is a k and n filter worth buying, any noticeable difference ?

[mechanical music]

any difference in power with a k and n fitted

[darrsi]

any difference in power with a k and n fitted

There's no power difference as such, but the throttle can feel a bit sharper and responsive and you can actually sense that the filter is more breathable, plus it'll be the last filter you ever buy for the bike so economically it's worth it.


I clean mine once a year on a hot day in a bucket of warm water and a cup full of washing detergent powder, and swish it about in the water for a good 15mins, then let it dry naturally in the sun before spraying a light coating of K&N oil on it to finish the job.

[mechanical music]

good to know, thanks for your replie

[Grahamm]

Personally I think the only place you'll notice a difference is in your wallet

Yes, if you do a lot of miles, you'll eventually break even with a K&N over eg a HiFiltro pattern replacement, but the difference is marginal.

[darrsi]

Personally I think the only place you'll notice a difference is in your wallet

Yes, if you do a lot of miles, you'll eventually break even with a K&N over eg a HiFiltro pattern replacement, but the difference is marginal.

Explain that one please?
It's simple maths that you will save money with a K&N.
I would've changed my paper air filter every couple of years, so I've certainly saved money.
They work well with these bikes too as they already run a bit rich so the extra airflow is welcomed.

[darrsi]

https://foc-u.co.uk/index.php?topic=993.0

[Yam12]

Hi last year I put new castrol power 1 oil,yama oil filter, exhaust gaskets, iridium plugs and kandn filter on and had it tuned by top guy who has the dyno computer and he said its making a noticeable lot more power than other ones he's had in. It also felt a lot quicker and sounded meaner too with delcevik exhaust bike came with. So I don't know whether it was just the filter or combination of everything but what sold me on it was its good for the life of the bike and the air filter is a bit fiddly to get at for changing the cheap ones all the time.

[Grahamm]

It's simple maths that you will save money with a K&N.

A quick check of prices suggests that a K&N filter costs roughly four times the price of a HiFlo version.

The Haynes Manual for my FZ6 recommends replacing the filter every 25,000 miles.

So that's 100,000 miles before you break even.

Simple maths.

[darrsi]

It's simple maths that you will save money with a K&N.

A quick check of prices suggests that a K&N filter costs roughly four times the price of a HiFlo version.

The Haynes Manual for my FZ6 recommends replacing the filter every 25,000 miles.

So that's 100,000 miles before you break even.

Simple maths.

If you leave a paper filter on for 25,000 miles your bike will not be performing at its best capacity.
Have you not seen the state of windows, or even vehicles, after it rains these days? The rain has thick dust in it. You can blatantly feel the engine breathing better as soon as a K&N is fitted.
If you wanna save a few pennies there are used ones on Ebay, just give them a clean and spray with oil and job's a good'un.

[mtread]

I'm no expert, but the question was about the FZS600 not the FZ6. In other words a carb bike with fixed fuelling, rather than a fuel injected bike which manages the fuelling and air intake. I have a K&N in my FZS600, and it's a breath of fresh air    Well worth the extra money

[Grahamm]

If you leave a paper filter on for 25,000 miles your bike will not be performing at its best capacity.

If you leave a filter in place *without checking it* for 25,000 miles, you've only yourself to blame.

Have you not seen the state of windows, or even vehicles, after it rains these days? The rain has thick dust in it. You can blatantly feel the engine breathing better as soon as a K&N is fitted.

You mean when the filter is *not* filtering out that thick dust but letting it pass through into your engine...?

[midden]

It's simple maths that you will save money with a K&N.

A quick check of prices suggests that a K&N filter costs roughly four times the price of a HiFlo version.

The Haynes Manual for my FZ6 recommends replacing the filter every 25,000 miles.

So that's 100,000 miles before you break even.

Simple maths.

If you leave a paper filter on for 25,000 miles your bike will not be performing at its best capacity.

If not cleaned during that 25k miles it likely it won't be performing at all on the fzs600 (as pointed out by Mtread)

It's simple maths that you will save money with a K&N.

A quick check of prices suggests that a K&N filter costs roughly four times the price of a HiFlo version.

The Haynes Manual for my FZ6 recommends replacing the filter every 25,000 miles.

So that's 100,000 miles before you break even.

Simple maths.

Then you have to factor in the time for each removal to air-clean or change the standard filter

[darrsi]

If you leave a paper filter on for 25,000 miles your bike will not be performing at its best capacity.

If you leave a filter in place *without checking it* for 25,000 miles, you've only yourself to blame.

Have you not seen the state of windows, or even vehicles, after it rains these days? The rain has thick dust in it. You can blatantly feel the engine breathing better as soon as a K&N is fitted.

You mean when the filter is *not* filtering out that thick dust but letting it pass through into your engine...?

