Air filter changing 98-01 VFR 800 FI

[reg71]

Time needed: 30-60 minutes
Curse word factor: Kindergarden (unless you drop your tank)
Tools needed: basic metric socket set (8,10), phillips screwdriver, big hex wrench (not sure the size), pliers
Also needed: pad to rest tank on, new air filter

Step 1: Remove seat

Step 2: Remove the 8mm bolts at the front of the tank and the 10mm bolts at the back of the tank.

Step 3: Remove the air vent tube and overflow tube. I couldn't get a good pic of this because they are hard to see until the tank is off, but it is obvious when you tilt the tank up and look under.

Step 4: Unplug the fuel pump (brown) connector and the fuel unit (blue)connector.


Step 5: Place a pad on the back of the bike and flip the tank upside down.


Step 6: Remove the fuel return tube and the banjo bolt. Make sure not to lose your washers here. I just screwed the bolt back in a little after disconnecting.

Step 7: Remove the air box cover. Pretty straightforward except the top left one required a long screwdriver.


Step 8: After the cover is off, remove the old air filter and discard. Since I am installing a new K&N air filter, there is one more step for me. If you were installing a stock one, just put it in the same as the old one and reverse the steps.

Step 9: For K&N filter only: Remove the gasket from the air box and the air box lid.


Step 10: Install the K&N air filter with the logo facing up, reverse the disassembly steps, and you should be good to go.


As you can see, the K&N has visibly less filter than the stock filter. I will keep track of my performance and see if there is any appreciable difference and post it in the forums.

[OhioVFRMan]

Did this the other day. What a pain in the ass. Some times I wish I still had my '77 KZ650. Took 5 minutes to change the air filter and cost half as much.

[mello dude]

Time needed: 30-60 minutes
Curse word factor: Kindergarden (unless you drop your tank)
Tools needed: basic metric socket set (8,10), phillips screwdriver, big hex wrench (not sure the size), pliers
Also needed: pad to rest tank on, new air filter

Step 1: Remove seat

Step 2: Remove the 8mm bolts at the front of the tank and the 10mm bolts at the back of the tank.

Step 3: Remove the air vent tube and overflow tube. I couldn't get a good pic of this because they are hard to see until the tank is off, but it is obvious when you tilt the tank up and look under.

Step 4: Unplug the fuel pump (brown) connector and the fuel unit (blue)connector.


Step 5: Place a pad on the back of the bike and flip the tank upside down.


Step 6: Remove the fuel return tube and the banjo bolt. Make sure not to lose your washers here. I just screwed the bolt back in a little after disconnecting.

Step 7: Remove the air box cover. Pretty straightforward except the top left one required a long screwdriver.


Step 8: After the cover is off, remove the old air filter and discard. Since I am installing a new K&N air filter, there is one more step for me. If you were installing a stock one, just put it in the same as the old one and reverse the steps.

Step 9: For K&N filter only: Remove the gasket from the air box and the air box lid.


Step 10: Install the K&N air filter with the logo facing up, reverse the disassembly steps, and you should be good to go.


As you can see, the K&N has visibly less filter than the stock filter. I will keep track of my performance and see if there is any appreciable difference and post it in the forums.

So Reg,
Whadya think?

MD

[Wu-Viffer]

Hey Reg,

Did you notice any difference in your bike after this? I was thinking of doing the same.

Thanks,
Mel

[lowelanxd]

I am also very curious if you've experience a difference in performance. I sell K&N air filters all that time at AZ, and customers swear that that notice a difference; they seem to feel justified in paying $60 instead of $10 for the OEM. I know the filter for this bike runs almost $50 on the stock replacement, so a reusable aftermarket is definaly a cost efficent decision. Keep us informed, if it nets a good result or no negative results...I might as well go with a K&N for 10 bucks more and never buy another. Thanks ~Andrew

[lowelanxd]

a twist on my previous post. went to take a look at the airfilter <thanks for the instructions man, made it a snap> anyhow- my bike already has the k&n in it... god love buying used... never know what your getting! I pulled it out because to take a look at the throttle bodies- and i was a bit dismayed to find a dirt crusted film of oil directly under the element creeping into the intake ports I'll have to guess that highflow means your not getting the best dust removal. I cleaned the mess out of the air box... pretty nasty. I dont know if i could advocate the use of this product having seen the poor job it did. Time to buy a new honda replacement! just a note... the VFR has 8,300 miles on it so i'd guess that the filter didn't fail due to improper maintence- the element itself wasn't all that dirty. ~Andrew

[bakchizhai]

thanks for the write up! great with pics

Inspires me to clean my K&N (from previous owner). It's always easy to access on a car, wish bikes were this easy.

