Air Filter

[Snorebaby]

I am looking for an air filter for my '86 450. Cannot seem to find one. Don't want to modify my air box. Any suggestions?

Snorey 8)

[cTc]

Bikebandit is showing that they carry them. Looks like they are $24.99

You can use the banner at the top of teh page to navigate their site, go to OEM parts and put in the year and make of your bike and the air cleaner is at the top of the list. 8)

[Snorebaby]

I had seen that. :( I was hoping that I could find it somewhere else cheaper like from Fram, Purlator, etc. like the oil filter.
Thanks

[cTc]

Thats actually not a bad price, I just paid $34.00 for the element for the wifes 250. and its a pretty specific filter, I doubt that there is enough demand to find it many places aftermarket.

[GearJammer]

Haven't changed the air filter element yet, but you've also got me wondering if an auto parts store would carry it or not. The Fram oil filter I bought at Checker's is packaged as an m/c filter, hadn't thought to ask if they carried the air filter elements as well. Actually was surprised that they even carried m/c items at all, LOL!

If you're close to an auto parts store, Snorey, you might take the element in & ask 'em if they can match it. If you don't get a chance, I will at some point in the future. Sometimes there's no way around it, but whenever possible, every penny saved is more $$$ for other needed parts.

I'm guessing that Checker's could probably reference their oil filter thru their computer, since they stock it as an m/c part. They should be able to do the same for the air filter element if they stock it. Definitely worth checking out...Heck, it might only take a simple phone call...

[GearJammer]

Stopped into Checker's today during a refreshing ride & asked 'em if they stocked the air filters. Doesn't look promising & the guy couldn't find anything.

But we later popped into a Victory dealership, totally cool Old School biker working the parts counter & he said that if I brought the filter in some day, he'd check to see if one of his buds that works for Honda could give him a cross-reference for a more reasonably priced air filter that would work. Time will tell & I won't be able to get to it right away (this was a haul), but will be sure to keep the board posted if we find anything.

[cTc]

Sounds good, always good to know any cross referencables for anything.

[Snorebaby]

After some more extensive searching.....I think I found the filter OEM # 17213-MM2-770.

Hiflofiltro manufactures it under the P/N HFA1404.

Their North American contact is:
Bike Alert Inc.
1465 Trae Lane, Lithia Springs
Atlanta, GA 30122, USA
Tel. +1 770 948 8880

I have sent an email to them to inquire about the price and availability close to me in Augusta, GA.

Maybe I'll hear from them soon :)

[GearJammer]

Far out, Snorey! As CTC said, it's always good to find those $$$-saving parts whenever possible. Looking forward to hearing what their price is when you hear back from them.

If it's cheaper than other places, I could probably use the info you just posted to help the parts guy at Victory locate and/or order it....(something like an air filter at the right price might be worth scoring 1/2 dozen at a time if it's a special order).

And others reading the board could benefit by using the info in their own areas to find 'em.

Good work & please keep us posted :wink:

[Snorebaby]

Got a reply :D . Seems that they use Parts Unlimited, which here in my neck of the woods sells to the local dealers. Visit them at www.parts-unlimited.com to find a dealer near you. I also checked their catalog .pdf update sheets online. Their March '05 update sheet has the filter listed as P/N 1011-0337 with a sugg. retail price at $8.95. Even though the dealer sets the final price, you can see what their markup is and maybe make a deal with them :wink: .
The power of knowledge is a great thing. I am going to call the dealers in my area to get the best price and update y'all on how it turned out.

[Snorebaby]

Update!!
My local Honda dealer wanted $24.99 :evil: That is ridiculous!! Talk about price gouging!! I found an independent cycle shop that sells it at $8.95. Guess I will be doing business with them! :wink: I hope y'all have as much luck as I did. Will probably buy 3 at that price. :lol:

[cTc]

Cool Deal. if it were me I'd buy all they had, keep 2 and ebay the rest for double. :lol: But thats just me. I do make good money that way. 8)

[Snorebaby]

That is an idea. But I was thinking that anybody here who needed one and couldn't find them cheap enough, I would order them and only add the shipping cost to send it to them. :)

But I might just ebay a few also. :wink:

[GearJammer]

EXCELLENT! Thanx, Snorey, that's GREAT! $25 minus $9....even I can do that math! LOL!

