I have the figure machine xlflows1 intake on my 09 sportster that utilizes the stock ham can with an over sized k&n filter. I personally have always really liked the ham cans on 1200cs and opted for keeping the look. They clam it's suppose to add 8hp. I'm unsure of the exact gain but it def woke my bike up.

 

My bike has the ham can with the stock high flow air filter with no back plate. I'm not sure if I'm imagining things or not but my bike seems to have more power at highway speeds and the motor feels......I guess different and more powerful. I've reasoned that a bit of ram air into the air filter due to the rush of air past the ham can.....or i'm imagining things?


I feel a bit of torque lag in 2nd gear before getting into the higher revs for example. I can be in 4th at highway speed and the the thing just halls *** with no sensation of reduced torque at similar revs at slower speeds.

It it just me?

 

What is noticeable to some, is not to others. But there is a drop in low end torque when going from stock to short shots. There is also an increase in top end power when going from stock to short shots...so it is a trade-off.

The best option, if you like Short Shots, is to install some Thunder Torque Inserts in them. It will not chop anything of the increased top end, and it will give back all the low end torque, plus some.

Here is a Dyno of a 1200 with Short Shots and TTI's in them. You can see the dip in it at the low end before we put the TTI's & A/C on it.





You can search around and usually find the CFM on any particular filter.

However, almost all aftermarket filter elements flow more air than the 1200 can eat, so that CFM is a non-issue.

There Are several other factors that make for a difference in how an air cleaner performs, besides the CFM-

1. Is it getting only cool, clean, oxygen rich air, or is the hot, oily, oxygen depleted air from the breathers getting fed into the air cleaner. If your A/C does not have an External Breather System (EBS), you are throwing away power that you would otherwise have, plus creating more issues down the road. See more on this subject at this LINK.

2. The size, shape, & flow of the air AFTER it gets past the air filter element can make pretty significant differences in performance.



A ham cam with a aftermarket filter element, and the backplate removed (or holes drilled in it, and modified with an EBS is going to be a very good performing air cleaner.

The Outlaw 636v does an exceptional job (better than every other air cleaner we've tested) of organizing the air, and speeding it up, After it gets past the filter element.

(see chart above, and more charts at our website)

Here is a comparison with some of the popular performance A/C's-





What do you mean by the "stock high flow air filter"? Is it paper or cotton gauze, or?? element?

Just opening up the back makes a big difference, regardless of the element.

Here is a LINK to more reading on what makes for a good air cleaner, vs. a so-so one.

Your lag you're feeling is either reversion in your exhaust, or some tuning that needs to be done.