Keeping your motorcycle in top shape means keeping up with routine maintenance. In addition to changing your oil regularly and keeping your tires up to snuff, it is also important to periodically change your air filter. The actual maintenance schedule will depend on your bike, so your best bet is to check your owner's manual or to contact a dealership to confirm your particular maintenance interval. Of course, the air filter is often seen as the low hanging fruit of performance gains. Although not always easily accessible, filters are generally cheap and can potentially provide horsepower improvements.
Understanding Your Air Filter
Unsurprisingly, the purpose of your motorcycle's air filter is to filter air. Along with fuel and spark, air is one of three things that your engine needs to run. This air is pumped in from the environment, and it can contain an almost endless array of small particles that can cause some serious havoc if they were to enter the combustion chamber. The purpose of your air filter is to keep this catastrophe from happening.
Contrary to popular belief, air filters themselves really have no particular performance purpose. If the environmental air was completely clean and free of debris, every vehicle on the road would run be running with no filter at all. Unfortunately, the real world is a messy place and that means that air filters are necessary. Any performance gains offered by air filters are really a reduction in the amount of performance that is lost by restricting the air flow in the first place.
Advantages of Performance Filters
The stock filter on your bike was engineered to meet a number of important criteria, including performance, longevity, and durability. This means that trade-offs were made in the selection of the filter density, the material, and the overall design in order to ensure that that they fit with the maintenance schedule while also providing the best performance possible. If you have upgraded your motorcycle in other ways (such as with an improved exhaust system) or if you are okay with increased maintenance, then an aftermarket performance filter might be right for you.
In general, aftermarket filters are designed with performance first and foremost. As noted above, filters don't improve performance as much as they restrict it to varying degrees in exchange for offering your engine significant protection. Aftermarket filters still offer the same protection, but they also allow for greater air flow which can free up some of your engine's power. This can be especially important if you have already made other performance modifications on your ride.
Choosing the Right Filter
There are a wide variety of performance filters available for motorcycles of all years and models, so choosing one often comes down to personal preference. Multiple companies manufacture common, well-reviewed filters that are known to offer significant gains. When selecting a filter, be sure to pay attention to installation and maintenance information. Aftermarket filters can sometimes require extra installation steps, and reusable filters will generally require regular cleaning and reoiling. In exchange for these small costs, you can potentially reap significant horsepower gains.
For more information on air filters, such as Panigale air filters, contact a motorsports shop near you
Share10 June 2019
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