What is everyone's preference when it comes to air cleaners: naked or covered?

A few weeks ago, I got the 636v air cleaner from DK Custom which looks similar to the HD Heavy Breather air cleaner. Not long after I get it installed, I take a trip to the store and 20 minutes later when I come out, it is raining. I waited 10 minutes for the rain to let up to no avail. After 10 minutes of riding in the rain, the bike "hiccuped" a few times and then ran smoothly after that. I can only guess the "hiccup" was from rain water that soaked through the air filter while sitting in the rain. I also did notice the next day that the top of the filter was white instead of the red-ish color from the oil.

On my Sportster I had before the Slim, I ran a covered air cleaner and had zero issues whether I was in the rain or not. This recent bought with the rain has made me consider going back to using different air cleaner with a cover.

Have any of you guys switched back and forth between air cleaner setups? Just looking for some other opinions on this situation!

 

simple...get a rain sock, all my bikes have open air and i run socks with zero issues in the rain. Roland sands make a good one.

 

I've never went to an open air cleaner for that reason alone. I have a k&n filter in the stock air cleaner housing with a kuryakyn cover.

 

Naked filter looks great, but that's where it ends. Dunno how true this is, but I have heard a naked filter hurts your performance at speed, because eddy currents are set up around the open filter, which impedes your airflow. Not sure if this is truew, but I run a cover for the rain reason that happened to you.

 

open filter and rain sock here,,, no problems in the rain..(and yes I ride it in the rain)

 

Tried the rain sock...no go for me...bogged down in a all day rain ride....if you just get caught in the rain is one thing but if you tour that is another thing....my experience anyway with a riain sock.

 

I've discovered that I'm one of the weird guys who dislikes that sucking sound an open filter makes, so after a few months went back to covered for that reason alone. To me the pipes just sound much better now.

As for the rain, a hiccup here and there on an open element can sometimes be expected but it's not nearly enough to do any damage. If you like the look I wouldn't worry about it, just clean the thing often and keep it oiled. Rain doesn't like oil.

 

read up on water injection systems. A little water actually has a benefit for combustion

 

I've run open filters for years and never had trouble rain or shine. I might get an occasional hiccup in the rain but I've also ridden through torrential down pours without a hitch.
Dickey - no truth to that 'eddy current' stuff. My bikes always dyno better naked than they with a cover.
And rain socks are particularly restrictive. Better to leave the stock filter on than run a sock.

 

Open air cleaner with the rain sock. I've got a K&N filter and sock. Been caught in several hellacious downpours before I could find cover and the bike never skipped a beat.