ColoRider said:
If the filter is deemed at fault, the manufacturer of the filter takes the responsibility - that is at least if you are using the correct cross-reference filter.
You think FRAM, Puralotor, or Walmart is going to pay for a new Super Tenere engine after it experiences a lubrication-related failure? For an application they don't list as applicable to their filter? Absolutely no way. At best, you might be able to harangue them to some kind of settlement after you show hard evidence their filter caused the failure and threaten a lawsuit, but it could take years to get this to happen. If you have a car filter on your bike and it suffers a major failure that can in any way be construed to be caused by the filter, you're almost guaranteed to be in a classic finger-pointing situation where Yamaha will deny warranty coverage because of the filter and the filter mfg will deny it is their fault or that they have any liability.
And cross-references aren't gospel - they generally mean one filter will screw on where another does and hopefully not leak, but they don't guarantee that two filters are functionally equivalent in filtering ability, pressure drop, capacity, bypass provisions, or anti-drainback provisions, etc.
Believe me, I'm not an OEM filter zealot and have used non-OEM many times in the past. My FJR has a Walmart Supertech on it right now. Many aftermarket filters are probably better than OEM. But as I said before, for the relatively brief warranty period (which is the highest risk period for some kind of weird/major failure), I'd strongly suggest you stick to OEM to avoid any possibility of warranty issues.
- Mark