Best Air Filters Explained!

5296 Views 41 Replies 10 Participants Last post by ARJ, 5 d ago

8ballz

Discussion Starter · Sep 22, 2021

I've used and currently have 5 air filters for gsxs 1000/ gsxs1000f. Some of these are for sale.

1) 🔥The K&n Street is best for a stock bike with no mods.. (Best fuel economy)

2) 🔥 🔥 Bmc Street is best with a slip on exhaust, or muffler box removed but cat still in place. Remove muffler box and you WILL NEED A FLASH OR PCV...

3) 🔥 🔥 🔥 Sprint p037 best with muffler box removal, with or without cat, or full exhaust... filter is waterproof

4) 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 Sprint p08 best for decat, or full exhaust ...

5) 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥😁 Sprint P08f185 best for full exhaust AND if you want all out gsxs performance to the max (not a commuter) waterproof filter also.

Sprint filters are cleaned with compressed air. & No need for oil!

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871JZ

· #2 · Sep 23, 2021

I'll stick with the stock filter. These performance air filters do flow better than the stock filter, but at a cost. Regardless of what the manufacturers may claim, they don't filter anywhere near as well as the OEM filter does and it isn't worth the 2-3hp gain at peak RPM if you're interested in long-term performance and engine longevity.

There's a YouTube channel run by a guy with a motorcycle repair shop who has some excellent videos showing how much crap makes it through these filters. He films as he disassembles the bikes and shows how much filth gets past the high flow filters and into the engine. The air boxes with the aftermarket filters all have a considerable amount of grit in the air box, while the air boxes with OEM style filters are all clean enough to eat from. If there's that much residual dirt in the box, just think about how much went into the engine. He also shows a bunch of pistons and cylinders that were destroyed over time on bikes running these filters. And his videos mirror my experience with the OEM filter. It's always amazing to see how spotless the inside of my air box is whenever I pull the lid off.

I've also had a conversation with Dan from Dano's Performance about this topic. He doesn't recommend running high-flow air filters in street ridden bikes unless you're okay with letting contaminants through and into your engine. He says the minimal gain in peak power isn't worth it and I couldn't agree more.

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8ballz

Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 23, 2021

You are absolutely incorrect. These are for people wanting the bike flashed/ dyno tuned and want the extra 3-7 horsepower. Stock filter is garbage Unless you're leaving your bike stock. I have been riding over 20yrs never had dirt make it past filter or top of air box get dusty. You spreading misinformation is terrible especially for those that may read it and believe you. Call Brock performance tomorrow. Call Chris Moore and let them chime in. Do your research before you go off of 1 youtube vid that you seen. I doubt that the guy you mentioned has more experience working on bikes than brock or chris moore or blais cycles.

Let's say you do a 520 conversion 1-2 hp.. You do full synthetic oil 1 hp.. Air filter 3-7 hp.. Shed 7-15 lbs off the bike 1-2 hp.. Your bike would get dusted by this bike making 6-12 more hp.. Point being is that small numbers add up with bolt-ons. These filters are not for those that live in the desert.

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871JZ

· #4 · Sep 23, 2021 (Edited)

8ballz said:
You are absolutely incorrect. These are for people wanting the bike flashed/ dyno tuned and want the extra 3-7 horsepower. Stock filter is garbage Unless you're leaving your bike stock. I have been riding over 20yrs never had dirt make it past filter or top of air box get dusty. You spreading misinformation is terrible especially for those that may read it and believe you. Call Brock performance tomorrow. Call Chris Moore and let them chime in. Do your research before you go off of 1 youtube vid that you seen. I doubt that the guy you mentioned has more experience working on bikes than brock or chris moore or blais cycles.

Let's say you do a 520 conversion 1-2 hp.. You do full synthetic oil 1 hp.. Air filter 3-7 hp.. Shed 7-15 lbs off the bike 1-2 hp.. Your bike would get dusted by this bike making 6-12 more hp.. Point being is that small number add up with bolt-ons. These filters are not for those that live in the desert.

