CFMoto Uforce Foam Air Filter | Maximum Engine Protection U600 U800

The CFMoto Uforce600 (and U800) are designed for power and durability. Both engines share huge air filters and radiators. Together, the engines run cleanly and cool.

But the Uforce "utility" models also share the weakness of the air filter located at the rear of the cab, below the rear window (if equipped.) The air filter box intake is toward the cab, but still inline with the passenger side tires.

One of the keys to long engine life is clean air intake. The air filter is the "lungs" of the engine. Dirty air severely affects the fuel combustion, resulting in loss of power and leads to accelerated engine wear.

Most of my riding is on the rural farm roads in central Wisconsin. The crushed rock and sand roads in the forests can be just as dusty. The result is that I need to inspect and clean the engine air filter on my Uforce600 AT LEAST every 200 miles - which could be every two days on overlanding adventures.

If you are on the farm, you might not drive 200 miles in weeks or months. But working in dusty fields could force you to clean the air filter every 12 to 24 hours of operation.

I have cleaned the foam prefilter on my U600 several times. The black foam traps much of the dirt before it can clog the inner paper filter. Washing the foam layer with Dawn dish detergent removes the embedded dirt.

During my 600-mile service, I switched to the 2-stage foam UNI filter. The outer red layer is a tighter density foam that is designed to be lightly coated with a water-soluble oil. This oil on the pores in the foam traps incoming dust particles better than dry foam. Eventually, this prefilter will develop blocked areas, reducing air flow, and requiring cleaning. However, far less dust can penetrate to the inner yellow foam layer - which also has better filtration than the stock pleated paper.

UNI Filter markets their products as "race tested", proven in the worst of conditions. That’s why UNI has been the air filter chosen by professional off road racers for decades. In this dirty, dusty environment, air filtration is extremely critical to the performance and protection of the engine. The UNI Air Filter’s ability to hold extreme amounts of dirt and still provide excellent air flow and performance has made it the choice of many of the greatest racers.

The UNI filter is designed to trap dirt, then be cleaned, re-oiled and reinstalled many times. It costs more than the cheap paper filters, but will outlast several AND provide far better engine protection and performance.

To me, the added protection and sustained performance are worth every penny!

The dusty roads that I ride have forced me to add a third level of protection. The outer, oiled red foam layer of the UNI air filter traps the incoming dirt. But to add more miles of protection, I added a breathable sock over it. This dry layer lets me blow off much of the dust before it contacts the sticky oil.

The "prefilter" sock shown is cut from a breathable nylon sun protective arm guard I wore for cycling. The upper cuff fits over the UNI filter, and the excess material is cinched with a Zip tie, then cut off. When shopping for UNI filters, you can also find commercial variations to add - Click HERE for an example.

To reduce dust in the UTV cab, see also the article that covers the installation of a VENTED windshield in the Uforce600 (or U800) - Click HERE.