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Air Filter Cleaning
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The following tips and advice are for cleaning air filters. If you have one to add, please post it as a comment. Think a tip is wrong? We’re open-minded enough to want your opinion, so let us know. Thanks for your contribution!
AIR FILTER CLEANING TIPS
1) Remove the seat.
2) Remove the wing nut that holds the air filter in place.
3) Carefully remove the cage inside the sponge part of the air filter
4) Clean the foam with a solvent. Filter solvents are recommended, but many riders just use gasoline. Apparently gasoline can damage the foam or glues holding it together, so the choice (and responsibility) is up to. Remember the solvent is flammable!
5) It’s a good idea to wear some gloves when working with solvent. The thin rubber ones used for house cleaning are fine, or you can get even cheaper disposable ones. Sometimes the cheaper ones want to slip off – if so, use a rubber band to hold it on at the wrist.
6) Always squeeze the filter. Never wring it out or you’ll wreck the foam.
7) After some repeated squishing in the solvent, squeeze out all the excess.
8) Wash the filter in soapy water, and then rinse it out well.
9) Squeeze out the excess water and set the foam aside to dry. If you’re running your furnace or air conditioner, setting it on top of a vent can speed up the process.
10) While you’re waiting for the foam to dry, clean off all the other disassembled parts. Also check the inlet to the carb – if you wipe it, make sure you’re pulling dirt out, not pushing it in.
11) Cleaning the air box itself is easier if you remove it completely from the bike.
12) When the foam is dry, it’s time to coat it in filter oil. You have two choices – spraying and dunking. When spraying, apply it liberally, then squeeze the filter repeatedly to make sure all the foam is covered. To dunk, find a container that the foam insert will fit into and add your filter oil. Stick in the entire piece of foam, make sure it’s soaked, and then squeeze out the excess.
13) Apply a thin smear of bearing grease along the outer edge of the foam that goes against the air box. This ensures a dust-free seal.
14) Wipe away any grease in the air box, leftover from removing the filter earlier.
15) Put the foam back over the cage, and reinstall it in the air box.
16) Put the seat back on.
