$54 for foam air filter too much?

[Flyingpony]

Christchurch Suzuki wants to charge me $54 for a replacement foam air filter. Is this price about right for what you guys/gals pay or too much?

What's the price in Auckland/Wellington?

Bike is an FXR 150.

I've never bought an air filter for a bike before so all I can compare it to is my cage experience and their paper based filters. They've never cost me anywhere near that figure.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

[vifferman]

Foam filters are supposed to be cleanable. Why are you replacing it?
And yes, airfilters are expensive - anything up to $150 or more. That's why the paper elephants on my last few bikes have been replaced with (washable and re-oilable) foam ones.

[slimjim]

Foam filters are supposed to be cleanable. Why are you replacing it?
And yes, airfilters are expensive - anything up to $150 or more. That's why the paper elephants on my last few bikes have been replaced with (washable and re-oilable) foam ones.


yup thought that they are washable and reoiled...surely cheaper to buy foam filter oil and solvents to wash and dry then reoil..?

[tri boy]

If it needs one, then replace it.
$54 is way cheaper, than a cylinder repair job due to dusting. MHO

[Rob Taylor]

If it needs one, then replace it.
$54 is way cheaper, than a cylinder repair job due to dusting. MHO

Yea what he said ,sounds spot on to me;)

[FJRider]

But dont buy a new one, just because the old one was dirty... a fu@ked filter will fu@k the engine...

[riffer]

If you've got someone you know in the States, get them to get you a K&N and send it to you.

You should be able to get one half price that way.

[MyGSXF]

Give Bill at Budget M/cycle Spares, in Wilsons Rd a call: 377 1881 & see what he's got! :msn-wink:

Ferk paying for genuine Suzuki bits! :bash:

[gav]

Bear in mind the FXR150 has only been available in Thailand and NZ, some how don't think K&N will have a listing. Might get lucky and find something that matches up. Could always fit a K&N pod filter and ditch the airbox?

[samgab]

I just pulled the foam filter out of my FXR150 yesterday when I had the tank off installing the Speedohealer.
Anyway, the foam has disintegrated, and breaks apart if I touch it. So I didn't touch it any more and put it back, but I think I need to chuck the foam filter and airbox, and just stick a pod filter on there.
Anyone know a good place to get one, and the right size?
Anyone with an FXR150 already got a pod filter for theirs?

Might save me a hassle if you know somewhere in Aucks to go and get one that will clamp straight on to the top of the carby.
I guess it will need to be water resistant too, if I take the airbox off. Might see a slight performance increase too? At least there will be an induction sound. Maybe if I got bigger carby main jet too it would help.

[MSTRS]

If your current filter is foam and disintegrating, then buy a suitable sized piece of filter foam, remove all the old foam from the 'cage' and fit the new foam to it. If it's a flat piece, then glue it round the sides. If it's a full 'loop' then use a cable tie or 2 to hold it on.

[vifferman]

I just pulled the foam filter out of my FXR150 yesterday when I had the tank off installing the Speedohealer.
Anyway, the foam has disintegrated, and breaks apart if I touch it. So I didn't touch it any more and put it back, but I think I need to chuck the foam filter and airbox, and just stick a pod filter on there.
Don't put it back in, and don't run the bike till you get it sorted. You REALLY don't want to suck bits of disintegrating airfilter foam into your engine.
How does the foam fit in? Does it sit on a frame of some sort? If so, the best option might be to get some filter foam from Motomail (or some open-cell plastic foam from Para Rubber) and make your own filter. If it does have a frame, and it's flat, you can just cut another one to fit. If it's a circular frame, you can wrap the frame with foam and glue the ends to each other with silicon or rubber cement. It's a piece of piss making a new filter unless it's some weird moulded shape. Then depending on how dusty your riding conditions are, you can opt to run the filter dry or use foam filter oil on it to catch the dust.
EDIT: D'Oh! MSTRS beat me to it.

[samgab]

If your current filter is foam and disintegrating, then buy a suitable sized piece of filter foam, remove all the old foam from the 'cage' and fit the new foam to it. If it's a flat piece, then glue it round the sides. If it's a full 'loop' then use a cable tie or 2 to hold it on.

That's a good option. Where can I buy a tube of foam like that?

[vifferman]

That's a good option. Where can I buy a tube of foam like that?
See my post. Motomail sell air filter foam, but if it's a bigger block you need, you can buy open-cell plastic foam from Para Rubber or some of the plastics shops. The plastics shops will even (usually) cut it for you, but it's easy enough to cut anyway (electric breadknife is good).

[samgab]

Don't put it back in, and don't run the bike till you get it sorted. You REALLY don't want to suck bits of disintegrating airfilter foam into your engine.
How does the foam fit in? Does it sit on a frame of some sort? If so, the best option might be to get some filter foam from Motomail (or some open-cell plastic foam from Para Rubber) and make your own filter. If it does have a frame, and it's flat, you can just cut another one to fit. If it's a circular frame, you can wrap the frame with foam and glue the ends to each other with silicon or rubber cement. It's a piece of piss making a new filter unless it's some weird moulded shape.

Oh yeah, Para rubber might be a go. The standard filter is cylindrical, and yes there is a metal mesh tube that it sits around, and another metal mesh tube that it fits into. I just thought it might be simpler to just get a pod filter, rip out the whole airbox, and clamp the pod straight onto the side of the carby...

