I love scientific evidence and anything that will keep my bike running longer and healthier. One afternoon I bumped into a guy on a KLR and we decided to hit some dirt roads and three hours of being bathed in constant dust and sand by Keith my Sena communications gear stopped working and my starter switch needed to be taken apart and deep cleaned so it would work without sticking. I was very concerned about how much dirt my engine may have sucked in and if the filter would be fully clogged. Luckily the filter took the full brunt of it and the engine stayed clean but it got me thinking about a better system. A couple of weeks ago Adventure Rider Radio did a segment on the new Guglatech filter and it was very good you can find out more about it here.
Too make a long story short here is what you want to know. you want a filter that can allow more air flow but let less dirt in. The OEM filters down to 40-45 microns and allows airflow of around 870 l/(m²*s) while the Guglatech filter smaller 35-40 microns and allows more airflow at 2,700 l/(m²*s).
You will need to remove the Center Fairing Panel on the 2014 R1200 GS this is 5 screws and takes about 2 minutes,
Remove the old air filter but keep the black plastic housing and clean any dust out of the intake.
Inspect the interior intake housing and make sure its clean you may also want to take this time to just clean up the surrounding areas.
I mention this a lot but I feel its very important – YOU SHOULD ONLY USE YOUR ONBOARD TOOLKIT. This way you know you have all the tools you need on the road and are familiar with the tools in your toolkit. Dont use the the handy tools in your garage toolbox.
Pop in the Guglatech filter with the black plastic housing and secure it with the 4 screws in the airbox.
Its pretty important to stick the “DO NOT DISCARD” sticker on the outside of the airbox. While its good to remind your service guy not to replace the filter because its not a cheap disposable one this sticker should keep it fresh in his/her memory.
Also dont forget to check out my article on the Guglatech fuel Filter
https://motolizard.com/guglatech-fuel-filter/
Also There are some pretty good videos that Best Rest Products puts out about this filter and you can find them here. I almost forgot you need to go buy them at Best Rest Products and you should pick up the cycle pump while there as its the best.
TheMotoLizard