How exactly do you "check" a paper filter? The colour, blow through it?
Also to "check" it on my bike, however that may be, would still involve unleashing the tank cover, taking tank off, etc.
So may as well just clean a K&N once a year and know for sure it's all good. Obviously some people do more mileage than others but the K&N will cope anyway.


And the K&N, as you well know, is still a very decent filter, but it just breathes a lot better. You can really feel it through the throttle.

[Grahamm]

Ok, this is just going round in circles.

You want K&N and you think it will benefit your bike, pay extra and buy one.

Personally, I don't think it's worth the extra cost and hassle.

Your choice.

[darrsi]

Ok, this is just going round in circles.

You want K&N and you think it will benefit your bike, pay extra and buy one.

Personally, I don't think it's worth the extra cost and hassle.

Your choice.

Have you tried one?

[unfazed]

It's simple maths that you will save money with a K&N.

The Haynes Manual for my FZ6 recommends replacing the filter every 25,000 miles.

So that's 100,000 miles before you break even.

Simple maths.

I wouldn't leave a filter on any bike for 25000miles and I would be surprised if Haynes said 25000 miles since they take their information from the Yamaha manuals and the Yamaha manual states replacement at 12000miles 19000Km. See Picture
I know this because they Haynes technical support told me when I corrected a mistake on the 1999 FZS600 Wiring diagram, I contacted them and told them about the mistake in their wiring diagram. 
The FZ6 Yamaha Owners and service manual state 19000Km and Haynes would have no reason to deviate from it.

The FZS600 run rich as standard because the air filter is more restrictive than it need to be and the reason given was to reduce the intake roar to pass the noise test.

I have fitted a K&N filter to all vehicles I own and have owned and never had an issue with them. In my opinion for whatever it's worth I would recommend fitting a K&N one to the FZS600.
A further issue I have come across more than once is that some, but not all HiFlo Air filters were more restrictive than OEM and causes issues with the running of the FZS600 after after 5 or 6000 miles on the filter.
The more restrictive  HiFlo filter would cause the FZS600 to die around the 7 to 8000 rev mark and pick up again when opening the throttle quickly, but didn't happen when going through the rev range normally.

[Grahamm]

Have you tried one?

No, because I don't feel the need to pay four times the price for something which would most probably make no noticeable difference to my riding.

[Grahamm]

I wouldn't leave a filter on any bike for 25000miles and I would be surprised if Haynes said 25000 miles since they take their information from the Yamaha manuals and the Yamaha manual states replacement at 12000miles 19000Km.

Attached are pictures from Haynes and from the Yamaha FZ6 Service Manual.

[darrsi]

Have you tried one?

No, because I don't feel the need to pay four times the price for something which would most probably make no noticeable difference to my riding.

So how on earth can you comment on them? Fair enough if you've tried it and liked or even disliked it, but telling people not to buy one when you haven't any personal knowledge of them is not exactly helpful in any way is it?
If anything you should be welcoming the point of view of people that have tried and tested them.ie: members of FOC-U
I'm not actually sure if I've ever read anything bad about them once people have tried them?

[unfazed]

I wouldn't leave a filter on any bike for 25000miles and I would be surprised if Haynes said 25000 miles since they take their information from the Yamaha manuals and the Yamaha manual states replacement at 12000miles 19000Km.

Attached are pictures from Haynes and from the Yamaha FZ6 Service Manual.

Not the first time Yamaha had conflicting information or mistakes in their manuals. Try checking what they say about the Valve Clearances on the FZS1000 

[Grahamm]

So how on earth can you comment on them?

Because I have seen threads like this one before many a time, here and in other places.

If you want to spend the extra money, feel free, but, like upgrading my rear shock from OEM to YSS instead of Nitron or Hagon etc, for the majority of riders, the difference will probably not be noticeable or beneficial.

[darrsi]

So how on earth can you comment on them?

Because I have seen threads like this one before many a time, here and in other places.

If you want to spend the extra money, feel free, but, like upgrading my rear shock from OEM to YSS instead of Nitron or Hagon etc, for the majority of riders, the difference will probably not be noticeable or beneficial.

Give your bike a treat, you never know, you might even like it. 

[Grahamm]

Give your bike a treat, you never know, you might even like it. 

Tell you what, you buy me a K&N filter, I'll install it, if I think I can feel any difference, I'll pay you back...

[SpiceWeasel]

I fitted one to my bike many years ago, I think it makes a little bit of a difference. I seem to recall reading the FZS run a bit rich as standard and the extra air flow helps a little bit with fuelling. If nothing else it gained a nice howl from the exhaust near the top end.... I just have a Venom race can fitted.

[kebab19]

As a compromise, Pipercross also sell reusable air filters the same design as K&N but are around half their price.