Did a search in the maint' section but couldn't find my answer.
This was brought up in detail at the old site but I forget the details.
It was mentioned(by Hub, along with others)to be VERY careful of disturbing dirt when removing the filter. I have only 6K on the bike but since I've got all the bodywork off I want to at least check the filter.
Any tips to slipping the filter out a certain way? Just be slow and careful. Have a vacuum at the ready?
I'll be cleaning things and getting to the filter in a few hours and would appreciate any help/experience.

remove the tank cowl, its under the rectangular panel on the left side, near top of frame, just pull its traight out slowely.
inspect inside with flashlight, to ensure there is not loose dirt in the slot, or behind the filter location.

why would u have to worry about dirt getting in past the filter area? it has a rubber flap over the outside?

Say you have dust going in. Then you are caught in a rain storm. Now the dust turn to mud. Dries out and cakes up. You pull the filter, this breaks the adobe hut building after so many weather settings. Count fog if no rain happens. You are still in that wet bubble we exist in.

Even though you think the filter is cushioned or sealed off, as you pull the filter, you are not seeing the ceiling collapse into the post ram from a straight down position to the angle of the filter. It's real subtle an angle, but think, straight down debris drop as you slide the element out of the slot.

KAK, last thing you want to do is bang the filter on the ground to clean it. this will break up what is clinging to the pleats. These micron tumble closer out the other side, kind of inspect and reinstall. If you have the vacuum cleaner handy, then as you clean the ram chambers, suck the filter pleats from the pre-ram side until you get another filter in about another 6K miles from now.

You can Q-tip the channel guides with Vick's vapo-rub type grease. This will help slide the filter in easier if you have a problem.

Thanks for the help.
I did hit a thunderstorm on my way back from Yosemite last year so I'll assume there's some build up at the filter edges.
My filter cover doesn't appear to be warped as many say theirs was. I CAN see some of the foam sealer but the cover itself doesn't appear warped.

why would u have to worry about dirt getting in past the filter area? it has a rubber flap over the outside?

I think he is concerned that something could get scraped off when pulling it. I suppose it could happen. Not much you can do but run a vacuum cleaner over the slot after pulling it. I wouldn't worry much if the filter looks pretty clean. Mine had a little soot on the pleats and a couple dandelion seeds at 6000 miles. Personally, I think your better off to not clean it and just replace it at the proper time or sooner if it looks bad enough.

* Last updated by: Rook on 2/14/2010 @ 2:33 PM *

Well, I changed the filter with a new Kaw' one.
I was a little surprised how it looked. "Soot" as mentioned earlier would be the best description.
It looked fairly dirty to me, mostly in the center, and had the usual small bug collection. Not sure why the black stuff though. Just beyond the sooty area there was an obvious film or staining that looked like what a light oil would do to the paper pleats. The very last outer inch or so looked dry and had little or no dirt. I suppose it may have been OK to use another 6K but I'd rather have the peace of mind. The new filter was a bit tweaked just like the old one. Took a few tries to get it to slip in. Now that I've seen how it fits in those channels I don't think dirt getting in is as likely as I thought. Better to be safe than sorry though. As usual with bike parts, I'm not too happy about the $50 for a filter. It doesn't look any more hard to make than a standard $12 Chevy filter. Damn.
The soot/black on the pleats reminded me of the first time I changed my new '95 Blazers filter. It was sooty and I wondered why. Since then, every filter I've changed on the Blazer just looks dusty brown at the most. I wouldn't doubt the same thing will happen with the 14.
Makes me wonder if the factory adds something to the original filter.