[chris in va]

What many people don't understand is the K&N filter isn't nearly as efficient if you don't oil it on a regular basis. The element itself won't trap all the dirt.

I'd rather put in a factory filter and be done with it.

[KC-10 FE]

I noted zero difference after I installed the K&N. I only use it because I got it for free. I'm planning on switching back to a stock Honda filter next spring.

Another note, it is not necessary to completely remove the tank to change the filter. If you follow the steps in the owners manual to the letter, it has you prop the tank up with the spanner you use to adjust the chain. Since you don't need to open up any fuel lines that way, I would lean toward doing it that way.

KC-10 FE out...

[RGonVFR]

Reg,
First of all, the part where you pointed out removing the gasket from top and bottom for the K&N not only cured a huge headache but may have saved my airbox. I kept trying to tighten the screws and figure out why all of a sudden my gas tank wouldn't go back down correctly. That was a swell trick.
Secondly, while I haven't gone through enough gas on my regular commutes (due to weather issues) to see if there's a change in mileage, I did notice a difference in acceleration. The bike spins up a little bit faster and pulls a little bit stronger throughout the RPMs. It's nothing that would be worth getting rid of a new filter for, but if you're going to have to change the filter out for regular maintenance, a K&N might not be a bad idea.
Thanks again Reg

[reg71]

Reg,
First of all, the part where you pointed out removing the gasket from top and bottom for the K&N not only cured a huge headache but may have saved my airbox. I kept trying to tighten the screws and figure out why all of a sudden my gas tank wouldn't go back down correctly. That was a swell trick.
Secondly, while I haven't gone through enough gas on my regular commutes (due to weather issues) to see if there's a change in mileage, I did notice a difference in acceleration. The bike spins up a little bit faster and pulls a little bit stronger throughout the RPMs. It's nothing that would be worth getting rid of a new filter for, but if you're going to have to change the filter out for regular maintenance, a K&N might not be a bad idea.
Thanks again Reg

you're certainly welcome. You know, I'm not sure if there is a big difference or not, but since the stock filter is so high anyway, and I got this one form mello dude for a good deal, I went for it so now I never have to change it again. I am glad I changed it out for that reason alone, but I can't say that I noticed a surge in power, but I don't think my old filter was clogged anyway...

[NorcalBoy]

I installed an aftermarket filter in the airbox of my '06 too. I just wanted to note that it didn't require the removal of the gas tank to change the filter......All I had to do was remove the two long 8mm bolts and washers from the front of the tank, then lift the tank up and reinsert, by hand, one of the bolts (sans washer) into the right side threaded hole and install the tank prop to hold the tank up. I used a shorty phillips head screw driver for the back three airbox cover screws and a long phillips head for the others. It took a total of 5 minutes to complete.

The BMC filter I installed, has substantially more filter media area than the K&N in your photo. Just an observation..........

[reg71]

The BMC filter I installed, has substantially more filter media area than the K&N in your photo. Just an observation..........

that's the reason I got the K&N at a discount. mello dude bought the K&N then decided to get a BMC instead partly because of the increased area. It seems like the K&N was thicker, though( my stock one) so I think the area of it is probably close to stock.
It seems like K&N would at least equal air flow of stock if not beat it...

p.s. you can get to your airbox without moving your tank back out of the way on a 6g? On my 5g, there are screws that are not reachable.

[NorcalBoy]

p.s. you can get to your airbox without moving your tank back out of the way on a 6g? On my 5g, there are screws that are not reachable.

Yes, you can change the filter without removing the tank on a 6th Gen. They must have realized the hassle the 5th Gen design caused for basic maintenance. Ah, the VFR, 26 years of refinement. The funny thing is that your airbox looks almost identical to my 6th Gen's......

