Air intake cleaning, any easy way?

OK I have about 15,000 miles on and according to the manual I am 5K overdue for cleaning the intakes.
As I am a lazy person and the bike is running about as perfect as it can, I am reluctant to tear a whole bunch of stuff
apart. Is there a way to do this cleaning that is less involved than removing the intakes?
Spraying carb cleaner in them and dabbing it off, what say you?

Triman, unless there is evidence of oil in your airbox, personally I wouldn't worry just yet. As you say, you (like me) are lazy and it's better to ride than worry about stuff that may not be a problem. As you say, it's running real good!

Go Ride.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Just a couple of hints from my experience.

Firstly the 2VPC motors tend to soil their TB's more than the 4VPC motors. No idea why? Secondly the biggest overall contributor to soiled TB's and gummy stepper motors is too much oil in the engine. If the oil is constantly 'Topped up' to the 'Full' mark on the dipstick it will almost invariably pump lots out into the airbox where it will end up besmirching the TB's.

I'll say it again. There is LOTS of oil in the motor. It isn't going to melt into a pool of molten slag if the level isn't at the 'Full' mark and, quite simply, 'Full' is too much! Not only does having more oil in there raise the level closer to the crank so the cyclonic forces created whip it up more resulting in more particulate oil in suspension in the gas in the crankcase but the compressible volume of the case is lessened meaning that the pumping action of the pistons on that gas greater encouraging more expulsion through the breather system.

If you start off with your oil half way between the 'Add' and 'Full' marks on the stick and just ride it and check it it will probably drop a little bit more and then stop. After a few days it will of 'Found it's own level' and in future you should simply take that mark as your 'Full' mark.

An example is my GRiSO. It has one of those spiffy, (And completely unnecessary!) oil temperature dipsticks that is delivered unmarked. When I got it I marked it but promptly forgot whether I had marked it on the sidestand or upright or hanging upside down from the ceiling with a dildo up it's exhaust pipe! Being the Sultan of Sloth I couldn't be arsed working it out again so I just ride it and now the oil sits in exactly the same place on the stick and hardly changes. Over 10,000km I may put a few hundred mls in but only because I feel guilty and, let's face it, I'm pretty stupid. It really doesn't need it.

The result is that my airbox remains dry even under the most provocative of riding and while I pulled my TB's off at about the 50,000 km interval last time while they were a bit grubby and I'll probably not leave it as long next time, they were still working as they should with none of the symptoms of befoulment like high idle issues or unsettled idle TPS values.

Run yer oil under-full and check yer airbox regularly then use a mirror to look up the inlet tracts and see how grubby they are. If they get all black and coated with mank whip 'em off, (Not a big job.) and give them a thorough cleaning. Otherwise just leave them alone.

Pete

The only time I would even think about cleaning the air-box is if there has been oil in the drain tune on a regular basis.

After having a V7-II, which did like to continually spit ‘some’ oil into the airbox ...or vomit a shitload & soak the air filter if I overfilled the sump, I check the GRiSO’s air box fairly regularly.

The box directly under the filter has remained completely dry in the year & a half that I’ve had the bike.
I have, however, noticed recently that the there has been a soiling of oil around the air box seam under the throttle bodies.
While it hasn’t bothered me much, today I stuck one of the mirror contraptions I have (for looking inside acoustic guitars) up the air box towards the throttle bodies.
I was not surprised to see a good coating of oil at the ‘Y-junction’ (again, the main box is dry) but the butterfly throttles were clean & in good condition.

So despite running my oil level at halfway, I obviously need to leave it alone until it settles at a point.

Takes bout 15min to pull easy airbox after batt removal. I spray w/rag under & use tooth brush down throat from opposite side, blow in w/air & repeat if necessary. Another 15min to put back.
AND don't forget to clean out air bleed screws, lube oring.
Now you can give it a fresh tune!! 2V get gooey in 10K , 8V in 20K or so.
THEN you can clean up the mess all over your trans.

Good advice!  Have kept the oil at the lower level since I bought it, looks like thats paying off.
As I said, engine is running perfectly. I will get my endoscope out and take a look though.
Hate to fix unbroken stuff!!