[MSTRS]

It's not a tube. It's flat, about 10mm thick and you just buy the area/shape you need. Try the bike shops until you find one who has it.

[The Pastor]

whats an air filter?

[vifferman]

It's not a tube. It's flat, about 10mm thick and you just buy the area/shape you need. Try the bike shops until you find one who has it.
Motomail used to sell Unifilter foam - I bought some from there to make new filters for my VTR1000 and the VFR800. You just glue the ends to each other to make a tube. Silicon works, as does hot-melt glue or rubber cement.

[MSTRS]

I just thought it might be simpler to just get a pod filter, rip out the whole airbox, and clamp the pod straight onto the side of the carby...

Simpler? Perhaps. But pod filters are high flow and you will likely need to rejet to suit. So greater cost to set up initially.

[samgab]

Motomail used to sell Unifilter foam - I bought some from there to make new filters for my VTR1000 and the VFR800. You just glue the ends to each other to make a tube. Silicon works, as does hot-melt glue or rubber cement.

I searched motomail, but can't find it.
I will trying going in to some of the motorcycle shops around Mt Eden, to see what I can find.

To get a factory foam filter it'll be expensive, so I wonder if it would be worth getting a different carby jet and a pod.
Or if I should just get some foam and keep the airbox.
Dunno.

The foam in there now isn't flaking off, but when I touched the outside of it with my finger it sort of cracked and broke apart, rather than squishing in and rebounding. So flakes won't be entering the engine, but I agree that urgent action is required.

[vifferman]

I searched motomail, but can't find it.
Try phoning them - not everything in the shop is listed on their Interdweeb site.
Although the Unifilter foam is supposedly specially designed for the purpose, there's nothing particularly magical about it. If you take your old filter into a shop like The Plastic Box that sells foam, you should be able to match it up. All you need is something about the same thickness with the same size bubble holes in it.

[Swoop]

Para Rubber is on Carr Rd, Mt Roskill. May pay to give them a bell?

[samgab]

Para Rubber is on Carr Rd, Mt Roskill. May pay to give them a bell?

Yeah cheers, I'll give them a go.

[Bonez]

That's a good option. Where can I buy a tube of foam like that?Make sure it's foam designed for air filtration perposes. As mentioned Para Rubber have it, in 2 grades last time I got some. Also remember its the oil put in the filter foam that does job of keeping the finer crap out of the engine.

$54 seems pretty standard. There may be an after market filter available also. HiFlo and EMGO are popular aftermarket brands.

[Bonez]

whats an air filter?Something filling that space between your ears.

[klingon]

By the way, the reason the old filter was crumbling is probably because someone cleaned it with petrol or some other 'unofficial' type solvent. Same thing happened with my Volty when I first got it - bits of foam falling out everywhere when I opened up the air filter.

Your filter sounds like a similar setup to mine with the foam sleeve fitting around the cage. I bought a genuine K&N filter and the proper cleaning + oiling kit. I decided it was worth the money & will last for ever if I maintain it right.

[The Pastor]

fwiw the foam costs about $30 from cycletreads and will last you two lifetimes.

[AllanB]

Unifilter make lots of pod filters - here's their site - prices are USA so triple for NZ!

If Motomail stock the Uni foam they will be able to order the pods. You need to know the size of your carb inlet (OD) to get the right pod - plus have enough room for the length and width of the filter. And you'll need a bottle of filter oil.

http://www.unifilter.com/online%20catalog/universal.html


For the CHCH poster Pit Lane in Manchester St stock Uni.

[samgab]

If anyone on here can field these questions about the FXR150 I'd greatly appreciate it:
The carby is a Mikuni BS29.
1/ What is the OD of the inlet (filter) side of the carby? Is it 50 or 52 mm? I don't have a vernier gauge.
2/ Where is a good place to get a 117.5 jet for the standard Mikuni BS29 carb? Who in Auckland stock that sort of thing?
3/ Does it need to be adjusted, or just screwed in, in replacement to the standard main jet?
4/ What size is the standard main jet?
5/ Do I need to replace any other parts at the same time, like pilot jet?
6/ I suppose I need to take it apart to do this, would I need to replace the gasket at the same time? If so, where would I get one of those?

Any other traps/tricks I should know about?

Cheers for your help, it is much appreciated,

[EJK]

Christchurch Suzuki wants to charge me $54 for a replacement foam air filter. Is this price about right for what you guys/gals pay or too much?

What's the price in Auckland/Wellington?

Bike is an FXR 150.

I've never bought an air filter for a bike before so all I can compare it to is my cage experience and their paper based filters. They've never cost me anywhere near that figure.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

Well thats a bargain by the comparison whats Colemans Suzuki Auckland had offered me: $120.95 :cool:

But instead I got a cone air filter instead (for $30 ish bucks). To do that I had to remove the whole air box thing.


I searched motomail, but can't find it.
I will trying going in to some of the motorcycle shops around Mt Eden, to see what I can find.

To get a factory foam filter it'll be expensive, so I wonder if it would be worth getting a different carby jet and a pod.
Or if I should just get some foam and keep the airbox.
Dunno.

The foam in there now isn't flaking off, but when I touched the outside of it with my finger it sort of cracked and broke apart, rather than squishing in and rebounding. So flakes won't be entering the engine, but I agree that urgent action is required.

Try Cycletreads. I got mine from there. Yeah mines the UniFilter too...