[Retjustdad53]

I have been poking around on my 2017 Classic Chrome 500 and thought a K&N might be an upgrade on the stock air filter.

I am not looking for anything other than better filtering. The K&N E-0900 looks to just fit but might have to remove gray plastic box inside airbox now.

Assuming the metal piece from stock filter will go on K&N filter. I am not touching the exhaust pipe.

Any problems noted with this change? Any changes to gas mileage expected?

Thanks first Royal Enfield but I have been riding quite awhile on just about everything else.

[wildbill]

best advise-if you have not bought it-don't waste of money!. if you have try and exchange or get your money back.
ive had one sitting in the end room for several years...that's a good place for it...LOL
may help with a sports exhaust or other upgrades but I also run my bike without it ...so I don't think its requires...waste of money!

[gizzo]

What Wildbill said. Paper filters do the job just fine. K&N are messy, restrictive if you don't process them just right and they never seem to fit properly anymore. Waste of money.

[Scotty Brown]

I have had extremely good luck with the 1961 /1964 Chev Corvair paper filter.  Must be ordered from Auto Zone or like parts house as very rarely stocked.  Come two to a box for under Ten bucks.  Remove the plastic box, turn the filter cover over, apply grease to the edges of the filter to seal, tighten.  Made by STP.  Good luck.

[Haggis]

K&N RO-5010 is the correct filter for the C5.

[Retjustdad53]

I appreciate the feedback. I have used K&NS in racing applications over the past dozen years with excellent results on the track and on the dyno for my Triumphs.

Is the push back on the K&NS for the Royal Enfield based on your personal experience on the Enfield's or on some other vehicle?

[Retjustdad53]

K&N RO-5010 is the correct filter for the C5.

Thanks, I have read that either will work...the 5010 is probably a better fit.

[Arizoni]

Here's a link to a post I wrote after installing the K&N filter that was made specifically for the Royal Enfields.

https://forum.classicmotorworks.com/index.php/topic,12850.msg143219.html#msg143219

There are more than one of my comments in the post so read thru the whole thing.

The air box on my G5 is a little different than the ones on the C5 and B5 so the filter might work a bit better on them but the basic finding that the K&N was more restrictive than the factory paper filter still leads me to believe they are not all their cracked up to be.  (IMO, just having some racing success doesn't mean they did better than a pleated paper filter would have done under the same conditions.)

[gizzo]

I don't think they're worth the money is based on my experiences with the flat panel ones on other bikes where they don't fit the lid properly so don't seal well. Have used the cone shaped pod filters on my Ducati, prefer foam Uni Filters. And have seen bikes not running as well as they did with a paper element because the filter had been overdosed on the filter fluid.
My 2c, YMMV etc

[Retjustdad53]

Here's a link to a post I wrote after installing the K&N filter that was made specifically for the Royal Enfields.

https://forum.classicmotorworks.com/index.php/topic,12850.msg143219.html#msg143219

There are more than one of my comments in the post so read thru the whole thing.

The air box on my G5 is a little different than the ones on the C5 and B5 so the filter might work a bit better on them but the basic finding that the K&N was more restrictive than the factory paper filter still leads me to believe they are not all their cracked up to be.  (IMO, just having some racing success doesn't mean they did better than a pleated paper filter would have done under the same conditions.)

Thanks for the link. I generally dyno the before and after making a change so I have a better idea on the performance impact is either positive or negative. I won't dyno the RE. I have went through the over oiling thing before, however the fit between the K&N and the plastic is too tight.  I have had pod filters of various brands similar to K&Ns which did not match the stock airbox and others which do help if combined with Power Commander. Again not doing this on this bike.

[Retjustdad53]

I don't think they're worth the money is based on my experiences with the flat panel ones on other bikes where they don't fit the lid properly so don't seal well. Have used the cone shaped pod filters on my Ducati, prefer foam Uni Filters. And have seen bikes not running as well as they did with a paper element because the filter had been overdosed on the filter fluid.
My 2c, YMMV etc

Stock airboxes on new bikes are getting hard to improve on. The cone pod filters on my Thruxton R actually decreased torque and horsepower over the entire RPM range. However, the K&N is so similar size and same fitting I was hoping a better quality filter would improve the reliability. The stock filter kinda looks cheap and poor materials. Glad I asked, I reinstalled the stock one today.

[Rattlebattle]

Triumph Twin Power did a test of aftermarket air filters v standard and concluded that DNA filters produced the best power (this relates to the 865cc DOHC twins like my Thruxton). I don’t know if DNA make one suitable for a UCE or, if they do, whether it’s worth the bother on such a low powered engine. Mine has a cone filter to suit the carb I fitted. Waste of money just doing the air filter but not the exhaust.

[upintheair]

FWIW, running piston aircraft engines on a test stand that had a load cell  built in, same engine in back to back runs, changing only the air filter element, showed a higher output for the paper filter than the K&N.

[Haggis]

Thanks, I have read that either will work...the 5010 is probably a better fit.

Yes, you won't get the plastic cover back on with the E-0900.

[johno]

I run a K&N in my B5. it fits fine, if a bit fiddly to get in place with the steel circle, the plastic cover is tight but does close over the filter.
There is no power loss that I can detect, and at least it can be cleaned, unlike a paper filter.