My W650 was 21 years old when it came into my possession. When I removed the air filters I found the plastic sealing foam had disintegrated, & decided to remove, dismantle & clean the airboxes. I discovered a third air filter in the right box which isn't shown in my manual (also disintegrated). The interior of the airboxes were coated in oil from the crankcase breather pipe, & were filthy. I've now removed the airboxes on a few occasions & can offer some tips, as it can be an awkward procedure. I made hard work of it the first time. This is from memory . . . I hope I haven't left anything out. 1. Remove the seat, both side covers & air filters 2. Unplug the drain hoses underneath the airboxes 3. Remove the bracket at the top of the airboxes (4 bolts). This allows for wiggle room when reinstalling 4. Unplug sensor connector on right hand side 5. Dislocate carburetor duct securing springs 6. As per manual, remove the two connecting rod screws from the left airbox 7. Wiggle the right airbox out with connecting rods in place. Put a little tape on the end of the rods because they only fit back in place one way 8. Follow instructions in the manual to disconnect the metal tube from the Clean Air System, carburetor air vent hose & wiring 9. Remove the two battery holder bolts & wiggle the airbox out. Note there's a pathway in the back of the plastic battery holder for the carburetor air vent hose when reassembling 10. Take a photo the the right airbox so you can remember where & how to re-fit the cable clips 11. Dismantle, clean & replace whatever needs replacing. Each airbox splits in half. Be careful of the fine gasket which seals the two halves. There are long & short screws. It's easiest if you fit all the short ones first when reassembling. 12. After all cleaning, install the left airbox first. It can help to have a helper for this side, as getting all the wiring in place is awkward. Here's an important tip: to get the rubber duct to locate on the carburetor, use a rubber-friendly lubricant on the duct & the carburetor. Lightly coat a plastic or metal scraper in lubricant & keep it between the duct & carburetor mouth until in place. This stops the leading edge of the duct from distorting. When in place, simply slide the scraper out & the duct should self-locate 13. The right airbox is next. There are three points at which the two airboxes join. Lightly coat each with lubricant & ensure the connecting rods go through the correct holes in the left airbox. Use the scraper as per above 14. Reinstall all parts & wiring. Safety note: When disconnecting the battery the negative lead should be removed first. I usually cover the terminal with electrical tape. When reinstalling the battery the positive lead is connected first. Regards! Ross
Nice to know that air filters on W are reusable, I genuinely thought it is one time use and was looking for replacement for a while for my 21 w800. It appears that there are not much aftermarket alternatives other than Kawasaki OE filters available on market. I notice Hiflofiltro launched theirs on their 2024 catalogue but cannot find it anywhere so far, guess it is still too new to be available. Now it makes more sense that those are serviceable, I was literally thought it was because of that W is not a very popular model, and its oddly configured air filter/filter box design makes it not as profitable to aftermarket brands to make one. Thanks man, I live in lower mainland too, we should meet or ride togther sometimes.
@@ianzhang8337 I’m glad to help. Yes, these reusable filters are good until they sustain damage from incorrect chemicals people are using on them. On the W650 with proper treatment they should last around 50,000km. On the W800 which doesn’t have backfires they should last longer. Let me know when you are ready to ride together. I’m in Surrey.
I have used motorcycle air filter spray oil and it destroyed the foam seal strip glue. Had to buy new set of w650 air filter which came pre-oiled and ready to use. Have since used $10 lawn mower oil successfully. Do note that additives in some synthetic oils can have an adverse effect when trying to clean the filters so are not recommended for treating these air filters.
Wow, thanks for sharing your experience. This is really helpful. Do you think 🤔 the particular type of air filter oil spray that you used was incompatible with our air filters? When I sprayed mine I only sprayed the foam on the inside of the filter bringing the nozzle very close. This is why mine (which was brand new at the time) stayed ok. I got lucky I guess. Good to know! I completely agree with your suggestion to use regular motor oil.
WIRE SIDE UP !!! The dealership put the filter in UPSIDE DOWN !!! Do your own maintenance/serviceing ! Why wouldn’t you use air filter oil on the filter instead motor oil ?
@@antbonyziemiak208 you mean your dealership put your filter upside down on your bike? I don’t think that is a huge problem btw. As long as there’s a filter element it should work, but due to the fact that there are potential backfires from the carbs’ venturi (holes) you should keep it metal side up to lessen the probability of fire. Those filters are drenched in fuel and oil…. I sometimes use air filter oil on them when I don’t have the time for full oil spa treatments :). Just spray a thin coat and only on the inside of the filter. Avoid spraying the on the soft perimeter material. Light light light coat! Squeeze out any excess oil using cotton rags. I use paper towels, but they take out a lot of oil, so cotton rags are better I think. Follow the instructions in your user manual.
