Triumphrat

smartin108 · 08-12-2007

Any opinions on which is the better filter?

badrufus · 08-13-2007

I don't know how many folks are going to have tried both but I can comment on the K&N. I've had one on my T100 for two and a half years. It came oiled, so I didn't have to worry about it for awhile. If you follow the directions that come with a K&N cleaning and re-oiling kit, cleaning is straightforward. Again, if you follow the directions and use a squeeze bottle of K&N oil, not the spray version, re-oiling it is very straightforward and you can know that you got the correct amount of oil on and that it is thoroughly spread throughout the filter. I like it. I'll stick with it.

oregonthruxton · 08-13-2007

K&N for street, Uni for mx.

smartin108 · 08-13-2007

Thanks guys. I am trying to determine which one to go with.

wenzel850 · 08-13-2007

My vote is for K+N also. I have 1 in my bike and my car. When the wifes new car needs a air filter, 1 will go in there also.

When I do the ARK thing it'll be K+N pods.

BellaCorse · 08-13-2007

K&N and UNI are like the Coke & Pepsi of high performance air filters. I personally think they work equally as well in the new generation Bonneville range.

I also do not recommend oiling the filters. That's fine if your filters are exposed to UV and mud like on a dirt bike, but enclosed in the airbox, the oil is just not needed.

/Mike

"That's just my opinion folks. I could be wrong." - Dennis Miller

Motorboy · 08-13-2007

The oil is what traps and holds the fine particles and keeps the larger grit clinging and attached....without oil you might as well use a metal screen cover over the inlets.....

Use them dry at your own risk !!! Mike and Dennis admit that they could be wrong,,, this time they are.......

SoCalHawk · 08-13-2007

I agree with Oregonthruxton

"K&N for street, Uni for mx."

K&Ns are easy to maintain and give great performance.

dazco · 08-13-2007

My thought is to use the one that filters better. The reason is this. I took my UNI out and ran the bike sans filter for a couple miles and there was no difference. The reason as far as i can see is that the system's bottleneck determines the max amount of air that can be delivered. In the case of the stock airbox the bottleneck isn't the filter but the restrictor plate.

The point is that maybe the K&N can flow more, but it doesn't matter because neither it nor the UNI has any trouble providing the max amount of flow the restrictor plate allows. Therefore by using the K&N you aren't gaining any advantage, but you're allowing larger particles thru to the engine. I base that on pretty much every test i've read. People generally agree that the K&N flows better at the cost of filtering. But since the UNI flows as much as the box allows, using a K&N may be dis-advantageous.

Now if you decide to remove the restrictor then the K&N may be a advantage, tho it will still pass more debris. But at least you'd get something in return. By the way, some airboxes have removable restrictor plates, others don't. Depends on the model and/or year. Could be that all bonnies have removable plates and some or all cruisers don't. Not sure about that.
Anyways, food for thought.

Jimi_X · 08-13-2007

The K&N filters are stuffed with cotton. It will snag most particulate even dry. Don't wash it in hot water or dry it with a hair dryer (as tempting as it may be) BUT,.. I have one and I tested the theory. Dry or oiled (don't soak the filter in oil,...self explanatory). A little oil is fine,...if you feel guilty, wash it more often. Anyhow, I could find no difference in performance with it dry or oiled. My K&N is oiled LIGHTLY!!, and cleaned more often. My restrictor plate is removed.

After removing the restrictor plate, I ran with the stock paper filter for about 2 months. (K&N was not in stock and back-ordered). I noticed some improvement with just that change. With the K&N installed there is a noticeable increase in air box / engine sound, but it's the difference in charge from 5000 to 7400 RPM that will really put a smile on your face.