Your motocross and street bike needs air and plenty of it to give peak performance. Many motorcycle riders tend to overlook maintaining their bikes air filter until they notice a drop off in the motorcycle or motocross bikes performance. Well, most motocross riders already know the importance of regular air filter cleaning due to the fact they ride on dusty and muddy wet tracks. Keeping your motorcycle air filter clean has several advantages---your engine will last longer, better performance and much better gas mileage which is important with the outrageous price of gas these days. If you want more performance from your street motorcycle or motocross bike purchase a quality after-market filter. K&N makes great performance air filters that will increase the air flow to the carb and increase your bikes horsepower plus you will get better gas mileage.

On a list of must do maintenance tasks your air filter checks should rank near the top. Not only does your motorcycle air filter prevents harmful dust and dirt from getting into the engine and a dirty filter can adversely affect the performance of your bike. If you have a paper filter, change it regularly according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
Regularly cleaning your air filter becomes particularly important if you are using your bike off-road or in dusty conditions. If you have a foam type air filter, you must check and clean the filter regularly – see your manual for recommendations.
A clean filter means better engine performance and more power. If the filter gets choked, it will limit the airflow to the engine meaning the fuel will not burn as efficiently as possible, reducing engine performance drastically.

 
Cleaning and preparing foam air filters.
1. Remove the air filter – see your bike’s manual for location of filter.
2. Clean the foam filter with filter cleaner and wring it carefully.
3. Soak the filter with a good quality filter oil, and squeeze out any excess oil.
4. Allow 10 minutes for the filter to dry.
5. Re-fit the filter. 
 
Helpful hints
Consult your bike manual for the recommended filter oil.
Clean the foam air filter regularly.
Remove oil from the sponge filters, do not leave them soaked in the oil or the engine cannot breathe.
Do not flush used filter cleaner or oil down the drain.
In case of skin contact: Wash with water or soap.
Check with your local recycling organization for disposal procedures in your area.