Air Filters?
Moderator: Moderators
Air Filters?
Stock, K&N, or any other aftermarket filters.
-
- Honorary Lifer
- Posts: 4210
- Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 9:21 pm
- Location: New Jersey USA
- Contact:
Re: Air Filters?
Stock.
K&N - IMHO - is garbage. It passes more dirt, and there is no evidence to show it improves performance (except from K&N - dyno tests I've done show it does nothing..) Plus it's messy to clean and re-oil. Chances are also good - downstreaming oil is going to gunk up and cause problems with the throttle-body idle stepper motor passages. Allround - it's a lose-lose proposition.
The stock filter is good for a long time. Take it out and clean it (tap it out on a table, dirty (input) side down, then blow it out from the backside. You'll know the filter needs replacement when the bike can no longer hit top speed of 137MPH. Other then that - any restriction it creates is corrected for by the active O2 sensors.
YMMV, but not much..
K&N - IMHO - is garbage. It passes more dirt, and there is no evidence to show it improves performance (except from K&N - dyno tests I've done show it does nothing..) Plus it's messy to clean and re-oil. Chances are also good - downstreaming oil is going to gunk up and cause problems with the throttle-body idle stepper motor passages. Allround - it's a lose-lose proposition.
The stock filter is good for a long time. Take it out and clean it (tap it out on a table, dirty (input) side down, then blow it out from the backside. You'll know the filter needs replacement when the bike can no longer hit top speed of 137MPH. Other then that - any restriction it creates is corrected for by the active O2 sensors.
YMMV, but not much..
Don Eilenberger - NJ Shore
2012 R1200R - I love this bike!
2012 R1200R - I love this bike!
Re: Air Filters?
I agree with Don, except for the blowing out part. You really don't want to use compressed air on any filter because it may tear or stretch the micro sized wholes in the paper that you can't see with your eyes, thus letting small particles of dirt that would have normally been caught by the filter to pass through and enter your engine. BMW air filters are only about 25 bucks and they say it should be renewed every 12,000 miles. From the ones I pulled out, the filter could have a nonrestrictive service life of 24,000 miles (in my area, low dust) but I changed them any way, cheap insurance.
ASK WHY
Re: Air Filters?
If ypu opt to blow out the filter use low air pressure, as the gentleman before me pointed out one can rupture the filter paper... low air pressure: 30 lbs max. Remember a necked down blowgun can up the velocity of the air...30 psi line pressure out of a fairly opened bkowgon should work. Stihl chainsaws use a flocked air filter,a fiber material on a screen material...I've seen guys use high air pressure and destroy a filter...hold it up to a light source a you see a bunch of little holes in the filter...passages for the dirt particles to pass through...use caution! I lean towards Don findings...hold a new K&N filter to the light and see all of the pretty little holes..K&N says the oil will sangel tooth the particulates ...the only way I know of finding out is run a K&N ,then check the intake track for telltale evidence of dirt. The next question is what is the spec on the BMW air filter and see if there is a comparable filter available at a cheeper price...when the smoke clears it's probably better to stay with the oem parts
-
- Lifer
- Posts: 272
- Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 10:49 pm
- Location: Torrance CA
- Contact:
Re: Air Filters?
I am not sold on K&N air filters either. An off-road magazine tested them and found dirt did get in the intake tract. That is why the breath better.
As for more power by better breathing, that only applies at wide-open-throttle. The rest of the time the throttle body valve is restricting the air anyway. How often do you go WOT?
My Chevy truck has a vacuum gauge on the air box to tell you when to change the filter. After 60K miles with the original filter, it is still in the green.
Scott
As for more power by better breathing, that only applies at wide-open-throttle. The rest of the time the throttle body valve is restricting the air anyway. How often do you go WOT?
My Chevy truck has a vacuum gauge on the air box to tell you when to change the filter. After 60K miles with the original filter, it is still in the green.
Scott
Scott Schifer, Torrance CA.
1988 K75 Low Seat
2009 R1200R
1988 K75 Low Seat
2009 R1200R
-
- Basic User
- Posts: 159
- Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2010 2:44 pm
- Location: Mount Vernon Iowa
Re: Air Filters?
I have run K&N filters on alot of Harleys. My R bike is a different animal with the configuration of the air box. Preventive maintenance is a must and I carefully wash and dry my K&N then lightly oil it. I will replace the R bike filter on a yearly basis, money well spent vs injector repairs. Just my .02 cents but I probably over maintain my toys but they treat me right.
Great Site Rokin
Great Site Rokin
Speed cures all handling problems.
2009 R-12R awesome
2000 HD FLHT 95" slightly modified
2009 R-12R awesome
2000 HD FLHT 95" slightly modified