2021 Tracer 9 GT - First Oil Change

[TracerNed]

Thought I should mention that when the dealer completed my 600 mile check-up they did fill the oil correctly to the line in the sight glass.  It was not overfilled.  The spec for the 2021 Tracer 9 GT is 3.38 qts with a new filter, and 2.96 qts without a filter change.

[KrustyKush]

Especially with this particular engine and its out-in-the-open filter mount. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a motor with a more easily accessed oil filter. A “nut” on the end of the filter seems like a gimmick.

try removing the filter from a Ram truck 5.7 liter gas engine. You gotta be an athlete. 

[Grumpy Goat]

2 hours ago, bwringer said:

I've also seen the nuts just rip off the canister much of the time when attempting removal of these things. They really can't take much torque.

People get obsessed over that damn nut and with defending K&N to the death for some reason, but I don't really see the point; use the correct "cap" tool (less than ten bucks), or perhaps a strap wrench to tighten and remove the filter. And if you have that, what's the point of the nut?

FWIW, the filter itself seems to function perfectly well, but since there's no cost savings compared to OEM Yamaha, you can't safely use the nut to tighten the filter, the nut stands a fair chance of ripping off the filter when removing, and it blocks use of the proper cap wrench... then what's the point?

If the nuts shear off the canister when removing them then they were on too tight. Also maybe they are designed to shear off as a warning to the ham-fisted. Motorcycle manufacturers specify a low torque for oil filters and if torqued correctly there will be no issue, whether the nut is used to install or remove.

The cap tool is fine if you can get one that is guaranteed to fit without slipping - not always the case, and slipping is a waste of time. I have a cap that likes to slip and also have a tool that has arms/tabs in a claw-like which tighten in one direction (loosen) and can only be used to remove. The nut allows light torquing to install and no issues on removal.

This is not a matter of defending K&N, for me. I really don't care either way. As for cost - I agree there is no savings going with a K&N over a Yamaha filter. It is a little cheaper vs my BMW filter.

[bwringer]

A well-made filter-with-a-nut would be a thing of joy and beauty in a lot of applications.

Not needed on the CP3, of course, where the filter is hanging out in the breeze.

The K&N is a great concept, dangerously poor execution.

I'll definitely agree that oil filters and cap wrenches could be a lot more precise and far better made. They slip far too often.

I have several cap wrenches knocking around, and one of them happens to fit the Yamaha OEM perfectly. Still, you could reach the CP3's filter with literally anything; bare hands would do the job much of the time.

Edited March 30, 2022 by bwringer

[NormR]

On 3/27/2022 at 11:35 AM, Ride365 said:

K&N is all I run on my bikes, never had an issue.........KN-204, I get mine at the local advance auto.

 

 

A guy I met driving an Aprilia had his warranty claim refused on a "knocking" engine because he was using a K&N filter. Cost him $3,500 for the engine work

[2and3cylinders]

Technically if a filter states it meets or exceeds OEM spec, in the US that was "illegal".  Leave it to Aprilia.

My Hiflo race filters I'm sure will be fine if used properly.  I bought them because they were inexpensive with superior filtering to OEM.

[Ride365]

13 hours ago, NormR said:

A guy I met driving an Aprilia had his warranty claim refused on a "knocking" engine because he was using a K&N filter. Cost him $3,500 for the engine work

My bet is more on the issue of it being an Aprilia.  

[PhotoAl]

When I check my oil level it is always after running the bike a bit and then letting it sit for a few minutes.  Then I check the oil.  Letting the bike sit overnight will let more oil drain into the crankcase and it may appear overfull.  I sometime will look at the glass in the morning but only to verify it has oil in it - usually is at the top or over on the glass.

Many years ago I used a K&N air filter on my BMW.  Pulling it out to clean one time I noticed a thin layer of very fine dust in the intake manifold.  Filter was maintained to specs and installed correctly.  It was keeping the big stuff out but letting thru very fine particles.  After that went back to the OEM air filters.  I've used K&N oil filters in the past as on my CBR600RR they were easy to get off and could torque to spec.  Quit using when I heard they had changed suppliers.  Their filters are probably OK now but my beef with them was they were very slow to react and issue a recall even with many incidents.  On the street a bike is not looked over every time it comes in and the results of oiling down a rear tire are catastrophic.  Not sure OEMs are the best but that's what I've been running on the last 3 bikes I've had.  Big problem with K&N is being owned by Goldman and having MBAs who are not car or bike folks making decisions.

As for billing 4 quarts vs 3.4 I understand that.  Unless they are a bigger shop and buying oil in bulk then they have to open 4 quarts of fill 3.4 quarts.  Someone may use the left over 0.6 quarts but I would rather pay for a full quart than have a partially used quart that may have been left sitting open for days dumped in.

When I had my BMW F800GT, which I bought used, I also bought a service contract.  It was a BMW dealership, I never asked what they put in it.  I dropped it off for the service and picked it up and rode it.  Bike did well and IMO the only problems I had with it were dealer errors.  It is not a common bike and they did not work on them often.  After 12,000 miles they would tell me it was the most miles they had seen on an F800GT.  Last service was 30,000 miles.  All this to say in my opinion if you put oil that meets specs in it and use a good filter and change the oil when it should be changed then you should not have problems.

