v50III stock airbox vs pod filters

[Leashes]

I know this topic has been discussed a lot but here goes:
Every time I get into my airbox for service I swear it'll be the last time. The canned ham is one of the more frustrating things in motorcycle engineering. Mine is reasonably intact but it's cracking and will not last forever. Experts (the Dave Richardson book) seem to think it's not worth the trouble of changing the system and others on the internet seem to think it'll be a jetting and tuning nightmare.
Does anyone have advice or experience? I'm tempted to make a change for ease of service and a small performance (and sound!!) bump but the bike runs great as-is and I don't want to tempt fate.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

I cant speak to the v50, but the v65... 

If you can sort out a breather arrangement, it's no big deal. You have guzziology, so you can get the jetting info there. I am running a homemade breather setup and it works great. I have seen some wacky setups for this from tuna cans to sprite bottles to very intricate CNC'd custom manifold setups. Mine is PVC pipe bits and caps, copper hose barbs, and hoses.  Many folks install the breather box from a Lario behind the steering neck I believe...

I took out my airbox once and said never again! I was rebuilding carbs anyway, so a couple jets was no big deal.  I went up on the mains and raised the needle a notch, cant remember on the idle jets but pretty sure those were changed as well. I have the Malossi pods and fully open Agostini exhaust from a modern V7 and the bike is LOUD.

I think I got my jets from Herdan... Google Dellorto Herdan and you can find them.

I am running the Malossi filters that Richardson hates, but they have worked fine for me. My bike is a cafe racer that only sees leisure use for day trips tho, so YMMV.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I assembled this breather box for a customer's V50 II. Like the Mayor, PVC pipe, brass fittings, but with a stainless steel pot scrubber inside as an oil separator. Worked perfectly. 5/16" fitting at the front to each rocker cover, 3/8" fitting vent hose to atmosphere at the rear top and another 5/16" at the lower rear for the return hose to the sump.   





The bike already had K&N pods on it and was waaay too lean. I needed to go up two sizes on the idle jet, one on the main.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

I assembled this breather box for a customer's V50 II. Like the Mayor, PVC pipe, brass fittings, but with a stainless steel pot scrubber inside as an oil separator. Worked perfectly. 5/16" fitting at the front to each rocker cover, 3/8" fitting vent hose to atmosphere at the rear top and another 5/16" at the lower rear for the return hose to the sump.   





The bike already had K&N pods on it and was waaay too lean. I needed to go up two sizes on the idle jet, one on the main.

HOLY CRAP Charlie! I put a stainless wire pot scrubber in mine too! I also put some 'pipe screens' at the 'downhill end' to keep and strands from making their way down to the sump.
I thought I invented this breather 

Glad to know someone who actually know what they are doing went the same route as me!

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

  Now that's funny.

[Leashes]

This is exactly what  I needed to know and you are right, very doable. I ride in all weather and tend to get very dirty (i don't know why, filth just follows my bikes) so open screen type pods scare me but I bet they sound wonderful. I am still running the stock cans so I suppose I'll gather a few sizes of jet and replace them and the airbox at the same time and get all carb work handled at once.

Thanks all for the hive-mind breather box design. If two people independently came up with that, you must be on a good track.  Can't wait to never deal with the canned ham again.

[Matteo]

I put a breather from a Norge on my V50III several years ago. Runs like a champ. Only $12 from pinwall salvage on eBay.

[Leashes]

I put a breather from a Norge on my V50III several years ago. Runs like a champ. Only $12 from pinwall salvage on eBay.

 

is this it? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Moto-Guzzi-HOUSING-CONDENSATION-BOTTLE-BREATHER-2006-2016-1200-S-Norge-Breva/383456138003?epid=810170107&hash=item5947c45313:g:adQAAOSwmfReZ9lr   if so, seems like an easy cheap option. Is it pretty small?

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I put a breather from a Norge on my V50III several years ago. Runs like a champ. Only $12 from pinwall salvage on eBay.

Did you cap the large opening? There's no hose that large on a V50.

  is this it? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Moto-Guzzi-HOUSING-CONDENSATION-BOTTLE-BREATHER-2006-2016-1200-S-Norge-Breva/383456138003?epid=810170107&hash=item5947c45313:g:adQAAOSwmfReZ9lr   if so, seems like an easy cheap option. Is it pretty small?

That's the one. The hoses on the "T" fitting go to the rocker covers (heads on the Norge), a lower one returns oil to the sump (but it's larger than the V50 hose) and an upper one went to the Norge airbox. There's nothing on a V50 that would go to the large side opening (hose from the timing cover on the Norge), so I'd guess that would be capped.

[Matteo]

 

is this it? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Moto-Guzzi-HOUSING-CONDENSATION-BOTTLE-BREATHER-2006-2016-1200-S-Norge-Breva/383456138003?epid=810170107&hash=item5947c45313:g:adQAAOSwmfReZ9lr   if so, seems like an easy cheap option. Is it pretty small?

Looks like it!

[Matteo]

Did you cap the large opening? There's no hose that large on a V50.

That's the one. The hoses on the "T" fitting go to the rocker covers (heads on the Norge), a lower one returns oil to the sump (but it's larger than the V50 hose) and an upper one went to the Norge airbox. There's nothing on a V50 that would go to the large side opening (hose from the timing cover on the Norge), so I'd guess that would be capped.

Can't remember the big opening, sold the bike 2 years ago to a buddy, I'll ask him to have a look. I made a diagram and stuck it in the manual.

[Leashes]

I have the norge airbox on the way. A cap and a reducer seem pretty straightforward to rig up and $10 shipped is hard to beat. Now let's see... do foam uni filters really catch on fire? Another gem from guzziology that brings up a great mental image.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

I have the norge airbox on the way. A cap and a reducer seem pretty straightforward to rig up and $10 shipped is hard to beat. Now let's see... do foam uni filters really catch on fire? Another gem from guzziology that brings up a great mental image.

If I haddnt gone with Malossi, I was keen to try the Mike Tiberieo method...  He is using a long uni sock tube type filter (the one that looks like a cylinder, capped on one end). He cut the closed end off and then has an open tube. He is clamping the open ends to the carb intakes and then you have a single filter that 'connects' the carbs.  I think this info is on ThisOldTractor.com, that's about as much info as is provided, tho the blurb might contain the part number he used.  Its in the loop airfilter section somewhere.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I have the norge airbox on the way. A cap and a reducer seem pretty straightforward to rig up and $10 shipped is hard to beat. Now let's see... do foam uni filters really catch on fire? Another gem from guzziology that brings up a great mental image.

Foam filters can, under the right (wrong?) circumstances catch fire. If I fit them to a bike, I always make a stainless steel mesh spark arrestor to go over the carb inlet before the filter goes on.

[Leashes]

Foam filters can, under the right (wrong?) circumstances catch fire. If I fit them to a bike, I always make a stainless steel mesh spark arrestor to go over the carb inlet before the filter goes on.

Good advice thanks. I have had a bike catch fire under me, but it was just the smoldering electrical wires kind of fire, not gas soaked foam. All the same I'd rather not experience that again.