1970 Bonneville style air filters

[mikestp]

I am rebuilding 3 1982 Yamaha heritage bikes. These sport wire wheels, and drum brakes in an attempt to "look" like the old school Triumph Bonneville. I would like to take it a bit further with the Triumph type air filters, and the Burgess mufflers. I can get Emgo Burgess mufflers far cheaper than even universal mac mufflers, and I think they would look fine. My questions are: Has anyone got ready to bolt on Triumph type air filters for the XS400? And in regards to the Burgess mufflers, are there any problems such as center stand or side stand interference?

mike...
mikestp@yahoo.com

Thanks in advance for any help

 

[drewpy]

when you say triumph filters, do you mean pancake filters?

 

[mikestp]

when you say triumph filters, do you mean pancake filters?

yes they are a flat chrome ring, and i would assume offset from the standard as the Mikuni carbs on the 400 are much closer together than the Amals.

 

[bcware]

This is what someone did on a Honda cb360. The curved tubes are simply from the plumbing department at your local Home Depot or equivalent.

The cb360 carb inlets are very close together and this worked fine.

 

[mikestp]

This is what someone did on a Honda cb360. The curved tubes are simply from the plumbing department at your local Home Depot or equivalent.

The cb360 carb inlets are very close together and this worked fine.

Kinda cool, but the position is wrong to emulate the look of the Bonnie. If I can get the filters mounted in a similar manner to the bonnie, I would look into modifying the side covers to open up the air-box space. Perhaps a straight slash slice of the plastic....

 

[bcware]

You will never get a filter that size to fit like the ones in the photo you provided. You're going to need, at the very least, a 45-degree angle.

I am also not sure the filters in the photo you provided are even close to stock or "triumph-type" on that bonneville. Every photo I have seen of stock Bonneville had side covers that shield the intake. So, you're not really emulating a Bonneville at all, just someone's aftermarket mod.

 

[mikestp]

You will never get a filter that size to fit like the ones in the photo you provided. You're going to need, at the very least, a 45-degree angle.

I am also not sure the filters in the photo you provided are even close to stock or "triumph-type" on that bonneville. Every photo I have seen of stock Bonneville had side covers that shield the intake. So, you're not really emulating a Bonneville at all, just someone's aftermarket mod.

IO assure you that Bonnie is correct. Its the last of the oil tank bonnies (1970) before they messed it up with the oil in frame. That bike has 741 Kilometers on it. It has only had 10 klicks under my butt. It originally came from Hong Kong, and in 1992 it was brought to Canada and 2 years ago I bought it. There are no mods to the bike. The hong kong market (the distributor of Triumph) ordered them with chrome stainless steel fenders, a kilometer only speedo, Chrome shocks, and a few other deviations from the "home market" uk edition, but the only mod I have found was a Boyer ignition to replace the old points. Also a replaced wiring harness because a ham handed mech didn't understand a positive ground system...

 

[drewpy]

you might be able to get the oval ones to fit. someone got a K&N oval to fit the xs. Maybe they have the same hole centres!

 

[mikestp]

well from the side they would look similar....

 

[bcware]

I only looked through a few hundred Bonneville photos, so I certainly don't know everything about every model and market. If that setup is oem, it certainly isn't common.

You could make a custom intake manifold and custom bracketry for the carbs to create the right offset. This should only cost a few hundred dollars all said and done or if you've got the talent as a welder you might be able to fabricate something yourself.

Wanting the bike to look like a Triumph is cool, but you might have to make some compromises. That is, of course, unless you have the resources or ability to make custom parts yourself.

So, no, there is nothing that will bolt on like the filters in the original photo. The closest I have seen is the filter Drewpy posted above. Recently someone on the forums here confirmed that the filter does in fact fit as well.

The mufflers might fit with a center stand, but maybe not. The oem type has indents to accept the stands, so it really depends on how far away the "bulge" is from the stand and what the diameter of the "bulge" is.

 

[mikestp]

I only looked through a few hundred Bonneville photos, so I certainly don't know everything about every model and market. If that setup is oem, it certainly isn't common.

You could make a custom intake manifold and custom bracketry for the carbs to create the right offset. This should only cost a few hundred dollars all said and done or if you've got the talent as a welder you might be able to fabricate something yourself.

Wanting the bike to look like a Triumph is cool, but you might have to make some compromises. That is, of course, unless you have the resources or ability to make custom parts yourself.

So, no, there is nothing that will bolt on like the filters in the original photo. The closest I have seen is the filter Drewpy posted above. Recently someone on the forums here confirmed that the filter does in fact fit as well.

The mufflers might fit with a center stand, but maybe not. The oem type has indents to accept the stands, so it really depends on how far away the "bulge" is from the stand and what the diameter of the "bulge" is.

All the Bonneville's that had actual filters (earlier bonnies had velocity stacks and no filters) from 1966 through to 1970 had those pancake filters. Emgo sells em... I was hoping someone had tried to put them on by fabricating a new hole offset and plugging the original. I will try some fitting and report back. I think if you have seen hundreds of bonnie pics you have only looked at 1971 through to 1982. Those Bonnies had side panels. My Bonnie and earlier had an oil tank, and no plastic side covers.

 

[mikestp]

I looked a the XS400 frame today and I think that the Volks filters would fit the carbs ok, but Yamaha put a major frame bar in the way. I think if that frame bar were not there they would fit and look fine. I might be able to get them to fit with a twist on the offset intake hole... I will have to take one off the Bonnie and see if it will go...

Here is a link to the Vokes filters:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/120780807803?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648

 

[XSLeo]

Can you use an elbow from the plumbing section of the hard ware store to hook on the carbs and turn out so the filter mounts on the side?.
Leo

 

[mikestp]

I suppose i could but then it would not look anything like the Bonnie....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/360347112395?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Here is a pancake filter that supposedly fits an XS650.... perhasp they can be made to fit an XS400

 

[mikestp]

One of the 1981 XS400 bikes is finished and ready to deliver to its new owner...

Here are some pics of the bike. This one sports pod filters, replaced handlebars, Burgess mufflers... (That sound absolutely fantastic...) And gaiters replacing the dust boots...

Take a look and let me know what you think...


http://www.flickr.com/photos/65005020@N07/sets/72157629491828376/show/

Other bikes I have done...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65005020@N07/sets/72157627255876764/show/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65005020@N07/sets/72157627131555933/show/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65005020@N07/sets/72157627033459031/show/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65005020@N07/sets/72157627776443401/show/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65005020@N07/sets/72157627032013179/show/