K & N filters

[BILLSKI]

Are they worth having on a 1200 gs?

 

[RADZIOL]

no

 

[Schtum]

no

Is the correct answer.

+ve - they'll save you something on filter costs if you keep the bike for a while.

-ve - they'll do nothing to increase performance; may make the mixture too lean; will offer poorer filtration than OEM filters.

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

K&N Filters .............. Are they worth having on a 1200 gs?

I've got a used one you can have (done 12000 miles) for £13 delivered

 

[geordie458]

I've got a used one you can have (done 12000 miles) for £13 delivered

Why are you selling it Nice 'n' Fat?

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

No other reason than the dealer took the filter out at the 24k service, bagged it then stuck it in my topbox for me to collect when picking up the bike. It was a breakdown in communication from my end I feel for not telling them to leave the K&N in

 

[BILLSKI]

Is the correct answer.

+ve - they'll save you something on filter costs if you keep the bike for a while.

-ve - they'll do nothing to increase performance; may make the mixture too lean; will offer poorer filtration than OEM filters.

Cheers for the advice, saved me self £35 to spend on some other useless bit of s*** for the bike!

 

[ianp5uk]

Are they worth having on a 1200 gs?

I wondered so asked my local dyno people. Their view was to always fit them because the flow rate stays very constant with them until very dirty when it falls suddenly. Hence they stay in spec longer when you are trying to keep accurate fuelling. That's why they like them rather than greater flow which isn't much different to new quality standard filters.

For a standard bike which is not being mapped I don't suppose there is any advantage. They don't filter significantly different and they may upset standard fuelling.

 

[APE]

I once dynoed a GS with a dirty standard filter against a brand new K&N and it made feck all difference - it's really not worth the hassle.

 

[GSband]

Here's an extensive test of K&N. Read and weep.

http://home.roadrunner.com/~jbplock/ISO5011/SPICER.htm

In short :
- K&N initially have greater airflow ...
- but K&N clog faster and then have reduced airflow...
- and K&N let through more dust at any time ...
... than OEM paper filter produced by Mahle.

I had a talk with a sales rep from Mahle at the 2010 Motorbike fair in Köln.
He gave me a nice smile when I asked him what advantages K&N filters could offer. Well, of course he would.
But he added that Mahle didn't fear the competition at all. The above test seems to confirm this.

By the way : Mahle is OEM manufacturer of BMW pistons, airboxes, ...

 

[peter-k]

I see no advantage whatsoever. And cleaning these reusable filters is a PITA.

 

[D6]

that test is for a deisel truck, if k and n were that crap, they woulda gone bust 20yrs ago,filtration is similar to original if oiled like they say,
they are big in america, they would get sued off the planet if they were as bad as you lot say... fact..
cleaning is easy imo, and saves buyin new uns, and lets face it, england is easy on filters..
no difference in performance though,
and your telling me a sophisticated ign/fuel system cant compensate for a slightly different filter??...
single pod style filters are a different matter though, before anyone quotes flow rates for them...

 

[luckylucian]

Rumour has it that paper filters fall apart when submerged and then get sucked ito engine, so if you're going somewhere where you will be wading, a K&N may be more useful than the standard paper one

 

[GSband]

Rumour has it that paper filters fall apart when submerged and then get sucked ito engine, so if you're going somewhere where you will be wading, a K&N may be more useful than the standard paper one

Agreed (to the extent that paper filters don't like water).
That's what it says in the test above.

I don't plan to wade through water. But if I did with any kind of filter, I guess filter problems would be the least of my worries.

The thing that strikes me is this : if K&N filters are such a good deal, then why doesn't K&N show testresults to that effect ? It's always hearsay. Duh.

 

[iftikartaxis]

K&N

tit for tat a bit like which oil should i use
personal taste i have a K&N
i don't sit and watch it fill with crap
all i know is i can clean it when it's dirty simple
if you don't want to fit one buy a genuine filter will the bike run any different
majority of bike owners wouldn't know

 

[D6]

The thing that strikes me is this : if K&N filters are such a good deal, then why doesn't K&N show testresults to that effect ? It's always hearsay. Duh.

theres a flow chart on every box(or there used to be, )
the type used on here arnt meant to be better, just meant to run the bike the same as a st one, but be washable,