[VSG12777]

Hi everyone,

I have a question regarding the K&N air filter on my Bajaj Avenger 200.
I purchased the bike in April 2008 and had a K&N air filter installed when all the other things were done - HID, alloys, 150/80 rear tubeless tyre etc.

Now I searched a bit on this forum and read that simply installing the K&N air filter would not do, since the carburettor has to be rejetted or changed for a higher performance one, as otherwise:

(1) with only the K&N, the bike would run "lean" and engine may seize soon
(2) the K&N air filter has tiny holes which means it allows dust to go thru, whereas the stock air filter does not
(3) more frequent cleaning of the carb would be required, since a lot of grime tends to accumulate in our conditions.

Considering the above, should I get back to the stock air filter ?

On my trip to Yelagiri in June 2008, I found that the bike struggled to go past 100 kmph with my and my wife on it. The sound is great but it looks like it has affected the top speed. Mileage was not great either - I got only around 36 kmpl for the trip, as opposed to about 34 kmpl in the city.

Please do share your thoughts on the issue, since I am not very technically knowledgable with regard to bikes.

Another issue is that when I use my HID at night and I press the horn, the horn volume is much lesser than when used without the HID. I understand this is due to the HID being directly connected to the battery and when the horn and HID are used together a lot of current is drawn from the battery. I spent 2.6k on the HID kit - so I am really thinking now whether this is required or whether I can have this removed and get back to normal white lighting like Philips Vision Plus or X-Treme Power.

Please do share your thoughts on the horn/HID issue as well.

I eagerly look forward to your views on the above issues at the earliest.

Thanks and warm regards,
Venkat

[jkdas]

Play around with pilot and main jet for optimum performance. I was able to do 110kmph with a pillion for hours without any hiccups.

Yup,mileage dropped but didnt matter as performance was great.

[VSG12777]

Hi Jkdas

"Play around with main jet and pilot" ??? Man that sounds like Greek and Latin to me !! Like I mentioned in my post, I don't have the techie knowledge to understand such terms. So please do explain that or provide alternatives if any.

Also I had asked about the HID/horn issue - please do give me your thoughts on that as well.

Thanks and regards,
Venkat

[praful]

Originally Posted by VSG12777

(1) with only the K&N, the bike would run "lean" and engine may seize soon
(2) the K&N air filter has tiny holes which means it allows dust to go thru, whereas the stock air filter does not
(3) more frequent cleaning of the carb would be required, since a lot of grime tends to accumulate in our conditions.

Considering the above, should I get back to the stock air filter ?

On my trip to Yelagiri in June 2008, I found that the bike struggled to go past 100 kmph with my and my wife on it. The sound is great but it looks like it has affected the top speed. Mileage was not great either - I got only around 36 kmpl for the trip, as opposed to about 34 kmpl in the city.

Please do share your thoughts on the issue, since I am not very technically knowledgable with regard to bikes.

Another issue is that when I use my HID at night and I press the horn, the horn volume is much lesser than when used without the HID. I understand this is due to the HID being directly connected to the battery and when the horn and HID are used together a lot of current is drawn from the battery. I spent 2.6k on the HID kit - so I am really thinking now whether this is required or whether I can have this removed and get back to normal white lighting like Philips Vision Plus or X-Treme Power.

1. With the KnN on and you running the bike in Chennai, you will only actually have a drop in power. The bike needs to run on bigger jets so that a proper Air/Fuel ratio is maintained, now its only more air thats going in.

2. Do a search on the internet, you will find a lot of places where people are complaining about the dust, well if more air is going in definitely more dust is going in. You can either choose to get back to your stock filter, or you can get yourself a UNI Foam filter wrap for the KnN. Another way out is to clean & oil the KnN at a regular interval (about 1.5K kms)
But i'd say if you wanna keep the bike for long, stick to stock...atleast with the airfilter.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but since the bike is running leaner it should be a bit more fuel efficient, right? With a lil increase in heating though!

About HID, 2.6K is way to less for a HID setup.Proper HID's cost upwards of 10K. Where in Chennai did you buy this, Was it Hardeep's on GP Road? What was the brand of the HID?

Incase you are reverting from HID back to halogen, you can try and source the OSRAM Night Breakers I've heard some good reviews about it, not used it personally yet though!

[VSG12777]

Originally Posted by praful

1. With the KnN on and you running the bike in Chennai, you will only actually have a drop in power. The bike needs to run on bigger jets so that a proper Air/Fuel ratio is maintained, now its only more air thats going in.

2. Do a search on the internet, you will find a lot of places where people are complaining about the dust, well if more air is going in definitely more dust is going in. You can either choose to get back to your stock filter, or you can get yourself a UNI Foam filter wrap for the KnN. Another way out is to clean & oil the KnN at a regular interval (about 1.5K kms)
But i'd say if you wanna keep the bike for long, stick to stock...atleast with the airfilter.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but since the bike is running leaner it should be a bit more fuel efficient, right? With a lil increase in heating though!

