found a source for *affordable* Fram oil filters

So I live in Silicon Valley, should be easy to find an oil filter for a 1978 kz1000? Nope, called all the bike accessory shops around, none in stock, so I called the Kaw dealer, yep in stock -- for $20 bucks.

So being the rabid cheefskafe that I am, I got creative and went to the local Kragen Auto Parts (aka O'Reilly, aka Checker, aka Schuck's, aka Murray's auto parts).

$5 bucks for a 1977-78 kz1000 Fram oil filter. And to my surprise, a brand new rubber O-ring for the oil filter cover plate was included with the Fram filter, wow I'm good to go, new oil filter, new O-ring seal too.

Well, I immediately had $15 disposable so I splurged and bought a couple $1 McDoubles and large fries and put the rest in my IRA.

Anyways, the point is -- while at Kragen, the guy behind the counter busted out this huge oil filters book, 3" thick and I saw a bunch of Kaw oil filters, many Fram products, and none with the 'imported from Japan' markup.

I've gotten tired of paying top dollar to the Kaw dealers and thought I'd pass it on about the oil filters.

I just ordered 10 filters from Jeff@ Z1. I used my last one on the "80". I started buying my plugs by the box also.

Now i probably got more filters than the Kaw dealer. Roy

About 15 years ago Fram had a real bad period there. I wouldn't have given you 10 cents for a Fram filter. They would just collapse. Being a local company I was a little ticked that their quality was permitted to slip so. I got to meet a few company execs and told them just to get it off my chest. I'm not shy. Since they survived I guess they got better but I have a good memory and don't like getting bitten twice.

I had trouble with fram filters years ago, and even recently a friend has a problem with a fram fuel filter on his bike.
I Still will NOT put a fram filter on anything

I wouldn't trust Fram as a coffee filter.

I use K&N oil filters - $7.50 each.

K&N

Unless you like to rebuild engines... DO NOT BUY FRAM. EVER!!!!!

Mac:)

Wal*Mart has Fram filters and always has the ones for the 650s and Bayou in stock.

I believe they r made from spun cotton and will collapes and get sucked into your oil pump, thus causing a Catastrophic Failure. I did have one collapes on me but I caught it in time. If you value your engine get a K&N for a few pennies more, trust me, I wrench for a living:)

MACB)

I use nothing but WIX filters. Even in backwater Vermont, any of the auto parts stores have them in stock. $7 - $8 bucks and not only do they come with the large O-ring for the filter cover they also have the small O-ring for the filter bolt. Three friends of mine have had Fram filters collapse or had the end caps on the filter element (cardboard) dissolve and clog oil take up. You couldn't pay me to use a Fram filter on anything.

i usually use wix, but i had a fram hanging around i put it in....i think its coming out soon....my marauder gets nothing but NAPA gold and mobil 1......NAPA gold is actually supposed to be a good filter......now im all nervous the fram in the bike is going to implode....:laugh:

go to napa,their filters are made by wix

OEM Filter for $20 is way over Kaw retail price.

When you get an OEM Kaw part, learn to read the label.

There will be a group of numbers something like this

00012-40-50000 somewhere on the OEM tag.

The retail price suggested by Kawasaki would be $12.50.

The profit margin would be 40%. A 40% profit margin is not the same as a 40% mark-up.

If you looked up the dealer cost on the item and multiplied it by 1.67, you'd get the suggested retail price.

I just went through this with my local Kawasaki dealer's parts kid. He sold me 2 filters. On the invoice it showed where they gave me a discount. But, the discount price was still higher than the OEM suggested retail. I explained to the kid now the labels work...he just stood there...wondering...not really caring.... :laugh: