Tank removal is definitely NOT necessary to remove the airbox lid. I like to let the gas level get low in my tank, then I use an elastic tie-down hanging from a roof rafter to keep the tank in the elevated position after removing the two front retaining bolts. Easy as pie

cheers
Mikstr

 

oops, not roof rafter (that would require a pretty long tie-down, lol)

A fixture on the ceiling will do

 

Roof rafter? What do you do if you live in a cathedral?

 

If you live in a cathedral, you still have a few options:
- sublet the cathedral and rent a facility that has a lower ceiling (heck you may even come out ahead financially as cathedrals are getting good rental rates these days, what with all the new "Born-again" folks running around, supply and demand at work)
- buy a box of sky hooks and simply use one for the previously stated purpose

Come now Loco, you really should have known...

Mikstr

 

I used a 1X2 piece of wood cut to the proper length to hold the tank up and you definitely do not need to remove the tank as the manual states.

I loved this air filter test! I bought a used BMW auto and it had a K&N in it and one of the first things I did was take it out and sell it on Ebay. If that technology provided the best combination of performance and filtering ability the manufacturers would be using it. Case closed.

As far as the Baja 1000 goes, those guys are squeezing all the hp they can get from their engines. Engine life isn't really important to them. Don't forget that they are probably getting paid to put a K&N filter sticker on their vehicle too.

 

The only dirt that matters is the dirt big enough to do damage. As I've said, I can't see any benefit to a K&N on a modern bike. But they do filter out potentially damaging dirt well enough.