motorcycle filter debate; k & n filter

[S2Mumford@aol.com]

I have run K&N filters on all kinds of cars, trucks, and my KLR for years. They are a great product and they are made 1/2 mile from my shop here in Riverside CA. They are a gauze element that needs to be washed and re-oiled periodically, and they DO NOT let dust into your motor. Here are a few of the basic differences between foam and gauze (K&N) filters; 1) If your K&N filter is too dirty, it WILL NOT let air into your motor. It will choke the motor to the point of not starting / running. I know this to be true, I buried my KLR in a sand wash and through spinning the rear tire, generated enought dust to clog my filter and kill the motor. Wouldn't run until I opened the air box and scraped some crap off the filter with my trusty Swiss Army knife. Under the same conditions, foam filters that are saturated with dirt WILL allow the dirt to pass through into the motor. This is why all desert racers run foam. They are going to rebuild the engines frequently, and it's better to finish and fry the motor than choke out and have to stop and clean the filter. 2) You can't take a K&N filter out and whack it against a tree to clean it, you must wash it and re-oil it. I understand foam filters are easier to give a rough-and-ready cleaning. 3) K&N filters are immortal. They come with a million mile warranty. 4) K&N filters flow more air than foam. In conclusion, it's your bike, run what you want, but don't be scared of K&N filters. Don't listen to the fearmongers, they are a fine product. CA Stu.