1. Now the crank breather and PAV is getting dirty air. Think about what will happen if dust/water gets into the crank case.
Yup, we'd need to get a breather for the crankcase but K&N has those too.
2. Since you have retained the original hose the free flow nature of K&N will some what be negated due to the length of the hose and also its bent.
Yes, but I'm not interested in the free flow aspect so much as getting rid of the holes by the hinge in the air box that are letting dust into the clean air stream.
3. The air scope behind the air box is located very close to the open arch of the wheel and it will pick up water.
No more than it did stock. Plus, an oiled air filter will shed more water than a paper element.
4. When the crank gets hot oil vapors come out from the crank breather and it WILL clog your filter.
With a separate K&N breather this is not a concern. Also, the cone filter is covered in oil. A few fumes or even some splash are not likely to foul it.
I like your idea of using a short length of hose with the filter set farther back. More volume, more length to get flow with less turbulence. Though I think exposure to the elements is minmal while riding since it's all under your thigh it is still a good idea to provide protection if you can, and it's definitely better when parked leaning over on the side stand.
That said, I'm looking at this for two major reasons:
1) Will the bike run well with a K&N bolted right to the throttle body? The original poster never responded with more than the first impressions and I'm curious. $40 for the experiment seems worthwhile to me.
2) I want an alternative to the stock setup since I can see holes in the hinge of the air box and I know dust can get into the clean air flow.
Scott