I'm not incorrect or spreading misinformation. I'm going off of common sense, my own experiences with stock and performance air filters, as well as information I've gathered from numerous trusted sources within the community.

While I certainly respect Brock Davidson and Chris Moore's opinion, they are both die hard drag racers who are chasing every horsepower they can get. Putting down as much power as possible is how they make their living. Brock mentions in almost every video he puts out that his advice and techniques are specifically tailored to drag racing. This isn’t a forum for drag racers, it's a forum for street riders who love making power, but also want longevity and long-term reliability from their bikes. We're not all just chasing a hp number or an E.T. and rebuilding our engines at the end of each season.

One example, just one, is my last truck. I installed a high quality performance air intake system on it and each time I pulled the filter off there was always residual dirt stuck to the inside circumference of the intake tube. None of my vehicles or motorcycles with OEM filters ever had a speck of dust past the filter, nor did this truck before the switch.

Aftermarket high flow air filters flow better for a reason and they do not filter anywhere near as well as the standard pleated paper filters. That's common sense. There are several air filter threads on this forum and 100's of others where it's widely accepted that you'll gain a small amount of power at the cost of reduced filtration.

My GSX-S is far from stock and it pulls like freight train, even with the factory air filter. Im sure I could pick up 2hp at 12k RPM if I installed a completey see through Sprint F1-85 air filter, but it isn't worth it to me. The thing looks like a **** window screen and will filter about as well.

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8ballz

Discussion Starter · #5 · Sep 23, 2021

C'mon stop lying you didn't have black dust in air box man gtfoh with that bs.

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871JZ

· #6 · Sep 23, 2021

8ballz said:
C'mon stop lying you didn't have black dust in air box man gtfoh with that bs.

Black dust? What are you talking about?

Here's some food for thought. If the performance filters make more power while at the same time capturing just as many particulates as the OEM filters, why wouldn't the manufacturers just use the high flow filters? Surely they'd prefer to boost their horsepower figures if they could do it with no downsides, right?

I don't think you read my post. It's that, or you're just confused. Nobody argues that they don't and I clearly stated that the aftermarket filters make more power. But in doing so, they obviously do not filter nearly as well as the OEM filters do. You cannot argue against this. They flow more air because they aren't as restrictive, meaning more **** gets through them. It is literally common sense. 😑

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8ballz

Discussion Starter · #7 · Sep 23, 2021

871JZ said:
I'm not incorrect or spreading misinformation. I'm going off of common sense, my own experiences with stock and performance air filters, as well as information I've gathered from numerous trusted sources within the community.

While I certainly respect Brock Davidson and Chris Moore's opinion, they are both die hard drag racers who are chasing every horsepower they can get. Putting down as much power as possible is how they make their living. Brock mentions in almost every video he puts out that his advice and techniques are specifically tailored to drag racing. This isn’t a forum for drag racers, it's a forum for street riders who love making power, but also want longevity and long-term reliability from their bikes. We're not all just chasing a hp number or an E.T. and rebuilding our engines at the end of each season.

One example, just one, is my last truck. I installed a high quality performance air intake system on it and each time I pulled the filter off there was always residual dirt stuck to the inside circumference of the intake tube. None of my vehicles or motorcycles with OEM filters ever had a speck of dust past the filter, nor did this truck before the switch.

Aftermarket high flow air filters flow better for a reason and they do not filter anywhere near as well as the standard pleated paper filters. That's common sense. There are several air filter threads on this forum and 100's of others where it's widely accepted that you'll gain a small amount of power at the cost of reduced filtration.

My GSX-S is far from stock and it pulls like freight train, even with the factory air filter. Im sure I could pick up 2hp at 12k RPM if I installed a completey see through Sprint F1-85 air filter, but it isn't worth it to me. The thing looks like a **** window screen and will filter about as well.

These filters are not for drag racing. You can use them in that application. That isn't the only application. We not talking about a dusty old truck. We are speaking on motorcycles.. Call those three tomorrow and let me know what answer you get. The 3rd shop I mention builds motorcycles & tears them down all the time. Call or email them. You are living in the 1960's thinking that these filters aren't for the street.

