Every motorcycle has an air filter that has one very important job. It cleans the air that goes to your motorcycle engine, and that way, it saves your engine from getting dirty, which could later lead to more significant engine problems or, in the worst-case, engine death.
Having this in mind, you need to take care of your motorcycle air filter, and in this article, we will show you how to change a motorcycle air filter and the easiest way to do it.
So how do you change a motorcycle air filter? You need to locate your air filter first, which is mostly underneath the seat or next to the fuel tank. After locating the filter, remove the airbox cover and remove the filter. Ensure that the filter suits the specifics of your bike and reinstall it. Test your bike, and you are good to go.
Later in this article, you will find a step-by-step guide on how it needs to be done as well as all important things related to changing an air filter.
Table of Contents
How to Change a Motorcycle Air Filter?
Four-stroke motorcycles engines have a very simple working principle. An air-fuel mixture is compressed and sent to the engine, where it gets ignited. As a result, the pistons rotate the crankshaft that transmits the power through the transmission to your motorcycle rear wheel through a chain or drive belt, which depends on your motorcycle make and model.
The air-fuel mixture needs to be in a perfect ratio, which is important for your motorcycle engine’s functionality and the level of its performance. If the mixture ratio is optimal, it will ensure that the engine runs with its maximum efficiency and power potential.
Before you begin the process of changing your motorcycle air filter, you need to make sure that a new air filter that you buy suits the specifics of your motorcycle make and model because there are many types of air filters, and not all of them are suitable for every bike.
This can be sometimes overlooked, and a rider gets a wrong air filter, and then he has an unnecessary additional time-consuming job of changing the wrong air filter for the one suitable for his bike.
Once you have a suitable air filter, you can prepare your bike for an air filter change.
Step 1: Prepare Your Motorcycle
The process of changing the motorcycle air filter is not difficult to perform, especially if you have ever done it. If you haven’t, don’t worry, you will have all the information detailed here. For now, you need to put your motorcycle on a kickstand, motorcycle lift, or a motorcycle jack. It is just important to secure your bike and make it stable.
Note: You want your bike to be secured and stable to prevent it from falling and hitting the ground, which can result in bike damaging as well as damaging anything around it or, in the worst-case scenario hurting you or if you have extra help, it can hurt the person helping you.
Step 2: Find Your Air Filter
Most bikes have their air filter placed underneath the seat or near the fuel tank. This is where your motorcycle manual will be helpful if you don’t know the exact location of your air filter. Look for the air filter’s location to proceed to the next step.
Step 3: Remove Your Air Filter
After successfully locating your air filter, it is time to take it off your motorcycle. To do so, depending on your motorcycle make and model, you will maybe have to take off the seat, body panels, or in some cases, even the fuel tank needs to be removed for you to access the airbox where your air filter is placed.
In order for you to complete this step, you need to have the necessary tools that will help you with completing this step.
Note: Some riders have a bit of fear that they may cause some kind of damage on their bike while performing this, and that is perfectly fine, but my advice to you is to complete this guide to the end and then decide if you can do it or not. I am sure that you will be able to perform this easy job, just go for it.
Step 4: Get a New Air Filter
Getting the right air filter is necessary for your motorcycle to run correctly. This is the part where many riders wonder what filter they should choose and what is the best for their bikes. To make it easier for you right at the beginning, there is rarely a difference between air filters, so don’t bother searching for the perfect one.
Just make sure that the filter you bought satisfies your motorcycle specifics. There are many different options for you to choose and I would follow the golden rule here, and that is aim for the middle. What I mean by that is for you to get an air filter that is quality and at the same time the price is in the middle, it is not too expensive nor is it totally cheap.
One characteristic thing about smaller bikes is that they often times come with pod-type filters, and these filters can be swapped and switched depending on what you prefer and like. Universal type filters like these oftentimes come in different sizes, and that is why you need to know the measurements of your bike’s air filter because, as I said, you don’t want to waste your time changing the wrong filter for the good one.
On the opposite, bigger bikes mostly come with proprietary air filters. You can also find a lot of kits with reusable, washable, and air filters with improved airflow. Although these air filter options can be expensive, they increase your motorcycle performance and are a more long-term solution in comparison to the stock air filters.
Step 5: Install the New Air Filter
Depending on your motorcycle type, installing a new air filter can be tricky and easy depending on the spot where your air filter is placed. If your filter is in a tight spot, you may need to give a little more effort to install it. If your bike has a slip-on pod-type air filter, a little bit of lubricant can help you place the filter in its housing.
On the other hand, if your motorcycle has a drop-in air filter, you can just slide it to the airbox. Keep everything snug and tight, change the airbox cover and return all the bodywork that you took off before to gain access to your air filter.
After reinstalling your air filter go for a test ride and make sure that everything is set correctly.
Why Do You Need to Change an Air Filter?
If you wonder why you should change your air filter, here are the main reasons why it needs to be done. As you ride, the air that enters your engine (this air gets filtered before entering the engine, that’s why you have the air filter) is not 100% clean, as a matter of fact, it is dirty, and it can be very very dirty if you ride through the polluted area like big cities.
If you want to learn How to Clean a Motorcycle Air Filter, click on this link.
Also, not to mention dirt bikes, and if you are a fan of off-road rides on wild terrains, then the air is especially dirty from dust and other small particles (just remember when you are done with the dirt bike rides how much dust there is on your gear and your goggles, especially during summer rides when everything is dry). These particles are stopped from getting into the engine and damaging it, and that is all possible because of an air filter. Who would say that such a simple thing can mean so much for your engine protection?
Now, suppose your air filter gets heavily clogged from all the elements mentioned above (dirt and other tiny particles). In that case, your engine performance can be significantly lowered as well as motorcycle efficiency, and sometimes in worst-case scenarios, your engine will stall or cut out.
Since these are all terrible scenarios that we don’t want to happen, the good news is that it can all be prevented by regular air filter changes, and this we will explain to the very last detail in this article.
How Often Should You Change a Motorcycle Air Filter?
As a general rule, you should change your air filter every time you change motorcycle engine oil. You should also replace your filter every 3 to 4 months if you live in a highly polluted city or on the seaside and sandy locations.
If you want to learn How to Change Your Motorcycle Oil, click on this link.
For riders who ride in desert places like African countries, you should clean your filter before and after rides since these places have a lot of tiny dust particles that can clog your motorcycle air filter.
I want to give you some tips that I have used myself, and some of my friends find useful:
- “Exhaust Cleaner”: Use your exhaust to clean your clogged air filter if you get stranded in someplace, and you have no other way to clean it. The exhaust will act as an air compressor. If your engine runs in place without an air filter and you take and hold your dirty filter next to your exhaust pipe, the air pressure coming from the exhaust pipe will do some cleaning of your air filter. Although it won’t be perfect, it should be enough first hand.
- Coat the Airbox: Use an air filter oil (any kind) and spray the airbox walls from the inside. This oil will make the surface sticky, allowing the tiny dust particles from the air to be removed before they reach the air filter. You should spray intake pipes as well.
- Use Pre-filter: Pre-filters are protection that can be placed on your motorcycle intake pipes, and they will stop the larger amount of dirt (the bulk of dirt) from getting to the air filter.
Here is a nice video about changing a motorcycle air filter:
Final Thoughts
Like many other exposable parts that need to be serviced and periodically changed, the motorcycle air filter is also one of them. Take proper care about your air filter and clean it when you notice that your bike doesn’t perform very best, and make sure to change it with a new air filter once it can’t be rewashed.
We hope you liked this article and that it has helped you change your air filter.