AE air filter removal

revshred · Jan 5, 2012

does anyone have instructions as to removing the shift actuator so I can get my air filter out without going to the dealer?

feel free to email me at [email protected]

wfooshee · Jan 5, 2012

Post your email differently, like revshred AT hotmail DOT com if you have to post it, but replying in the thread is the best way to answer, as it doesn't hide the answer from future searches. A private answer to you doesn't do anybody else any good, does it?

Now that your email address is posted publicly in the clear, be ready for some spambot to find it and add you to a list somewhere.

majicmaker · Jan 5, 2012

I just finished doing that and I don't think you'll find instructions for that particular thing. The air filter CAN be removed without removing any shift actuator.

You can get that black canister cover off by gently persuading that big wire harness that runs right on top of it out of the way. It CAN be done trust me.

Just be gentle and patient with it. There is "Just" enough slack in that wire bundle to give you the room to get the canister cover off! Use The Force Luke! You Can Do This!!

BwanaDik · Jan 5, 2012

majicmaker said:
I just finished doing that and I don't think you'll find instructions for that particular thing. The air filter CAN be removed without removing any shift actuator.

You can get that black canister cover off by gently persuading that big wire harness that runs right on top of it out of the way. It CAN be done trust me.

Just be gentle and patient with it. There is "Just" enough slack in that wire bundle to give you the room to get the canister cover off! Use The Force Luke! You Can Do This!!

+1 Agreed. You can get the airfilter out without removing the actuator.

2007 FJR · Jan 6, 2012

That is great news...I was not looking forward to replacing the air filter, but I will sure try it now. Thank you!!

BwanaDik said:
majicmaker said:

I just finished doing that and I don't think you'll find instructions for that particular thing. The air filter CAN be removed without removing any shift actuator.

You can get that black canister cover off by gently persuading that big wire harness that runs right on top of it out of the way. It CAN be done trust me.

Just be gentle and patient with it. There is "Just" enough slack in that wire bundle to give you the room to get the canister cover off! Use The Force Luke! You Can Do This!!

Click to expand...

+1 Agreed. You can get the airfilter out without removing the actuator.

majicmaker · Jan 6, 2012

2007 FJR said:
That is great news...I was not looking forward to replacing the air filter, but I will sure try it now. Thank you!!

BwanaDik said:

majicmaker said:

I just finished doing that and I don't think you'll find instructions for that particular thing. The air filter CAN be removed without removing any shift actuator.

You can get that black canister cover off by gently persuading that big wire harness that runs right on top of it out of the way. It CAN be done trust me.

Just be gentle and patient with it. There is "Just" enough slack in that wire bundle to give you the room to get the canister cover off! Use The Force Luke! You Can Do This!!

Click to expand...

+1 Agreed. You can get the airfilter out without removing the actuator.

Click to expand...

Yep! It can definitely be done. Use a flat screwdriver underneath the wire bundle and "Gently" pry it upwards "Slowly" so the slack can have time to catch up with you.

There is plenty of slack there for it to be lifted up over the Canister. Not a Problem!! You'll notice the difference in Performance with the new Air Filter right away. Enjoy!

emsjr · Jan 8, 2012

You know, I have done it both ways on my 2008AE and I really found that taking off the shift actuator was easier. Remove the shift linkage, take the two bolts out, remove the actuator and there is the air filer cover. IMHO it's just easier then messing with the large wire loom.

Gene

DCH · Jan 15, 2012

Here is what I found when I checked the air filter on my AE

DCH · Jan 15, 2012

Here is my fix

BwanaDik · Jan 15, 2012

Wow. You figure that was from a mouse? Do you park the bike outside?

DCH · Jan 15, 2012

Yes from mice, in the garage. The scary thing is, I remember having mice in the garage winter before last, but not last winter. This is the first time I've checked the air filter and the bike has 20k on it. Just posted this so others could see what is possible. The mice just stored the bird seed inside the filter. No holes chewed in the filter itself, so nothing got any further. Bike was running fine, no problems, just decided to check the filter one day while I was doing some other mait.

DCH · Jan 17, 2012

edit. double post.

DCH · Jan 17, 2012

I tried to put the filter back together with the shift actuator on and had a heck of a time with it. I finally gave in and took the lever off to get things back where they needed to be. An air filter shouldn't be that difficult to change.

palerider · Jan 19, 2012

DCH said:
I tried to put the filter back together with the shift actuator on and had a heck of a time with it. I finally gave in and took the lever off to get things back where they needed to be. An air filter shouldn't be that difficult to change.

This kind of poor engineering is pretty common despite how deplorable it is. Lots of these stories--like my father's 1967 Buick Wildcat (now THERE'S an oxymoron) on which you had to remove the rear bumper to replace the tail light bulbs. And I seem to remember a Corvette where you had to pull the engine to replace spark plugs.

Craigar · Oct 14, 2017

This thread saved my ars from going nutty today. What an absolute PITA this was to change an air filter on an AE. Took me just about an hour and a half. From start to finish. Thank goodness, I only need to check this every 10-12k. This was my first time since picking up this bike. The last owner placed a K&N come to find. I have no plans cleaning and oiling up. So an OEM is just fine by me. I'm done bitching. If someone wants a free K&N Let me know.

Brodie · Oct 15, 2017

Craig

Just one thing to point out, if you moved the shift actuator out of the way to do this task there is an adjustment you may need to make. Check that the two alignment holes are concentric with each other. One is on the actuator arm, and the other is on the face of the actuator itself. The actuator may not have been put back exactly in the same place as before and can be out of phase slightly, enough to cause shifting issues.

The fix is to make an adjustment to the length of the linkage. Essentially its a fancy turnbuckle with heim joints on either end. Loosen it's jam nut and rotate the linkage body to lengthen or shorten it sufficiently to bring the alignment holes concentric again. Double check this alignment after re-tightening the jam nut to make sure its still good.

Now go wear out that rear tire!

Brodie

Craigar · Oct 15, 2017

Thanks, Brodie. Great information. I actually did not move shift actuator out of the way. I left it intact and gently worked around it. But I certainly thought about it. So good to know for future reference. I took the bike out this morning and put it through it's paces. Thankfully, the bike shifts well. Better yet, the bike has much better throttle response.

RossKean · Oct 15, 2017

I have never had a perceptible change in throttle response as a function of changing the FJR air filter. If real (not placebo), that K&N must have been badly gunked up or massively over-oiled.

Not making light of performance improvements sometimes being more imagined than real - how else does K&N sell their filters in the first place? Not to mention the sale of a multitude of other aftermarket do-dads designed to separate the enthusiast from his hard-earned money!

Craigar · Oct 15, 2017

RossKean said:
I have never had a perceptible change in throttle response as a function of changing the FJR air filter. If real (not placebo), that K&N must have been badly gunked up or massively over-oiled.
Not making light of performance improvements sometimes being more imagined than real - how else does K&N sell their filters in the first place? Not to mention the sale of a multitude of other aftermarket do-dads designed to separate the enthusiast from his hard-earned money!

Call it what you will. I'm clearly not an authority, nor I have I claimed to be one on this site. Seat analysis was telling me that my bike was not running right for a while now. So that prompted me to check the air filter to see if something got sucked in. Or was living in it. That was my first box (No pun intended) I was going to check. Which my bike is running well now. Coincidence? Perhaps. Placebo? Maybe. Wishful thinking, sure.

AE air filter removal

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