Air filters

[Gnarlyroad]

Thinking of changing over to K&N air filters for my" 83" 650 nighthawk. Anyone use these and if so any noticable difference in performance etc.Any replies greatly appreciated. Also considering their oil filters as well(how long will my pocketbook hold out).

[Skier]

Thinking of changing over to K&N air filters for my" 83" 650 nighthawk. Anyone use these and if so any noticable difference in performance etc.Any replies greatly appreciated. Also considering their oil filters as well(how long will my pocketbook hold out).

From all the reading and experiences I've had with K&N air filters, they really don't get you much over stock. It's usually cheaper to keep replacing OEM air filters than buying a K&N plus their "recharge" cleaning and oiling kit.

As for their oil filters, I've heard the automotive ones are great filters and the nut on the end makes taking them off a breeze. However, they are a bit more expensive than a comprable Wix. I usually just go with a Wix/NAPA Gold filter for my bikes, they are cheaper and all the local automotive stores can usually get me them in two days, tops.

[flynrider]

I switched to a K&N air filter on my '93 Nighthawk, mostly because of price. The replacement paper filter for my model was ridiculously expensive. For the cost of a couple of Honda filters, I was able to buy the K&N permanent filter and oil kit.

Performance-wise, I wouldn't expect much. The K&N air box filter is supposed to flow a bit more air than the stock filter, but if there is a performance difference, I couldn't tell. My particular model is tuned extremely lean for emissions purposes. If the K&N increased airflow dramatically, it would have been pretty obvious on my bike.

[CNF2002]

Your vehicle is designed for the airflow allowed by the stock air filter. It's all marketing and phooey.

[mydlyfkryzis]

Your vehicle is designed for the airflow allowed by the stock air filter. It's all marketing and phooey.

I keep track of my mileage on my car because I use it for work. A had an average 1 mpg increase over the Stock filter (23MPG Stock to 24MPG with K&N). Filter cost $47 plus $14 for clean/recharge kit. I used the filter for 65000 miles. That would of been about 3 stock filter so price is about even. The extra MPG over 65k miles was a bonus.

If I had the dealer replace the air filter, the cost of a pleated filter was $30. So the K&N wouldf of been a little ahead in this case.

So the K&N was a plus, and I only cleaned it once in the 65K miles (though I would of cleaned it one more time if I kept that car.

So it has a benefit, not huge, but still a plus in my book. I amreplacing my current vehicles stock filters with K&N on the next change. Both vehicle are relatively new and still have the originals.

Ron Ayers has a stock Honda CB750 Air Filter for $27.90. This is about half of a K&N. Since I still have the clean/oil kit, 2 air filters would be break even.

I will be putting a K&N on the next service interval on my NH. It's not all hype.

[CNF2002]

Its probably cheaper to buy and clean a K&N filter if you take your vehicle to a dealership, or even a jiffy lube to have them replace the filter.

Everyone has their preferences...but mileage is based on a LOT of factors that vary far too greatly...for a 1mpg increase to be statistically significant, you would have had to compare both filter types in more controlled conditions over a long period of time.

But if you like the K&N and it saves you money