Don't by the filter that says "race" from k&n or bmc, they will let particles in. That's why they are for close circuit clean environments only.... None of the filters I spoke of are filters that are for "race" designation.

You would be correct in your comments for the "race" version of the k&n & bmc. They tell you on the box not for street use.. All the filters I mentioned above are not those. So know which filters do what before you comment. Research is the key. The rest is ignorance

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871JZ

· #8 · Sep 23, 2021

8ballz said:
These filters are not for drag racing. You can use them in that application. That isn't the only application. We not talking about a dusty old truck. We are speaking on motorcycles.. Call those three tomorrow and let me know what answer you get. The 3rd shop I mention builds motorcycles & tears them down all the time. Call or email them. You are living in the 1960's thinking that these filters aren't for the street.

Don't by the filter that says "race" from k&n or bmc, they will let particles in. That's why they are for close circuit clean environments only.... None of the filters I spoke of are filters that are for "race" designation.

You would be correct in your comments for the "race" version of the k&n & bmc. They tell you on the box not for street use.. All the filters I mentioned above are not those. So know which filters do what before you comment. Research is the key. The rest is ignorance

It wasn't a dusty old truck. It was a three year old (2017) GMC Sierra.

I never said these filters aren't for the street. I said they let more **** through them then an OEM filter does and I prefer to keep as much **** out as I can because I'm not interested in the 2hp at 12k RPM I'd gain by using one. You specifically mentioned the Sprint F1-85. If that isn't a "race" filter then I don't know what is. It looks like a **** window screen and the only thing that won't make it through that thing are rocks.

All high flow filters will pass more particulates than a standard paper filter. That's the entire argument and what I've said from the beginning. I never said that you can't run one on the street or that they won't make a couple more horsepower. They will, but they'll also capture less ****.

I don't need to call Chris or Brock or anyone else you mentioned. I brought up Dano's not because he's YouTube famous, but because he's a well known and highly respected sport bike tuner and engine builder. He's been in the game for decades and his logic is sound. On a street ridden bike where long-term performance and longevity is the goal, it simply makes more sense to filter the incoming air as best you can then let some dirt through in order to gain a couple horsepower.

Anyone can use whatever filter they want. I don't care. I'm only stating the obvious, but for some reason you've got some big hang up with that. I choose to stick with the OEM and you don't. There's nothing wrong with either choice.

Since you're so hung up on them, how about you call Chris, Brock, or whoever else you want and ask them if high flow air filters offer the same level of filtration as standard filters. I'm betting they'll all tell you no, but that's the price you pay if you want to squeeze every last drop of power out of a bike. Common sense, sir. Common sense.

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871JZ

· #9 · Sep 23, 2021

If the stock filter is garbage (as you said), why are there factory bikes pushing 200+ hp these days running them? Because they're the smart choice and they work fine for 95% of the people out there who aren't chasing down every last available horsepower.

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Gixis1k

· #10 · Sep 23, 2021

🤣 different strikes for different folks , I'm using the sprint P series filter & after commuting all year round at 80 miles p/day to work & over 20,000 miles with only the 1st 600 mile service & the bike maintenened by myself i can confirm that the Notion of crap getting through the filter into the air box is utter horsesh1t , it's amazing how immaculate it looks when I check , bare in mind i live in rural England with all sorts of dust , flora & insect fauna flying around while commuting into the filthy big smoke of London.

871JZ said:
If the stock filter is garbage (as you said), why are there factory bikes pushing 200+ hp these days running them? Because they're the smart choice and they work fine for 95% of the people out there who aren't chasing down every last available horsepower.

because of money , it's like saying filament lamps on motorcycles work fine that's why bikes use them, guess what finally Suzuki has adopted LED lamps , why didn't they in the past - Money!

I'm fairly confident that the stock filters in ducatis & Aprilias 200hp bikes are sprints or DNA - could be wrong.

