Airbox WTF?

Ok, I'm a major advocate of keeping bikes as stock as possible, figuring the legions of rocket-scientists that designed the things (even 30 years ago) probably know/knew better than I. My Nort is basically bone stock and runs like a raped ape. So..I got a replacement airbox for my Seca 550 (mine is splitting) and I'm looking at this thing, the size of the hole into the carb plenum chamber from where the air filter lives, and...wait a sec, where does this thing GET air to begin with? Just this skinny little slot at the top rear (breaking out flashlight,) looking at bike closely, pull left sidecover...WTF??? Is a 1/2" by 3" opening REALLY big enough, square area-wise, to supply enough air??? Now I'm not advocating a swiss-cheese approach, nor trying to outhink the Yammie engineers, but--what were they thinking??? Seems to me a LITTLE carefully-placed additional intake area might be in order, but then again, maybe they squeezed the actual intake down to create a vortex of some sort (kinda like putting yur finger over the end of the garden hose to make it spray further?) Opinions, gentlemen?

 

That skinny little slot is removable so you could remove it to test it then replace it later if you need to. I think you might get a bit more induction roar, and if it lets much more air in put your mixture on the lean side.

 

it is designed to run properly with the fuel setting(jets) they put in the bike so yup for thier design it lets in enough air. THe more incoming air the more fuel you will need. Now if the bikes were like sleds in the mid80-mid90's were manufacturers jetted them really fat you could pickup some power from introducing more are and leaning things down. But it seems they have not left these bike much if at all on the fat side. so yup you can make the opening bigger but watch your plugs to make sure you are still in a safe margin. Oh and yes airboxes are usually design to optimize air flow to where and the speed they want it to go.