K&N Air filter Installation and Performance Analysis

[PCXsouthernclub]

Oy! Ship one to Thailand for me plzzzzzzz! Gots no K&N filters here.....would be awesome if someone started importing them here.

[Ishida]

And what about the other sport filters from Wirus win and others?

[maddiedog]

And what about the other sport filters from Wirus win and others?

They haven't been tested on a site that I could find or read about.

If you get one, post if it made a difference for you.

[cessna151]

I'll update in another 1000 miles or so with my new gas mileage.

Has it been 1000 miles yet?

[maddiedog]

Yup! Absolutely no change in mpg.

[SmellyTofu]

Ditto and noise too.

[cessna151]

Do they make one for the 150 yet?

[maddiedog]

According to their search feature on their site, they don't: http://www.knfilters.com/search/appsearch.aspx

This doesn't come as a surprise to me, considering the one for the 125 didn't sell too much.

[dasshreddar]

Nobody makes anything for the 150
Soon as my 150 is broke in, im going to install a pod filter...
I've allready relocated my crankcase breather tube,out of the airbox, which has not hurt performance at all.

[maddiedog]

What advantage would the pod give you? Generally they cause 4-strokes to run lean.

[dasshreddar]

Obviously I like to fool with things
I think the engine could handle it... I hope...
If I go pod I could have a quality filter, and get rid of that big honkin air box.

[Pcxdemon]

What advantage would the pod give you? Generally they cause 4-strokes to run lean.

Clever Pcx ECU can compensate, It can even compensate if you install bigger throttle body like 28mm or 31mm from 24mm stock size.

[maddiedog]

Wouldn't the ECU negate any advantage a filter would provide then?

I guess it's a cosmetic thing at that point, which I can understand from the rest of dasshreddar's bike.

[Punisher88]

what is the number for the k&n filter for the 2013 pcx 150

[maddiedog]

K&N does not make a filter for the 125ESP or the 150. The only K&N filter available is for the PCX 125 only.

[conv1900]

To determine once and for all if the K&N air filter is worth the upgrade, I went ahead and ordered one. The cost was only $33.80, including shipping, from Amazon.com.

As usual with Amazon, the package came in 2 days.

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Some propaganda:

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I opened up the box and took out the filter:

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The air filter is designed to last the lifetime of the vehicle, or is guaranteed to last 1 million miles, whichever comes first.


The air filter on the PCX is located on the back-left of the scooter:

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Looking in closer, the filter's behind this box:

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Remove the 8 screws holding the cover in place, and the cover and filter will fall out into your hand:

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Lift the filter out.

Here's what the stock filter looks like next to the K&N filter. As you can see, the K&N filter has larger ribs and more surface area for air to pass through, theoretically increasing airflow, and therefore performance and/or efficiency.

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The stock air filter's filter component's dimensions are 5.25" wide by 3.25" tall, or just over 17 square inches.

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The K&N filter provides more cross-sectional area than the stock air filter -- about 5.5" wide by 3.5" tall, or just over 19 square inches.

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To reinstall, place the K&N filter where the stock filter was previously, and screw it back in place.

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Before the installation, I came up with a quick test set to see how the air filter would perform. I decided to do 3 runs on flat ground, and 3 runs uphill, all at full throttle to see how quickly the scooter would attain top speed. Then, I installed the K&N filter and repeated, doing 3 more runs on flat ground and 3 more runs uphill.

The test platform, my PCX:

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Video of the speedometer was recorded using my Droid II, then edited post-run on my computer to determine times. Droid mounted in place:

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In addition, it has been mentioned before that, for the ECU to remap, the battery would have to be unplugged. To ensure fairness, I unplugged the battery for 5 minutes before the initial tests with the stock filter. Then, I ran the 6 tests with the stock filter, changed out the filter for the K&N filter, unplugged the battery for 5 minutes again, then ran the 6 tests with the K&N filter... Battery unplugged:

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0-60 times on flat ground with the stock air filter
Run 1: 14.92 seconds
Run 2: 13.97 seconds
Run 3: 14.19 seconds
Average: 14.36 seconds

0-60 times on flat ground with the K&N air filter
Run 1: 14.72 seconds
Run 2: 13.40 seconds
Run 3: 14.15 seconds
Average: 14.09 seconds


0-50 times uphill with the stock air filter
Run 1: 25.88 seconds
Run 2: 28.62 seconds
Run 3: 26.54 seconds
Average: 27.01 seconds

0-50 times uphill with the K&N air filter
Run 1: 28.55 seconds
Run 2: 24.95 seconds
Run 3: 29.12 seconds
Average: 27.54 seconds


On flat ground, the scooter was, on average, 0.25 seconds faster with the K&N air filter.

Uphill, the scooter was, on average, 0.53 seconds slower with the K&N air filter.


And here's the video proof of all that, in case you care to view it:



Both test results had large P-values (0.6024 and 0.7503) due to the large range between the run times. It is clear that results were inconsistent due to varying wind, a lack of rider skill, or inconsistencies in the fuel injection system. To draw results conclusively, with statistical significance, several hundred runs would be required. That said though, it is apparent that there is not a profound difference.


Given the maintenance schedule calls for replacement every 10000 miles, and the K&N filter costs about 4 times as much as a stock filter, the K&N filter is an economical option if you plan on putting over 50000 miles on your scooter.


I have begun tracking my gas mileage again to discern if the increased airflow will improve efficiency. I'll update in another 1000 miles or so with my new gas mileage.

WoW !

What great info: I just caught your test ,really good info: thanks for taking the time ...GC

[vamootsman]

Here's a pod that I mounted. Super easy to install and to pull and clean.

http://www.hondapcx.org/viewtopic.php?f ... =80#p51980

[ScooterMan]

For the record, I took my pod filter off. Was too loud and no noticeable gain, maybe even a loss of low end. At least it was only $6. The time spent putting it on and off was a bigger issue. Did I mention it was LOUD? =P

[Valiant]

Would you even stand to gain anything from that?

Okay, say you increase the airflow, but the ECU can't adapt, so you're running lean, and so you lose power.

But if you increase the airflow, and the ECU is able to adapt, you still get the same AFR, so would power increase?

I could see it boosting power at higher rpms if you have stiffer valve springs installed, and maybe a performance camshaft. That way, when you get up to higher rpms(8500+), it'll let more fuel mixture into the cylinder when your rpms are so high that there isn't much time for air to flow into the cylinder. But below that? Nothing to be gained IMO.

[vamootsman]

So, does the stock air cleaner actually restrict the intake of air, or is it capable of letting more air in than needed, and the intake on the injection system controls the amount of air intake?