NoToil Filter Oil

I tried NoToil filter oil in 2005.  It’s vegetable based which makes it biodegradable.  They have a very impressive web site  http://www.notoil.com/  

The oil never “dried”.  It kept drooling out the airbox drain.

Puddles of oil on the floor bother me.  I went back to regular filter oil.

Perhaps the oil formulation has changed since 2005.  I'm all for environmental friendliness.  I always line my airbox with Bel Ray Waterproof Grease http://www.belray.com/bel-ray-waterproof-grease  as a dust catcher.  Any grit that hits the grease never gets to the air filter.  Makes the filter last longer between cleanings.  

I also put some grease downstream of the filter.  This grease ought to stay clean and shiny.  If it doesn't the filter is not getting the job done.  Or the filter's base is poorly sealed against the airbox.  Or it's a K&N filter ;-)

NoToil worked fine as far as catching grit.  The intake tract downstream of the filter was clean.  I just didn't like the oil spot under the bike caused by the never-drying NoToil Filter Oil.

K&N Air Filters

K&N advertizes more performance.

However, I note the Dynojet fuel maps are the same for "stock or aftermarket
air filter".  They have a gazillion maps, one fore each kind of
pipe/muffler.  They care about pipe type but not a bit for air filter type.

If it doesn't make enough difference to change the fuel map it isn't making
any real difference.

I think the anecdotal evidence of greater performance with a K&N is just the
change of putting in a new filter.  I've also had a performance increase
with a new paper filter.


I did an experiment.  I put a thin layer of grease downstream of the stock paper air filter on the FZR1000 I used to own.  Then I rode around for a while.  I pulled the filter and inspected the grease.  It was a clean as the day I put it there.

Then I installed a brand new well oiled K&N air filter.  Rode around for a while.  Pulled the filter and inspected the grease.  It was dirty.  All that dirt made it past the K&N.  The dirt was stopped by the stock paper filter.

I threw the K&N away.

Pistons don't like grit rubbing between them and the cylinder.  The grit acts like grinding paste.  It co$ts more to replace a set of pistons these days than to buy a whole low mileage replacement motorcycle.  I want my pistons to last as long as possible.  It's stock paper filters for me from now on.

Dealing with Deer

Sometimes deer run in front of a vehicle because they are running from a predator.  It looks to them like they go from one bad situation to a worse one.  It looks to me like they are mindless meat missiles. 

Regardless, there is actually something a rider can do to prevent a crash.  It is totally counter-intuitive but it works.

If a motorcycle hits a deer in cruise mode or with the front brake applied the front wheel gets knocked sideways and the bike goes down.  If a motorcycle hits a deer while on the gas the front tire has more gyro effect and the back tire is pushing it back into line with acceleration.

If a deer appears, and there is time, the best immediate reaction is to dynamite the brakes.  This applies to standing deer as well as moving, as they sometimes are just stupid and jump right in front of a bike just before it gets to them.

If a collision is unavoidable then GET ON THE GAS HARD.  Punch through the deer.  Knock it aside or shred it.  Either way, hitting a deer on the brakes guarantees a crash while hitting one on the gas usually saves it.  I know three people who have punched through deer at 100mph+.  I have hit two deer myself.  Once on the brakes and I crashed.  Once on the gas and it bounced off.