BannedCR500Riders.com

cant remember where i seen the question asked, but the replacements were "curved", found my install papers from Carbon tech

"Carbon Tech reeds are built with a slight curvature to ensure proper sealing. Try flipping them both ways to see which way seal better. Small gaps between the reeds and cage will not affect performance."

the oem ones are curved too.

ya for sure they are, i think the dude got new oem ones and said they were "bent" not knowing that or the old ones he'd compared to had lost tension, i couldnt reply by blackberry, but figured i'd post up. he musta had them in backwards.