K&N air filter

Have any of you put on a K&N air filter and if so what do you think of the
performance of it ?
Dusty

 

K&N would like you to think that their low restriction filters will give you
better performance.
If you change nothing else, you are likely to get WORSE performance.
WHY?
Strict emission standards make it necessary for the mfg. to design their
engines to run as lean as possible. The carb or FI is set to do that with
all the stock equipment (intake and exhaust). If you increase the intake
flow or reduce the exhaust back pressure (without changing the mixture) it
is likely that you will run even leaner and end up with exactly the opposite
of what you wanted.

Is there a place for K&N? Sure, as long as you realize what you are getting
yourself into. Typically to achieve any actual gains (which are often small
and not worth the effort), one must open up the intake AND the exhaust AND
re-jet the carb(s) or reprogram the FI. This can be expensive and time
consuming.

Want to see how your bike will run with a K&N? Wait for a calm day when
there isn't a lot of dust blowing around, take the stock air cleaner OFF and
ride it a couple of miles on clean pavement. You may find that it runs so
crappy that you don't get past the first block.
And no, that won't hurt anything.

 

I replaced a K&N filter with stock and saw no difference
in performance.

over the map, depending on how recently the filter
was cleaned. I ride a lot of dusty conditions and was
worried about the K&N possibly allowing more crud
into the engine. The stock filter works fine, does not
impede performance and it's what the engine is speced
for.

I ought to stash a replacement filter though. Thanks for
making me think of this.

 

Two things:
I had a K&N on my Yamaha XT and I guess it hardly made brake even
economically. OK, it lasted as long as 2, 3 or possibly 4 OEM paper
filters. But - it cost more to buy, I got a clean and reoil kit that cost
like one
Yamaha filter and after a much shorter time than eternity the seal strip
on the edge of the K&N was loose.
Believe me, I really tried to fix a new seal or get the original one back in
place but I just didn't have any glue that could do the job.

My other point is the clean and reoil thing. No matter what K&N say, you
must wash the filter sometimes because caked on dirt, dead flies and
dried leaves will not pass much air. And after cleaning, you must reoil.
Oil too little and you have a screen that will not protect your engine. Oil
too much and you have a bad copy of water and windproof Belstaff
waxed cotton and an engine gasping for air. I never got this quite right
and because I'm a cautious man I had periods with distinctly sub par
performance.

Paper filters are good for street and oiled foam has worked fine for
me in the dirt, I'll pass on the oiled fabric ones, thanks.

 

[re K&N]

You've had better experience with oiled foam than with K&N ?

I went back to paper for mostly street riding but have wondered
about foam aftermarket.

What brand ? Easier to manage the oiling and get it right ?

Thanks

 

Yes much easier, just saturate and then squeeze out the excess.
Not even terribly messy if oiling and most of the squeezing is
done inside a plastic bag.

Nope, not aftermarket, original Suzuki TS125X, Yamaha
TT600R and WR450.