Warning about oil filter covers

[2KVISRiderDan]

I just want to share a story about a very unusual experience I had a couple weeks ago while on a ride. I was following VRCC brethren Jerry Sheffer & Nick (Bronxboy) on the way back from a great ride to eat in Inverness. Thank goodness we were on a back road between Brooksville & Floral City in West Central Florida for those of you that know the area. We had come to a stop sign and made a right turn. When I reached 45-50 mph I felt a slight bump, heard a loud pop, then saw something chrome about the size of a coffee cup shoot out the front of my bike & off the left side of the road in front of me. I immediately stopped & went looking for the projectile. I found my chrome plated aluminum oil filter cover in the ditch. I looked at my filter, radiator hose, brake calipers and brake hoses. All looked fine with no visible damage or fluid leaking. As we resumed our ride home I could hear a slight whistling sound that was new. After 10-12 miles Nick & I pulled into the gas station & looked the front of my bike over good. The chrome filter cover must have come loose, slid forward & contacted the front tire before falling to the ground. The tire pulled it between the tire & the fender then spit it out the front of the fender like a slingshot. It destroyed ONLY the front fender. I feel very fortunate that it didn't blow the tire, lock up the tire, or destroy the oil filter, dumping my oil right in front of my rear tire. Evidently the 3 set screws which secure the cover to the filter became loose allowing the cover to become loose on the filter. The whistling sound was the tire rubbing the right front former of the fender where it pulled inward due to being deformed by bending to allow the filter to pass between he tire & fender. I bent it out with a wrench & it no longer rubs. If you use a filter cover please check your screws or add an adhesive for additional security.

[Jess from VA]

Holy crap, that is one extremely unusual and unfortunate episode.

How does it come off, then bounce forward into the tire, and how does it actually make it all the way round inside the fender?   Have you closely checked out the tire too?

I have a Cobra cover that snugs on the block, and an old style Hog shock cover that snugs on the filter itself.  I've never checked them for tight, but they've always been tight on 6-8K oil changes.

I am not a superstitious type, but you may want to buy a lottery ticket (or something). 

   

[The emperor has no clothes]

Holy crap ! You are right. It could have been a lot worse. Glad you are ok. 

[Chrisj CMA]

WOW. I just went over and checked my cobra cover. It was tight but now it's tighter. I doubt that could happen again in a month of Sundays but who knows. Again....WOW

[Barnstormer]

I use a beer can that should crush easily.

[old2soon]

I use a beer can that should crush easily.

This!  Glad it weren't no worse than it was.  You ain't none the worse for wear you or the Valk did NOT git destroyed and now ya gotz a tale fer the fire pit!  I'd call it all good.  What Jess said on the lottery.  RIDE SAFE.

[Jess from VA]

I know this doesn't help.... but that is vaguely reminiscent of childbirth. 

But like in one second.   

[The emperor has no clothes]

I'm still having a hard time visualizing how it got up in there ?

[Jess from VA]

When it came off, it had to bounce forward enough to get picked up by the spinning front tire, and lifted so the open or closed (narrowest) end of the cover was shoved up under the fender where the tire drug it around and out the front.  It went through end to end.  It could not have fitted up there sideways at it's wide point (it would have bounced off the fender and gone elsewhere).  It had to be a pretty tight fit, and the tire probably deformed a bit flat, and carried it through.  Residual dirt and road crud inside the fender acted as lube.

And remember, all front fenders have some rubber pad glued up under the fender, but that already came off one of my bikes.

I am thinking if there was no braking, then there was at least a throttle drop, enough to cause a perceptible slowing of forward speed, enough for inertia to initiate the last amount of (loose) forward filter cover movement, for it to come off the filter, hit the ground once, and bounce forward enough to get picked up by the spinning tire.  

That or some kind of bump in the road made the suspension pitch it off, and forward.

[Gryphon Rider]

Aerodynamics can be weird.  When riding in the rain, I occasionally see water droplets from somewhere around my chest shoot forward onto the back of the windshield.

[Farside]

  Wow that is really wild. I'm glad to hear that it didn't casue you to have an accident.  
Do you suppose if you had a fender extender it might of kept that from happening?  ???

[Jess from VA]

On repair, I'm thinking new-used will be cheaper than trying to bump it out to correct again (with a bunch of filler).  You can always ride to a few shops for quotes.

Finding a nice blue and silver would be great (and hard to find), but otherwise new paint will be necessary either with a used or repaired fender.  And a pinstripe. 

The old bullet decal isn't going to do it. 

