07-24-2015, 02:06 AM
The air filter has one purpose, to prevent dust and dirt from entering your engine, but at a minimal cost to airflow.
I know, up to a point, aftermarket manufacturers state that trapped dust in the filter media actually makes the filter more efficient at trapping even more debris, i.e it is more difficult for stuff to pass through. But over time, the air flow is diminished.
Blowing out a used filter will help remove a lot of the loose dust and debris and the filter will look good to the eye.
But, IMO, over time, the filter slowly gets clogged with the finest dust, impeding air flow. That is the last thing I want to do to my engine.
All my cager rigs get a new air filter every 10000 miles. It's cheap and efficient maintenance.
The CB1100 filter is not cheap, relative to any other air filter I've bought, but in the longterm, it is cheap enough.
At the rate I ride it's a new filter every two to three years (I spread out my riding among a few bikes). Big deal.
Another thing to consider is just media degradation. Maybe it is not an issue but all paper type media degrades over time when exposed to the elements. So even if your mileage is low, the filter may be ready for replacement. Just like they say to replace your oil after a year regardless of mileage.
Anyway, just my .02
I know, up to a point, aftermarket manufacturers state that trapped dust in the filter media actually makes the filter more efficient at trapping even more debris, i.e it is more difficult for stuff to pass through. But over time, the air flow is diminished.
Blowing out a used filter will help remove a lot of the loose dust and debris and the filter will look good to the eye.
But, IMO, over time, the filter slowly gets clogged with the finest dust, impeding air flow. That is the last thing I want to do to my engine.
All my cager rigs get a new air filter every 10000 miles. It's cheap and efficient maintenance.
The CB1100 filter is not cheap, relative to any other air filter I've bought, but in the longterm, it is cheap enough.
At the rate I ride it's a new filter every two to three years (I spread out my riding among a few bikes). Big deal.
Another thing to consider is just media degradation. Maybe it is not an issue but all paper type media degrades over time when exposed to the elements. So even if your mileage is low, the filter may be ready for replacement. Just like they say to replace your oil after a year regardless of mileage.
Anyway, just my .02