My bike is at 15K miles, and since I just bought a new K&N for it (see this thread http://forum.cog-online.org/index.php/topic,28027.0.html), I thought I would share what was involved for me to change the air filter on my 2010. I'm sure the procedure is basically the same for other years. It's certainly not as easy as an old car, but it's not a dealer only task either.
If you have small to normal sized hands (not bear paws or baseball mits), it makes the job a little easier, as you don't have to remove the upper fairing and windshield.
Tools needed were :
4mm Allen wrench,
5mm Allen wrench,
8mm 1/4" drive socket (5/16" 6 point will also work)
10mm 1/4" drive socket (19/32" 6 point will also work)
New air filter :
To start with, I parked the bike with the windshield all the way up (hold windshield control button while turning off the key switch), and the handlebars to the right lock. A quick test if your hands are too big for my procedure will be if you can remove and re-install the plastic rivet at the top of the dash behind the windshield, without removing the windshield.
The filter is located on the left side of the frame, just below the storage compartment on the 2010. I removed the relay cover between the gas cap and the handle bars (3 - 5MM Allen screws), and the storage compartment (3 - 4mm Allen screws, 1 - 5mm Allen screw, plastic rivet at top of dash, 3 wiring connectors).
Once the plastic is out of the way, there is a shiny cover bolted to the side of the frame, and the filter is behind it. To get to it, requires moving more stuff out of the way.
There is a foam heat barrier directly in the way that is held in place by 2 10mm bolts (socket head cap screws). One is threaded into the frame and is easily visible, while the other is hidden near the lower, back side of the panel. This is where hand size comes into play. Getting to these bolts was tight for me, but with larger hands, you would need to remove the side fairing.
After the heat panel was moved to the side, the relays above the tank and wiring also needed to be pulled loose from their mount tabs to get clear access to the filter cover. The cover is held in place by 2 8mm bolts. Once the bolts and cover are removed, the filter requires some work to get it out, as it's a tight fit. There is a wedge with slots on the exposed side of the filter, that you can hook into for pulling the filter out.
Getting the filter to clear the side fairing was pretty easy, and just required rotating it down behind the fairing, then straight up and out.
Assembly was simply the reverse of dis-assembly, with no surprises. The K&N fit even tighter than the stock one, and had me wondering if something was not lined up right at first. It did eventually relent, and seated properly once all the way in.
Getting the lower bolt in the heat barrier was a bit tricky, but using a short extension with the socket allowed for something to hold onto while aligning and starting the bolt. Also, make sure the rubber relay covers up top slip back over the mount tabs completely.
Also, be sure you do not drop anything behind the plastics, since it may prove very difficult finding where it went if it doesn't fall out the bottom. I dropped the plastic rivet while installing it, and it fell into the slot where the windshield mount comes through the plastic. It rattled it's way down into a spot near the bottom of the fairing, that had no way out. When I finally found it, I also found another one there with it. Not sure how it got there, since it wasn't one I lost, but it's probably been there awhile. So, now I have a spare. ;D
As a bonus for installing the new filter, I noticed there is now a little less vibration at speed. It was not drastic or dramatic, but definitely better. Since the vibs from my bike have always been there since day one, I have to conclude its the K&N that helped it.
If you have small to normal sized hands (not bear paws or baseball mits), it makes the job a little easier, as you don't have to remove the upper fairing and windshield.
Tools needed were :
4mm Allen wrench,
5mm Allen wrench,
8mm 1/4" drive socket (5/16" 6 point will also work)
10mm 1/4" drive socket (19/32" 6 point will also work)
New air filter :
To start with, I parked the bike with the windshield all the way up (hold windshield control button while turning off the key switch), and the handlebars to the right lock. A quick test if your hands are too big for my procedure will be if you can remove and re-install the plastic rivet at the top of the dash behind the windshield, without removing the windshield.
The filter is located on the left side of the frame, just below the storage compartment on the 2010. I removed the relay cover between the gas cap and the handle bars (3 - 5MM Allen screws), and the storage compartment (3 - 4mm Allen screws, 1 - 5mm Allen screw, plastic rivet at top of dash, 3 wiring connectors).
Once the plastic is out of the way, there is a shiny cover bolted to the side of the frame, and the filter is behind it. To get to it, requires moving more stuff out of the way.
There is a foam heat barrier directly in the way that is held in place by 2 10mm bolts (socket head cap screws). One is threaded into the frame and is easily visible, while the other is hidden near the lower, back side of the panel. This is where hand size comes into play. Getting to these bolts was tight for me, but with larger hands, you would need to remove the side fairing.
After the heat panel was moved to the side, the relays above the tank and wiring also needed to be pulled loose from their mount tabs to get clear access to the filter cover. The cover is held in place by 2 8mm bolts. Once the bolts and cover are removed, the filter requires some work to get it out, as it's a tight fit. There is a wedge with slots on the exposed side of the filter, that you can hook into for pulling the filter out.
Getting the filter to clear the side fairing was pretty easy, and just required rotating it down behind the fairing, then straight up and out.
Assembly was simply the reverse of dis-assembly, with no surprises. The K&N fit even tighter than the stock one, and had me wondering if something was not lined up right at first. It did eventually relent, and seated properly once all the way in.
Getting the lower bolt in the heat barrier was a bit tricky, but using a short extension with the socket allowed for something to hold onto while aligning and starting the bolt. Also, make sure the rubber relay covers up top slip back over the mount tabs completely.
Also, be sure you do not drop anything behind the plastics, since it may prove very difficult finding where it went if it doesn't fall out the bottom. I dropped the plastic rivet while installing it, and it fell into the slot where the windshield mount comes through the plastic. It rattled it's way down into a spot near the bottom of the fairing, that had no way out. When I finally found it, I also found another one there with it. Not sure how it got there, since it wasn't one I lost, but it's probably been there awhile. So, now I have a spare. ;D
As a bonus for installing the new filter, I noticed there is now a little less vibration at speed. It was not drastic or dramatic, but definitely better. Since the vibs from my bike have always been there since day one, I have to conclude its the K&N that helped it.
