Rhinewest Cam Gear Kit Question

[davidsl7]

Hey.Have an 03 k12 GT and going to have this Kit (gears and chip) applied to my bike. Was wondering if anyone with this kit has had any problems with running a KN air filter with it?.. Amber at Pirates Lair told me that I should not use the KN air filter when I install this kit. She says it may cause some back firing (same as running an after market pipe). Should I take the air filter out and replace it with the stock filter?.. Or will it be ok to run the KN with this gear/chip setup?.. Thanks for your input..

[58058D]

I have the cam gear and chip kit on my bike. I had several discussions with Jerry and Amber on this subject. I currently have the K&N, but that is simply for convenience because I live so far away, and forgot to get a new paper one when I last changed, so I cleaned and stuck in my K&N I had saved. These are my personal observations after installing the chip at about 35,000 and then the kit at about 80,000 (did it with a friend, not that hard): I have had no problem per se, no backfiring (don't know if others have) it is just that the map and gear set were designed to run with the stock filter and the stock pipe (Only the stock pipe!). The bike runs noticably smoother with the stock air filter. Many of the advantages of either the chip alone or the cam gear and chip kit are negated by using the K&N. It causes things to be too lean for the mapping. Throttle is more abrupt/touchy, the highs and lows are more noticable as you climb through the revs, etc. I strongly recommend using the stock filter with it. Both the chip and the kit are great improvements over the stock set up whether using the K&N or the stock filter, but the stock filter is smoother. My reviews are posted on their customer feedback pages...I used to live in Fiddletown, now live in Mendocino. I still get around 41-43 mpg doing spirited rides (new Michelin Powers are scuffed to the outside edges) from Mendo to Sac on a weekly basis.

For those who have not experienced the difference, it is WAAAAY more bang for the buck than an aftermarket pipe could even think of being. You will definitely notice the difference right away. When I traded with my buddy who owns an 04 GT with 5k at the time, he was really surprised. After we borrowed his bike for a weekend ralley trip, my wife remarked that she much preferred the increased power and passing response on my high mileage older bike, as well as the Wilburs suspension settings over the stock set up of the GT.