OEM air cleaners!!

[SVboy]

Well, I went to do the 12000km service on the GSXR,and was a bit taken aback by the $80.00plus price soooo looked in the yellow pages and found a specialist filter cleaner! I went to SOUTH ISLAND FILTER CLEANING SPECIALISTS LTD.[Ph 03 348 2776] and showed them my dirty filter. I sought assurance that the filter would still function exactly as before, because an economy with an air filter would be a false economy indeed!! 3 days later, and it comes back like brand new! Cool and the next best thing is they can be cleaned 4 times before needing replacement.
The cost? $15.00-meaning I can afford to get it spotless more often. And thats got to be good.
While on the subject of cost, I replaced the plugs as part of the service. Most bike shops had the NGKs at $16-17 each. A bit of shopping around and Supercheap[CHCH store-NOT the australian franchise] sold them to me at $12.95. Sorted!

[Cajun]

or pay $120-$150 for a BMC, DNA or simlar, which is total reusable.

Yeah i know about the spark pluygs i run ngk irdiums which run $22-$25 at bike store, i get 4 for $50

[Bonez]

or pay $120-$150 for a BMC, DNA or simlar, which is total reusable.

Or cut the paper element out and glue in air filtration foam from Para Rubber (available in two grades) and add some oil-$50. Totaly reusable.

[cruza]

Well, I went to do the 12000km service on the GSXR,and was a bit taken aback by the $80.00plus price soooo looked in the yellow pages and found a specialist filter cleaner! I went to SOUTH ISLAND FILTER CLEANING SPECIALISTS LTD.[Ph 03 348 2776] and showed them my dirty filter. I sought assurance that the filter would still function exactly as before, because an economy with an air filter would be a false economy indeed!! 3 days later, and it comes back like brand new! Cool and the next best thing is they can be cleaned 4 times before needing replacement.
The cost? $15.00-meaning I can afford to get it spotless more often. And thats got to be good.
While on the subject of cost, I replaced the plugs as part of the service. Most bike shops had the NGKs at $16-17 each. A bit of shopping around and Supercheap[CHCH store-NOT the australian franchise] sold them to me at $12.95. Sorted!

Know what ya mean, Repco tried to sell me a air filter for my mazda @ $50, thought it was a bit pricey , popped round to another place in hornby as I couldn't be bothered going into town . And their retail was $22 for the same brand filter, Mark up aye. Would be careful Sv , on how many times you clean it, they mainly do truck and heavy earth moving stuff, which is more heavy duty and can stand up to alot more.

[Radar]

Well, I went to do the 12000km service on the GSXR,and was a bit taken aback by the $80.00plus price soooo looked in the yellow pages and found a specialist filter cleaner! I went to SOUTH ISLAND FILTER CLEANING SPECIALISTS LTD.[Ph 03 348 2776] and showed them my dirty filter. I sought assurance that the filter would still function exactly as before, because an economy with an air filter would be a false economy indeed!! 3 days later, and it comes back like brand new! Cool and the next best thing is they can be cleaned 4 times before needing replacement.
The cost? $15.00-meaning I can afford to get it spotless more often. And thats got to be good.

SVboy, thanks for that link. Here is a page with their contact info and a form for sending them an email:
http://www.finda.co.nz/business/list...ecialists-ltd/

A friend of mine has a Suzuki Intruder and the air filters cost something like $150 a set. One of the local bike mechanics here in Masterton (who has a reputation as being a good mechanic) saved him the $150 by soaking the dirty filters in white spirits and presto - like new. Anyone else know about this cleaning method?

[Robert Taylor]

SVboy, thanks for that link. Here is a page with their contact info and a form for sending them an email:
http://www.finda.co.nz/business/list...ecialists-ltd/

A friend of mine has a Suzuki Intruder and the air filters cost something like $150 a set. One of the local bike mechanics here in Masterton (who has a reputation as being a good mechanic) saved him the $150 by soaking the dirty filters in white spirits and presto - like new. Anyone else know about this cleaning method?

It would be interesting to have brand new filters tested against these recycled ones to see if the filtration capability in microns had been impaired. I really doubt whether there a free lunch in all this I do know that its highly sensible to stay well away from the dirt cheap ones because they are nasty, will have less total filtration area and will pass larger particles etc. Much like many nasty aftermarket oil filters. Depends how much you value your engine and if you have a conscience with respect to subsequent owners I guess.

[Radar]

It would be interesting to have brand new filters tested against these recycled ones to see if the filtration capability in microns had been impaired. I really doubt whether there a free lunch in all this I do know that its highly sensible to stay well away from the dirt cheap ones because they are nasty, will have less total filtration area and will pass larger particles etc. Much like many nasty aftermarket oil filters. Depends how much you value your engine and if you have a conscience with respect to subsequent owners I guess.

All good points. Usually "you get what you pay for". I tried googling "cleaning an air filter" (and other words) but have found nothing.

[SVboy]

Yes, all good points. I am very fussy about using oem, esp in high performance bikes. The appearance of the cleaned filter was 'as new' and the person there assured me filtration would remain the same.

[vifferman]

It would be interesting to have brand new filters tested against these recycled ones to see if the filtration capability in microns had been impaired.

I'd imagine it would still be better then a K&N.

[Bonez]

Some after market filters and OEM items are produced on the same production line so effectively no difference in quality in some cases.

[Bonez]

All good points. Usually "you get what you pay for". I tried googling "cleaning an air filter" (and other words) but have found nothing.

Obviously didn't try hard enough

http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=air...&start=20&sa=N

[Radar]

Obviously didn't try hard enough

http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=air...&start=20&sa=N

Uhhhh Bonez, do have a look at that Google page and see if you can find a link that explains how to DIY clean a motorcycle air filter.

Maybe you have better eyes than I have but the only DIY (not businesses that do the cleaning) cleaning page that I could see was for a home air purifier. If you find something, please post direct links rather than a Google search.

[FROSTY:Me]

I've been cleaning OEM air filters for years by blowing them from the inside outwards with an air gun.
I know the result is a less than optimum airflow but my thinking is that its still a huge improvement over a clogged filter

[Bonez]

Uhhhh Bonez, do have a look at that Google page and see if you can find a link that explains how to DIY clean a motorcycle air filter.

Maybe you have better eyes than I have but the only DIY (not businesses that do the cleaning) cleaning page that I could see was for a home air purifier. If you find something, please post direct links rather than a Google search.

Where in your post did you mention DIY? There are commercial means of cleaning paper filters as mentioned in the OP. It works for industrial equipment, MAC trucks, earth moving equipment so why, pray tell, shouldn't it work for motorcycle elements?

[Radar]

Where in your post did you mention DIY? There are commercial means of cleaning paper filters as mentioned in the OP. It works for industrial equipment, MAC trucks, earth moving equipment so why, pray tell, shouldn't it work for motorcycle elements?

See my post, #5.

This follows your DIY post about Para Rubber.

But OK, I guess I should have mentioned DIY a second time rather than just the words "cleaning an air filter" which I thought implied DIY.

And I am not implying that commercial methods - taking your filter to get it cleaned by a business - would not work. BTW, my interest in this topic comes from a friend who is really short of $$ and he told me it costs him around $120 to replace the two filters on his VS700.