Sounds like you've got a very cool indie shop that'll work with ya & that's always an excellent resource to keep doing business with. Definitely going to check this out with some local indie shops that are pretty easy to get along with or might go back to Victory as that guy has been known to cut some serious deals.

eBay ? Hmmm....one way of looking at it is that even at double the price, it'd STILL be cheaper than what the Honda stealership sells 'em for :lol:

[GearJammer]

Just used the Parts Unlimited link you provided & located about a dozen local shops that should be able to get these.

Now we'll see if I can start a price-war among all these shops.....hehehe....

Seriously, the dealer locator feature in that link should help anyone reading the board. Thanx again, Snorey!

[GearJammer]

Yo Bros (and any Sistas reading....hehehe)....

Took the part # into a shop today, they looked it up & saw the suggested retail of $8.95. Offerred to give me a 30% discount, but I respectfully passed. Ordered 3 @ $8.95...always good to keep these cool shops happy :D

Thanx again, Snorey!

Ride Safe...

Edit: Honda & their $24.99....*pffftt*........LMAO!

[cTc]

Always good to find the deals

[Snorebaby]

Your welcome!

I also found a site that lists every part for every honda ever made. (not my claim - it's theirs :) )

www.servicehonda.com

You will have to let it install an ActiveX control for it to work. You also cannot print anything.

It lists the OEM part number for that particular part. Very useful.

Glad I could help a fellow rider!!

[GearJammer]

After you first asked the question about a cheaper air filter, I tried to do a search & only found a few brief items that even hinted of the possibility, so much so that I decided that what little info I'd found wasn't worth mentioning because I hadn't been able to find the real brass tacks info. But you searched it out & FOUND it! I appreciate that & please be aware that you've also helped a good many others as well, many who only read the boards but never post. Considering what Honda is asking, for only a few dollars more, we can score THREE for nearly the price of one! Even at suggested retail, the shop I went to was still going to make a profit if I took them up on the 30% discount, so this shows what kind of mark-up is happening out there. Sure, it's the nature of business, but the Honda stealership obviously takes it to the extreme level of "rip-off".

"Glad I could help a fellow rider!!"....and THAT, my Brother in the Wind, is the kind of attitude that keeps this Spirit refreshed & up-lifted! Ya done good! :wink:

[Snorebaby]

Thank you for you kind words. As you will come to find out, I do not like to pay more than I THINK I should have to pay (Some say I squeek when I walk :lol: ) I feel that if I can help someone else by posting my findings, that that is what this board is supposed to be about and I will receive help in return. Sharing knowledge is the best way to learn, and helping someone is the best way to live. All riders are "Brothers in the Wind" and you are supposed to help family whenever you can. We share a common bond....The love of riding!

I realize that I have a rare bike and some things will be more expensive than usual, but a 4" round air filter shouldn't cost $25!!

I was on the verge of modifying the one I had to make it a foam filter. If I can't find it or they are too expensive, I will try to make it (see Cool Mods - Homemade Forward Controls topic).

I also have found carb gasket set for my 450. The Honda shop said that they don't make them anymore!! :evil: Because they couldn't find it in their K&L book....so I ordered them (2 required) from Bike Bandit and when they arrived, LO AND BEHOLD!! they had a HONDA OEM part number -- 16010-MM2-671 -- a Honda made part from Japan!!! Can you believe it?!! Gonna take it to them and ask what this is supposed to be. :lol:

I also found some fork mount T/S stems that fit a 37mm fork from the 80's model bikes...which is what the 450 has. I think I have posted about them. When they arrive (should be in a couple days) I will post and give all the juicy details.

Maybe one day we will meet on the road even though we are across the country from each other. That's enough for now as my fingers are cramping from all they typing :)

Ride Safe!

[GearJammer]

No thanx necessary, Snorey & that was an enjoyable read :wink:

Unfortunately, over the years I've learned to discern the "real" riders/bikers/enthusiasts from the "whatevers", LOL! There's those who live by the Code & those that haven't got a clue. I'll share a lane with any real individual, regardless of their choice of bike. But the wreckless & the players ? Forget it, I won't even give 'em a 2nd thought.

That's very interesting about the carb gasket sets. My observations of "most" dealerships is that there's a shameful lack of experience and/or supervision/training. As you pointed out, if they can't find it in their computer, then it must not exist!

