K&N for 2009 C 1400

[buster1]

What a freaking greasy mess! At last service (15000 miles) Had a K$N air filter installed, now at 30,000+ I took it out to clean and was shocked at amount of sealing grease. It took me 20 minutes to clean up the mess in the filter slot. I put a new kawasaki filter in. Is there any way to use weather stripping or some other type of foam to seal the K&N? I will not use a K&N filter in again if it requires grease to seal.
Thank's
Ride safe.    David.

[VirginiaJim]

I've decided to ditch all my K&Ns (Bike, Prius, and RAV4) and go back to paper.  I've always had a devil of a time removing it from the bike and I think that it doesn't filter as well on the cars.  I'm using more oil in them than I ever had before on a Toyota...  YMMV of course, but I just don't think they filter as well and the difference in any power has not been felt by me on any vehicle I've used them on.

[katata1100]

I too, have given up on K&N. I heard an old mechanic say that an air filter is only as good as the seal around it and I have had problems with K&N seals.
Funny you mention weather stripping- K&N filters for VW had crappy seals and they then included an extra seal to stick on the existing seal, the extra seal was weather strip material.
Still, the thing leaked and I replaced it.
The K&N grease is to stop leaks and and really, it doesn't work well.I wouldn't try weather seal as the filter takes a few gymnastic like twists and turns to install and I can see weather stripping getting stripped off/damaged/ or just coming off.
Tell you what though-if you still use the K&N, smear some of that grease on the inside of the air filter housing. After a few 1000 miles, take out the filter and look at the grease. If the grease has dust on it, toss that K&N filter because it is not doing its job.

[PH14]

I used a K&N on a conversion van I had, simply because it could go longer than a paper one before servicing. I had to remove a seat to get to the engine so it was a pain.

[buster1]

Thank's guys for your input, I am going to ditch the K&N and stay with factory paper air filters.
David.

[spatten]

Everything I've read says they have larger gaps than paper filters.  This allows more air, and I assume more dirt (although much is trapped in the red sticky oil). 

They are great for a race bike or a bike that does not get tons of ride time, where you don't care much about longevity and you have mods that flow more air than stock.  Also in more humid climates I feel better about using them if there is a real performance gain.  In dry western areas there is so much abrasive dust in the air all the time I prefer paper for bikes getting lots of miles/hours.

[charles r]

I have NEVER liked gauze or foam filters.
It's really simple.... the only way to reduce pressure drop (increase flow, in market speak) through a filter medium is to increase the air passage sizes (bigger holes in the medium) or increase the number of passages (bigger filter)

You can FEEL the grit in the intakes of every single "hi flow" filter equipped vehicle I've EVER serviced. I'd NEVER put one on anything I want to last. Race cars? I'll install them all day though. (although I still tell owners to add bigger airboxes for bigger paper filters. they rarely do. silly boys.)

[VirginiaJim]

Interestingly enough, I haven't seen any oil consumption to speak of on this bike...