Air filter

[TrapperAH1G]

Just a quick rant.  I used to grumble every time I serviced the air filter on my Shadow Ace Tourer....remove the seat and four hard to get at screws, then finable the filter out.  Well, I won't be grumbling about that anymore. 

Today was my first time to service the Valk filter.  Cripes, what a PITA!  Don't get me wrong, I love my Valk and will put up with this to enjoy it, but it's the most difficult filter procedure I've ever found on a bike. 

My Kawi Classic and Nomad were very simple and easy, and the T used to have the distinction as the biggest PITA.....not any more! 

Of course, there are other maintenance items/services that are much easier on the Valk than other bikes, maybe they offset?

Okay, done.  Thanks for reading, no need to send "stop whining" responses.  Just shake your head and go to the next post.

[Jess from VA]

Trapper, the Valk air filter is the worst filter replacement job on a bike (or any cage) I've ever had too.

The worst part to me, besides fishing for the (necessarily short) fuel and vent lines, is screwing around with the petcock hookup.  (And the first time I did it, I forgot to hook up my fuel gauge sender (interstate), so I had to pull the tank again.)  And it easy to forget the skinny rubber gasket too.

I saw from your other post that you used a K & N.  I have one too, but I don't use it anymore.  

I'm not going to debate it's quality (if properly cleaned, not over-oiled, and using the prefilter as called for by K & N, though some don't).  My complaint with them is that the oil dries out as time passes.  On the other hand, the OE filter never dries out (and is a very good free flowing element), and my experience is that it's so large that you can go quite some time before it's so dirty it needs replaced (real dusty conditions excluded).  

I no longer put high miles on my bikes, and I've pulled the tank after two years, and my OE filters have some dirt on them, but they are far from filthy (nearly all dirt is in the rear quarter/third of the element, at the air intake side).  On the other hand, I think oil on the K & N is entirely dried out at only one year, so it's not working well at all at that point.

Because I do not enjoy pulling the tank (either), I use OE filters only.  My K & N is all cleaned and oiled and in my parts bin, but I won't be using it as long as I can get OE filters.  

JMHO

[sandy]

Obviously neither of you have done an air filter on a GL1800 wing. Try 4 hours work.

[98valk]

unless u ride on dirt roads, construction sites, and dust storms all of the time, the OEM filter last much much longer than 12k miles, just like vehicle filters last longer than 12k miles. the more miles the better the filtration. 
12k mile change is like the 3k mile oil change. owner is not told all of the facts.

[Chrisj CMA]

Obviously what you guys are saying is you think it’s hard to remove the fuel tank. If it seems hard to you to remove a Valkyrie fuel tank you simply haven’t done it enough times. It’s really a very easy tank to remove and re install.  Yes, the OEM petcock has a fuel line and a vacuum line that can be difficult until you get used to exactly the right angle of attack. Hint. Fuel line is best done from the left side and vacuum line from the right side. And then there is the vent line at the tail. It’s hard to get that puppy off if it’s been on there a long time but much easier if removed at regular service intervals.

One thing that makes the job way easier is to switch to a Pingel petcock. No vacuum line and the fuel line needs a clamp. So loosen the screw and it practically jumps off for you.

Bottom line. If you continue to tell yourself it’s a very hard job it will remain a very hard job. Master the technique and it magically becomes a very simple thing.

I take the fuel tank off every couple months just to clean stuff under there. Plus I service four or five other Valkyries so removing a tank is a piece of cake for me. It can be for you too.

[F6Dave]

I'll agree the Valk's filter takes more time to change than is typical.  Most bikes I've owned only took a few minutes to change and didn't require tools.  However, the GL1800 filter is MUCH worse.  You need to remove the seat, instrument panel, speakers, backrest, luggage rack, and several plastic panels all in a specific sequence just to get access to the filter.  The picture below doesn't even show the parts I left on the bike dangling from cables.  Luckily these filters last far longer than Honda's suggested 12K change interval.  I've changed them at over 40,00 miles and they were still fine.

[LTD]

changed mine for the first time at 57 thousand miles  no problems ever . did find a lot of ancient dirt and calcified bugs though lol.

[h13man]

Mine is void of the stock OEM petcock thus I only loosen a very accessible 1/4" hex on a small SS fuel line clamp.