PROJECT 300: STAGE 2 – AIRBOX & COCKPIT
We finally found some time to get back in the workshop and continue on with our Project 300 Honda Rally machines. Our main focus was directed toward the airbox and air intake, as well as working on my cockpit area, and installing some handguards and soft rally grips.
It’s only been a minute since we introduced Project 300 to you all on July 29 and things have been all go. If you haven’t joined up with the Honda CRF300 Owners Club of NZ on Facebook I suggest you go and give that a like as we often post little snippets there in between these writeups.
But we finally found some time to get together and focus on upgrading the airbox on these bikes, by replacing the paper filter with a proper foam oiled filter that is far better and catching dirt, mud, and dust. Plus, it’s far more resistant to getting wet – not to mention easier to clean too. Then I also got around to installing my hand guards, combined with some of the soft rally-style grips that I have been wanting. It was a pretty good day in the shed to be fair.
Unifilter Air Filter Upgrade
Paper filters – they work well when you are focusing on mostly on-road riding, and making a point of keeping away from the more moist riding areas. If they don’t get wet they are relatively easy to clean and often only require a little bow out with an air compressor. However, we did not buy these 300s to ride to the café. We will be going off-road and that will include mud, sand, dirt, streams, and maybe even the odd river.
OEM paper cassette-style filter
Racing dirt bikes for the past 20 years has made it very clear that oil foam filters are more than up to the task and in performance terms, are far superior in these types of conditions. And as luck would have it, Greg was scouting YouTube for anything CRF300 Rally related and stumbled upon the Uni Filter upgrade specifically for the 300 Rally. A little further research from yours truly discovered that the Australian company has only just finished the design and manufacture process and that the kit was about to hit the market. Talk about good timing!
Uni Filter for the CRF300
We ordered a few kits from the website and they arrived within a week, ready to install into the 300s. There is a small process to getting it in and it does require a little craft knife action so let me break it down for you here. It is very easy to do and well worth the trouble if like us, you intend on going way off the beaten track.
The OEM air filter is a cassette-style paper filter that is super easy to remove and install. The airbox itself is small and is sealed, save for a snorkel that runs out the top and under the seat. The Uni Filter utilises a rubber seat with a slot all the way around. In this slot is where you insert the opening of the airbox intake, and that creates a seal when seated in the bike. It also comes with a filter cover and a snorkel filter for extra protection and for ease of longevity. Meaning you can change the cover and snorkel quite a few times before you have to take out the main foam and clean that.
Snorkel out the top of the airbox and under the seat.
The instructions are to cut the snorkel inside the airbox like pictured and feed the red tube filter through from the top and into the airbox - this acts as a pre-filter. You fold it over at the top and zip tie it in place with the reusable zip tie that comes with the kit.
Snorkel filter inserted and zip tied to keep it in place.
Then on to installing the replacement which honestly, took about 3 minutes to get in and seated correctly and sealed the first time I tried. I took it out and had another go and I probably did it in about half the time. By the fifth or sixth go at it, I found the knack and it didn’t take long at all to seat into place. Then you install the filter cover which Velcro’s into place and there you have it.
SNorkel filter and main filter fitted.
The whole process took about 30 minutes from opening the bag, to reading the instructions, to finishing the install. Everything fit perfectly and ends up looking like it is meant to be there. Uni Filter is an Australian company and by all accounts has a very good range of options for many different bikes. This is the first time I have used their products and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them. We paid for these filter kits too so this isn’t a promo - just a quality product in my view. Both bikes got the Uni Filter upgrade as fresh air into the engine was not something we were going to mess about with.
Finished product with the filter cover (stage 2) installed that you can take out and clean without needed to remove the base.
Cockpit
Greg has already installed some Zeta handguards on his bike, and he reckons the blue is the go. He is hoping to get a few more blue bits and get a bit of a theme going. I mean I think it looks fine, but nowhere near as good as the red Acerbis options I have used on my bike. The colour matching of the red is fire and the overall look is dangerous, mixed with smart casual; ready for battle but also happy chatting by the office water cooler with Alison from accounting. They fitted on very easily and the mounting position was actually perfect for me and where I like to set my levers.
Looking as dangerous as a lion, but easily sophisticated enough for a blind date.
Greg’s Zeta set up.
What issue we did run into – both Greg and I – was on the right side there is the ABS switch beside the instrument panel. On full lock to the left, the hand guards would push on this switch a little. Enough for us both to not be happy about it. Greg’s remedy was to shave off some of the right-side plastic guard so it wouldn’t touch. My solution was to move the switch elsewhere. Both options worked fine in the end.
We also had to rotate the front brake line a little as the angle poked it right up onto the mounting clamp that goes to the middle of the bars. Again not really an issue but just something to note I guess.
My ProGrip Rally Grips for their soft supple feeling.
Greg runs the stock grips for now. The blue actually doesn’t look too bad.
I also opted for some ProGrip Rally grips while Greg stuck with the stock ones for now. Greg also went for some Zeta unbreakable levers which actually look petty cool, and fell quite nice too. So now I’m contemplating joining him.
R&G Tail Tidy for my bike.
We also received all our bike protection kits from B&B including a tail tidy for Greg. I have opted to go for the R&G tail tidy from Motogear, so that will be another point of difference between the two 300s and we will see how easy they are to install compared to each other.
B&B gear ready for the next garage session for both bikes.
I’d say we are about halfway through Project 300 and we are both really having some fun with these builds. Next up will be the protection, tail tidy’s, rear rack, Scott Oiler, and whatever else we can rustle up between now and the next garage session. Any suggestions? You are more than welcome to throw those our way.
Also if you haven’t read the intro to Project 300 and why we ended up with these bikes - CLICK HERE.