K&N air filter +8% fuel economy?

[Sunman]

Well, unless I am doing something terribly wrong in my calculations, I think I am getting about 8% better fuel economy since I installed my K and N air filters 3 weeks ago. Here is what I found happening. I run a garmin zumo 550, which has a fuel gauge, that strictly clocks mileage. You input how many KM per tank you get, and when you get to 30 miles (48 KM)left of that amount, it gives you a warning, and then shows you the closest 5 gas stations. Pretty neat eh? Anyways, I digress. Normally, I have the KM per tank set at 280. So normally, this is the order of events. Around 210 km, my fuel warning light on the BIKE blinks, and goes to fuel reserve count up, 20 km later, I have to switch to reserve, and just about that time, my zumo tells me that I am on reserve. But about 3 tanks ago, I noticed something strange, and thought it was just a fluke. The first indication I get about low fuel, came from my zumo, which is usually last. about 10 k later, my fuel light blinked on the bike. This has been the case for the last 3 tanks. From the numbers both on the GPS and the trip meters on the bike, I seem to be getting about 25 km more approx per tank, or per fill up. Now, there have been no major changes in driving, either style or substance. Have any others here found these kinds of gains? If so, I wish I had known, I would have changed my filters much earlier. No other mods have been done recently, except a chrome brake pedal, chrome oil reserve cover, and chrome billet oil cap. (Do you think chrome gives you better fuel mileage? Hmmmm....) Anyways, also for anyone thinking of changing to K & N filters, I highly reccommend it. I have had K&N in all my cars so far, and saves you tons of $$, mostly from the high cost of replacing paper filters, but now apparently from increased fuel mileage, and let's face it, with the price of gas now, every little bit helps.

Oh, and for those who may have never changed their air filters before, let me give you a little bit of advice. Make sure if you are going to K&N that you read all of the instruction, IN THE K&N box. Or, you can do what I did, read below...

1) Remove the lower cowling

2) Unbolt the air boxes (both sides)

3) Disconnect the breather tube, and carb hose

4) Remove 5 screws holding both sides of the air box together (both sides)

5) Remove 2 screws from air filter

6) Remove air filter (both sides)

7) Replace air filter (both sides)

8) Replace 2 screws holding air filter to air box

9) Replace 5 screws holding air box together

10) Bolt Airboxes back on bike

11) Re-attach the air intake hose, and carb hose

12) Replace the lower cowling

13) Put relatively new air filters back in K&N box

14) Discover warning sheet stressing importance of installing the 2 rubber gaskets that came with the K&N filters to seal the filters to the air boxes.

15) Find gaskets still in K&N box

start again at 1

So there ya go, sometimes reading all the instructions is the way to go!!

[Squidley]

Thats entirely possible Sonny, my problem is I can't stay out of the throttle well enough to see what my best gas mileage is

Glad it seems to be working out for you and thanks for the write up

[CrazyHorse]

I think it was the chrome brake pedal. Chromes slippery slips through the air.

[waterbug]

I have been thinking of getting some for mine, does it make the bike breath better? Mine feels like its starving for air might just be me.

[Guest Ken8143]

I didn't notice a difference in fuel economy when I put mine in. Who knows?

[Yammer Dan]

Thats entirely possible Sonny, my problem is I can't stay out of the throttle well enough to see what my best gas mileage is

Glad it seems to be working out for you and thanks for the write up

What Squid said!!

[dynodon]

I want to preface this comment with the fact that I sell K&N air filters, and have run them for years. (no I am not trolling for business, I don't get a real good price, so you can usually do better on E-bay, but I DO have experience with them). Also I used to run a Dynojet Chassis dyno shop (cars not bikes, but the experience still counts). Thus my nickname, Dyno Don (actually it is because Dyno Don Nicholson was one of my heros when growing up, but that is another story)

 

Anyway, I doubt that the K&N filters are responsible for any big increase in your fuel mileage. How dirty were ther filters you took off? If they were really dirty, then ANY clean decent filter would give you the same results.

 

Why do I KNOW this is true? Because K&N filters WILL flow more air, but that only really comes into play at full throttle where the engine is flowing enough air to really cause any negative pressure in a regular filter. At the tiny throttle openings of any gas engine at highway speeds, or around town, even when driven quite aggressively, air flow through the filter isn't enough to have the K&N advantage come into play.

 

I KNOW at full throttle a K&N will make some extra HP on any engine over a clean regular paper filter. USually on a 200-300 hp engine, that number is somewhere between 1 hp and about 5 or 6 hp. Usually not more on the stock intake system. A full custom system can make more HP, but again, only at full throttle. When just putting around, any intake system that is reasonably designed will flow just fine.

 

Chances are you paid for the K&N Filters, and heard or read somewhere (even K&N tries to sell the MPG angle, but trust me, it just isn't so) that you would get better MPG, so without you even knowing it, you drove a little different, or check the MPG better or different.

 

Chances are once you get back into your old routine, your mileage will be the same.

 

A K&N is a very good filter, and does have advantages, and I highly recommend them, I am just a realistic retailer and prefer to tell my customers the truth rather than try to sell something the wrong way.

[Rocket]

Thats entirely possible Sonny, my problem is I can't stay out of the throttle well enough to see what my best gas mileage is

 

 

At least I'm not the only one........ My only problem with my 83, on the to & from PIP trip, was keeping the scoot under 80 mph.

 

[GigaWhiskey]

I have ever only had a K&N filter on my bike, it came with it when I got it in 94.

[Squidley]

Thanks for taking the time with your write up Don, and it makes good sense. I buy K&N's because I never have to do it again, there's my cost savings. BTW....I would be interested in a set from you for my '08, can you get them??

[Sunman]

Yeah thanks for the information. If it was not the K&N, then it must have been the new chrome!! So not only is it safety chrome, it is not fuel economy chrome too!!