Within the first two weeks after I bought my ac300 I checked the air filter. after looking inside the filter box I noticed a fine mesh screen covering the output side of the box just before the intake tube to the carb. The first thing I thought of was how restricting it must be, I've owned many atc's, motorcycles and fourwheelers in past and never seen this before. So I just thought it was a trend that all manufactures were doing to give a last line of defense to debris getting into the carb. I asked my friends about there atv's (polaris,honda,yamaha) but they didn't have any screens. So one rainy day I took it out, I found no other purpose for it other then catching what the air filter missed. When I got it out it was actually three layers of fine mesh screen in a semi sphere shape. Since then I have logged 800 miles with no problems, power was increased slightly in the midrange, enough so that on some hill climbs that I had to use first gear low now it will pull second gear low. Just some of my adventures I thought I might share, I really enjoy reading all the posts here, In the pride!