K&N Filters

My 8000mls service is due soon.I noticed an ad for K&N filters.Is there any advantage in using these filters as opposed to just changing for new ones? .As I understand them you need to clean the K&N filters with cleaning solutions you have to buy from them, so, isn't the cost the same in the long run.?

No need to buy the " special cleaner" from them it's just soap and water I have a new K&N in my 05 I had a K&N in my 91 G'Wing for at least 90,000 miles with no problems. IF there was a single drawback I would say it was the time involved getting it clean and DRY before you re oiled it ( and yes that little can of oil they sell goes a long way ) but that's it. I cleaned mine from the back side think reverse air flow, shook it dry and set it in a breezy area or have a fan blowing across it, when completely DRY then LIGHTLY re oil it. FOLLOW THEIR instructions it's not a rush job, if you don't want to do that then by all means go OEM. USE NO COMPRESSED AIR to speed things up and you should be good to go.

I put a K&N filter on my Honda CBR 1100xx Blackbird and it has done the same job that the OEM did. I don't think it made the bike go any better. Perhaps it felt better when I put it on but that was probably down to me believing that it was better. The information on the box said that it could go for massive distances before it needed cleaning. I didn't touch mine for 40,000 miles and when I cleaned it it was dirty, but again I felt no real difference. On the blackbird site I use there has been A lot of discussion about them and quite a few people have gone back to the OEM ones. Personally I think I'll be looking at mine again in about 35,000 miles.
I think the main thing in their favour is how long they last. Seeing as it is so easy to change the filter on a Silverwing I probably agree with you that there is little saving involved and I don't intend to get one.

I have been using the same filter from new. I cut out the filter ,and replaced it with a piece of camping mattress foam,soak it in 2 stroke oil .I have over 77 k kl on my wing ,I clean the foam filter at every oil change.

I owned two Goldwings that had K&N filters when I got them. As a matter of routine maintenance I removed the filters to check them and decided to replace them with OEM filters. A couple of things convinced me that the K&N wasn't as good as the OEM. Each time the K&N is cleaned it will lose a few of those pink fibers. Also you don't get all the dirt out each time it's cleaned. Right after removing the K&N filter from my GW I held it up to the sun and could see bright spots where the sunlight came straight through. That didn't happen with the paper filter. Also if the K&N breaths better than the OEM that means the air passages in the filter have to be larger. Ergo, larger bits of dirt have to be able to pass through.
I did install a K&N filter on my homebuilt float plane (Avid Flyer) but that was mainly because I believed the K&N filter would stand the occasional spray from the propeller better than a paper filter. Not to mention that a float plane doesn't operate in a very dusty regime.

Thanks for your input. I just changed the oil and filter. I think I will stay with just putting new filters in. I will be certain that they are clean.As with most things you clean they are never the same as new out of the box.

I have been using K&N for years with no ill effects (as have millions of others).  Cleaning does NOT take that long once you have done one and know the procedures.  Expecting 20 more HP or 10 more MPG you won't see it.  Better breathing, extended change intervals and long life are the advantages.

I used them on the SWing and Gold Wing mainly because both are a pain (Gold Wing much worse) to get to so job does not have to be done near as often. Installed one in my SWing at 5K and will not clean until at least 25K. Has 17K on it now.

If not comfortable with the above then stay with OEM...

+1 For exavid.
There's a pretty good test of OEM, foam and K&N filters elsewhere on the web that shows that the OEM paper element removed the most from intake air flow, followed by the foam and then the K&N style filters. The holes that exavid and I have seen let some dust in.
The same test shows the K&N having the highest flow, followed by the foam and then OEM.
I have a K&N on my Silverwing, installed before I read the report. I'm NOT worried about wear on the engine enough to remove it.
Intake noise can also increase substantially in some applications (my Avalon K&N was MUCH louder than Toyota OEM, for example).
I use a foam filter on my race car...

There's little chance of damage using either the OEM or K&N filter. I feel the OEM is at least marginally better but doubt the aftermarket filter would make any real difference to engine life. It's much like those other two items, lubricating fluid and round rubber things.
I avoid using their more common names to prevent a long series of posts arguing the positives and negatives of specific brands. Yeah, I'm guilty of participation in those keyboard marathons too but am trying to find a "Keyboards Anonymous" group to attend. Obviously no luck so far.

Particle larger than internal clearances WILL be forced against metal.
Not too worried about the wear at this level either. I would NOT use an aftermarket filter on a vehicle that I wanted/needed to last as long as possible, however.