Please, stop putting K&N filters in your bikes

[kuksul08]

The paper OEM filter is expensive in the long term but filters better, the K&N is cheaper in the long run but doesn't really filter anything.

Is there a happy medium between the two?

OEM paper filters is the happy everything.

 

[CDONA]

Right up until you drop it in a creek crossing and soak that paper.
Then tear out the soggy pulp to get it to run again.

 

[zixaq]

K&N air filters are definitely on my list of stuff I hate seeing in a motorcycle ad.

"Hey, I ruined my bike with a bunch of stupid mods, you should pay me EXTRA for it!!!1!"

 

[Rumbo Sur]

Right up until you drop it in a creek crossing and soak that paper.
Then tear out the soggy pulp to get it to run again.

Or the guy who attempts to "Wash" his paper air filter. :rofl

On former Vstrom my paper filters got really filled up from riding Baja behind a few other bikes. Only thing I would do was bang them on something to loosen up the dirt ... you can try to vacuum them too ... but a no go in Baja.

Result was quite a bit of DIRT inside my throttle bodies. I cleaned it all up once home and that Vstrom never seemed the worse for wear! (90K miles)

One thing I did to help keep dirt out on that bike was to run a thin bead of grease along the filter's sealing edge. It worked! No more dirt in throttle bodies!

That is a common technique on dirt bikes with foam filters to ensure no dirt gets around the filter at the sealing edges. :ride

 

[bigbadandugly]

honestly i'd like to see back to back dyno runs on a factory ANYTHING, from just an air filter swap. I bet the gains are close to nil.

I did some significant dynotuning with my R1200GS in 2012 in a variety of configurations, including using a BMC reusable filter similar in function to the K&N one (I say similar in function as I'm not sure if the design of the BMC is better or worse than the K&N).

With the BMC filter, the two runs I did with it were about 5 hp lower than the better runs, so I concluded that at best the high cost filter provided no benefit, and at worst it had a negative contribution.

The testing was hardly scientifically rigorous, but I satisfied myself that the "high flow" air filters do little for performance.

Here's the link to my write-up.

Cory

 

[MarktheShark]

What do you suggest for home built bikes that don't have an "OEM" filter?

[/url]20171008_181633 by andbike, on Flickr[/IMG]

buy an oem filter thats oversized and cut that shit, if it would work for your application. lol But I don't think it'll work for you anyways lol

 

[stapes44]

Thanks

I was reading around a bunch of threads and read all of this one. I never knew how bad K&N could be, explains a lot with my DRZ. After I get off this forum, I am ordering another air filter and ditching the K&N.

 

[LeeMeza82]

Wow, I had their filters in my trucks, and they seem to be pretty much okay. I never tried installing 1 into my bike, and I believe now I will not even attempt to ....

 

[Hooli]

The only reason I like reusable air filters is the fact I can clean/re-oil them...in some cases the paper oem filter (i.e. Ducati) is well over $100. :wtf I can get a BMC equivalent for less than that.

That said I use oem filters in all my Japanese bikes. Cheap and readily available. :eboy

 

[orbframe]

motion to re-title thread to "Please, stop putting K&N air filters in your bikes"

their oil filters are quite nice