Ok Ive seen plenty of threads for oil but none for filters. What kind of oil filters are out there whats good and whats not. I just bought my used 97 purple monster about a month ago the dealer did a fresh oil change before i got it so i want to put some good oil in it and a good filter.
I believe the filter is Suzuki specific, so in my experience the selection is pretty thin. I was buying K&N brand filters at the local dealer until they closed up. Not because they are particularly good, they're just the only thing that the local place had in stock. As I recall, they are made in Thailand and seemed to be good quality. Here's a guy selling steel mesh filters for the DR, no idea how good or bad they are: http://www.dual-star.com/index2/Brand/Suzuki/DR_650_Oil_Filter.htm
I think FRAM makes them and you can find them on the shelves at WalMart and other chain stores with auto depts.
Sometime ago I read an article on car filters and Fram did not do well. Of course it depends on the OEM specificaton for the filter as well. Fram just had less filter area per given filter as I recall.
I use the Suzuki filters. Personally I would not use mesh for an oil filter. I don't think it will trp the smallest particles very efficiently like the paper will. Anyway this subject of oil filter quality came up a very long time ago and someone posted this link to a fellow who cuts open the filters and reports on quality of internal construction. Pretty interesting. Lots of difference among the name brands. http://www.tobycreek.org/oil_filters/index.shtml
I use a K&N from www.kientech.com/. It has a better looking red paper and more folds than Suzuki's. Another option is the stainless reusable filters from www.Dualstar.com.
