep water off/out of filter. Rollin Sands has some also.
I found mine at JP Cycles search air intake accessories.
click on my page and you can see my intake shots. I don't have a pic with the cover on, maybe I will for show.
Joined
·
291 Posts
phatperformance.com has it the same price as pcs, don't know about the shipping.
ebay has it the cheapest, with free shipping.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cobra-PowrF...06-0270B-/251616154642?_trksid=p2054897.l4275
ebay has it the cheapest, with free shipping.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cobra-PowrF...06-0270B-/251616154642?_trksid=p2054897.l4275
1 - 18 of 18 Posts
