Rain sock really needed...NEEDED??
Thread Starter
|
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,080
Likes: 14
From: Mill-e-wah-que
Rain sock really needed...NEEDED??
I went stage 1 about a year ago and had an ac cover that covered the face and all sides of the ac - like a dome around the front and sides (see my sig pic). I just switched to an arlen ness cover that only covers the face of the ac. Do I really need a rain sock to protect the ac from rain getting into the ac now that the sides of it are exposed? It seems to me that the ac was, albeit slightly, protected from water before with the other cover. Now that it's completely exposed, I should consider some kind of protection if I get cought in the rain.
Am I over thinking this or is this just crap that I should not worry about?
Am I over thinking this or is this just crap that I should not worry about?
Last edited by The Cheesehead; Oct 28, 2012 at 10:25 PM.
Supporter
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 5,189
Likes: 16
From: N.E. Wisconsin
You don't need one, the oiled filter keeps it out while riding. If any drops do get in, it helps clean some carbon out. Just keep a bread bag around if you park it outside in the rain without a bike cover.
Trending Topics
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 4,741
Likes: 45
From: Indian Land, SC
+1 on that....Without a cover, the filter gets dirty real fast....I had a white SS filter on my Arlen Ness Big Sucker that I removed after several 1000 miles and it looked brand new since I used the rain sock from day one...
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,062
Likes: 4
From: Boca Raton, FL
I think it really depends on what you are running for a filter (which you didn't touch on)
as for the filter, if you are running a K&N or some kind of OIL'd filter then I would say NO sock is ever needed, even in a heavy rain
but if you are running a paper filter, or the DRY cotton filter (like the stock one that comes with the SE Ventilator) then you may want to consider it when you are in a heavy rain, but not worry about it in a light rain
I ran a SE Heavy Breather on my SG in South FL and never put the sock on, even in heavy rain and never had an issue
I have recently switched to a SE Ventilator and immediately swapped out the stock dry cotton filter for the K&N because I don't like the idea of a dry filter in South Florida with the rain we get down here
as for the filter, if you are running a K&N or some kind of OIL'd filter then I would say NO sock is ever needed, even in a heavy rain
but if you are running a paper filter, or the DRY cotton filter (like the stock one that comes with the SE Ventilator) then you may want to consider it when you are in a heavy rain, but not worry about it in a light rain
I ran a SE Heavy Breather on my SG in South FL and never put the sock on, even in heavy rain and never had an issue
I have recently switched to a SE Ventilator and immediately swapped out the stock dry cotton filter for the K&N because I don't like the idea of a dry filter in South Florida with the rain we get down here
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,470
Likes: 4
From: on the road
I would run the sock after seeing what happened this summer-------------4 of us set out to go home from a car show and ran into a big rainstorm-----I didn't like the grooved out road and actually preferred the company at a local bar way better so I stayed along with one other person------------2 struck out in the rain and one had a sock the other one didn't.The bike made it about 30 miles and started getting blowby didn't have a sock he continued to ride it for about 40 more miles to get out of the rain when it started missing pretty bad.They ended up hauling it home and after the dealer who had just rebuilt it about 1000 miles before tore it down it was determined it had inhaled enough water to score the cyls --------------both bikes had the torpedo looking air filters on them don't know whose they were but would guess the bike that went down was a HD filter just knowing his buying habits