Sorry, I don't have my service manual with me. At what scheduled maintenance does the (stock) air filter need to be changed? I hear stories of air filters being really dirty after a mere 7,000 miles...

Never followed the book on filters, depends where you drive,, manual says 48K km, inspecting every 12K.. Don't think I kept a stock one that long.. moved to a K&N

i agree with xcanuk- get a k&n filter.last week i took my out for the first time. it had been 16,000 mile's since i bought it/put it in. the damn the looked brand new!!

That's because you've never taken your X on some dusty, un-paved road.

sure i have. i live in south carolina- it's hot and humid in the summer month's. we've been in a drought for almost three year's. which make's the trail's quite dry and dusty. i was quite surprised how clean the filter was, myself.

I had only 12,000 km's on my stock filter (about 7000 miles). Almost every weekend this summer was spent offroad, many miles on dry, dusty forestry roads. My filter was absolutely black. Just inspect it at every oil change, takes only a couple of seconds. Upgrading to a K&N is a great way to save money down the road.

Thanks everyone. I'll order a K&N.

I am a little confused. Does the K & N filter self clean itself? I was under the impression that the K & N is better because it filter's the air better and ? (is this a cleanable filter). I would think the better the filter, the dirtier it would be given the same driving and same time? Better filter.... more dirt removed from air. the better filter should also allow more air to pass even with better filtration. If your filter looked new after 16-17K miles then either it is not cleaning the air very well or you didn't go in very dirt air... Please clear my confusion...

[ 10-16-2001: Message edited by: kayakman ]

[ 10-16-2001: Message edited by: kayakman ]

The K&N is a cleanable filter, you have to buy a "recharge kit" that comes with a cleaner and an oiler. You can typically get two "charges" out of a kit.

They last longer because the typical stock airfilter is paper, where as the K&N is not paper.

I've cleaned the filter in my X three times, and the four cone filters on my bike twice with the same kit. The cleaner is three quarters full, as is the oil spray. What the heck are you doing that you use half the kit per cleaning?

TimR