Air Filter

[kawdude]

I was just wondering what brand of air filter everyone is using.  There's just so many on the market anymore I don't know where to start.

[mikesmith]

I like the twin air,there veary good quality and last a long time.I had a Moose filter that fell apart in no time,junk.

[Rick]

I have tried various filters, but have found the stock filter to work great.  As Manny and Paul can attest, some of the Nationals are pretty darn dusty, especially in Nevada.  I use PJ1 spray on filter oil, and spray on both the inside and the outside.  I then toss the filter in a plastic grocery bag and squish the filter to make sure the oil is spread throughout the filter.  I have NEVER had a motor failure caused by the filter, even in races so dusty that the bike would barely run at the end of the event.  In one really dusty Nevada race a few years ago, they must have had 20-30 riders that lost motors due to dust getting through the filter.  On all three bikes we had in the race (all with stock filters and PJ1 spray on oil), none had a problem.

For cleaning, I use a parts washer with solvent, squeeze (don't wring) the solvent out, rinse the solvent in hot soapy water, and then rinse again in clean hot water.  Squeeze dry, and put on the shelve for air drying.  I have six filters, so only clean filters every couple of months.  I have heard that using solvent will ruin the filter, but I have filters I have had around since 1999, and they are still in perfect condition.

Just my $.02...

Rick

[Sharc]

I like the Twin Air cuz it's one piece and seems higher quality than stock. I use Silkolene filter oil - SUPER tacky, and clean it with paint thinner...works great. I'd like to try the No Toil cuz it's biodegradable. A friend races XR 650's in Baja and swears by No-Toil....

[NastyNick]

I like the Twin Air too and I use BelRay filter oil.  With the Twin Air (at least where I am) seems to make the bike more responsive than the UNI.  To clean it I use mineral spirits.  I have 3 that I rotate.

[mikesmith]

I use Bel-Ray or Maxima pour on filter oil,but Maxima is my favorite.I wash my filter with keroesne or diesel to break up the oil and its not to harsh.Then quickly let it soak in water and simple green and a final wash with dish washing soap,washing from the inside out so the dirt isnt pushed farther into the filter.To hard a chemical will eat the glue(and on cheaper filters eat the foam)wringing the filter tears the foam and the seams,so gently squeeze it.Having extras is best so you can air dry the old ones and a have a replacement ready for oil.I use some water proof grease around the lip,and give the filter time to let the sovent from the filter oil evaoperate before Ill start the bike,but also reoil the filter if your bike has been sitting for more than a few weeks,even if the filter has no run time on it.Some of this has already been said,but this is my 2 cents!

[teamgreen500]

I ALWAYS clean the solvent (And, yes, when I'm without solvent...Gas...every now and then when I'm out ridin' and I run outta filters...) out of my filters with soap & water. This seems to make them last longer.

Also...

I use plenty of oil and get ALL OF THE FILTER saturated! This also chases out all of the water; Also, ring out the excess oil...it can end up making your bike run bad/rich.

Hot-Tip! ........Filter-Skins!

Stock and Uni.

Manny

[mikesmith]

Manny,gas and "ringing" a filter are no no's.My 2 cents!

[DanH1]

I've been washing air filters in gas, usually premix, since 1975. No problems so far. Stock or aftermarket        [ Uni-filter ] they seem to survive just fine.  Been riding/racing since '75 and I've never lost a motor due to dirt getting by the filter. Its foam, if its clean and well oiled who cares how it got that way.
   


Dan

[mikesmith]

Wasnt the filter I was worried about with the gas,Its the safety factor.Ask any one whos played with gas and got burned,theres safer ways-kerosene-diesel-solvent or filter cleaners from a dealer.All low flash point and safer,it only takes once to get burned,so why risk it?As far as "ringing" a filter,it tears the seams.Ask any filter manufacturer,and I did say "my 2 cents"!

[Rick]

Well...uh...errr...I must admit that I, too, have used gas on a couple of occassions.  I have attended a couple of two day events and forgot an extra filter.  Unfortunately, the first day was dusty enough to make the filter questionable for the second day.  I used a small amount of gas in a plastic bowl to clean the filter and then rinsed as normal in hot soapy water then hot clean water.  The thought was it was better to take a calculated risk with the gas cleaning than lunch the motor.

However, I agree that this is an unsafe practice as a general rule, so don't make a practice of using gas except in extreme situations.

Rick

[KXcam22]

Uni filters have been great.  I think most of the dual element filters nowdays are pretty good.  The biggest relevation for me has been the advent of aerosol spray-on filter oil.  Sooo much easier than the pour on type I used for decades (Im old).  Right now Im using a uni filter, PJ1 spray on, and yes I wash my filters in cheap gas.

[gowen]

Gasoline is the way to clean. Never had a problem. I also use UNI and also use their spray oil. Good stuff.

[mikesmith]

You guys scare me.

[kawdude]

Growing up my dad had a woodburner in the shed.  One of the two barrel things and we would put gas in one of those pressurized oil cans and help the fire out.  A couple times of doing this told us that gas was a tad to reactive to fire so we move to diesel.  This was still pretty darn scary but was much milder.  Eventually we just shot waste oil in the fire and the worked great until we melted the stack.  A quart of oil did wonders for a fire.