Motorcycle Filters

[EagleFTE]

Ok I put an Ecore on my beater truck but I don't cut corners on bikes.

The first one is a Harley SP-5 from a twin cam 88. Oil is Red Line. It is boring in it's goodness. I showed the worst side which had the seam as you can see. Media is almost a blanket type material. A Champion Labs product.

This one is my favorite filter. Been using these on my '94 Evo 80 CI for about 10 years. This is bad as it gets for camera angle. It is perfect all the way around. There is no visible seam from the outside. Microglass syn media.

 

[SuperBusa]

Nice looking bike filters. Are there applications for most bikes? Where did you purchase them?

 

[EagleFTE]

Perf Form makes filters for just about all bikes I guess. That is all they do is bike filters. They are not cheap but are really built. About $10 for black and $15 for chrome. I usually get mine a few at a time throught Dennis Kirk and try to throw in some other goodies to make the shipping worth it

www.denniskirk.com

Or you can buy them direct from the factory

http://www.perf-form.com/

 

[postjeeprcr]

The top one looks like synthetic media.

 

[EagleFTE]

Yes that is Harley's Super Premium 5 filter "5 micron" synthetic media. Not sure who makes the media, maybe Donaldson? Of course we are not sure what 5 micron means without a beta ratio but it is considered by many to mean 5 micron nominal. It is a low presure drop, high efficiency media which I guess is why the media is so thick. The twin cam engine got a little fussy about filtration so the MoCo went through two iterations on this filter design. In any event a darn good filter but about $10 for black, $15 for chrome. Once a year a local dealer has a 25% off sale to get people in the store in February so I usually grab a few then.

 

[G-MAN]

The Harley filter is made by Champion. I confirmed that through an e-mail exchange with Champion. Also, the 5 micron is nominal, not absolute.

I use the Wix 51348 on my 09 FXDC.

 

[EagleFTE]

Yes of course the HD is Champion built but that does not mean the media is from Champion. For example Donaldson media used in a Wix can sold as another top notch brand.

 

[dwendt44]

Per firm media is a blend of syntetic fibers and paper.

 

[G-MAN]

Originally Posted By: EagleFTE
Yes of course the HD is Champion built but that does not mean the media is from Champion. For example Donaldson media used in a Wix can sold as another top notch brand.


So you think Champion would buy filter media from one of its competitors to make the HD filter?

 

[EagleFTE]

Originally Posted By: G-MAN
Originally Posted By: EagleFTE
Yes of course the HD is Champion built but that does not mean the media is from Champion. For example Donaldson media used in a Wix can sold as another top notch brand.


So you think Champion would buy filter media from one of its competitors to make the HD filter?

Yes I think they might and possibly already do. Not sure if they do in the case of the HD filters but I've not seen that media in other Champion products. If a filter company does not have a media that meets the specs in the RFP from say, Harley, K&N, Mobil, or Amsoil or whoever, they might out source the media and produce the finished product in their plant. From what I'm told it is not uncommon to share or use other components in the filter business. Take Amsoil EaOs for example.

 

[Gary Allan]

That's a marketing/distribution agreement. Donaldson does NOT produce the EaO media. They license the process for Amsoil to produce it for themselves (I do not think that the employees in the facility that produce's Amsoil's licensed process media are Amsoil employees). The process is the same as what Donaldson uses to produce the SYNTEQ media ..but Donaldson is not making it. The only time you're getting bona fide SYNTEQ media is where the marketing agreement doesn't overlap and you get a Donaldson Endurance filter that's not offered in the same size as an EaO.

I don't know (as in "I don't know"

) if WIX or anyone produces all of their own media. I'm sure some spec their media from independent suppliers.

I would also find it difficult to imagine one facility/vendor/label producing only motorcycle filters. The tooling would probably make that unaffordable. I would think that they would contract an existing large producer to build it to their spec's.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: G-MAN
Originally Posted By: EagleFTE
Yes of course the HD is Champion built but that does not mean the media is from Champion. For example Donaldson media used in a Wix can sold as another top notch brand.


So you think Champion would buy filter media from one of its competitors to make the HD filter?

Like AMSOIL, they may license the process. Donaldson owns it. Donaldson is a pioneer in filtration, and they have developed numerous technologies used throughout the industry in air, fuel and oil filtration.

Fleetguard; a direct competitor to Donaldson uses the "same" media. Whether it is sourced FROM Donaldson, or manufactured by Fleetguard using a Donaldson-licensed process, I don't know.

Donaldson and Champion cater to two separate markets for the most part.

 

[postjeeprcr]

Originally Posted By: EagleFTE
Yes of course the HD is Champion built but that does not mean the media is from Champion. For example Donaldson media used in a Wix can sold as another top notch brand.


If that is true then they would be doing that for Royal Purple and aFe oil filters also.

 

[EagleFTE]

First just to reground the statement. I'm not saying that a certain champion filter uses media from other filter manufacturers. I'm saying that it is possible. If we look at some Champion products, E-core, K&N, HD, Mobil 1, Royal Purple, for example you will see in some cases quite large variations in the media used. I have example "swatches" of E-core, K&N Power Sports, and HD in my garage right now. So what I am saying is there is a mix of components based on what the customer wants for their filter label. Media could be inhouse, outsourced, or any combination and in some cases could be shared with another manufacturer. The HD SP-5 media is somewhat unique and would be a good candidate for using something someone else already has in production. Especially if those end products don't compete with each other.

 

[G-MAN]

Donaldson's Synteq media requires wire backing for support. Cut the media open on that HD filter and if it's got wire backing I'll concede that Champion is probably licensing the Donaldson process to make their synthetic media. But I still doubt if they are buying it directly from Donaldson.

 

[Zedhed]

Yawn, another over-analyzed, My-Harley-needs-extra-care post. Redline in a Harley? What'll they think of next?