One bud here recently bought a SWEET 750 Shadow. He wanted a new front tire, took it to a dealership & afterwards the front-end bounced like crazy. I looked at the front wheel & the "dot" on the new tire that's supposed to be lined up with the valve stem was at least 6" away from it! At the time he & I were talking, this was the SECOND time he'd had the tire worked on by the same dealership. First time, they had the "dot" about 3" away from the valve stem, 2nd time they did even worse!?!?!? Told him to take it to an indie shop & to also have the wheel checked for a possible bent rim. Bottom line, someone at that dealership either doesn't know what they're doing or simply wasn't shown the right way to mount a tire. Either way, it's inexcusable.

Sorry for the rant & yes, it's winter, LOL! but I definitely hear what you're saying about stealerships. They're over-priced & oftentimes under-qualified.

We've got a Bro who rides out here every 2 yrs. from Virginia. Modified H-D, dyno-ed at just under 100 hp & he makes the run in 2 1/2 days. There's other Brothers & Sisters that I'll probably never meet, but our "spirits" can share a lane everytime out. It's all good :wink:

[screamineagle]

Hello everyone, and a belated welcome to Snorebaby.

Sorry I didn't get in on this one sooner, I've been checking in but I haven't seen the good old "A" at the home page so I thought no one had posted. Guess I should have did a refreash.

Anyway, good deal on the filters. But finding it might have been a little easier.
Let me just first say that, for at least three years, I worked in an auto parts store. A NAPA to be exact. (Yes I can tell you all some stories...LOL.) When I started there we were still looking parts up from books. We didn't get computers until I was there at least a year and a half. So I know how to do it both ways.

In these "books" most not only have a crossrefferance, but they also list the demintions of the filters. If you had taken the demintions into that parts store, and the guy behind the counter knew his stuff, he might have been able to give you a filter (or at least order it) that matched the demintions. Or at least very close to it. I've had to do this quite a few times for folks with custom set ups.

I also know how they price things there. To put it simpily there are 3 different price lists "most" parts stores go by. The first price is the MSRP. That is the price you will pay for the part if you have a garage get it and put it on. Ever get a starter put on at an indy for your car? Ever wounder why you can get the part cheeper and they charge you more? Well they are marking the part up to the MSRP.

The next level is what I call the "over the counter price". That is the price that the part is sold for to the general public. That is the price you are quoted over the phone. That is if your not a repair shop that deals with that parts store.

The third is called the dealers price. This even lower price is what those repair shops that charge you the MSRP are getting the part for.
What, did you think that starter came from a factory dealer? Most likely not. It's probily the same part you can get for $10 less if you get it yourself. So why are you paying more for it? Because almost all shops won't warranty a part that you bring in. However, if you let them get that same part, and it goes bad, they will replace it.

The differance between the MSRP and the dealer price is normaly about (pay attention here GJ) 30%. The guy behind that counter was going to let you have the filters for the dealer price. Don't get me wrong, it was still a good deal, but he was still keeping it within their price ranges.
Why did he do this? Because you probily made a very good impresion on him. No doubt you came off like you knew what you were talking about, and were probabily one of the nicest costomers he has had for a while.

BTW, there is another name for the MSRP. We use to call it the AH price ( or, to keep it clean, the butthole price). If someone came in the shop (or called on the phone) with a real attitude they walked out paying the MSRP. Remember that the next time you get impatchent with the person behind the counter....LOL.

Well I hope this has shed some light on some things. And again, WELCOME TO THE BOARD Snorebaby. I hope you find this forum as enjoyable and as informative as I have.

[GearJammer]

Mornin' "screamineagle" & thanx for those insights!

The 1st parts guy had offerred to try to locate the right filter by asking for the dimensions, just as you mentioned here. Fortunately, Snorey provided us with the actual Part #, which made the job much easier. So, with that Part #, they can cross reference the different brand name Part #'s, same as for the oil filter ? Cool! Will have to check that out for more reference info here.

Very interesting about the 30% discount offer he made. He was also up-front in saying that the shop would still make a slight profit, even by giving me the 30% off, had I accepted it.

I hear ya on the "AH price"...my bud that wrenched on bikes professionally from his home shop charged $40 per hr. He told me privately that if the customer ticked him off or kept calling about the status of the bike, then the price was going to become $45 per hr.....all he'd have to do is "pad" the work order receipt, LMAO!