KN airfilters letting water into carbs ?

[Anonymous]

(Suzuki GSX 400 E 1981)

Yesterday I washed my bike.
Just after I finished washing it, it started raining. ( the bike wasn`t in the garage). After it stopped raining (midnight) I decided to to a little midnight ride. For the first time since I got it, it didn`t fire up imediately.
I had trouble getting it to start, tried with choke and without. But it started without choke after turning the starter for a while.
After I came home from the ride, I let the bike cool of, then I tried to start it and fired up just like before.

I was just wondering if it could have something to do with the washing and the raining ?

(by the way, it was also the first time I started my bike at such low temperatures, was down at 10celcius). I didn`t pull the choke on the first time I tried to start it, maybe I should have pulled it out imediately ! ?

[Jethro]

Holy ice cream headache, did you say 10 degrees celcius? Man, it was 92 degrees farenhight here today! Too hot for me to ride and too cold for you- the net brings us all together from all over the globe. Do you by any chance have individual pod filters or the stock airbox?

[mcycle-nut]

Before I wash my pod equiped '78 GS750, I put a shower cap over the filters. Keeps the water off of 'em. Just remember to remove it before you go riding....

[Anonymous]

getting wet...

Welcome to the wonderfull world of the pod type air filter, they get wet and dont work.
I hate the damn things. Its not like im a traditionalist (my gs has a turbo for chrissakes) I just dont like things that dont work and cause problems, welcome to the world of pod filters...

[Anonymous]

as an alternative to pods, i have removed the air filter box and hung a stock replacement K&N in its place using some misc. unmentionable non standard items from a shelf in my garage--when i go for larger carbs, i will make the inlet hole to the air box larger and look for some K&N off a small car to hang under the seat--definitely non purist here

[saaz]

I have some double pods on my gs (one oval filter dioes two carbs. Have never had any problem when wet (washing, riding in the rain, left in the rain) When I had the standard plugs caps I did sometimes find it hard to start after a wash as the water was shorting out the plug leads.

[Anonymous]

I dont know if this is possible on your setup but take a look at outerwears they are water resistant very breathable covers that you can put around your k&N. I use them on my Yamaha banshee and never have had water problems yet. However I am not saying you can play submarine with these things on!

check it out at: outerwearsracing.com

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the tips.
I will try to make some caps to put on the filters while washing.
My bike has worked like normal , after the first start after the washing. I just got so concerned when it wouldn`t fire right up, all my concerns are gone now