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Air Filter???

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Randy Kahn

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Joined
Aug 28, 2023
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285
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Los Angeles
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2023 R18 100 year anniversary edition
Dumb question: Where to hell is the air filter and how do you swap a different one out. I can't find anything re the air filter in the manual.

Thanks.
 
Has anyone swapped out the factory air filter for an after market brand and noticed any performance advantage? Is the factory filter too restrictive?

Thanks.

Because...my bike has 700 miles on it, but I plan to toss in the Bren Tune re map soon. And it seems like people that added the re map swapped out the air filter. This air filter is kind of a pain in the ass to get to.

I rather not screw around with bolts, removing plates, et. unless it's really necessary. there's always the possibility if scratching something or marking something taking things apart and putting them back together no matter

how careful you are.
 
Take caution when you take the lid (Plastic lid of the air filter) ... some people have had the brass inserts unscrew from the plastic airfilter body and had to glue them back in ... mine stayed in but I have read several posts where that happened.
IMO (strictly IMO) I have thought about the 'open filter' that is offered by ... damn I forgot ... but I really hate that screeching/hissing noise that an open filter makes ... and I like the idea that the 'snorkels' create a sort of 'Ram Air' through the chest plate of the engine ... but that is just me ;)
 
Ulrich said:
Take caution when you take the lid (Plastic lid of the air filter) ... some people have had the brass inserts unscrew from the plastic airfilter body and had to glue them back in ... mine stayed in but I have read several posts where that happened.
IMO (strictly IMO) I have thought about the 'open filter' that is offered by ... damn I forgot ... but I really hate that screeching/hissing noise that an open filter makes ... and I like the idea that the 'snorkels' create a sort of 'Ram Air' through the chest plate of the engine ... but that is just me ;)
Click to expand...
U,

I'm not touching it for now....in my other bikes Harley's, BMW R9T, I used K&N air filters, and I think there probably was a respectable difference to be had in air flow quality over stock. Wondering if that is the case with the R18 stock air filter if you have an opinion?

Thanks.
 
Randy Kahn said:
U,

I'm not touching it for now....in my other bikes Harley's, BMW R9T, I used K&N air filters, and I think there probably was a respectable difference to be had in air flow quality over stock. Wondering if that is the case with the R18 stock air filter if you have an opinion?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Sorry to say I really don't. I have though of it because I use one in my ShovelHead and it had served me well over the years, rinse it out use the lube spray and good. I am old and lazy now 😁 so I checked the paper one that is in there after 10 000 miles (some 16 000 km) and it was barely dirty, did what I did to my wife's Toyota filter at that mileage ... blew it out with compressed air... both ways .... And put it back in. I figure good for another 10 😉... But that's just me 😁
 
Randy Kahn said:
Has anyone swapped out the factory air filter for an after market brand and noticed any performance advantage? Is the factory filter too restrictive?

Thanks.

Because...my bike has 700 miles on it, but I plan to toss in the Bren Tune re map soon. And it seems like people that added the re map swapped out the air filter. This air filter is kind of a pain in the ass to get to.

I rather not screw around with bolts, removing plates, et. unless it's really necessary. there's always the possibility if scratching something or marking something taking things apart and putting them back together no matter

how careful you are.
Click to expand...
IIRC the bmw airbox seemed very restrictive with tiny intakes to the filter. Opening that with the kit looks to be good. The filter itself, meh, not sure of the gains.

The new unit will allow considerably more engine noise ( not exhaust rumble). Possibly why bmw did what the did.

Bottom line for me? Yup. And it’s really not that hard.
 
Gr8adv said:
IIRC the bmw airbox seemed very restrictive with tiny intakes to the filter. Opening that with the kit looks to be good. The filter itself, meh, not sure of the gains.

The new unit will allow considerably more engine noise ( not exhaust rumble). Possibly why bmw did what the did.

Bottom line for me? Yup. And it’s really not that hard.
Click to expand...
So when you say "opening the airbox" what do you mean?
 
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