Japanese bikes are made in more numbers than the European counterparts therefore they tend to be alot more stringent with the quality of the parts on the bikes

the gsxs1000 is the perfect example , the engine , the front forks & riding position are about the only decent parts of the bike - this becomes noticeably unprecedented when you begin changing the stock components - for me it was the rear shock - its not remotely good - in fact its utter garbage & like a pig sh!t i thought it was good when I first rode it until I rode my bosses zx10r with ohlins & a triumph street triple rs (perfect example of a bike that doesn't use cheap parts) with every sort after Aftermarket part coming as stock.

maybe your not affected by it, but I noticed a distinct roar from the exhaust & noticeable pull in the mid when I removed the air box baffle & swapped out the air filter

sidenote : I've also put some ladies tights over the air box intake as a precaution due to my baffle mod 🤣

Automotive tire Human body Road surface Grey Wood

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8ballz

Discussion Starter · #11 · Sep 23, 2021

Gixis1k said:
🤣 different strikes for different folks , I'm using the sprint P series filter & after commuting all year round at 80 miles p/day to work & over 20,000 miles with only the 1st 600 mile service & the bike maintenened by myself i can confirm that the Notion of crap getting through the filter into the air box is utter horsesh1t , it's amazing how immaculate it looks when I check , bare in mind i live in rural England with all sorts of dust , flora & insect fauna flying around while commuting into the filthy big smoke of London.

because of money , it's like saying filament lamps on motorcycles work fine that's why bikes use them, guess what finally Suzuki has adopted LED lamps , why didn't they in the past - Money!

I'm fairly confident that the stock filters in ducatis & Aprilias 200hp bikes are sprints or DNA - could be wrong.

Japanese bikes are made in more numbers than the European counterparts therefore they tend to be alot more stringent with the quality of the parts on the bikes

the gsxs1000 is the perfect example , the engine , the front forks & riding position are about the only decent parts of the bike - this becomes noticeably unprecedented when you begin changing the stock components - for me it was the rear shock - its not remotely good - in fact its utter garbage & like a pig sh!t i thought it was good when I first rode it until I rode my bosses zx10r with ohlins & a triumph street triple rs (perfect example of a bike that doesn't use cheap parts) with every sort after Aftermarket part coming as stock.

maybe your not affected by it, but I noticed a distinct roar from the exhaust & noticeable pull in the mid when I removed the air box baffle & swapped out the air filter

sidenote : I've also put some ladies tights over the air box intake as a precaution due to my baffle mod 🤣

View attachment 46525

Exactly. He sounds like and is a fool.. A few motorcycles come from the factory with some of the same sprint filters from above. We not going to waste time going back n forth with an idiot

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871JZ

· #12 · Sep 23, 2021

8ballz said:
Exactly. He sounds like and is a fool.. A few motorcycles come from the factory with some of the same sprint filters from above. We not going to waste time going back n forth with an idiot

I posted my opinion on the fact that performance filters aren't necessary on non-race bikes and for some reason you couldn't handle it, took offense to it, and kept on with the silly attempts at insulting me. Just like I said I my original post. We all have our opinions and mine is worth exactly what I'm being paid for it. Have a great day, 8ballz. 😁

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871JZ

· #13 · Sep 23, 2021 (Edited)

Some guys may find this interesting. Sure, the guy is a little eccentric and goofy, but the information contained in his videos is valuable. Pay attention to the intake side of the piston skirts versus the exhaust side. Take a look at the videos here and on his channel as they're only a couple minutes long. He's got a good one on an R6 with a K&N. The inside of the airbox on that bike is unbelievable. Also some compression and leakdown tests of K&N equipped bikes.

Here's one showing the airbox of a GSX-R1000 running a K&N filter. Matches my experience with my truck. He's got many videos showing the same dirty air boxes with bikes running K&N filters.

Here's a GSX-R1000 running a standard filter with 7500 miles. Air box is as clean as the day the bike was built.

One more good one from a GSX-R1000 with 19k miles and the original OEM filter installed. Check out the airbox versus the front side of the filter. Just goes to show how efficient they are.

