> Sunny's Guide to Cleaning you Bike's Air Filter

Guide to cleaning Your Bike Air Filter

PS : Click on the images to see the whole image. I like beeeg thumbnails


Here is my guide to cleaning yopur air filter. Now ppl will say why do you need this? The guys @ showroom or mech will clean it for me, why shud i bother?

There are many reasons

1. Mechs/showroom ppl use petrol to clean your air filter. Petrol will slowly eat your filter foam, which is a very bad thing.

2. They might be using used petrol who knows this means putting back the grime to the filter

3. They dont have enough time, so they never wash properly.

If you still dont believe me, just tell your mech to clean the filter for you on the spot. You'll agree with me hehe lol

Tools Reqd:

1. Set of screwdrivers ( one flat, one star )
2. A mug
3. Water
4. Detergent..something like Surf or Ariel




OKay...here are the steps.


1. Remove the air filter.

Well, each bike has its own method to remove the filter. For us RX ppl, its remove the right sidesheild, open airbox cover, the filter will be there. For Pulsars, open the left sidesheild, You can open the airbox cover by removing a few screws.
The Filter can be either flat (in my case ) or round ( Fiero, Splendour ) or Cake type ( Pulsar ). Each filter ahs a clean side, and a dirty side. The clean side goes towards the engine, the dirty side comes near the air opening.

Clean side :


Dirty side:




2. Prepare the soap solution and soak the filter:

Add lil bit of detergent into a mug /4 full of water. Mix it well. Then dip the filter in it, make sure all parts of the filter are wet, most of it is soaked...leave it like that for an hour

Detergent:


Soln ready!!!


Now dip the filter:



3. Clean the filter:

After half an hour, remove the filter and check the water mine was sooo dirty i found 4-5 ants in it
Squeeze the filter and get all the dirty water out. Throw away the dirty water, then fill the mug with some clean water.Dip the filter and squeeze it for 2-3 times till the complete soap solution is out of the filter

Filter after half an hour:


See teh dirt!!!


Still dirt remains...needs cleaning again!




Here is a video to show how to squeeze. Some people may wring the filter, but thats very very bad here is the correct way:

YouTube - Squeezing, Air Filter Tutorial

4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 :

Again take little water, little detergent...lesser than what you did before. Soak the filter, squeeze it inside the mug for a minute...this further cleans the filter from the oil and etc that the mechs put into it when they clean it. Clean the filter as in step 3.

Example of how to do it

YouTube - Mix, Air Filter Tutorial

Amount of muck i got from repeating steps 2&3:


5. Hang it out to dry :

Just put the filter in a place where there is plenty of sunshine...leave it to dry for approx 2 hours.




6. Filter is ready!!!



7. Oil the filter:

It is very important that you oil the filter. The oil attracts the small dust particles into the foam, so that none enters the engine. Keeping the filter well oiled is VERY VERY CRITICAL . Make sure you're oiling the side the dirty side...ummm....the side which does not face the engine...
Get a little amount of clean oil, smear little amounts on the filter as shown in the pic. Thicker oil, the better, If you dont have any oil, just go to the nearest petrol bunk, buy a 20ml packet of 2T oil and use it. Use only a MAX of 7-8ml on the filter. Using too much oil, the oil will bleed and eventually create a mess inside
After you apply the oil, squeeze the filter, and see if the oil has disappeared.Feel a clean part of you hand on the filter, see if little oil sticks on ur hand. If it doesnt, it needs more oil.



8. Put filter back:

Just retrace the steps that you did to remove the filter. BTW before putting back the filter, you can try a few things but dont do this regularly

Just start the bike with no filter, use choke while starting. just give some throttle, you can hear the filter make GURRR GURRR sounds This is actually called Induction roar, and you hear this when you put aftermarket filters like K&N, etc.

Here are a few vids

No filter

YouTube - Sunny's RX 001

DIY free flow filter. Cost me 2 rupees for a hacksaw blade, same effect as a Rs2000 K&N Filter

YouTube - Sunny's RX 002

Listen to the noiiiiise

YouTube - Sunny's RX 003

PS : If anyone has difficulty removing filters, do post here...i'll check out with those bikes here, n have pics on how to remove it

waoh!! thanks!! ... needed this one!


and i`m a real noob when it comes to doing anything with my pulsar. ..
soo hmm is it very easy to remove?? can i (a noob who can only switch on and ride the bike ) remove it and put it back with easy..
and hmm 2T oil ? would it be different for the pulsar?

and lol in the 003 pic.. it looks like your racing in one of the motogp races.. and the cars at the end of the video and of the straight are those of the judges and the spectators, who have come to watch the spectalularly stupid sunnywii

lol l33t Bike H4X0R

he did use a hacksaw

Removing Pulsar Air filter :

1. Remove left sidepanel. Use key to do this

2. There will be a black box with stripes. Remove all screws holding it.

3. Remove the filter just remember which side goes in which...like which is the dirty part and which is the cleaner part

As for the oil, any clean oil will do. Thicker, the better. If you dont want to spend too much on oil, just use a small 2T oil pouch

Damn cool !! Will certainly try it soon !!

And what use is cleaning the air filter ?? I mean, is it that more air goes into the engine ?? Or just that CLEANER air goes into the engine ??

And what is the advantage of either??

CRAP ! The biggest problem on a site like FE..

Remind me to rep you...

When you clean sunny style, both happen, i.e., more air + cleaner air i'll explain

Most times the service guys dont clean properly...dust doesnt go out of the filter, stays inside, gets accumulated over time.

now when you clean it, you are sure that ALL dirt has gone out..so filter is cleaner, less blocked holes, hence more air

Plus when you have oiled your filter, oil attracts dust particles, so you get cleaner air

advantages :

1. more air, bike will run slighly leaner at low revs...hence more mileage lol:
2. more air, engine breatrhes more freely, revs higher

That is all I wanted to hear !!

MY dad would like to hear this

If you're willing i'll give some tips on making the filter flow higher something similar to the airbox mod i've done in the RX002 video will rev even higher lol

hmm i thought soo... ...
wat are the other reasons for mileage going down ... (petrol bunker remaining same)

and hmmm any other tips for doing other maintainance work at home on the bike