Air filters

Monkeypants

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I found these tidy little UNI oil/foam air filters by accident. One of my K&N style air filters fell off about a thousand miles from home and a large version of the UNi was the best I could come up with. When I got home I did some searching and found these pod type filters that fit perfectly. Having read tests on K&N filters that show they keep out the big stuff but do little to prevent dust from entering the motor, in the past I have used K&Ns only because they are better than no air filter. Most industrial air cooled engines that are subject to dust are equipped with cleanable oil soaked foam of some sort, same idea as these UNIs. UNI sells aerosol foam oil specially made for soaking the foam. I'm confident that this type of filter will do a good job of keeping grit out of the engine, but was concerned that air flow might not be good enough for full power. Tested on Dyno hill, the UNI s gave the same reading as the K&Ns which give the same reading as no filter, that is hit the base of the hill at 70 mph in top gear (10%grade) and go over the top at 72 mph , left in top gear. r
 

Viny4

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After going through a sand storm in South America on the Rapide, my K&N were so covered with sand you could bairly see the filter gause. I washed them in gas and then oiled with engine oil. This happened a few times. After returning home I lifted the barrels enough to see the skirts, not a scrach. This bike goes 3000 miles between oil changes, with no change of level in the tank.
 

Monkeypants

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Dan I, I was putting oil in your bike to confuse you. It actually used quite a bit going to Montana and back.

Glen
 

Viny4

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Nope, I was on my Shadow, at 10.6/1 it uses a little less than a Liter in 3000 miles Just as it showed afer getting home. All from the breather.
 

Monkeypants

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Just kidding, I needed all the oil for mine. Good to know the K&Ns work, I have them on two other bikes and have had them on this one since I received it. They have had lots of negative press over the years, perhaps the studies were all funded by Fram and the like.
I do like the idea of foam & oil, it is proven in extreme service situations. I never thought it would be up to the flow and probably isnt for a race bike, but seems just fine for road use. Now I can find more Gravel roads to lead Tony Cording down.
I have noticed on mine that oil consumption goes up greatly with speed. Awhile ago we did a trip to California two up, sixty MPH roads, total oil used was 8 ounces for 2500 miles round trip. Speed up five mph and the oil consumption goes up a bit, another five and it more than doubles, another five and I'm adding oil constantly, almost all going out the breather, as you say.

Glen
 
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Viny4

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I realised many years ago that the breather spits the most oil when the motor goes to idle. At speed the oil is all in suspention, spread out around the crank cases, slowing down, lets it fall to the bottom of the cases, then, splashes into the timing case and spits out the breather.
 

Albervin

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Is this a thread about air filters or oil consumption:) Either way I am not getting into a discussion with Dan because I will always be found wanting.
 

1660bob

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At the Stafford Classic Bike Show in April I looked at a stall selling foam type air filters.Google Ramair and you`ll get them.The chap there showed me a sock type that will simply stretch over the stock Amal bell mouths and hold itself in place, letting you keep the said bell mouth (although hidden inside the filter of course) and get decent filtration to boot. No clips/hardware to bother with, and when you arrive at the venue where you are showing the bike, you can pull `em off if you want.I have no connection to this company, and have not tried their products, but i will probably give them a go when the time comes, Bob
 

Black Flash

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I can only confirm that the Ramair products are really great.
for bigger cleaning area they also do the type you see in the picture with a foam lid instead of a steel lid

Bernd
 
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