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GSXS-NH

· #14 · Sep 23, 2021

GENTLEMEN - KEEP IT CIVIL PLEASE. There is some good information and some opinions in this thread. Be respectful and civil. Thank you.

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Gixis1k

· #15 · Sep 23, 2021

GSXS-NH said:
GENTLEMEN - KEEP IT CIVIL PLEASE. There is some good information and some opinions in this thread. Be respectful and civil. Thank you.

yeah , 14 posts in , descended quick 🤣🤣

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Gixxus_Lou

· #16 · Sep 23, 2021

I'm with 871JZ on this one.

All he's saying is that to get more airflow you have to give up/reduce filtering efficiency. And yeah, it's common sense.

He's not saying the hi-flow filters don't provide a wee bit of power.

His personal choice is to take the filtering efficiency.

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871JZ

· #17 · Sep 23, 2021

Gixxus_Lou said:
I'm with 871JZ on this one.

All he's saying is that to get more airflow you have to give up/reduce filtering efficiency. And yeah, it's common sense.

He's not saying the hi-flow filters don't provide a wee bit of power.

His personal choice is to take the filtering efficiency.

You're better at explaining my position then I am! Thanks, Lou.

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8ballz

Discussion Starter · #18 · Sep 23, 2021

Gixxus_Lou said:
I'm with 871JZ on this one.

All he's saying is that to get more airflow you have to give up/reduce filtering efficiency. And yeah, it's common sense.

He's not saying the hi-flow filters don't provide a wee bit of power.

His personal choice is to take the filtering efficiency.

Seems as though you can't read. 1 of his points is that all hi flow filters will eventually lead to engine damage by debris going past filter. Which is incorrect. That is the point that I am speaking of.

Once again for those that can't read. A bmc/ k&n "race" filter will lead to damage. The bmc/ k&n "street" filters wont.. They say it on the instructions about the ones that say "race" from bmc/ k&n..

None of the filters listed above are those. Do your research before you say all hi flow filters.. The p08 comes stock on some Ducatis. So that is a stock filter, just not our stock filter. Do you think ducati will sell a bike with a warranty that will damage an engine. Now that's common sense.... I dont care about his opinion, im not arguing that.

So again, for those that might read this thread other than those 2 people who can't read, the 1st four filters listed in my original post wont have your airbox dirty. Only k&n/ bmc "race" filters will (which im not talking about). As for the last filter p08f185 it flows the most and will only be a problem in high dusty cities.

Do your research instead of walking around remaining ignorant about this topic

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871JZ

· #19 · Sep 23, 2021

8ballz said:
Seems as though you can't read. 1 of his points is that all hi flow filters will eventually lead to engine damage by debris going past filter. Which is incorrect. That is the point that I am speaking of.

Once again for those that can't read. A bmc/ k&n "race" filter will lead to damage. The bmc/ k&n "street" filters wont.. They say it on the instructions about the ones that say "race" from bmc/ k&n..

None of the filters listed above are those. Do your research before you say all hi flow filters.. The p08 comes stock on some Ducatis. So that is a stock filter, just not our stock filter. Do you think ducati will sell a bike with a warranty that will damage an engine. Now that's common sense.... I dont care about his opinion, im not arguing that.

So again, for those that might read this thread other than those 2 people who can't read, the 1st four filters listed in my original post wont have your airbox dirty. Only k&n/ bmc "race" filters will (which im not talking about). As for the last filter p08f185 it flows the most and will only be a problem in high dusty cities.

Do your research instead of walking around remaining ignorant about this topic

How about trying to post without the arrogance and insults?

There's multiple videos a couple posts above yours showing the standard filter from K&N with filthy air boxes. Not their RACE filters, the STANDARD one. If that much grit is laying in the air box, how much do you think was ingested by the engine? Much, much more.

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GSXS-NH

· #20 · Sep 23, 2021

Gentlemen. Next attitude attack & thread will be closed. CIVIL discourse please.

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