About HID, 2.6K is way to less for a HID setup.Proper HID's cost upwards of 10K. Where in Chennai did you buy this, Was it Hardeep's on GP Road? What was the brand of the HID?

Incase you are reverting from HID back to halogen, you can try and source the OSRAM Night Breakers I've heard some good reviews about it, not used it personally yet though!

Hi Praful

That was a detailed response from you. Thanks for that. My reply point wise is as follows:

(1 & 2) Yes; I was precisely thinking about the air/fuel mixture. Due to the K&N more air is going in but with the same amount of fuel intake. Hence it obviously won't balance the equation, in other words. I now feel it is not good for the bike or engine rather, to continue using the bike with the K&N on and no rejetting etc since more dust is going into the engine. I think a safe bet would be to get back to the stock air filter. I plan to use the bike for at least 2-3 years after which I would like to upgrade to a more powerful cruiser if available in the market at that time.

(3) The HID kit cost me 2.6k and another 400 or so for fitting. Yes; I got it at Hardeep Auto Agencies on General Patters Rd, Chennai (next to Champion Motors). For that matter, everything was done at his shop. The contact person was Monty. He's a nice chap and explained things etc. Didn't force me to purchase anything. I opted for the K&N and HID myself. I don't remember the brand of the HID kit. It was a Taiwanese one. I will check and post back here shortly.

So in case I am getting rid of the HID and switching back to normal bulbs, are the bulbs you mentioned white lights ? I would prefer a white one like the Philips Vision Plus or Philips X-Treme Power 60/55W. This would be a straight fit and no modifications, cut out etc would be required.

I look forward to hearing from you on the above. Thanks for the information you have provided so far.

Warm regards,
Venkat

[praful]

Originally Posted by VSG12777

Hi Praful

That was a detailed response from you. Thanks for that. My reply point wise is as follows:

(1 & 2) Yes; I was precisely thinking about the air/fuel mixture. Due to the K&N more air is going in but with the same amount of fuel intake. Hence it obviously won't balance the equation, in other words. I now feel it is not good for the bike or engine rather, to continue using the bike with the K&N on and no rejetting etc since more dust is going into the engine. I think a safe bet would be to get back to the stock air filter. I plan to use the bike for at least 2-3 years after which I would like to upgrade to a more powerful cruiser if available in the market at that time.

(3) The HID kit cost me 2.6k and another 400 or so for fitting. Yes; I got it at Hardeep Auto Agencies on General Patters Rd, Chennai (next to Champion Motors). For that matter, everything was done at his shop. The contact person was Monty. He's a nice chap and explained things etc. Didn't force me to purchase anything. I opted for the K&N and HID myself. I don't remember the brand of the HID kit. It was a Taiwanese one. I will check and post back here shortly.

So in case I am getting rid of the HID and switching back to normal bulbs, are the bulbs you mentioned white lights ? I would prefer a white one like the Philips Vision Plus or Philips X-Treme Power 60/55W. This would be a straight fit and no modifications, cut out etc would be required.

I look forward to hearing from you on the above. Thanks for the information you have provided so far.

Warm regards,
Venkat

1. About KnN, almost all the people I know who have had KnN on their bikes have reverted to stock, especially the tourers. And more often than not, its for the irritating sound, its sound great initially, but after a period of time its more of an irritant. Also performance gained/money invested is pretty low. A FF filter only help by a little. But then to some even that little matters.

2. I personally am pretty skeptical about Hardeep's HID, but I have another buddy whose been running it for close to 4 months now on his ZMA without any issues. Talk to Hardeep about your battery issue, he might be able to help out. I'm not sure, but a slightly bigger battery might help.

The OSRAM's are in the same category as the Phillips X-treme. Follow the below link for more info about Night breakers and their comparison with X-treme.

OSRAM|Consumer|Automotive Lighting|Products|Headlights|NIGHT BREAKER|index

Honda-Tech.com: Lighting: Interesting Read: Osram Nightbreaker vs Phillips Xtreme Power and Light Output

PS: I'm new to team-bhp, so not sure if these links have already been posted here!

[Sushil.H]

Originally Posted by VSG12777

Hi everyone,

I have a question regarding the K&N air filter on my Bajaj Avenger 200.
I purchased the bike in April 2008 and had a K&N air filter installed when all the other things were done - HID, alloys, 150/80 rear tubeless tyre etc.
.
.
.
Please do share your thoughts on the horn/HID issue as well.

I eagerly look forward to your views on the above issues at the earliest.

Thanks and warm regards,
Venkat

Hi Venkat,

Just eager to know what did you finally do with the K&N filter on your avenger. Did you revert back to the stock one?


