Lads I'm after your thoughts on air cleaners? I took the stock air cleaner off long ago to put on a heavey breather. It definitly seems to live up to its name however I am worried it doesn't do much cleaning of the air!  I always keep the rain sock on as a safe keep to help with the filtering. With the pod filter can I buy a new one or is it it one for life? I'm thinking of going back to a paper filter in a better looking than stock cover. Whats your thoughts?

G'day FastaPastor,

What is your Pod filter medium? Do you have a foam one or gauze? Either way, you do know that you have to oil them dont you? Otherwise they will not trap the dirt. They have to be cleaned regularly (there is a proper cleaning kit for it if it is a gauze one, that you can get from supercheap) and re-oiled after cleaning, and yes if looked after they are for life. Hope this helps.

 

Yeah well I figured that was the case with the washing and oiling it, although the dealer never said a word. That being the case definitely makes for me the choice to go back to a paper filter. The time and effort in maintaining a gauze filter is not worth it and of no real performance enhancement with the oil over it. Paper breaths better and dust just falls off , unlike oil covered gauze. Time to research the best type to get.. V&H make some good ones ill look at first.

a dirty k+n will out flow and clean beter than a new paper filter.

Harley's come with paper filters cause there cheap.When you buy a heavy breather the money goes to a better filter.So if your still not convinced the stick with paper.For instance why is the heavy breather not paper.????

My stock 09 filter wasn't paper it's some sort of washable synthetic fibre media ??? was crap to try and clean especially after it got a bit of oil on it from the breathers.

I have just fitted a new Kuryakan street sleeper - I like the look of the stock cover but need the better flow, the filter is a K&N made and labeled for Kuryakan which has the end breathing thingo (the face of the filter has filter element as well as the outside edge) It works great can certainly hear her breath now when wide open, only things I am not sure about is it puts the cover out about 3/4 inch and my leg now rests against it and if it will be affeted by rain as the stock cover does not fully cover the element is about 1/2 inch short ??? ... haven't decided if either of these are a bad thing or not yet.

I regularly keep my forward facing pod clean as, but it's fucked in HEAVY rain, misses /coughs splutters and farts. I can't pass traffic in the rain with a wet pod,my bike (rocka)hates it !

My V&H cleaner seems to work well, rain, hail or shine. The Fatbob has only coughed once in the rain, but it wasn't a shower it was in a monsoon down pour coming back from Ingham 70 farkin kms of it. It was fun.

Guys, can you advise if the SE heavy breather requires oil (2011 sporty) as I have been told it is not needed and will infect ruin the filter? Cheers,
Clem

Fastapastor, I see your point, but paper filters hold the dirt too, hence they get dirty.If you want performance theres always a trade off.

At least with the oil filters you can wash and re oil as many times as you like,not like the paper filters.

I had over 90000 klm on my other bike all done with the oil covered filter,which I washed only 4 times.That rain sock will keep the rain off but not the dirt.

There is no other option if you want high flow other than taking the filter off.

I'm not trying to convince you just my opinion. cheers 

it is a fact that free flowing K&N type filters provide more power if the engine is rejetted or tuned to suit. they allow more air into the motor,but need more fuel as well to prevent the motor running leaner. more air, more fuel = more power. to a degree. i have run a K&N pod type filter for over 150000k and had no probs, apart from 1 monsoonal down poor caused the bike to run shithouse. clean is simple,spray on cleaner, hose off and dry filter. hang it in the sun for 10 mins ,make sure it is dry, spray a light coat of the correct filter oil on it and away you go. you dont use any old oil on the filter, you must use the correct type, which is sticky but a very fine oil. on an Evo motored softail,after fitting a Big Sucker aircleaner kit and rejetting,fitting a quality 2into1 pipe we saw a 12 HP increase over stock. if you look around you can find K&N type replacement filters cheaper than sdtock HD paper filters.

Hi all...All dirt bikes use foam filters oiled.

The oil is to stop fine dust going through the filter. Dust goes through paper it dosnt fall off. Oil stops moisture too.

Riden my streetbob with heavy beather in the rain heaps, hasnt missed a beat. And goes hard.

Goes noticeably harder with rain sock of