Air cleaners

Have you users of K&N air Filters noticed that they do not turn black and get Dirty like OEM Paper Filters do? What is this Telling you? Yes, T hese Filters allow more air to pass Thru, But what else are they allowing to pass thru and into your Engine?

Just stick with OEM filters----I changed mine on present leftover 2013 at 40,000 miles....and it could have probably waited to 50,000----bike has been to Alaska, survived dirt storm in TX. I have used K &N in past---successfully with Two 750 Nighthawk Hondas.....each traded at 50,000 miles...no signs of engine wear-----used K&N in one Burgman 400=too noisy and not OEM fit. End cost has been about same. These bikes, SilverWings, are now obsolete, old, ridden by old farts and few are putting the kind of miles that wear them out

Lloyd, the air filter, oil filter, spark plugs and yes even the rollers have been proven to work for the last seventeen years on the Silver wing. Some of us have put in Iridium plugs and fitted Dr Pulley sliders, as well as fitting Givi sliding screen and moving butt rest to back rest. For a comfortable reliable every day commute or, for touring the Silver wing does it's job. If we wanted anything faster or we wanted to race other people we would not have bought a Silver wing. It is what it is.

We have an old saying over here.
Tinker, tinker. Bang. Bugger!

I think Y'all missed the point Lloyd193 was making by 180 degrees!

He was saying to stay with stock paper, not switch to K&N, that The K&N lets a lot of particulates pass through.

I had installed a K&N over 30,00mi ago for economical reasons and cleaned and re-saturated every rear tire change, and I too suspected it was not cleaning the air sufficiently.
This is why I returned to OEM filter.

Don't automatically assume that any change someone makes to their scooter is a foolish mistake and don't assert that only Geezer Approved mods or accessories should be used.

I may have posted on this subject before but if so, here it is again.

A Goldwing I bought had an K&N air intake filtes. I it out when I got the bike. I usually go through a new-to-me bike shortly after purchase. Anyway, the K&N wasn't real clean or dirty, but when I held it up to the sun I could see sparkles of sunlight coming through. Not so with the OEM paper filter. Being able to see light through means larger pieces of dirt could get through with these. Not a big deal but enough that I installed an OEM filter.

Sidewinder pilot how am I assuming anything, if you read my post I have changed, the screen, the plugs, the rollelrs, the butt rest, and I use a Gates drive belt, I am just saying the things that are on the bike work well enough for most people.

Relax Old Limey I wasn't directing my observation towards you, but if you read the first part of your post you could see how someone could reach the conclusion that you do not favor "powertrain customization".
There are, however, members who vehemently oppose the mods you and I have made.

I was just pointing out that Lloyd was not advocating K&N air filters for the same reason others have stopped using them.

Also, just for the record, I am in favor of CVT and suspension tuning.

However, I much less inclined to advocate engine mods, such as PowerCommander, performance grind cams, high flow exhausts, drilled air boxes, thermistor biasing resistors, or timing advance mods. Some of them I outright oppose.

I don't think most of us 'disapprove' of a given modification or addition to one's machine. It's more of what each person prefers. Some go for reliability, some for maximum performance they can get out of their bike. It's much the same as the old car tire/bike tire discussion.
I don't like artichokes, but don't care if you do. I tend to go for reliability on my bikes but some years back I'd be more interested in getting maximum performance. Until I hit my late sixties I really enjoyed working on my bikes and cars. Now I can't get around as well and just prefer to ride what I bought pretty much as it was when I got it.
Lots of different age folks here, living in different climates, different countries, and using their scooters for different purposes. None are wrong or right, just different strokes for different people.

It's YOUR scooter use what you want!

Personally I use K&N in almost everything I drive/ride. Have never had a problem and I have used them for YEARS and hundreds of thousands of miles. Most of the rumors/stories on the internet are kind of like the big Fram fiasco of 1996 where one guy warned everyone NOT to use Fram filters as they will blow apart and ruin your engine. Was not true then and is not true now.

So use what YOU want and live and let live!

Oh and don't bother to flame me or tell me to switch as I will not!

Actually the Fram filter warning wasn't BS. When I had my Dodge F250 with the Cummins diesel I got a notice from MOPAR not to use the Fram filter on my truck because they'd had several damaged with internal collapse. These were the filters for that diesel engine not a motorcycle or scooter but there are sites on the internet with various oil filters cut apart showing construction and in most cases Fram filters have the poorest internals. Not saying they're failing left and right but they aren't as well made as some others.

exavid wrote:

Actually the Fram filter warning wasn't BS. When I had my Dodge F250 with the Cummins diesel I got a notice from MOPAR not to use the Fram filter on my truck because they'd had several damaged with internal collapse. These were the filters for that diesel engine not a motorcycle or scooter but there are sites on the internet with various oil filters cut apart showing construction and in most cases Fram filters have the poorest internals. Not saying they're failing left and right but they aren't as well made as some others.

You are absolutely right, but diesels are a different animal with much higher internal pressures.  I had a filter nearly blow apart on a diesel some years back (went cheap and used a generic filter). This was NOT a Fram but the filter was bloated and about ready to explode when I found it.  If you search on here you will find where I cut open a Fram 6017 filter (motorcycle one) and someone else did a Honda OEM.  The Honda is/was better constructed, but the Fram showed no signs of problems and would not be a problem in the limits most of us change a filter.  Personally since Honda is 50+ miles away I use the Fram XG6607.  Excellent filter but more pricey than the 6017. Not much cheaper than OEM but built well and readily available for me.  Use them on both my Wings!

I did take a used Fram 6017 apart some time ago. It wasn't coming apart but was pretty cheaply built. Their higher grade line is much better. Not hard to see why the 6017 is cheaper.