They don't do much other than look different. Take out 3 screws and then you pop the rear out to the outside to disengage a grommet and then lift off. Make sure when re-asssembling that you put the long screw in the side, not the front, as it will hit the radiator.
Huh, not to sound crass, but you know not what you say.
The I/S pods do a lot. Specifically they direct radiator and engine heat out and away from the rider as opposed to over & under and directly at the rider.
They work so well I added them to my Tourer.
Secondly, if you remove them you'll have to replace the engine guards too! Because the I/S engine guards have 2 tabs welded to them on each side, to mount the pods, 1 of which is about 3" long across the tops of the valve covers. And, that area of the guards is likely not chromed either [on early I/S's].
Not to mention the ugly radiator shroud that will be sticking out like wings. Which you could either cut each side or replace with the C or CT shroud. BTW - that's no fun itself.
Sure, if you like more heat and want the added cost of new/replacement engine guards, by all means strip the pods off.
R/R for engine service doesn't take much time...
