Cleaning the airfilter

Pulled the air filter on the Honda CRF 300L Rally to see how it was holding up after a stretch of dusty Thai backroads. Spoiler: it needed it.

Bike up on the side stand, tools out. Honda CRF 300L Rally — the workhorse.

1/4" ratchet with a Phillips bit. That's basically all you need.

Side panel screws come out first.

Panel off. The airbox cover is sitting right there behind it.

A few more screws around the airbox cover.

Cover lifted away. Old filter element exposed.

And there's the culprit. Yellow-brown, packed with Thai backroad dust. Definitely overdue.

Empty airbox. Quick wipe with a clean rag while it's open — no point putting a fresh filter into a dusty housing.

New filter, clean side. Wire mesh on top, pleated element underneath.

Side-on view before it goes in. Pleats are crisp, no gaps.

Drop it in. Pleats facing up, gasket lined up with the airbox lip.

Seated. Push it gently — it should sit flush, not proud.

Cover back on, both clips snapped home. Don't forget the clips.

Side panel screwed back, side stand up. About 15 minutes start to finish.

If you're riding through dust, worth checking every few thousand km. Old element binned, new one good for the next leg.

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