If it were mine I would use the sock just to be safe.

 

that's what a lot my brothers do

not wrong. your experience is odd, and what is 'plenty?' i have literally hundreds of soaked filter complaints every year at the shop

 

Over 20 years riding with an uncovered K&N filter on several different bikes with zero issues ever. My bikes have been ridden in every type of weather from drizzle to downpours where an ark would have been the proper mode of transport.
Also that sock restricts air flow to near stock numbers....isn't the reason for replacing the stock A/C better flow?
Again no sock - no issues, not ever.

 

Most of my long rides have been 650-800 miles a day. On two of those trips I encountered constant rain the entire ride home. The first trip I had an open element K&N filter. The bike began sputtering after a while and made me pull over. Not a good feeling when you are a couple hundred miles from home. The second trip that happened I had already put a cover over the filter and guess what no sputtering, ran like a champ. I would have to say that the covers work and would recommend them to anyone running an open filter on long trips!

 

Seems like there are lots of experts on here.

 

When i doubt, whip the sock out! based on all i have been reading here the common denominator of the equation = It does not hurt to have one on.
If it gives you piece of mind use the sock! I am sure your GF would agree!LOL

 

Been caught in a few holy crap rain storms riding around the country. On one of em, riding from tenn to NC, didn't have the sock. Filter got saturated, bike started running like hell, shooting water out the pipes. That can't be good for a motor. And anyway, this is the same sort of argument as disconnecting the batter to work on your bike. Why argue against it? It takes no time or money, and it certainly doesn't hurt a damn thing.

 

Been running open K&N for 4 years now. Carry sock with me in saddle bag and have used it a handfull of times in heavy rain. Most use is when at work and is or is going to rain. Slip it on for the day while it sits. Never had any issues.

 

Engines are "AIR" pumps, not "WATER" pumps. LOL

I'm not taking any chances.

I keep the rain sock on my bike all the time. Water injested into a engine is bad, it can damage the engine. If the filter were to load up with water and the engine pull in enough water at one time it could easily warp a valve or worse. This is unlikely, but with my luck, it would happen to me.

Don't agree with ones that say the sock is hurting performance either. I have autotune on my bike and have purposely run the bike with, and without the sock to see if the tune would change. NO change to the tune, even at wide open throttle, the sock didn't change the tune at all.

My sock is staying put.

 

Are the people at the shop using paper filters? I use K&N, oiled properly, and the water beads off as you'd expect. Its a washable filter, so there's no such thing as "soaked" per se.

If they are using paper filters then I'd understand, to a certain degree, but thats just stupid.