DIY Air Filter modification - Agility 125

[scooterfan]

Just a couple of pictures of my air filter modification.

Just after I bought my Agility about 1300 kms ago I opened the air box to see if the air filter needs to be replaced. I discovered that the air filter was very dirty, and as suggested by the Owner's Manual, I used an air compressor to get rid of the dirt.
I never like cleaning air filters with an air compressor, and I decided to do a filter modification by removing the paper element from the old filter, and using the filter's plastic housing as part of the modification.

After removing the old paper element from the plastic housing, a look at the paper element proved what I already knew - the element was still not clean after it has been "cleaned" with an air compressor.

So I used a very thin cloth to make my own "filter mesh" - folded it in half, cut a small hole at the top to hook on one of the plastic housing brackets, soaked  the cloth in foam filter Oil, and rinsed the cloth the get rid of most of the foam oil.
then I just hooked the cloth on the old plastic filter housing - and used the original mounting screws to bolt the modified filter to the filter box.
The cloth has been cut slightly bigger than the filter housing - so when the modified filter gets bolted to the filter box there are no "leaks" and dirt can not enter the engine by bypassing the cloth element.

I also smeared a thin layer  of ordinary grease inside the filter box, to make sure most dirt will be trapped before it reach the filter cloth.

After about 1300 km, I opened the filter box for inspection. I discovered  that some dust and sand particles was trapped in the grease - but the filter cloth is still perfectly clean. There is no sign that any dirt even reached the filter.

Some pictures:

[scooterfan]

More pictures.

[scooterfan]

Dirt trapped in grease.

[CROSSBOLT]

Good show! Wonder why all the dirt on the grease and none on filter material?

[scooterfan]

.....Wonder why all the dirt on the grease and none on filter material?

I think maybe by pure fluke the  main filter housing allows some kind of a "swirl" inside the housing. This would obviously allow more heavy particles / dirt to get trapped in the grease before it reaches the filter mesh. The air intake inside the box is not close the to the filter mesh, and I think this also helps.

Whatever the case, I am very happy with the results.

[scooterfan]

I opened the air box after another 1200 km for inspection and discovered that the filter mesh is still perfectly clean. Like previously, all dirt was trapped in the grease which was smeared inside the air box housing and inlet pipe to the box.

I could really advice everyone to smear a thin layer of grease inside the air boxes and inlet pipe - even when you prefer to stick to OEM air filters. Chances are good that there will be no need ever to clean or change an OEM air filter when the inside of an air box has been covered with a thin layer of grease.

Daniel.

[jeeves]

Are you sure that the thin layer of grease can catch all the particles that pass the cloth modification you have instead of the original filter?
I change the filter about every 5000 and the inside is always clean.
Air filters are cheap, around 10US$ for HiFlo or RMS that fits on my scoot.

Sent from my Redmi 4 using Tapatalk

[Stig / Major Tom]

The intake end of the fresh air tube to the filter is very well located on the LIKE200i.
It is placed well up inside of the forward bodywork alongside of the engine. The result is an airfilter that stays very clean for a very long time.
Although I've never known anyone to use 'capturing grease' inside an air intake system - I frequently read of guys making homemade filters (using towels, cut-up $1.50 home furnace air filters, etc.) and washing paper airiflters. Often witnessed my co-workers using an old T-shirt for a HEPA filter when vacuuming lead paint debris.
OEM parts are fine for me - but I understand that guys like to tinker.

Stig

[scooterfan]

Are you sure that the thin layer of grease can catch all the particles that pass the cloth modification you have instead of the original filter?
I change the filter about every 5000 and the inside is always clean.
Air filters are cheap, around 10US$ for HiFlo or RMS that fits on my scoot.

Sent from my Redmi 4 using Tapatalk

Yup - in this case (Agility 125 air box) I'm 99.999 % sure.
Like the previous inspection, I completely removed the modified filter for proper inspection. Both times the filter mesh was perfectly clean. I also had a good look at the inside of the pipe between the air filter box and the carburetor. If any dust passed the filter mesh, I should at least find signs of dust at the inside of that pipe. I did not found signs of any dust.

I think the shape and separate "compartments" of the Agility's air box helps to get the dust trapped in grease.
I actually started smearing grease at all my vehicles' air boxes a number of years ago. Depending on the shape of the different air boxes, more (or less) dust always get trapped in the layers of grease.
In my previous bike's case (Honda NC700X) not all dirt get trapped in the grease - simply due to the shape of the box, and the location of the air intake pipe at the box.
Just by smearing a thin layer of grease at the inlet pipe to any given air box, normally helps to collect a lot of dirt that enters the pipe.

I know the OEM filters are cheap, but in my case our dealers seemed to have disappeared. Apart from that, I dust decided to do this trick on the scooter as well. Simply because I already knew the "grease trick" always works well.