I've been reading the forums (CH and ADV) and I will say most air box solutions look like they've been covered for offroad / REAL adventure riding. I understand the purpose of the foam filter but I want to keep the setup as stock as I can while ensuring a good seal. I think the paper element will be fine for my purpose. I put 12k miles on my NC700X and the air filter looked fine. My Strada will be run in the same conditions. My use of the bike will be 99% street/highway riding. It may once in a blue moon go on gravel roads. To be more direct...has anyone sealed the air box halves and retained the stock filter assembly with good results?
The best thing you can do for your situation, would be a custom pre filter. One member took a piece of foam and put it in the snorkle, another took foam and put it infront of the filter. I would use a variation on this, Coarse Scrubby with oil, in the snorkle area. Then pop the side covers and seal the seam best as possible with butyl calk or tape. The tape seems like a good recommendation. The pod filter mod seems to be the best for the desert conditions in which I ride.
Not a direct answer to your question, however, the use of my Strada is very much like yours. I added the lawnmower foam pre-filter to the intake of mine as added insurance. I don't plan on investigating further until it's time for a valve check. At that time, if there's any sign of dust getting by the pre-filter and the paper element, then I have the parts to seal the airbox and use the printer made plastic frame with a unifilter. High Five has posted the information on the lawn mower filter on Advrider, http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=24121125
Not sure what post you intended, but this is the post on the lawn boy pre filter, http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=23926634&postcount=3650
For what it's worth, my 3D frame and Uni filter are sitting on my table at home waiting for me to get the gasket strip, adhesive, and caulking strip. I'm somewhere around 5k miles, on my Strada, primarily commuting and pavement. I had my air filter out over the weekend, and the paper element is still clean. From what I could reach, the airbox seemed clean, but I didn't pull it apart to check the throttle body...I'll do that once I have the other stuff to do the full job.