My W650 was 21 years old when it came into my possession. When I removed the air filters I found the plastic sealing foam had disintegrated, & decided to remove, dismantle & clean the airboxes. I discovered a third air filter in the right box which isn't shown in my manual (also disintegrated). The interior of the airboxes were coated in oil from the crankcase breather pipe, & were filthy. I've now removed the airboxes on a few occasions & can offer some tips, as it can be an awkward procedure. I made hard work of it the first time. This is from memory . . . I hope I haven't left anything out.
1. Remove the seat, both side covers & air filters
2. Unplug the drain hoses underneath the airboxes
3. Remove the bracket at the top of the airboxes (4 bolts). This allows for wiggle room when reinstalling
4. Unplug sensor connector on right hand side
5. Dislocate carburetor duct securing springs
6. As per manual, remove the two connecting rod screws from the left airbox
7. Wiggle the right airbox out with connecting rods in place. Put a little tape on the end of the rods because they only fit back in place one way
8. Follow instructions in the manual to disconnect the metal tube from the Clean Air System, carburetor air vent hose & wiring
9. Remove the two battery holder bolts & wiggle the airbox out. Note there's a pathway in the back of the plastic battery holder for the carburetor air vent hose when reassembling
10. Take a photo the the right airbox so you can remember where & how to re-fit the cable clips
11. Dismantle, clean & replace whatever needs replacing. Each airbox splits in half. Be careful of the fine gasket which seals the two halves. There are long & short screws. It's easiest if you fit all the short ones first when reassembling.
12. After all cleaning, install the left airbox first. It can help to have a helper for this side, as getting all the wiring in place is awkward. Here's an important tip: to get the rubber duct to locate on the carburetor, use a rubber-friendly lubricant on the duct & the carburetor. Lightly coat a plastic or metal scraper in lubricant & keep it between the duct & carburetor mouth until in place. This stops the leading edge of the duct from distorting. When in place, simply slide the scraper out & the duct should self-locate
13. The right airbox is next. There are three points at which the two airboxes join. Lightly coat each with lubricant & ensure the connecting rods go through the correct holes in the left airbox. Use the scraper as per above
14. Reinstall all parts & wiring.
Safety note: When disconnecting the battery the negative lead should be removed first. I usually cover the terminal with electrical tape. When reinstalling the battery the positive lead is connected first.
Regards! Ross
Nice to know that air filters on W are reusable, I genuinely thought it is one time use and was looking for replacement for a while for my 21 w800.
It appears that there are not much aftermarket alternatives other than Kawasaki OE filters available on market.
I notice Hiflofiltro launched theirs on their 2024 catalogue but cannot find it anywhere so far, guess it is still too new to be available.
Now it makes more sense that those are serviceable, I was literally thought it was because of that W is not a very popular model, and its oddly configured air filter/filter box design makes it not as profitable to aftermarket brands to make one.
Thanks man, I live in lower mainland too, we should meet or ride togther sometimes.
@@ianzhang8337 I’m glad to help. Yes, these reusable filters are good until they sustain damage from incorrect chemicals people are using on them. On the W650 with proper treatment they should last around 50,000km. On the W800 which doesn’t have backfires they should last longer. Let me know when you are ready to ride together. I’m in Surrey.
I have used motorcycle air filter spray oil and it destroyed the foam seal strip glue. Had to buy new set of w650 air filter which came pre-oiled and ready to use. Have since used $10 lawn mower oil successfully. Do note that additives in some synthetic oils can have an adverse effect when trying to clean the filters so are not recommended for treating these air filters.
Wow, thanks for sharing your experience. This is really helpful. Do you think 🤔 the particular type of air filter oil spray that you used was incompatible with our air filters? When I sprayed mine I only sprayed the foam on the inside of the filter bringing the nozzle very close. This is why mine (which was brand new at the time) stayed ok. I got lucky I guess. Good to know!
I completely agree with your suggestion to use regular motor oil.
@dirtyadventure8481 maybe different brand of spray oil is OK but I'm not going to spend any money to find out.
WIRE SIDE UP !!! The dealership put the filter in UPSIDE DOWN !!! Do your own maintenance/serviceing ! Why wouldn’t you use air filter oil on the filter instead motor oil ?
@@antbonyziemiak208 you mean your dealership put your filter upside down on your bike? I don’t think that is a huge problem btw. As long as there’s a filter element it should work, but due to the fact that there are potential backfires from the carbs’ venturi (holes) you should keep it metal side up to lessen the probability of fire. Those filters are drenched in fuel and oil….
I sometimes use air filter oil on them when I don’t have the time for full oil spa treatments :). Just spray a thin coat and only on the inside of the filter. Avoid spraying the on the soft perimeter material. Light light light coat! Squeeze out any excess oil using cotton rags. I use paper towels, but they take out a lot of oil, so cotton rags are better I think. Follow the instructions in your user manual.