Changing out or cleaning your motorcycles fuel filter on an annual basis will not only keep your bike riding well, but prevent costly carburetor repair and/or rebuilding.
I used to clean my motorcycles fuel filter on an annual basis but it just slip my mind, and on a recent ride up to the mountains here in San Diego, my bike stalled out three times. Luckily, I was able to get it restarted and ended up writing it home without any further stalls. But, it could very well ended up that I would’ve had to call a towing service to get my bike back home.
How to install motorcycle fuel filter
motorcycle fuel filter
Yes, this was totally my fault because I put off cleaning or replacing the filter for 2 1/2 years! now, I have a replaceable filter that unscrews and I can open it up and clean it out very easily. I show all this in the video.
I consider this motorcycle maintenance procedure to be one of the easiest and least expensive that any rider will have to deal with.
I have seen a couple of custom bikes where they had no fuel filter at all. I’m not sure if the fuel filter was just overlooked, or perhaps the builder thought it was unnecessary. But, as you can see from the photo here, if I didn’t have a fuel filter on my motorcycle, all the crap that you see in this photo would’ve gone directly into the carburetor! Replacing or cleaning out a fuel filter is a lot easier, and the way way less expensive than rebuilding a carburetor!
They cost a little more, but it would be my suggestion to to get a cleanable motorcycle fuel filter like mine showed here in the photo. The main advantage of a filter like this is the fact that it would be the only one that your motorcycle will ever need.
If you don’t want to go with the cleanable fuel filter, I’d recommend a glass see-through filter. But, even with a see-through filter I’d still recommend that it be changed once a season.
