[mmart]

Not being a real mechanic it’s easy for me to miss things. I’m guilty of “if it ain’t broke” type thinking from time to time. Checking the air filters on this bike was one of the tasks that kept falling into that bucket. So here we are after 4 yrs and about 11k miles, I ordered a set of OEM filters and went to open the cover and this is what I find, I didn’t even open the other side yet.
Someone tell me what you see because that doesn’t look right to me.
I see no filter with a dry rotted ring of foam around the back.

 

[Spockster]

Dust to dust... Those be rotten.

 

[Spockster]

Some of that foam might have made it through the airbox.

 

[mmart]

The new filters I bought are just foam that looks like it’ll fit over that basket. I guess I’m not sure what I’m looking at. My immediate thought was “WTF, there’s no air filters in there” are you saying there was and that orange is all that’s left?

 

[Spockster]

Yep, the rest went in through the airbox or rodents carried it away.

 

[OminousDarkness]

Yep, the rest went in through the airbox or rodents carried it away.

So, what I'm learning from this is that I should probably seal off the air filter boxes when storing the bike for more than a few days or weeks, right?

 

[OminousDarkness]

The new filters I bought are just foam that looks like it’ll fit over that basket. I guess I’m not sure what I’m looking at. My immediate thought was “WTF, there’s no air filters in there” are you saying there was and that orange is all that’s left?

New foam that fits over the basket? I thought that the new filters came with that basket?

 

[mmart]

New foam that fits over the basket? I thought that the new filters came with that basket?

Thankfully I have another set of air boxes because the bolts wouldn’t come out of the left side basket. They just kept spinning, so I just replaced the whole unit for now and I’ll mess with the other one later.
Baskets are part of the air box assembly, Stock filters are foam only.

 

[Spockster]

So, what I'm learning from this is that I should probably seal off the air filter boxes when storing the bike for more than a few days or weeks, right?

A wad of aluminum foil in the square hole would probably keep mice out, they don't like chewing on it.

 

[mmart]

I have some screening material that’s “pet resistant. My dog bent the screen frame but not the mesh, probably could tape that in from the inside.
Anyway, I’ll never know how long those filters were like that. I’ll kick myself for not checking sooner considering how much I’ve done to the bike. It’s becoming more and more apparent that the PO never touched a single thing on this bike.

 

[Spockster]

I have some screening material that’s “pet resistant. My dog bent the screen frame but not the mesh, probably could tape that in from the inside.
Anyway, I’ll never know how long those filters were like that. I’ll kick myself for not checking sooner considering how much I’ve done to the bike. It’s becoming more and more apparent that the PO never touched a single thing on this bike.

Hot glue would probably hold it in there, hardware cloth will work too.

 

[OminousDarkness]

Hot glue would probably hold it in there, hardware cloth will work too.

What's your opinion on fabricating the filters? Before I bought new filters, I made my own. I peeled away the old foam from the baskets, and used a sheet of foam that I had lying around. It felt to be about the same density, but no real way to be sure. My thought at the time was "This is to prevent crap from getting into the system, so as long as it's clean and porous, it should be fine." Worked until I bought brand new ones.

I cut a strip as deep as the basket and as long as it needed to be to go all the way around. I met the edges and overlapped it by about 1/2 inch. Used a hot-glue gun, just like you said, and that worked. Then cut out an oval for the top and glued it onto the edge of the other. I had no problems out of them.

I still have some of that foam left, and I still have the old baskets I modified. So if you want to see a pic of them, let me know and I'll take one.

 

[Spockster]

What's your opinion on fabricating the filters? Before I bought new filters, I made my own. I peeled away the old foam from the baskets, and used a sheet of foam that I had lying around. It felt to be about the same density, but no real way to be sure. My thought at the time was "This is to prevent crap from getting into the system, so as long as it's clean and porous, it should be fine." Worked until I bought brand new ones.

I cut a strip as deep as the basket and as long as it needed to be to go all the way around. I met the edges and overlapped it by about 1/2 inch. Used a hot-glue gun, just like you said, and that worked. Then cut out an oval for the top and glued it onto the edge of the other. I had no problems out of them.

I still have some of that foam left, and I still have the old baskets I modified. So if you want to see a pic of them, let me know and I'll take one.

Should be fine, but the foam should be oiled.

 

[OminousDarkness]

Thankfully I have another set of air boxes because the bolts wouldn’t come out of the left side basket. They just kept spinning, so I just replaced the whole unit for now and I’ll mess with the other one later.
Baskets are part of the air box assembly, Stock filters are foam only.

So, you said the bolts just spun? Funny you mentioned that. I noticed that in one of my air boxes that where the nut threaded into, the plastic that holds the bolt (which is shaped kind of like a little bowl) had cracked.

I took my dremel, cut all the way through horizontally about a quarter inch below the crack, then, cut a groove along with and includin the vertical crack, making it a nice, clean line. Took that little bowl-shaped bolt out, roughed up the smooth surface of it, then put JB-weld on the bottom of it and re-seated it. Then, put two small zip ties around it, gluing the vertical cut with JBW, then JBW to the horizontal cut. Put a giant zip over that to provide down pressure while it cured.

Good as new.

 

[OminousDarkness]

Should be fine, but the foam should be oiled.

With what? Machine oil? Motor oil?

 

[mmart]

The manual states for maintenance you can clean them with high flash point solvent and dried with compressed air. Then dip them in 10w30 and wring them out really well.
The new ones I bought came in sealed plastic and were oiled and ready to install out of the box. I will not let these turn into what I found in there, that’s for sure

 

[OminousDarkness]

The manual states for maintenance you can clean them with high flash point solvent and dried with compressed air. Then dip them in 10w30 and wring them out really well.
The new ones I bought came in sealed plastic and were oiled and ready to install out of the box. I will not let these turn into what I found in there, that’s for sure

Someone (ahem, maybe Spockster?) might know if maybe there's an unofficial maintenance schedule posted here on the forums? In the meantime, I'll see if I can find one in the Verses section.

 

[Spockster]

Someone (ahem, maybe Spockster?) might know if maybe there's an unofficial maintenance schedule posted here on the forums? In the meantime, I'll see if I can find one in the Verses section.

I don't think there's any on the site, the repair manual might have it. It's probably in the owner's manual too, but for some reason you can only download a small part of that now.

 

[OminousDarkness]

I don't think there's any on the site, the repair manual might have it. It's probably in the owner's manual too, but for some reason you can only download a small part of that now.

I do have the manual, so I'll look and see what it says. Thanks!

 

[taco_to_go]

The wire baskets are there to provide structure for the replaceable, washable foam "sleeves" that fit over. They are not permanent and will deteriorate over time. Get at spray can of K&N filter oil at any parts store and apply lightly. I usually wash mine every spring at oil change time.