air filter

[three season]

Hi folks
Getting bike ready for spring, on checking air filter found it v wet with petrol??? its a K&N, Been reading older topics and found that i shouldnt use as carbs are standard so will resort back to stock filter. Bike has been laid up over winter (started a couple of times)
2005 thou
Any help much appreciated

[Dudeofrude]

Are you sure it's fuel and not oil? I know some people use a small amount of engine oil on their air filters when they clean them?

[robbo]

I had a K&N on my old Blade which required oiling after cleaning. Strangely enough I 've just ordered the cleaning/reoiling kit for my Pipercross air filter today.

[three season]

Thanks for reply.  definetely petrol. got a feelin it aint gonna be an easy fix

[mick chiz]

 with saying petrol on your filter,it would have to be a cany leak to get your k&n wet,petrol evaporates so sounds like you've decent leak to me,and it shouldnt be too hard to find i hope

[Falcon 269]

I don't think you've anything unusual to be concerned about.  The carbs do blow some fuel vapour back into the air filter, so smelling petrol from the filter isn't unusual.  Also, the crankcase breather vents into the airbox, another source of oily vapours from the motor.

Get a K&N cleaning kit, follow the instructions and refit the filter when it's been re-oiled.  Don't overdo the oiling.  Monitor it after a few thousand miles. 

As for not using a K&N with stock jetting, it isn't the big deal some internet threads make it out to be, certainly not with the post-03 Fazers which aren't as prone to lean surge as the first bikes.  At larger throttle openings the Fazer is over-jetted on the mains so the K&N flowing more air is not a bad thing.

RMWL

[three season]

Did seem more than vapours. Will get k&n cleaning kit and keep a close eye on it.
Thanks a lot for your advice Mick and Falcon.