K & N Air Filter

[sw_freak]

Hello group!

Stupid question. :a13: Does the K & N air filter for the '03 also fit the '04? I think it does but I want to be sure.

 

[racer1735]

Along the same lines, does installing a K&N lean-out the mixture (as it does on a carbureted bike), or does the ECU compensate for it?

 

[nm6r]

I ran a K&N and Staintunes on my 2004 with no further adjustments or adverse affects. The computer although lean with stock air filter and pipes maintains the same ratio.

The TurboCity fuel pressure regulator helps with the lean problem. They even bump up the pressure a bit more for K&N and/or aftermarket exhaust.

Ray

 

[racer1735]

I went ahead and installed a K&N last night. Went to AutoZone and they ordered one for me and had to to me the next day. Figured I would be ahead to pay retail and have it quickly, rather than save maybe $8 on the internet, then pay shipping and still not have it for 5 days.

Gave me a good opportunity to open the airbox for the first time, as well. Very clean in there, just a bit of oil blow-by, which I cleaned up. Also took the time to wipe down (dust) the underside of the tank and the various hoses and bits around the airbox (I like a CLEAN bike, inside and out).

First impression is that the engine runs a tad smoother, but I'm guessing that's largely because the original filter was pretty dirty. I'll get a better idea after I take a weekend ride.

 

[BigBadblue]

K&N not for me

Have you guys have read about how well K&N filters actually filter? They mainly only benefit top end horsepower and the way they do it is basic; larger pores for air to pass through. They simply do not filter as well as a paper or oiled foam filter. I saw a crude but effective test with an XR400, he put a thin film of white grease on the inside of his intake boot, oiled foam filter resulted in a nearly pristine coat of grease, K&N resulted in the grease film thoroughly coated with dirt. I value longevity over a couple of HP. Personally I would not purchase any used machine that has had a K&N run it for any length of time. IMHO
P.S.
Some good filter info http://www.oilsandlube.com/dustk&n.htm

 

[racer1735]

To each their own. But if you change your oil every 3,500 miles, keep the filter cleaned and oiled, you aren't going to kill your engine with one.

 

[yoitsmatt!]

i used k&n's on my 4 stroke race bikes, i was really suprised to find out how much dirt actually ended up inside the air intake boot! and i washed and oiled them before every race, i see alot of my customers use them on cars and trucks also but they dont get oiled enough to actually work! the oil is so important that in the directions they say even if you dont have time to clean it you should re-oil the filer if it dries out, that being said they are a great quality product that is not maintenance free, proper cleaning takes 8 hours to air dry, then re-oiling ....im too lazy to put that much effort in to an air filter for a bike that wont miss 1 HP, but they do flow more air!

 

[nm6r]

The K&N will typically go 50k miles before cleaning and re-oiling. It's not that big of a deal. Dyno testing has shown a 6hp gain on an ST1300.

To the naysayers, it's not as simple as bigger pores allowing more air flow. It's a completely different filtration media. For example a cartridge filter on a swimming pool is actually fairly poor, not to mention the very finite life of the elements. A DE filter will trap 7 times finer dirt and debris, has a much larger load capacity and is renewed with every cleaning.

Bottm line, the K&N is a different media and doesn't have the fine metal screen surrounding it blocking air flow.

BTW, I've had mine on my ST for 20k miles and the airbox is immaculate.

Ray

 

[sw_freak]

I see in the instructions it says to clean and oil the filter and it says to use their brand (of course).

1. Are there other products I can use?

2. If not, where does one find the K & N products? I ordered the filter on-line.

Thanks!

 

[racer1735]

Best to stick with K&N's cleaning products, as you know it will be 'safe' for the filter media. You can find the cleaner and oil at most auto parts stores (AutoZone generally carries it).

 

[sw_freak]

Best to stick with K&N's cleaning products, as you know it will be 'safe' for the filter media. You can find the cleaner and oil at most auto parts stores (AutoZone generally carries it).