[Bighead]

Nah just take the fender off and clear coat the way it is. The pattern it left is
Pretty cool.

[Jess from VA]

OK, but since it's Florida a much better story than a filter cover would be running over a fat 15 foot long python, end to end.  With a big cat inside it.

Seriously, the pictures make it hard to see the extent of metal damage, except the big crease at the bottom.

[pocket aces]

Thanks for the heads up on the filter cover  I'm glad you are OK.
Sorry i missed you on Saturday. Sounded like it was another great RTE.

[cagrote]

Thanks for the warning I was considering 1 just haven' gotten around to it.

[John Schmidt]

OK, but since it's Florida a much better story than a filter cover would be running over a fat 15 foot long python, end to end.  With a big cat inside it.

Seriously, the pictures make it hard to see the extent of metal damage, except the big crease at the bottom.

Many years ago I ran over the tail of a gator in the middle of the night. He/she was laying on the still warm blacktop surface and as I rounded a sharp curve there he was. I swung to the side and clipped his tail with my '92 Wing, was quite a bump and caused him to swing around and snap at me but I wasn't going to stop to check his damage. It was a good 6' long, but again I didn't feel it necessary to make a positive ID. Also had a wild hog chase me on that same road while on the Valk a few years later. A handful were feeding on something in the ditch when I came upon them and a big boar looked up as I rode past and decided to take chase. It was Valkyrie don't fail me now cuz I had slowed down in case one bolted out in front of me. Those suckers are fast for sure. 

[Mikerthebiker]

You could just use an Amsoil chrome filter and be done with it.

[pastmast95]

I use a BUSH beer can! Works great!

[Bighead]

I use a BUSH beer can! Works great!

Only problem with this is, you have to drink ???  a Bush beer to have an empty

[old2soon]

I use a BUSH beer can! Works great!

Only problem with this is, you have to drink ???  a Bush beer to have an empty

Actually NO you could pour it out on something or someone ya dasn't like.  RIDE SAFE.

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

You could just use an Amsoil chrome filter and be done with it.

Couldn't agree more!  Shameless plug in 5...4...3...2...1       https://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/filters-and-by-pass-systems/motorcycle/amsoil-eaom-chrome-motorcycle-oil-filters/?code=EAOM103C-EA&zo=5889580

[Jess from VA]

The idea of a filter cover is not to add chrome, but to add protection to a thin-walled oil filter from a rock (or other) strike, sitting out there low in the front of the bike behind the wheel.  The cover in this post was pitched up under the fender, and pitching a hard object through the thin-wall filter is entirely possible. Even with a check valve, you would lose oil and have trouble. 

Most of them are chrome, but that's not the main reason for one.

I would not use an equally thin-walled beer can which could also be penetrated, though it's better than nothing for adding strength to the filter.   

[wirral_biker]

The idea of a filter cover is not to add chrome, but to add protection to a thin-walled oil filter from a rock (or other) strike, sitting out there low in the front of the bike behind the wheel.  The cover in this post was pitched up under the fender, and pitching a hard object through the thin-wall filter is entirely possible. Even with a check valve, you would lose oil and have trouble. 

Most of them are chrome, but that's not the main reason for one.

I would not use an equally thin-walled beer can which could also be penetrated, though it's better than nothing for adding strength to the filter.   

Disagree....100% pure bling !!   

[Challenger]

"AMSOIL EaOM Chrome Motorcycle Oil Filters  $22.30"
(WOW!) 

[h13man]

I like the protection point of view as the oil filter is a little thin wall and exposed to all the elements. The SS kitchen shaker container from Meijer fits perfectly on the Bosch filter, the clamping method is my biggest drawback as far as the bling aspect of it. What happened to that front fender kinda scares the hell out of me as it could have been a worse case scenario.

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

"AMSOIL EaOM Chrome Motorcycle Oil Filters  $22.30"
(WOW!) 

Amsoil filters are not inexpensive, but they are premium quality. Many filters show an efficiency rating on the package. Pay attention to the micron rating. Amsoil is rated at 20 Microns per ISO 4548-12. Many others show high ratings, but at 25 or 30 Microns. The Amsoil filter will trap smaller particles of debris. The non-chrome is $5 less, too. I don't ever tell anyone that they need to use a particular product; your bike, your choice. Take the info and look into it yourself.

Also, Amsoil has a Preferred Customer program, where you save about 25% on products, as well as receive shipping deals and other periodic specials. If you are interested in Amsoil products, but don't want to pay retail, check out the PC program.  https://www.amsoil.com/offers/pc.aspx?zo=5889580