Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Clymer Service Manual quote:

"Clean the air filter element in a non-flammable or high flash point cleaning solvent until all dirt is removed."


Question: What exactly is a high flash point cleaning solvent? Feel free to recommend several things I could use that would be readily found in an auto store as I need to clean my air filter element.



Thanks in advance for any replies posted here,

Does the bike have the OEM paper filter? If it does, you do not clean them. Throw it away and replace it.

you can buy actual air filter cleaning solvent in squirt bottle, You can allways use gasoline or varsol in a well ventilated area

Kerosine - High Flashpoint

Gasoline - Low Flashpoint

Varsol - High Flashpoint - will melt most plastic.


Cleaning your air filter? Well, I'd probably buy a new one, but kerosine is what I'd use.

If your cleaning a foam airfilter, and are unsure what to use, best thing is to buy a dedicated foamfilter cleaning solvent. You can find it at the same shop you get the faomfilter oil at. Make sure you use the proper foamfilter oil to re-oil the filter with, it's the only thing that will work correctly. If this is a K&N filter, buy a K&N Filtercharger kit, it will have cleaner, oil and instructions in it.

BTW Sev, varsol does not harm most plastics, and is actually one of the safest solvents to use on them. But, as always, test a small area of your item first.

Flashpoint is pretty much the temp. needed for combustion. Gasoline vapors have a low flashpoint and will ignite pretty easily in a shop enviroment. I would not suggest cleaning anything with gasoline.

As for cleaning filter elements, if you dont have anything on hand, buy a filter cleaning kit, which has the cleaning solvent and oil.

It didn't say anything regarding changing out the existing air filter element, just to clean it and let it dry out and put it back.

Thanks for the advice on what to use, I'll stop by the auto store this weekend and knock that out.