[Jkilla71]

I was looking at the cost of the K&N filters online for the CBR300 and they are over $40+, seems like a lot for such a little K&N filter. I have a couple K&N filters for automobiles just laying around in my garage from cars I have sold and they are 4X the size of the CBR filter but didn't cost over $40 either. I think I am going to cut the paper filter out of the plastic frame on the OE filter and use some epoxy or silicone adhesive to replace the paper element with a piece of the same size K&N filter material from one of the car filters.

Just going to clean the old K&N filters first in the dishwasher, re-oil and maybe have it in place by tomorrow, if I use silicone because it takes 24hrs time to cure or maybe tonight if I have enough epoxy in the garage.

 

[Jkilla71]

I ended up using indoor silicone adhesive. I just cut out the paper with a razor knife. I cut the K&N filter with some snips then just measured while outlining in painters tape as a guide and cut it out. I put a healthy bead of silicone around the inside of the frame then installed the K&N filter followed with a bead of silicone with my finger around the outside and inside seams of the filter frame. I am going to wait 24hr to install it to cure and clean off the excess but I am happy. It is interesting when I was vacuuming out the K&N filter after cutting it, my small shop vac will not lift the K&N filter material off the floor but it wants to suck the paper filter down the tube.

 

[nautiquelfe]

I am hoping to buy a 300f when the dealers finally get them in. I would be interested in a K&N filter for the free'r airflow, but the price tag seems excessive. I guess if you clean and re-oil them you could save in the long run, but thats alot of miles to break even. Please keep the us posted if you see any measurable benefit v/s the oem filter.

 

[Lokis Tyro]

You can buy sheets of UNI foam for about 13 dollars. Dual stage foam is about 20. I also used Permatex Moto Seal that's fuel resistant and good up to 400° when I made my own filters.

 

[MotoMike]

@ Jkilla71... is it really worth the time and effort to make that filter and at the same time put your Honda factory warranty at risk of being denied should you have an engine failure?

The OEM Honda air filter sells for less than $10, and under most riding conditions should be good for at least 12,000 miles.

 

[Jkilla71]

@ Jkilla71... is it really worth the time and effort to make that filter and at the same time put your Honda factory warranty at risk of being denied should you have an engine failure?

The OEM Honda air filter sells for less than $10, and under most riding conditions should be good for at least 12,000 miles.

To me any time I can spend in the garage is worth it. I like working on motorcycles just as much as riding and maybe more when I restore one back to riding condition. However, I didn't realize Honda was so strict about their warranty. I always do my own scheduled services on all my new bikes and have changed out filters and exhaust on almost every new bike I have ever owned but none of those were Hondas. In any case if something like the filter would void the warranty I imagine me doing the first service might void it too. The dealer is allowed to change my tires as long as I take it off the bike but I will never pay them to put a wrench on one of my bikes.

 

[MotoMike]

To me any time I can spend in the garage is worth it. I like working on motorcycles just as much as riding and maybe more when I restore one back to riding condition. However, I didn't realize Honda was so strict about their warranty. I always do my own scheduled services on all my new bikes and have changed out filters and exhaust on almost every new bike I have ever owned but none of those were Hondas. In any case if something like the filter would void the warranty I imagine me doing the first service might void it too. The dealer is allowed to change my tires as long as I take it off the bike but I will never pay them to put a wrench on one of my bikes.

I do all the service and maintenance on my bikes too... there is nothing in the American Honda Limited Warranty terms that says you can't do your own scheduled maintenance. That falls under the laws of the federal Magnuson-Moss Act, which also stipulates that a manufacturer cannot require a consumer to use a "branded" part in order to keep a warranty in effect. So in this case, Honda cannot say that you must use an OEM Honda air filter. If there is an aftermarket filter that is manufactured to an equivalent quality to the OEM part, you can use it without effecting warranty coverage. In the case of air filters for the 250R/300R, there are few options available... the OEM Honda replacement, and a K&N manufactured air filter are the only two that I know of that are made for these bikes.

However, using sub-standard, incorrect, or non OEM equivalent parts CAN void the manufacturers warranty coverage IF those parts are found to be the cause of a failure that would otherwise be a covered repair under the terms of the warranty.

It's your bike (and engine warranty at stake), but if it were me I'd at least wait with using your homemade fabricated air filter until your 12 month warranty has expired... always better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Jkilla71]

I think your advice is sound and should be followed.

However, in my case I consider the risk very low. I have made filters before on many different machines and never a problem.

It use to be when I was younger we wouldn't run any air filters at all on the older bikes and nothing out of the ordinary ever happened. I am more of the opinion the consistent oil changes will reduce most of the risk of not running an air filter at all.


This is what my 2012 TU250 looked like the day I brought it home $4,299 a couple dollars more than the 2015 CBR300

The next day here is what it looked like

This is what it looked like before the warranty expired and Suzuki replaced a broken throttle cable under warranty. Now I am friends with the guys at the dealer and that might have something to do with it but it is also my local Honda dealer too

 

[Jkilla71]

I have been riding with the replacement K&N element for a day now and the bike has a lot more of a growl in the upper RPMs, which louder is always faster but seriously even though it feels faster it would only be speculating in any performance gains. However, the bike feels faster everyday as it gets more miles on it.

 

[Cropper]

@Jkilla71 that TU is downright gorgeous! I knew it was only a matter of time before people started cafeing them. I see them all the time down by the office, mostly ridden by anoraks in open face helmets and vintage leather boots playing rocker on the weekend.

Glad to see your TU was given the proper treatment

 

[Jkilla71]

Unfortunately I was hit by a deer on that TU250 on 8/15 and the bike was a total loss. I bought the CBR300 with the insurance money from the TU250. The CBR300 is better than the TU250 as far as performance in every way but I have yet to hear someone tell me nice bike since I bought it. Riding the TU250 on the other hand was like I was a movie star and several people each day would stop me and ask about it. If I had a dollar for how many times someone asked me to put knee dents in their tanks because of the orange and white tank I did on that bike, I would never have to pay for fuel again.

 

[Youda122]

There only two ways for a filter to flow better. 1 is to have a larger surface area (for example having more folds to increase the surface area of the element). 2 is to have a filter that is more porous (ie unable to filter finer particles). Since your modified filter does not appear to have a larger surface area if it is performing better take note that it will be less effective at filtering. All well and good if you are prepared to accept the risk (what little there is)