Inspecting and cleaning your Harley Davidson® Air Cleaner is a recommended maintenance ritual every 5,000 - 10,000 kilometres. However, if your bike is often travelling on gravel, dirt or any type of dust filled environments, may be subjected to more frequent inspections. Here’s a quick guide on the importance of checking your Harley Davidson® Air Cleaner.
Harley’s® air filters can get especially grimy due to the crankcase venting all the carry over straight into your air filter. The stock Harley Davidson® filters can be cleaned in lukewarm water, with a mild detergent. It's important to remember to not strike or physically abuse the hard surface in an attempt to remove and dislodge persistent dirt. Allow the filter to dry naturally, or use a very low pressure air compressor to speed the job up, always remembering to blow from the inside out. To know when the filter is successfully cleaned and dry, light should be visible through the elements when held up towards a light. If the filter is clearly damaged or cannot be sufficiently cleaned, it is highly recommended to swap it out for a new one.
Whilst cleaning your filter, this gives you a great opportunity to inspect the condition of the breather tubes. These tubes are what the crankcase vents through to get to the air filter. Make sure these are not worn or show any signs of corrosion. Venting through these tubes into the air filter is incredibly important for emission regulations and avoiding motor damage/ malfunctions.
Lastly, take the time and properly clean out any build up in the air box and the throttle body opening. This can be simply done using a clean rag and a small amount of brake cleaner. Ensure whilst you're cleaning the throttle body opening that no debris is introduced, as this passage leads directly into the intake, thus the motor. Not an ideal scenario! Take your time and remember to be diligent.
Time to get your Harley® serviced? Visit Sunshine Coast Harley Davidson® , 490 Maroochydore Rd, Kunda Park QLD 4556 . Call (07) 5450 1837 today!
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