K&N Oil Filter

Hey everyone.
I'm changing the oil in my 81 KZ550 for the first time after the previous owner let it sit for a few years. I've heard from a few people that the FRAM filters aren't very good so I was asking the guy at advanced auto about the wrench off K&N ones. He didn't know much about bikes and wasn't very knowledgeable being mainly a car parts store so I figured I'd ask around here. I'm not very familiar with motorcycle mechanics and don't know how much or if at all motorcycle oil filters have changed in the past 30 years and I don't want to waste 20 bucks on a filter that doesn't fit. Does anyone know if a K&N wrench off filter fit a KZ550? www.knfilters.com/wrenchoff_oilfilter.htm
Thanks
Nick

No; that filter will definitely NOT work. You can get K&N filters that are designed for your bike; I've been using them on mine for 8 years. Double check, but your bike should take the same filter as mine - KN-401.

Partzilla charges $6.57 each.

find.partzilla.com/?r=t&q=kn-401&x=0&y=0

K&N charges $7.49, but offers free shipping on orders over $10. So if you buy 2 you will save $$.

www.knfilters.com/search/product.aspx?prod=KN-401

Their KN-401 filter application list...
www.knfilters.com/search/applications.aspx?prod=KN-401

Ed

Thats Ed. Good thing i didn't buy the wrench off ome the advanced auto guy was trying to sell me

The K&N with the nut for removal, is designed for cars and other vehicles. What you need for your bike has no nut, but fits inside the oil filter housing.

MFolks wrote: The K&N with the nut for removal, is designed for cars and other vehicles. What you need for your bike has no nut, but fits inside the oil filter housing.

Exactly! It looks like the one in the pic below. Ed

Thanks guys. I've seen the wrench off ones for sports bikes but wasn't sure if it'd fit with the oil filter housing the KZ's have. Would you still recommend getting the K&N filter in the picture or would the FRAM filter be just as good?

I would strongly recommend the K&N filter over the Fram. Fram has not earned a good reputation. Considering the small difference in price and the fact that you don't replace oil filters very many times per year, I don't believe the oil filter is a good place to try to save money. Ed

Thinking about not replacing the filter this oil change, and just changing out the oil.
About a quart of the old oil will remain in the engine, but the last change was 2500 miles ago, and one and a half quarts of new oil were added (mixed in) since then. Compared to previously used oils, this green stuff is not near-as dark (dirty), and appears to be in very good condition.

Some bike manuals suggest replacing the filter every other oil change, I don't as the old saying still applies: Oil is cheap, engines, not so much. For peace of mind, I replace both(oil and filter) every 3000 miles. Yes, I could maybe go 5000 miles, but the engine and transmission share the oils supply, and there's a lot of shearing action in the transmission, so the choice is your's....

I always change the filter when I change the oil. A new filter costs less than 2 gallons of gas, so to me leaving the old filter in there is not worth corrupting the new oil with a dirty filter and it's residual dirty oil. Ed