More Air In.
More Fuel With It.
Then Tune It.
Stage 1 air cleaners, high-flow filters, throttle bodies, injectors, carbs and the tuners that make it all work together. Arlen Ness, S&S Cycle, Vance & Hines, Trask, Performance Machine, Cobra, Feuling and more — start with your brand or your bike.
Shop by category
Pick the part of the system you are working on, then narrow by brand and bike on the collection page. The brand pills above stack with these — choose a category first and the brand filter still applies inside it.
Three ways to start
Almost everyone who lands here is doing one of three jobs: opening up the intake on a stock bike, going further with a real power build, or keeping an older carbureted engine running the way it should.
Opening up a stock bike
The first thing most riders change. A high-flow air cleaner from Arlen Ness, Vance & Hines, S&S, Trask or Cobra replaces the restrictive factory box and lets the engine breathe. Pair it with a slip-on and a tune and it is the classic Stage 1 — the best power per dollar on a Harley.
Shop air cleaner kits →
Building real power
Past Stage 1 the intake becomes the bottleneck. Bigger S&S throttle bodies and ported manifolds, higher-flow injectors from Feuling and Daytona Twin Tec, and a fuel rail to feed them — the parts that keep a cammed or big-bore engine fed all the way to redline.
Shop throttle bodies & EFI →
Running a carbureted engine
Evo, Shovel and early Twin Cam bikes still run best on a good carb. Complete S&S Super E and Super G kits and Mikuni HSR conversions, plus the jets, needles, gaskets and rebuild kits to sort out the one already on the bike.
Shop carbs & carb parts →Getting the combination right
An air cleaner on its own is half a job. Here is what actually changes when you open the intake, why the tune matters more than the part, and the fitment details worth checking before you order.
What Stage 1 really means
Stage 1 is not a single part — it is a high-flow air cleaner, a freer-flowing exhaust, and a tune that tells the ECM what you just did. Do all three and a stock Twin Cam or M8 typically picks up meaningful torque everywhere, not just at the top.
Do only the air cleaner and the bike runs leaner than it already was from the factory. It will still run, but you will not see the gain you paid for, and a lean M8 runs hot.
Where to spend, by stage
A rough map of what goes with what. Every step assumes the one above it is already done — skipping the tune is the most common and most expensive mistake.
| Stage | Intake | Also needs |
|---|---|---|
| Stock | Factory box | Filter service only |
| Stage 1 | High-flow air cleaner | Slip-ons + tuner |
| Stage 2 | Stage 2 intake | Cams + full exhaust + tune |
| Stage 3 / 4 | Ported manifold, big throttle body | Injectors, fuel rail, dyno tune |
| Carbureted | Super E / G, HSR | Correct jetting, intake seals |
On a carbureted bike the "tune" is jetting — same idea, different hardware.
Filters: which element
Pre-oiled cotton gauze (the red and blue filters) flows the most and is washable — re-oil it after every cleaning or it passes dirt. Dry synthetic flows nearly as well, cleans with soap and water, and cannot be over-oiled, which is the usual way people foul a MAP or hot-wire sensor.
A rain sock over an exposed filter is cheap insurance on any bike that gets ridden in the wet or parked outside. Service the element every 10,000 miles, sooner if you ride dusty roads.
Two things to check first
Engine platform. M8, Twin Cam, Evo, Sportster and Indian all use different intake mounting — an M8 air cleaner will not bolt to a Twin Cam. On M8 also check whether your bike is oil-cooled or Twin-Cooled, and whether it is a '17–'22 or a '23-up Touring.
Clearance. Big round air cleaners can catch a rider's leg or crowd a forward control on some frames. If you ride with your knee tight to the bike, a slimmer Stage 1 or a Sportster-specific kit is the safer pick.
Send us the year, model and what exhaust is on the bike and we will confirm the part and the right tune before you order.
Common questions
Do I need a tuner with a new air cleaner?
On a fuel-injected bike, yes. The ECM has no way to know you changed the intake, so it keeps delivering the factory fuel curve into an engine that now flows more air. A Dynojet Power Vision, Vance & Hines Fuelpak or ThunderMax module fixes that — and on most bikes it is where the real gain comes from.
How much power will Stage 1 add?
It depends on the bike and what exhaust goes with it, but a complete Stage 1 on a stock M8 or Twin Cam usually means a solid double-digit torque gain and a noticeably crisper throttle, especially in the midrange where you actually ride. Air cleaner alone, without exhaust and tune, gains very little.
Will this pass California emissions?
Some parts are 50-state legal and some are marked off-road or non-CA only — it varies by part number, not by brand. The product page says which, and our CARB Compliant collection lists what is street legal in California. Ask us if you are not sure.
Can I keep my stock air cleaner cover?
Often, yes. Several Arlen Ness and S&S kits are built to accept the factory cover or a factory-style medallion, which is the cheap way to get the flow without changing the look of the bike. The listings call it out where it applies.
Should I convert my carbureted bike to EFI?
Usually not worth it. A well-set-up S&S Super G or Mikuni HSR on an Evo or early Twin Cam makes strong, reliable power for a fraction of what an EFI conversion costs. Rejetting to match a new intake and exhaust is the step most carbureted bikes are actually missing.
How often do I service the filter?
Every 10,000 miles as a rule, sooner if you ride dirt roads or in heavy dust. Cotton gauze filters wash and re-oil; dry synthetic elements wash with soap and water and go back in dry. Either way, let it dry fully before it goes back on the bike.
The whole combination, not one part
Intake, exhaust and tune in one place, so what you order actually works together instead of leaving the bike lean and flat.
Fitment confirmed before it ships
Send the year, model and what exhaust is on the bike and we will check the part number against the manufacturer's fitment data before the order goes out.
Carbureted bikes still covered
Complete S&S and Mikuni carb kits plus the jets, needles, gaskets and rebuild parts for Evo, Shovel and early Twin Cam engines.
Installed and tuned in Anaheim
Want it fitted and dialed in? Email Support@lifestylecycles.com and we will book the install.
Let it breathe. Then feed it.
Over thirteen hundred air cleaners, filters, throttle bodies, injectors, carbs and tuners for Harley-Davidson. If you are not sure which stage your bike is at, or whether your tuner covers your model year, ask before you order — it is a quicker conversation than a return.