Without it, dust and debris in the air would wear down piston rings and cylinder walls as if a storm eroded the coast. As the filter does its job, it loads with dirt, and a dirty filter will take power out of the engine and put a dent in fuel consumption. So what does an air filter do on a motorcycle? The air filter ensures that the air sucked inside for engine combustion in the motorcycle is free of contaminants by filtering dust from the air. An air filter will ensure the smooth operation of the engine. Before we dive into upgrading your motorcycle's air filter, we first need to look at what an air filter actually does.
As the name suggests, your bicycle's air filter is responsible for, well, filtering the air that enters your combustion chamber. It turns out that dust, dirt, and debris can cause a lot of damage to the internals of your engine. Therefore, it is the duty of the air cleaner to ensure that the air drawn into the engine is clean and optimized for combustion. This increased airflow can help generate larger combustion and more horsepower. However, the increased airflow of an aftermarket air filter alone is not significant enough to get more power for your motorcycle.
Normally, the idea is to introduce more air into the engine using a less restrictive air filter. Since an engine is basically an air pump, introducing more oxygen and more fuel into the engine generally equates to a bigger blow and, therefore, hopefully, more power. Most modern motorcycles today have replaceable filter systems, while some older machines have reusable filter types. When the air filter is clogged, the engine starts to suffocate and the vehicle's performance decreases. The most important thing is to understand how each of these air filters work and how they work differently from each other, so you can determine which one is right for you.
To get the best performance and longevity from your motorcycle engine, you need to decide whether to replace or keep the old air filter. So how often should you change your motorcycle's air filter? And how can you tell when it's time? First of all, it is always best to follow the interval specified by the manufacturer in the owner's manual. While cleaning the filter will improve it a bit and prevent your bike from running out of air, it will never be as good as new. However, K&N air filters use special oil to trap these impurities and allow only air to pass through. In addition, the change in airflow of K&N filters is not significant enough to cause your engine to run lean. In general, these types of problems only occur with low-quality filters since they are not made with precision like genuine good brand filters.
If your motorcycle is used in dusty conditions, then you should clean or replace your air filter before its recommended cycle. On vehicles that don't drive fast like my BMW 650GS dual sport, I'm fine with using a paper filter until it's time to change it. Other motorcycles with larger displacements may require more effort to access their air cleaner. Manufacturers will specify a period of time or number of miles in which you should change your filter. The idea is that when the piston goes down it sucks out all of the air from inside leaving a low pressure there.
