Motorcycle Air Cleaners

Any internal combustion engine needs air to be mixed with fuel and create a combustible mixture. Thus, the more air is delivered to your motor, the more fuel can be burnt, and the more power can be produced. That is one of the reasons why motorcycle upgrade enthusiasts choose to improve their air intake systems and exhausts early on in the project. Before air enters the carburetor or throttle body of your bike, it must be cleaned from dust and other debris which otherwise may clog fine passages and cause premature wear and even damage to some engine parts.

Depending on the type and style of your motorcycle, it comes from the factory with one of the three main types of air filters: paper, foam, or cotton. Paper filters are the most affordable and disposable. You cannot clean them to restore their filtering properties. Usually, foam filters are installed on dirt bikes and other off-road machines. They can be easily cleaned and reused. The only drawback is that foam filters can get clogged with dust fairly quickly losing their ability to supply enough air to the engine. Cotton filters are the most expensive out of these three, but they can be cleaned and reused hundreds of times while allowing more clean air to the throttle body or carburetor.

If you wish to unlock more hidden power from your engine, consider upgrading its air intake system by installing one of our motorcycle air cleaners. Essentially, it is an aftermarket filter with larger fibrous filtering elements which comes with its own housing and stylish cover. The construction of a typical air cleaner resembles a funnel, which provides more smooth and unobstructed air flow to the carburetor or throttle body. Besides providing a boost in performance, an air cleaner offers a significant improvement in the appearance of your motorcycle. The installation process is fairly simple and can be done in mere minutes with the use of basic hand tools.

To equip your street-riding motorcycle with an aftermarket air cleaner, first, you have to get rid of your old, factory-installed filter. Check your instruction manual if you haven’t done that before. An air cleaner can have a circular, teardrop, arrow head shape, or more advanced, dual-runner construction. In any case, you will have to unscrew the stock filter backing plate and sometimes even a throttle body inlet to put an aftermarket backing plate in its place. Remember to use provided gaskets to avoid uncleaned air leaks into the throttle body or carburetor. The increased air flow into your engine will most likely demand rejetting or retuning your fuel delivery system.

You have to clean the filtering element of your air cleaner from time to time to keep your motorcycle in top shape and ensure its peak performance. First, take the filter off its housing. Remove large debris. Put special solvent or soap in a bucket with clean water to wash all the dirt and oil residue from filter fibers. Repeat the process several times until the filtering element becomes noticeably clean. Now it is time to get it dry out completely. Avoid using compressed air for drying because it may cause damages to the filter. Once it is dry, it is recommended to use special air filter oil in a spray can for even application. Put the filter back into its housing. Now your air cleaner is as good as new.