Thanks for the info. There's an Autozone about 5 miles from me. I'll stop in there.

Thanks again!

 

[kingprawnokay]

My K&N

I love my K&N and noticed an immediate positive difference once it was installed. The engine response is noticeably improved (4-6k rpm) and I can actually hear slight intake noise (whistle) with reving! Almost sounds like a sport bike. Added 2bros pipes, and now the ST sounds like a motorcycle instead of an electric sewing machine. The bike breathes better and runs smoother than ever. I don't care if it costs the engine a couple of miles in the long run. What's a couple a miles down the road when I'm enjoying the ride so much right now?

 

[Burger]

At last... For 20 years I've been telling friends that the only things a K&N filter does for you is make more intake noise and allow bigger particles through to the engine - hence faster wear and damage. A magazine in the UK - Popular Mechanics did a test some 20 or so years back that proved this. Still, they sell like hot cakes as people search for those extra 1 or 2 HP. So I gave up commenting

With all my vehicles, I've always believed that the manufacturer struck the right balance between power and reliability. Let's face it, they want power figures as much as you do when they know it's going to be compared to others, but they won't do this at the expense of reliability. If K&N filters were that good, they'd be fitting them. IMHO.

I know the argument that it's cost related, K&N, buy it once, oil it for ever more, but even that doesn't stack up because it doesn't take into account how much faster you're wearing out your pride and joy.

Regards,

 

[tdeboeser]

My Superhawk ran for 36k with a k&n. Everything always checked out, no probs with that motor (man whata motor!). I would think that K&N would have been sued outta business by now. 35 years in business, something woulda hit the fan by now.

The points made by others are vaild, I'm not flaming, just saying.

EDIT: oh yeah, the filter will only help at full twist...

Tom de

 

[kingprawnokay]

Dodge trucks?

Some very good ideas regarding the effect over time of aftermarket airfilters have been posted on this thread. However, I'm not quite sold on the claims of significantly decreased reliability and agree that the market would have squeezed out K&N if they made an unsatisfactory product. I like drama, but c'mon. A good example of losing market share due to quality issues is Dodge/Chrysler/etc. Dodge trucks have reliability issues with or without aftermarket air filters...and with a turbo, forgeddaboutit.

Fact: Any and every performance modification made to any internal combustion engine will probably increase/speed-up wear on the engine.

Fact: Manufacturers weigh performance costs against reliability and find a compromise.

We all perform an informal cost analysis when we determine the performance products to buy for our bikes. Added performance isn't for everybody. However, I find it hard to believe that anyone on this site using a K&N will experience significantly decreased engine life. As usual, I might be wrong. My motor might blow tomorrow.

 

[ligito]

And magnets for the fuel lines are still sold to believers, for economy enhancement.

See a similarity?

 

[kingprawnokay]

Alright

And magnets for the fuel lines are still sold to believers, for economy enhancement.

See a similarity?

Ohhhhhhkaaaaayyy... Man, you're really out their. Race spec vehicles use performance air filters, but I've never heard of them using magnets.

 

[ligito]

They used to attach cow magnets to the fuel lines.
They did this on race cars, too.
Some thought it made them go faster--others were skeptics.

Whether a K&N is worth the wear, is up to the individual.
I had one on a Honda 750K.

I won't use one now, because of the wear and because I don't care about a
slight power improvement.

Forums are great.

 

[kingprawnokay]

Swiss

Okay, maybe you're not so out there. I had no idea they used magnets on race vehicles. : Learn something every day.

I like my swiss cheese air filter.

 

[BigBadblue]

More bad news for K&N filter fans

Here is an offical documented test using a Duramax diesel filters for a test bed. I have not studied it completely but the dust test is a real gem. A Delco paper filter allowed 0.4 grams of course dust through and the K&N allowed 7 grams through and the K&N clogged one of the the quickest. There is a lot of data here to absorb, tell me what you think.

http://home.usadatanet.net/~jbplock/ISO5011/SPICER.htm