K&n filter on a pointy - are there issues?

I've bought a K&N re-usable air filter because (a) I thought it'd deliver cleaner air (b) both K&N and seller said no adjustments were needed. Simples. Not!

Then I asked a few 'experienced' bikers, a mechanic and looked on the forum.... I got a whole bunch of different answers plus a bunch of extra questions! So if I (and others in the same boat) can have straight answers from bikers who really, really know their stuff (ie: not "I bunged it in and it seems Ok to me") that'd be fantastic. My bike has a baffled Fuel can on it but answers relating to a standard can too would be brill. Here goes:

1) Can you simply swap out an OEM paper filter for a K&N, no worries?
2) Will it deliver benefits? If so, what are they?
3) Are there downsides? (I've been told: increased fuel consumption, hotter engine, noise increase, shortens engine life, bumps up insurance).

and finally....

4) If you're looking to be kind to your engine (rather than squeeze out some extra horses or thrill to an induction wheeze) is a paper filter better/as good and if so, any recommendations?

[DaveW_42]

1. Yes
2. As far as I know, it's actually pretty negligable. If combined with full race system, dyno setup etc. it can help in delivering a fair performance upgrade. On the road and with that alone, you probably won't notice much difference. (With my Leovince can on I seem to remember I felt it had slightly more midrange but it was a long time ago and I'd prob done some other mods too). It sounds better though!
3. Proabably all of the above (apart from the insurance - dont think it effected mine). On the upside, the SV engine is pretty bullet proof and I dont think a bit of extra air through the engine will cause it to go bang any time soon. I've run one in mine since 2004 (admittedly on a track bike) and I've had no issues.
4. No idea - wait for someone else to come along!

[Bibio]

don't know about the technical stuff but i would presume that an FI engine would not suffer that much regarding running. on a carbed bike it's sometimes necessary to mess with jetting to richen the mixture hence why some people say that they use more fuel, if you don't mess with the jetting then i would presume that it would indeed run hotter as its running lean.

what i do know is that K&N and other reusable type filters are a pain in the butt having messed around with a few. its the cleaning and oiling, its messy.

yes i'm planning on getting one when the OEM paper filter is goosed for the simple reason that they technically last for yonks so i know when it comes to service time i only need to clean/oil it and not go buying a new one. i plan on keeping the bike for a very long time so in the long run it will save me cash.

[MJC-DEV]

A fair amount of stuff on the web that say K&N (and others of the same type) are bad news and should be avoided (for poor filtration). So a couple for the debate:

http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/kn-vs-oem-filter.html
http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4261

Personally I plan to stick with the OEM filter but this is a sensitive issue to a lot of people I know.