5 Of The Best Air Cleaners For Your Harley-Davidson Motorcycle
Air filters, are important for motorcycles as they help keep uninvited particles out of your engine, and as a result your bike will last longer without having long-lasting damage done to it. You'll want to keep these clean and replace them when the time comes, just like you would a regular car engine filter, so it's an important part of motorcycle maintenance. While stock air filters from the factory are adequate in protecting your engine, there is a better option.
Aftermarket high-flow motorcycle air cleaners or air intakes let more clean air enter your engine than a factory air filter, thus, improving performance. This is a popular Stage 1 upgrade for riders because it's easy to do yourself and gives your bike some extra flair. However, better engine performance and protection isn't the only reason you might want to pick one up. Having a high-flow air cleaner that has a small form-factor can help if you're not fitting comfortably on your bike, something taller riders might have problems with even if they're riding something better suited for them.
There are many different air cleaners available for Harley-Davidson motorcycles, so it can be tough to figure out what one's best for the job. To get you started, here is a list of five high-flow air cleaners backed by positive feedback from buyers. A more in-depth explanation about how these particular air cleaners were chosen can be found at the end of the list.
Joker Machine Finned Air Cleaner
If you're looking for a smaller air cleaner for your Harley, the Joker Machine Finned Air Cleaner fits that bill. It's available on RevZilla between $296.95 and $335.95 depending on the finish you select. This cleaner gives you a little more wiggle room for your legs because of it being smaller than the stock air cleaner. All of the hardware needed to get it installed is included with the purchase, and if you're on the fence, you can rest assured it's well reviewed among owners.
The one for Harley Sportsters between 2007 and 2022 has three five-star reviews hyping up its looks and performance. Keep in mind you'll need to buy the specific air cleaner for your bike, so don't pick this particular one if you don't have one of the Sportster models on the fitment page. Joker Machine has air cleaners for several Harley-Davidson motorcycles, so you shouldn't have much of an issue finding one that fits your bike. If you need the extra leg clearance, this is your pick. The cleaner isn't fully waterproof, and you'll need to grab a rain sock for it, just in case you get caught in a storm.
Screamin' Eagle Heavy Breather Performance Air Cleaner
Third-party air cleaners work just fine, but if you're looking for something made by Harley-Davidson for Harley-Davidson bikes, the Screamin' Eagle Heavy Breather Performance Air Cleaner is a good pick. It's a pricier pick than some of what you'll see on the list, as it costs $399.95 from Harley-Davidson's website. However, it offers better performance and air flow over the stock options, and it's a completely washable and rechargeable filter to help justify the cost.
Like other air cleaners, you'll need to find one that fits your specific bike before buying it, and you need to get a recalibration for proper installation. This filter works with '08-later XL models, and if you have one beyond 2017 you need the Screamin' Eagle Pro Street Tuner. The user reviews come in at a very solid 4.43 out of five on Harley-Davidson's website, with reviewers pointing out the easy installation as a selling point. This is a bulky cleaner compared to some of the others, so keep that in mind too. The purchase also comes with a one-year limited warranty.
S&S Cycle Mini Teardrop Stealth Air Cleaner
Another popular name in the motorcycle accessory business, S&S makes a well-received air cleaner for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The S&S Cycle Mini Teardrop Stealth Air Cleaner is a small form-factor cleaner, as the name suggests. This is a good air cleaner for bigger riders who need a little bit more room on their Harley's than a stock air filter can provide. It's not the cheapest option on the list by any means, coming in between $367.95 and $377.95 on RevZilla, it justifies the higher price by being one of the best reviewed options.
This particular cleaner has a single five-star review on RevZilla, but if you look through the variations of it for different bikes, you'll see plenty of positive scores. The one for Harley EFI Big Twin bikes between 2001 and 2017 has over 40 reviews, with 95% of them being a perfect five-star rating. As is the case with all of the cleaners, you'll need to make sure you buy one that fits your bike, or else you'll have wasted hundreds of dollars.
Screamin' Eagle Performance Air Cleaner
While the other Screamin' Eagle air cleaner on the list is expensive, this Screamin' Eagle Performance Air Cleaner is available from Harley-Davidson's website for $99.95. The low price doesn't mean it's a bad choice, and it has a 4.3 rating on Harley-Davidson's website. One reviewer says they noticed more horsepower from their bike after installing the cleaner and getting it tuned.
If you're a fan of the sleek Screamin' Eagle look more so than the performance, this is a cheaper way to get that badge onto your bike. Since this is sold directly from Harley-Davidson, it includes a one-year limited warranty from the manufacturer. There are some downsides to this cleaner, and it's that it fits 2015 and later XG models, while 2017 and later models need the Screamin' Eagle Pro Street Tuner. This is the same deal as the other Screamin' Eagle option on the list, but it does drive the cost up a bit.
Rinehart Moto Inverted Air Cleaner
Rinehart Racing is a big player in the motorcycle accessories game, so it's no surprise to see an air cleaner make the cut. The Rinehart Moto Inverted Air Cleaner is easily the most expensive cleaner on the list. You can pick one up from RevZilla for $439.95, but Rinehart does quite a bit to help it stand out from the competition and be worthy of the price.
The company says this air cleaner "dramatically" improves air flow over the stock option, and it pairs well with a Rinehart exhaust system, although that's not necessary if you don't want to spend that much. The user scores for this cleaner are very solid, so you shouldn't have many concerns about it not being worth the purchase. On RevZilla, it holds a 4.8 out of five score, and there doesn't appear to be many issues. The big thing that'll hold you back is the price, but if you're looking for something that's high-quality — along with being waterproof — this is a good choice.
Why were these five air cleaners picked?
While some performance air cleaners can easily go over $500, all five of the air cleaners on this list come in under that price point. So, if you don't want to break the bank for an upgrade, you don't have to. Each air cleaner has good user scores, coming in with at least a four out of five score on their respective websites, so quality shouldn't be much of a concern with any of them.
You'll need to make sure your motorcycle is compatible with these cleaners because there isn't universal compatibility here. All of the companies here make a variety of different cleaners, so you shouldn't have problems finding something that fits for your particular bike.