FJs and Tracers are reliable bikes, lots of them out there but not many posts about "my engine done blowed up".  Lots of posts about suspensions and other stuff but the drivetrain on these bikes seems pretty bulletproof.  

[2and3cylinders]

I agree about reusable cotton and possibly foam filters, and also run OEM; the latter I hate to admit I clean, oil and reuse up to a couple of times depending on condition!  I've found K&N type air filters difficult to "jet in" on carbed engines, which must say something about them.

Originally when I questioned why 4 quarts I forgot the 21s needed about a half quart more than the first Gen CP3.  But if they crack open and don't use all of the 4th quart and charge you for it, they should put it in a plastic bag and offer it to you to take home.

I also didn't intend to hijack this thread, and oil filter discussions are as twisted as oil threads.  I have carefully selected and used auto oil filters successfully for 100 of 1000s of miles.

[Wintersdark]

On 3/28/2022 at 8:52 AM, Grumpy Goat said:

Balls if you ask me. I have used umpteen and none have had any failures and the oil looks just the same as with the OEM BMW or Yamaha filters. I have used them on a BMW R1200RS, S1000R and now the Tracer 900GT. It is popular to knock K&N oil and air filters on the interwebs for various reasons. Of course everyone is free to make whatever choices they like and whatever they see as best for them.

I get the argument with K&N air filters - not that they're badly made, but that they filter less which is how they flow more.  *shrugs*  With that said, I feel it's like most of the internet arguments of which ~thing~ is better.  "X is the best, and if you use Y it's going to destroy your bike!" I dunno. I just think the difference between "the best" and "the rest" is vastly smaller than people tend to present it as.  I know lots of guys who swear by their K&N air filters, though, and none seem to have problems. 

I mean, oil filters?  Has anyone ever had one actually fail in any way?  I know I haven't, and I've gone through oh so many of them.  For sure you shouldn't have any issues with the OEM filters, particularly given the manufacturer is speccing those filters with providing warranty support in mind.  No OEM is going to sell filters that increase the incidence of warranty engine repairs. 

But to each their own.  I figure so long as you're not getting the absolute bottom barrel crap, it's probably not going to make any real measurable difference.  

[betoney]

7 minutes ago, Wintersdark said:

I feel it's like most of the internet arguments of which ~thing~ is better.  "X is the best, and if you use Y it's going to destroy your bike!" I dunno. I just think the difference between "the best" and "the rest" is vastly smaller than people tend to present it as.  I know lots of guys who swear by their K&N air filters, though, and none seem to have problems.

 

I agree and I tend to go against the crowd and be just a little different, I never use oem oil filters, always use k&n air filters in all of my vehicles and and have no intention of ever mounting a Michelin tire on my bike.  🤷‍♀️ 🍻 ...oh, I'm sure to get banned for that one.

[dazzler24]

11 minutes ago, betoney said:

... and have no intention of ever mounting a Michelin tire on my bike.  🤷‍♀️ 🍻 ...oh, I'm sure to get banned for that one.

[Grumpy Goat]

39 minutes ago, Wintersdark said:

I get the argument with K&N air filters - not that they're badly made, but that they filter less which is how they flow more.  *shrugs*  With that said, I feel it's like most of the internet arguments of which ~thing~ is better.  "X is the best, and if you use Y it's going to destroy your bike!" I dunno. I just think the difference between "the best" and "the rest" is vastly smaller than people tend to present it as.  I know lots of guys who swear by their K&N air filters, though, and none seem to have problems. 

Well said. I, for one, am not touting K&N filters as being superior as a filter to the OEM or anything like that. I don't come on the Internet to discuss absolutes with people whose credentials I know nothing about and who make assertions based on god-knows-what basis. I just like them because they are able to be torqued easiest, are easiest to remove, are not more expensive than OEM, and seem to filter as well as any other filter I have used. Beyond that I don't give a crap. As for the K&N air filter .... I have had it for years on my RS which has 58k miles all mine and which runs perfectly. It flows more air - yes - and that causes fuel consumption to go up. Aside from that it is fine for me. "Best" is best for each one of us. Now if there are real field failures documented by people with actual first hand knowledge - that is what I would be interested in.

[piotrek]

On 3/29/2022 at 9:15 AM, bwringer said:

People get obsessed over that damn nut..., but I don't really see the point; use the correct "cap" tool...

This ^.  FWIW... Assenmacher 5063 fits the Hiflofiltro and Yamaha OEM filters perfectly. Happens to fit all my other filters (Honda and Subaru). 👍

 

[Wintersdark]

I've never found a correctly fitting cap wrench for a non-insane price here, but never looked hard either.

 

Mind you, I just use a pair of channel lock pliers and *grab* that filter, so I haven't looked in forever. Destroys it in the process, but it wasn't going back on the bike anyways