You can probably get away with using a bottle of that canned air stuff from Walmart to do the air filter. It's not going to give the pressure that an air compressor with a blower on would... But it should work.

Thanks guys! Should have thought of the vacuum cleaner.

My landlord is probably going to freak when I turn the garage into a shop.  

He doesn't even like anyone storing anything in them.

I must disagree with cleaning the air filter using compressed air.  Articles I've read over the years state that testing has found that an air filter may block organic dust and it may be blown off with compressed air, but it also  absorbs petroleum based exhaust fumes, and petroleum based air pollutants.  These do not collect on the surface of the element and therefore cannot be blown off with compressed air or removed by vacuum.  These petroleum based contaminants are absorbed into the filter element and clog it.  Removing them would require the correct solvents and subsequent cleaning processes, which a paper filter would never survive.  

K&N insists that their filters be treated with their water soluble oil because this oil stops petroleum base contaminants as well as organic dust from fouling the filter.  The contaminants lay on top of the oil surface, thus allowing them to be washed away with the oil, leaving a un-contaminated filter.  They warn you that not using the oil will ruin the filter.

Suzuki recommends that their filter be cleaned every 2000 miles and replaced every 7500.  This has to be an approximation because they can't know every locale and its environmental conditions.  For example, in the So. CA. deserts, I have had to replace air filters weekly in some cases, due to organic dust.  In Los Angeles city, my air filters needed replacement much more frequently than manufacturer's recommendations due to petroleum based air pollution.  I ended up spending so much $ on air filters for my vehicles that I changed to K&N, simply because they were washable after being oiled.  K&N does allow more particulate matter into the engine than does factory filters, but at least I didn't have to keep replacing them.

Every time I have to do something to the FireLizard that requires it to be upright, I pull out one of my car ramps and while I lift I have my daughter shove it under the bike.

It is very stable.

When I change the oil, I take some aluminum foil and cover the exhaust pipe.  Makes clean up a little easier.  I form a lip/bend to help direct the drops of oil into the pan.

hey.we're proud of you.........pretty soon you;ll be wrenching with the best of them.....


Can see it now....

"...Nah..ya gotta make sure ya torque that sucker good...or it'll leak bad........"

Gee, Thanks LittleBird...I didn't know that...

"No big deal...just something I picked up....."

Thanks Toymaker but it will be a while before I get to that stage. I do at least want to understand what might be wrong even if it's something I don't want to do myself.

I think the mechanics were laying bets I have the oil filter in backwards. They'd lose - I had the Clymers hidden in my saddle bag.