I'm new here and was wondering if anyone had advice on what air intake I should get for my 2006 Sportster XL1200 Custom. The three things I'm looking for are a boost in horsepower, room for my right knee (long rides end with a bit of a limp), and a chrome look. I like the intakes I've seen with the elbow facing the filter forward instead of off the side but don't care for the exposed red filter look. Does the bullet style intake offer less horsepower gain since there's a chrome housing covering the filter? I've also seen some good-looking round intakes that obviously would leave more room for my knee than the stock one, but not sure if it would leave enough room or not. Any input would be appreciated.

And when you swap intakes, is there any work that needs to be done to the carb? Or is there a carb I can buy to further increase my horsepower while I'm at it?

 

http://hammerperf.com/xlaircleaners.shtml#impact

Looks like stock, will help you keep leg clearance, and gives a good performance boost.

You'll need to retune or rejet your carb depending on how the intake affects your bike. The CVK40 (stock carb) is good to about 100hp.

 

You are asking two questions! Scuba's suggestion should improve your leg clearance and give a little extra performance, but for a serious boost in performance, take a closer look at the Hammer website and the various performance aids they provide.

 

I've been looking at filters for my FXD and was very close to buying the Cobra Powrflo. I mention it because it appears to be a simple install and a design that might be more comfortable to your knee. Check it out but I haven't seen one in the flesh.