I hear what you're saying but the Zook dealer by me has a bunch of A-holes working there and they want $18 for an oil filter and $8/qt oil. I plan on ordering 6 filters and enough oil for 6 changes so the savings is over $100. If the dealer had near reasonable prices, I'd buy from him but I just can't pay that much for oil and a filter.
You can safely get 2 oil changes to one filter change.
Why bother, for $15? I'd think the filter would clog and start bypassing long before the oil needs changing. Maybe not, but why bother for $15...
I've heard bad things about Fram filters period. Seems to have to do with the fact that they use cardboard caps (instead of steel) glued to the filter element. Some think that's bad. Others have pointed out that the bypass valve spring may not be set properly for the requirements of the engine, leading to oil starvation. My only problem with that argument is, how often does that issue present itself? I would think that the filter should be filtering 100% of the time. If it's not, it's clogged and needs to be changed. But I admit, I don't know all there is to know about that. On the other end of the stick, if the bypass valve opens when it shouldn't, you're not getting the filtration you need. To avoid wondering about all of that, I stick with Suzuki's recommendation. After all, they're the ones everyone likes to praise for their engineering know-how (even though people like to question engine manufacturers' break-in recommendations)...If I could get the Suzuki filters for that price I would buy them before the Fram. What have you heard about the Fram filters? I figure they have been making them for cars for so long how could they be bad for a MC.
