It seems as though genuine filters are going out of fashion, or Honda have either stopped making/have a shortage as DSS only list pattern ones, and there are only pattern ones on eBay. There are one or two people out there advertising them, but most people are selling pattern ones. I've read posts from people here suggesting that the pattern ones have made their bikes run roughly and that putting a genuine Honda one in has immediately cured the problem.

Now, I'm not sure when I last changed mine, but I don't go in for the whole idea of x number of miles or x number of months and suddenly it becomes useless and needs replacing. I've always believed that if it's full of crap that won't come out, you change it. I don't like the idea of an aftermarket filter stuffing up the running of my bike, and nor do I really like spending the best part of £40 (genuine) on a bit of moulded plastic, some gauze and a few folds of paper when all I needed to do on my TZR was get a little petrol to wash the foam filter in and then put a little oil on it. As you know, I'm swapping the carbs over on my bike in the not too distant future, and one change will be larger main jets as recommended in the famous jetting thread as I run a Scorpion can. Seeing as this is going to need some setting up anyway, I figure if things are going to be altered by a different filter and need adjusting, it would probably not be too silly an idea to do both at once, unless changing to foam would make such a difference that the new jets would be too small. So, the usual daft questions:

Is the genuine Honda filter now dead and buried, or is there just a bit of a shortage?
What foam/s would be best suited for a road bike?
Would said foam and a straight through Scorpion can be too free flowing for 112 mains (running 108 at present unless the previous owner fiddled with them)?

Why not go for a K&N filter? clean and reuse it. you may need to up the jetting a bit but ive never had any issues running one. Some people run the foam filters and have got them to work nicely but the general idea on them is that they dont work, my experience with them is that they made the low/midrange quite lumpy but up top was fine.

Didn't K+N give up making them for the 30/35 because genuine Honda ones were very nearly as good, but about a third of the price? I've found someone on eBay allegedly selling one for the RVF in a pack with a chrome (yuck!) oil filter, but upon checking the picture, the thing is not quite the right shape, and the reference number for it (HA-1202) seems to indicate that it's really for a RS125 NOVA SONIC 125, whatever the heck that is.

I'm not suggesting foam as a deliberate quest to get a little more power or anything like that, it's just that if I can't get genuine filters for much longer and need to change to something else, I'd rather make the change when I'm already messing about a bit with the carbs. If lots of people on here can say they HAVE used aftermarket paper filters without issue, then that's fine. It's just that I've seen a few people suggest they had problems, and I'd rather not get everything running nicely, then a while down the road find that a slightly different filter buggers it all up again! I'm not on a quest for ultimate power, I just want to fix the ever worsening throttle response and usual flat spot....

CSML still list it at 41euros.

The trouble I had with CMS is that they don't list if it's in stock with them, an intermediate supplier or the manufacturer. I order a shedload of parts a while back on the basis that they were cheaper and showing as available, and some of the parts were out of stock or up to three weeks with DSS. It took about a month for them to arrive, and even then one part was still back ordered for another week. I wasn't in a rush so it wasn't really an issue, but it was a little frustrating. Then, when the last part arrived, it wasn't delivered due to my parents being away for a few days, and UPS shipped it back to Holland earlier than they said they would, so it cost me another 13 Euros to have them sent back! Oddly, the whole lot only cost 11 Euros to send in the first place...

Anyway, GF Racing and WEMoto claim to have current stock, so if I do need another one any time so I figure I'll be OK. I like the idea of reusable filters, but I don't like the idea of them screwing up the jetting....

The only problem I've found with the foam filters is that the density can vary quite a bit from one filter to the next. If you decide to go down that route, try and get at least three or four. That way you're more likely to get ones from the same batch. These washable filters don't last forever despite claims to the contrary

Hi, Rick O is listing Honda OE for£33, and I'm pretty sure the one he sent me a fortnight ago was genuine Honda.
Agree totally that changing on mileage is nonsense, specially after a mouse lives in your air box.....

Rick - Porndog - did a post showing what he did to modify the air filter to take a K & N one, I did try searching for it but without success, maybe worth dropping him a PM so he can send you the link to the topic. If I remember right it was quite succesful.

You can make your own K&N just need your original filter + a K&N (£28 i think)

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=23148

RandomDan wrote:You can make your own K&N just need your original filter + a K&N (£28 i think)

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=23148

That's the one I was looking for!