The BMC is thicker than stock also. The data I have seen, shows the K&N to be a little bit better than stock. The advantage is in the cost savings by being able to clean it instead of replacement.

[mello dude]

that's the reason I got the K&N at a discount. mello dude bought the K&N then decided to get a BMC instead partly because of the increased area. It seems like the K&N was thicker, though( my stock one) so I think the area of it is probably close to stock.
It seems like K&N would at least equal air flow of stock if not beat it...

p.s. you can get to your airbox without moving your tank back out of the way on a 6g? On my 5g, there are screws that are not reachable.

I put a K & N on my old 4th gen, and the filter covered the entire opening in the airbox. Just like stock. So when I bought one for my 5th gen, and took a look, my reaction was more - what's up with that? I called K & N tech and their explaination is they were trying to simulate stock flow and had to reduce the filter area to get it. The idea is drop it in and go - no modifications. Being a modaholic, now I got a filter I dont want. Offered Reg a deal and went for the BMC. With the hit on the K&N and then new cost of the BMC - i got about a hundred bucks in a fricken air filter.

MD

[reg71]

Yes, you can change the filter without removing the tank on a 6th Gen. They must have realized the hassle the 5th Gen design caused for basic maintenance. Ah, the VFR, 26 years of refinement. The funny thing is that your airbox looks almost identical to my 6th Gen's......

The BMC is thicker than stock also. The data I have seen, shows the K&N to be a little bit better than stock. The advantage is in the cost savings by being able to clean it instead of replacement.

Cool. I definitely have no complaints with it cause mello made me a good deal and it was brand new. It dropped right in and all is well with it. If I was buying for new, I might go with the BMC (or whatever initials) but I couldn't pass when I saw his for sale offer...

[NorcalBoy]

With the hit on the K&N and then new cost of the BMC - i got about a hundred bucks in a fricken air filter.
MD

I've got about that into my BMC 6th Gen filter with two recharge kits. After the initial investment, I know I won't incurr any air filter related expenses for a very long time. I was a witness to a demonstration of flow rates with the BMC compared to the K&N, utilizing actual prepped filters. Let's just say it was an enlightening demonstration. I would spend the extra bucks for the BMC, hands down.

[soundmaster31]

I've got about that into my BMC 6th Gen filter with two recharge kits. After the initial investment, I know I won't incurr any air filter related expenses for a very long time. I was a witness to a demonstration of flow rates with the BMC compared to the K&N, utilizing actual prepped filters. Let's just say it was an enlightening demonstration. I would spend the extra bucks for the BMC, hands down.

what was the "enlightening demonstration"? My bike came with a K&N on it so I've been thinking about the BMC after I read about the flow rate/surface area issue.

[reg71]

Hey Reg,

Did you notice any difference in your bike after this? I was thinking of doing the same.

Thanks,
Mel

I am also very curious if you've experience a difference in performance. I sell K&N air filters all that time at AZ, and customers swear that that notice a difference; they seem to feel justified in paying $60 instead of $10 for the OEM.

sorry I must have missed these when you guys originally posted. As for noticing a difference, I didn't really notice anything. I think I may not be in tune with small changes in the bike as some people. Or maybe I just don't have the mechanical knowledge to describe it or something. It feels about the same as far as I remember. It has been so long now since I did it, that I'm not sure. I'm sure it's not a huge deal or the bike would come like that...

what was the "enlightening demonstration"? My bike came with a K&N on it so I've been thinking about the BMC after I read about the flow rate/surface area issue.

hmm, I wonder what he saw... maybe they did one of those infomercial like deals and put the filters in glass boxes with some smoke and the k&n let the smoke get through but didn't stop the dirt or something.... who knows...

[FrankoQ]

Thanks for the thread. I'll be cleaning mine soon.

[Marckus]

My used '00 VFR did not include the extension handle in the tool kit. I was able to half-ways prop up the tank with a rolled up towel and lift it with one hand while I took a stubby screwdriver to the airbox screws with the other. No need to remove the tank. Helps to have a long phillips driver for those forward screws - especially the left. Found more than a few cobwebs, pine needles and leaves in there. Ick. Time for a new filter.