TOPIC:

Kawboy wrote:

lucasind wrote: blog.perrinperformance.com/foam-filter-q...y-they-are-the-best/

Did you buy a Perrin filter for the bike? Who supplies this? I went to the website but can't seem to find the products. ??

Hello Kawboy...., when I bought my 1300 the P.O.had just installed a new K&N in it..... I went snooping around on line ,looking to see what else I could find that is available, I found that page that I posted, to be some very interesting reading and thought I would post that link so others could take what they wanted from it. I also went to the "UNI" filters webpage,they list filters for the 1300,which I am assuming would attach to the intake of each 2-barrel carb, but they did not show a photo, I will investigate some more !............tony

I believe you'll find the UNI_Filter is of the same style as the OEM and K&N. I'm not aware of any filter maker that makes a "Pod" type for this our carb. but there are those who've made a Pod fit, with some work.

Before apples and oranges get mixed here, I was just wondering what Tony was looking for. I know Tony has a ZN1300, with fuel injection, and I know Scotch, and most others here, are talking about the KZ's with carbs. Tony, do you also have a KZ?

After reading Tony's linked article, why not take some chicken-wire and make up your own foam filters? Simple construction and you can fit it to the stock box.

I may do this. I struggle with accepting that companies as reputable is K&N can produce an aftermarket product that doesn't fit and distribute through numerous suppliers/ distributors. The stock paper filter which Kawasaki markets fits. K7N chose to get their hands on an airbox and then design a filter to fit the airbox. Why wouldn't they buy a paper filter and mimic that?? It's such a simple fix. They need to make this right then look after the customers who have already bought the product and are waiting patiently for replacements.

trikbldr wrote: <..."why not take some chicken-wire and make up your own foam filters? Simple construction and you can fit it to the stock box".>

Last year I took a stock air-filter frame and used it to mount a felt filter medium. There was some considerable work required to remove the paper-element. The top, bottom, and ends of the stock-filter paper-element are "glued" heavily. The paper element is easily torn out but removing the adhesive was difficult. I ended up using a propane plumbers torch to heat the glue and the metal to a point where I could scrape the softened glue. The fumes are not all that pleasant ! I used a "Kawasaki" OEM filter. After market filters may use a more easily removed adhesive. I started out with 3 layers of felt but eventually reduced that to 1 layer. The retaining rod was originally positioned to hold those 3 layers so a piece of self-stick weather stripping stuck to the rod, takes up the space and holds the single layer. If I do go to an "air-filter' foam, the supplemental piece of foam can be removed. The height of the felt is cut a bit long so it is in full contact with the frame ends.
A pleated filter gives more surface area which arguably would give a longer service life, but I don't run a filter 'til it's black. I might replace the felt with "Air Filter Foam" if I come across some but for now I'm satified with the felt. It seems to be effective, easily cut and mounted, and so cheap I throw it out and put in a new piece. Now that my GM coil-pac has been relocated to above the cam-cover, the tool-tray is back to being useful but more significantly it's back to being easily removed to access the air filter. I was cleaning the stock air filter a couple of times a year anyway so changing the felt filter a couple of more times a season (if required ) and with easy access is of no concern. I'm more of a "proactive/preventive" maintenance type.

On a personal note: " I would NEVER" hack my air-filter box to accomodate an ill-fitting/badly-designed filter - K&N or otherwise! I hacked the original years ago in some fetish attempt to re-engineer the air filter system and ended up buying 3 new air-box pieces to get back to original filters.
Hind sight is 20/20 !
What seems to be ommitted in the few comments from those who have or are thinking about "enlarging" for a K&N filter: Enlarging the opening at the "top" of the air-box is easy. But if you want to "Split Hairs" - The bottom requires enlarging too because the air-filter's foam seal sits on a lip created by the "snorkel" part of the assembly! A previously used filter will have compressed gaskets and after some time may not creat a proper seal. Having said that: As long as the filter's foam seal is in full contact with the bottom of the tool-tray (lid) as well as sealing on the bottom: should be OK.
Certainly something to think about.