The surest way to make sure you'll never break a part is to have a spare taking up space in your garage.
It's true! I somehow came into a free RIGHT rearview mirror and my ex-wife tipped it over on the LEFT side and scratched the left mirror.

You don't need auto-insurance on your bike! Just buy spare mirrors and turn-signals and you'll never crash! Heck, I bet if you kicked your bike over, it would levitate because it knows you already have spares.

I predict you'll never break another shift-lever bolt for the rest of your life.
-CCinC

 

I was catching up on about 10 posts tonight, and I must say mr CC in carlsbad that you are pretty much hell bent away from any after market exhaust type stuff. ( you have sold me on sticking with stock exhaust for a number of reasons)

On that note, do you think putting in a "higher flow" air filter of any brand would make a difference for power/economy/fuel efficiency on our 500s? If I were to purchase something like a K&N, or some other brand would I have to mess with the carburetors?

Im asking because, I dont want to mess with the carburetors, and even though Im not really interested in doing any kind of mod to my air box, filter or cutting holes in it, I was just curious to see what your response would be.

Thanks, Jamie

ps, Im putting it here instead of in a private message just so others can read the info........ if they want of course

 

No.
If K&N paper filters actually offered an advantage in efficiency, filtration, cost or maintenance, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. would almost certainly have employed it at some point over the last TWO decades. (Dang... Kawasaki's been making this bike longer than I've been riding, screwing and legally drinking in this country!)
Foam filters are awesome. You can wash them in your kitchen sink with Dove (softens hands while you do dishes) and cold water, re-oil them and re-use them many times over. The same cannot be said for K&N paper. I got 42,000 miles out of my OEM ZX9R filter and the only reason I changed it was because it was so inexpensive.

A crusty old track guy once said to me: "We tried every snake-oil, potion and ritual to gain an advantage over each other on the track, but we ultimately learned that Mr. Kawasaki knows a lot more than Mr. K and Mr. N do."

Good luck and Peace!
-Chris in Carlsbad, CA