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The kit has been designed and produced locally in Brisbane. It was designed as a result of the lack of performance of VN 1600 Vulcan.
The Original concept was to correct the engine 'ping' (detonation) and to increase engine torque at low speeds. This has been achieved, and in doing so, we have found that we have increased the overall performance beyond what we had set out to do. As a result, we have re-designed the kit to fit ALL fuel injected 1500 & 1600 Kawasaki VN Cruisers.
What is it?
1. The kit comprises an Air Cleaner unit and a velocity plate to marry the air cleaner unit directly to the fuel injection ports (throttle chambers).
The velocity plate is CNC machined from billet alloy and is not just an adaptor. Firstly, it is designed to increase the length of the throttle chambers, thereby increasing the air velocity into the chambers.
This is similar to the ram pods that we used to see on performance car engines. There are no bends or angles that inhibit air flow and the throttle chambers are directly exposed to the air intake system.
The diameter of the throttle chambers has been increased to 45mm, again increasing the air flow characteristics. The velocity plate also includes a crankcase breather which is sited in a gallery within the velocity plate. The gallery is baffled so that no crankcase residue can come into contact with the air filter element.
Also, the gallery incorporates a moisture drain, crankcase pulsations tend to direct any moisture into the drain. The plate also incorporates the original air temperature sensor, correctly aligned to 'read' the correct incoming air flow so that the fuel management computer can make the correct adjustments.
2. The air filter unit comprises of an upper and lower case plate, both CNC machined from billet alloy. These cases compress and seal the special 'Unifilter' filter element.
The lower case plate is designed to extend the length of the throttle chambers into a tuned length velocity stack to add maximum velocity to the incoming air flow. The plate also provides the blanking baffle for the crankcase breather gallery.
An inlet port is provided for the engine clean air breather hose, so the original anti-pollution system remains effective, one of the things that some other systems tend to neglect.
3. The 'Unifilter' air filter element has been specifically designed for this kit. Both original and aftermarket paper elements have an inherent weakness when exposed to either dust or wet weather. So we designed a cleanable filter medium that is water resistant and can be serviced when the need arises. Replacement 'Unifilter' air filter elements are always available.
How it works
The first thing, is that the kit completely replaces the original factory air intake system, which means that the original air intake system can be replaced at any time, restoring the motorcycle to original condition. The original factory system filter element is not used, and the torturous path of the intake air through the plastic cross tube between the cylinders is removed.
By doing this, the kit negates all the hot air that is created within the cross tube located between the cylinders. The air temperature sensor is located precisely where it is 'reading' the correct incoming air temperature. As engine speed increases, and air flow velocity increases, the air gets colder.
As we all know, the colder the air, the more dense it becomes, and the more fuel can be added accordingly. Therefore, the harder you run, the computer will supply the correct amount of fuel required and the engine won't starve for fuel at highway speeds.
For example: with the original intake system, on a hot day, the air is less dense and this situation is compounded by the incoming air being heated in the cross tube located between the cylinders. Again, less air density equals less fuel which equals less power. Or, in worse case scenarios, over fueling without enough cold air. Therefore, you are looking for more power and you work the machine harder. The engine runs hotter - a compounded problem.
The provision of extended throttle chambers has been proven over the years to increase air velocity as well as providing a colder air intake. And this is provided in the design as well as opening the chambers to 45mm in diameter.
At starting and at idle, the engine can now draw in cold air, it doesn't have to work to suck the air in like the original system. The temperature sensor is doing its job, and the engine is recieving the correct air/fuel mixture. As engine speed increses, air is drawn in from all sides of the filter element. The 'Unifilter' element medium is designed to let air in easier than releasing it, effectively creating a one way valve. Due to pulses within the throttle chambers, and increased velocity, the air pressure across the throttle chambers is slightly increased.
As the bike moves off, the air flow changes from sucking to a ram effect, and 'loading up' the intake system. As the filter element restricts air from escaping, the system has now become a pressureised system (ram effect). The faster the bike is ridden, the more air that is forced into the system.
As the element has excellent wet weather capabilities, the performance is not diminished, and if the facing surface of the element is closed off due to total water coverage, eg: a water splash, then the system is able to draw air from the other unexposed surfaces, and the water is not drawn through the filter by suction.
Conclusion
So there you have it. A cheap, effective way to not only help correct that engine 'ping' problem, but to bolt on extra engine performance. The bike will exhibit smoother operation from idle to highway speeds with better fuel economy from better fuel management. The end result is a more responsive, tractable engine, like it should be .....
