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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> K&N air filter
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Message started by MeLikeBike on 09/17/11 at 09:04:46

Title: K&N air filter
Post by MeLikeBike on 09/17/11 at 09:04:46

In a mad rush to buy parts to service a new old bike (2003 Savage), I shopped online for a new air filter, and ended picking up a K&N air filter (the drop in replacement...nothing custom). I'd used them in my car in the past with no trouble, and a maintenance book that I read (Mark Zimmerman) highly recommends them.

Anywho...I am rapidly learning about this bike from the forum and about motorcycles in general (I'm a complete newbie), and browsing the petcock issues page, I wonder if I should just go ahead and put an EMGO filter in instead, because I read things about needing to rejet the carb and whatnot, and that's way past my skill or comfort level that this point.

Am I making a mistake or taking a risk putting the K&N in? Is there something I should watch/listen out for?

thanks!

Title: Re: K&N air filter
Post by Routy on 09/17/11 at 09:29:05

If I thought that the K&N breathed that much free'r that I had to rejet, I wouldn't want it on my bike.
Besides that, if it was to make any difference, it would be at WOT only. The second you back off to crusing speeds, you're using only a fraction of the air used at full throttle. I'd say you're good to go w/o jetting.

Title: Re: K&N air filter
Post by verslagen1 on 09/17/11 at 09:38:16

I didn't notice it being much different, but I had already rejetted to 150.

I say try it, and if it runs lousy you can always put the stock one back in.

and to confirm it's too lean, pull the choke out one notch. you don't want to run that way, but good diagnostic.

Title: Re: K&N air filter
Post by arteacher on 09/17/11 at 09:41:27

That is the first thing I did with my bike when I bought it. I didn't rejet and found little difference.

Title: Re: K&N air filter
Post by RC on 09/22/11 at 21:15:12

K&N gave me a very little more power with no need to rejet I live at 2700 feet above the sea and t
hat does matter

Title: Re: K&N air filter
Post by scottnj on 09/23/11 at 07:34:56

I have been using the drop-in K&N in place of my stock filter for a while -- I didn't reject and haven't noticed any significant changes. With the stock airbox and no other mods, I don't think the K&N really changes airflow all that much. I just like a reusable filter as I tend to keep my vehicles for a long time.

Title: Re: K&N air filter
Post by Bubba on 09/23/11 at 07:58:41

51414D56564C48220 wrote:

+1 I had buyers remorse after I bought my K&N drop in but then I thought of never having to change my filter for the life of the bike...not that it's hard or anything, I'm just kinda lazy

Title: Re: K&N air filter
Post by Gyrobob on 09/23/11 at 08:07:44

If you search out the tests of air filters that include K&N, and you limit your search to those tests conducted by people that have nothing to gain from the outcome of the tests, K&N filters offer minimal improvement, if any. For example: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/airfilter/airtest3.htm

Their filtering performance, and their flow rate change some as they get dirty.
-- Any performance gain is realized only at full throttle. LS650s and S40s don't see full throttle very often. I guess most motorcycles don't see full throttle very often. For 99% of your driving, the type of filter you use will have very little effect.
-- The filtering performance, though, changes as the filter gets dirty. The paper filters keep filtering; the oil-wetted cloth filters (K&N) let more dirt through.

They cost a lot, but at least (if you gently clean and oil them on schedule) they last forever.

Like schmagnets, K&N filters don't make much difference in most cases, but seldom do they hurt anything.