I've been running K&N for quite a few years on everything, including my offroad 4x4 trucks with no major engine problems. I agree in extremely dusty conditions, the K&N might let more small particles through but not enough to hurt anything. I just installed a UNI foam filter on my SP700 and it seems to work very well.

 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...................why would anybody worry about an air filter on a boat engine????

 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....................Because he has a background in engine building. I wasnt suggesting he doesnt use K&N on his boat engines. I apologize. Here goes: he also rebuilds Cummins 24 Valve turbo's for the strip.

 

Here is my take on the whole air filter situation. When I bought my scrammy it had a new stock air filter in it. I ran it for 2 months in various conditions ranging from sand, mud, dirt, etc. Then one day my bike started running like crap and couldn't figure it out. I changed alot of things and finally it came down to a dirty filter (who would have guessed).

So I change out the filter and replace it with a stock one again. About a month later same deal happens again. I am like WTF, so I break down and get a K&N filter put in the bike and I ride for 2.5 months with no problems, then the problem is back. So I just clean the filter and reoil and I am good to go again.

I paid $25 for a K&N filter that is reusable compared to a stock filter which was $14. I am saving money in the long run and can run longer with the K&N filter in without it getting dirty and running bad.

I have since bought an "Outerwear" and that has prolonged the time between the filter cleanings and it is a great because if that gets dirty i just clean pull that off and clean it and leave the filter as is becuase it still stays clean.

 

Agreed....the idea behind the aftermarket filters is higher airflow. The only way to get that is to make it less restrictive. I put a Uni-filter on my Polaris 700 EFI. In my Ford Superduty Diesel, I'm using an Amsoil air filter and Amsoil air filter oil. That oil is sticky as hell....haven't seen anything like it. It traps all incoming dirt if you apply it correctly. You could always use an outerwear to keep the addional crap from getting on the elements.

I've used K&Ns on my trucks and motorcycles, they work well also, but I prefer the foam filter. Especially the Uni-filter on my polaris because it has the fine inner filter and the more coarse outer filter. After asking on the board here, i decided to oil both filters as it is dusty as hell here in New Mexico. Not sure about the Uni oil, but the Amsoil oil is super sticky....and I have a case of it which should last about a lifetime....One of my friends is an Amsoil rep, so I got the stuff from him....

dave