I checked some videos of K&N installed in Pulsar 180 and i love the sound note that engine generates due to the filter.I have Bajaj Avenger 2006 model ( 180 cc ), and wondering if i can go ahead with the install. I don't want to harm the engine or the performance in any way just for the sake of sound, so curious to know if it is ok to install this filter.

Also where does this filter sit exactly in the bike. Attaching the pic of my bike.

Regards,
Sushil.

[jess]

Originally Posted by VSG12777

Hi everyone,

I have a question regarding the K&N air filter on my Bajaj Avenger 200.
I purchased the bike in April 2008 and had a K&N air filter installed when all the other things were done - HID, alloys, 150/80 rear tubeless tyre etc.

Now I searched a bit on this forum and read that simply installing the K&N air filter would not do, since the carburettor has to be rejetted or changed for a higher performance one, as otherwise:

(1) with only the K&N, the bike would run "lean" and engine may seize soon
(2) the K&N air filter has tiny holes which means it allows dust to go thru, whereas the stock air filter does not
(3) more frequent cleaning of the carb would be required, since a lot of grime tends to accumulate in our conditions.

Considering the above, should I get back to the stock air filter ?

On my trip to Yelagiri in June 2008, I found that the bike struggled to go past 100 kmph with my and my wife on it. The sound is great but it looks like it has affected the top speed. Mileage was not great either - I got only around 36 kmpl for the trip, as opposed to about 34 kmpl in the city.

Please do share your thoughts on the issue, since I am not very technically knowledgable with regard to bikes.

Another issue is that when I use my HID at night and I press the horn, the horn volume is much lesser than when used without the HID. I understand this is due to the HID being directly connected to the battery and when the horn and HID are used together a lot of current is drawn from the battery. I spent 2.6k on the HID kit - so I am really thinking now whether this is required or whether I can have this removed and get back to normal white lighting like Philips Vision Plus or X-Treme Power.

Please do share your thoughts on the horn/HID issue as well.

I eagerly look forward to your views on the above issues at the earliest.

Thanks and warm regards,
Venkat

1. Regarding Top speed.
Since you have upgraded your tyres from 130/80R15(stock) to 150/80R15. This has resulted in the increase in the Outer Diameter of your tyre. Thus @ the top gear you dont have torque to pull thorugh 100+ with a pillion. The gear ratios are designed keeping in mind the size of tyre and the top required in the final gear.

Now whether re-tuning your carb will take u much faster, U can test it by doing it your self. The 200 comes with a Mikuni carb and its manual is available online.
If top speed is your issue, You can go faster in 4th gear. Chk it out.


2. HID
Avenger 200 comes with AC electricals. The head light, parking light, fuel level light run on AC. During the installation of your HID kit, This has been converted to DC by connecting it directly to the battery.
Remember, HID can never run on AC. So now your vehicle will discharge faster then it can charge and if u drive all night, your battery will be dead.
Now in order to work around this, You would have to install another unit of the rectifier/battery charger in parallel located below the fuel tank.
It is blue in colour and would cost you around 300-400 rupees.
This would ensure that the battery charging will take place at the right pace.

[xydon]

Hi Guys,

Can we upgrade the carburetter to increase the performance, FE?

Thanks and apologies for the lame question.

[praveear]

Hi Folks, I own an Avenger 220 . I am not happy with the amount of torque and power it generates. The engine feels strained beyond 70km/hr . I would like to enhance its power somehow and I believe K & N filter can only do it . Can anybody suggest where to get it from and how to get it installed in Pune .

[ecenandu]

Originally Posted by praveear

Hi Folks, I own an Avenger 220 . I am not happy with the amount of torque and power it generates. The engine feels strained beyond 70km/hr . I would like to enhance its power somehow and I believe K & N filter can only do it . Can anybody suggest where to get it from and how to get it installed in Pune .

If the engine does feel strained above 70Km/hr, better get the carburettor tuned from a reputed mechanic.

Please note changing the air filter alone won't give you more power and torque. You have to tune the carburettor in tandem. Fueling must be increased since there will be additional amount of air going(by MAP sensor reading) to the engine when you install the K&N filter.

If it was an Fuel Injected vehicle, the ECU will automatically detect the additional air flow and increase the fueling.

[praveear]

Originally Posted by ecenandu

If the engine does feel strained above 70Km/hr, better get the carburettor tuned from a reputed mechanic.

Please note changing the air filter alone won't give you more power and torque. You have to tune the carburettor in tandem. Fueling must be increased since there will be additional amount of air going(by MAP sensor reading) to the engine when you install the K&N filter.

If it was an Fuel Injected vehicle, the ECU will automatically detect the additional air flow and increase the fueling.

Thanks ecenandu for your quick reply , so you believe increasing fuelling ratio will increase the power ? I`l give it a chance if it gives me desired result , there`s nothing like it .........