A Fistfull of Questions

[JackoftheGreen]

Alright, one more post today, then I'm going to quit talking about the bike and go ride it.

I mentioned in another post that I'm a fairly competent car mechanic, but that motorcycle mechanics are new to me. To further complicate my learning experience, the bike I bought was previously owened by an older woman and her husband who, by all accounts, had just as much spare time as spare money. The consequence is that my bike has been thoroughly lavished by the aftermarket. I know, hell of a thing to complain about, right? Anyway, I find myself puzzling over a few bits and pieces of the bike, unsure as to their intended function or what, if anything, I need to do with them to maintain them. I have a Clymer manual for my bike, but was unable to find any specific reference to the parts shown in these pics. I'm hoping someone out there with more specialized knowledge can tell me what I'm looking at. (-: On a side note, please forgive the grunge. We're taking a 300 mile ride this weekend and we're supposed to get rain Thursday, so I've been putting off cleaning the bike until Friday.

First Pic:


Can anyone tell me what brand of air cleaner this is? I know it's not stock, and I assume it's a genuine Kawa Fire & Steel part because all the rest of the aftermarket is, but I couldn't find it in Kawa's online cataloge. I'd really like to get a new filter element in there.

Next:


This filter element I was unable to find in my Clymer. It's on the left-hand side of the bike, just ahead of the shift lever, and it's secured to a random hose with a zip-tie. The auto mechanic in me wants to call it either cold air intake (since it's away from the pipes) or some sort of PCV component. No idea though.

Next:


Okay, the white arrow in this image points to the hose coming off the back of the filter element shown above. The red arrow points to a knob of some sort that sticks down from behind the cleaner housing -- I assume it's attached to the carb. I read on another forum awhile ago something about a custom "remote adjustment" dongle that looks like this, but I don't recall what it's for adjusting. Again, the auto mechanic in me wants to assume it's for remotely adjusting the air/fuel, but I haven't messed with it at all. Here's another view of it:


Any input or ideas anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated. As always, I intend to 'pay it all back' in the future as I learn more and continue to contribute to this community. Thanx in advance. (-:

[Wrider]

That's your crankcase breather. On the stock air box it's attached, but with the aftermarket air filter on there, they supplied a small filter just for it with no way to attach it to your new air box.

[JackoftheGreen]

Excellent! So I ought to be able to clean up that installation a little without affecting it's purpose? I'd like it to stand up straight rather than just laying on it's side like that.

[Wrider]

Oh yeah, without a doubt. Most people cut the hose down to minimum before installing that small filter. I assume whoever put it on wanted to leave it at that length in case they ever wanted to put the stock airbox back on.

[fireguzzi]

the adjuster is most likely an idle speed adjuster.

[pchast]

Those filters look like K&N Washable types... if not that specific branding...

[Wrider]

the adjuster is most likely an idle speed adjuster.

Yup, I scanned and didn't see you asked about that lol. But definitely what FG says. For what it's worth, only adjust your idle speed when the bike is warmed up fully. Doing it any other time will result in some funky problems.

[storysunfolding]

My colleague that used to work for 20 years for motorcycle dealers (Aprilla, BMW, Ducati, Triumph, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha, Kymco- the last 7 all in one shop) stated that no OEM would offer an airfilter that's so easily open to infiltration from water and rocks (from the road) due to their warranty programs. So it's probably not Kawasaki.

[JackoftheGreen]

Yaknow, I've been thinking about that exact thing. I'm sure this filter has taken more than it's share of abuse due to that exposed layout, and it looks like it's had a foot dragged across it at least once. If I can't identify it, I suppose the only way to get a new air filter is to buy a whole new intake.

[JackoftheGreen]

Just an update...

I pulled the breather off the bike and removed the filter, and found a K&N brand molded in the rubber along with the number H097A6. Local bike shops couldn't help me, even with that part number, but I called K&N directly and managed to get some answers. What I had was a mold number, which was helpful to nobody but the guy at K&N. He gave me a part number for the filter, E-3333, and now I can find the damn thing anywhere with that good number.

On a side note, that filter retails for $50-$60 brand new, but the guy at K&N offered me a discount. $28! How cool is that? So, I guess I don't have to buy a new intake, aww shucks. (-:

Another note, I did a little fabrication the other night and it turned out real well. I snagged a sheet aluminum panel that used to be part of my BBQ grill and took a pair of tin snips to it, cut out a teardrop shape some five inches across, then put a 90 degree bend in the narrow end and drilled a hole through both planes. One for a bolt, one for the bottom of that PCV filter we identified. I removed one of the radiator mounting bolts and attached my little bracket there, then put the filter base through the larger hole and connected the PCV hose beneath. It looks good -- not amazing, not chromed, but it sure looks better than having that thing laying over on it's side like in the pictures. Maybe I'll snap a shot of it and post, if anyone's interested in seeing the finished product.