The air filter of the motorcycle is an integral part of this. As its name suggests, it is the point at which air reaches the engine and the bulwark between the impurities in the air and the carburetor or the injection rail.
In short, a combustion engine mixes a certain amount of air with a certain amount of fuel before it creates an explosion.
One day, we all smothered a flame by covering it and depriving it of oxygen. If the engine doesn’t breathe, the same thing happens to it …
The air filter is typically located under the tank, above or behind the engine and the carburetor(s). To access it, you must lift or remove the tank, unscrew the cover that covers it and seal the airbox and remove it. The inspection and maintenance of the air filter depending on the form of the filter.
Three types of air filter:
Paper air filter
Inexpensive, efficient but harder to keep in good condition, particularly in polluted environments. It is usually colored white or gray and has a cotton look. Lifespan: 6-12,000 km. Inspection: take a look at the general condition of the filter and its surface condition: dirty, cluttered, deteriorated, it has to be changed or at least dusted.
Even though it is claimed to be maintenance-free, from time to time the paper air filter does not protect against a blower blast. To do this, blow compressed air from the inside of the air filter to the outside, that is, the reverse path taken by the air normally sucked in by the engine.
A vacuum cleaner can do the trick, too (this time from the filter’s “outer” part). This takes off some dirt and dust and gives it a youthful look for a time. Be careful, this filter type is dry, there’s no need to pass a thin layer of oil on its surface.
Foam air filter
This type of air filter most frequently equips motorcycles of an off-road kind. Lifespan: nearly 50,000 Km. Inspection: every five to ten thousand kms. The foam air filter has to be washed or replaced with greasy, warped or jagged, cluttered, or lackluster in appearance.
Maintenance: Clean the foam with a degreaser in hot water (for example, washing up liquid) (e.g. bath). Repeat the operation until it retrieves a clean appearance. Spray a thin layer of oil or grease to retain dust, and replace the filter.
Air performance filter
Whether they’re K&N, Green Filter, or other, high-performance filters are meant to last a long time (according to some, more than a million kilometers) and keep each other far more spaced than a standard filter.
Lifespan: motorcycle life … Inspection: roughly every 10-15,000 km.
Maintenance: A specific kit or very powerful degreaser is used. Spray fine, colored oil on the filter surface, and replace it. Be careful not to bring too much water, for that the dye is there. Too much oil and air does not flow any more
Editor’s Picks Motorcycle Air Filters
