MXA TEAM TESTED: MX FILTER SERVICE AIR FILTER CLEANING

WHAT IS IT? MX Filter Service was created to eliminate the hassle of cleaning, drying and oiling air filters. In short, they do it for you so you can avoid the hassle of cleaning dirty filters. MX Filter Service (also known as DT1 Filter Service), is used by many top riders and teams—just ship your dirty air filters to MX Filter Service’s shop to be cleaned, oiled and shipped back to you—clean, oiled and in a Ziploc bag.

WHAT’S IT COST? $7.00 (per filter), $6.00 (10 or more filters), $5.00 (20 or more filters)

CONTACT? (951) 833-5555 or @mxfilterservice on Instagram.

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with the MX Filter Service’s program.  

(1) Hoodie. Jon Lower is a longtime motocross mechanic and well known among mechanics and factory teams in the pro paddock as “Hoodie.” He got his start as a race mechanic in Europe. He first worked for Mervyn Anstie (Max Anstie’s dad), and that led him to his next job at Factory Husqvarna in 1995. From 1997–2001, he worked for Factory Kawasaki, finishing second in the MXGP World Championship with his rider, Steve Ramon (Chad Reed was also on this team at the time). In 2002, Steve Ramon and Hoodie went to Factory KTM and finished second in the MXGP Championship again. He came to the U.S. in 2003 and is best remembered for his time working for Ryan Hughes at Red Bull KTM. He stayed with “Ryno” when Ryan was a privateer with ECC in 2005 and stayed loyal to Ryan when he got picked up by Suzuki to race off-road in 2005–2007. Later, Hoodie worked for Robbie Madison building the exotic bikes that Robbie used to break records and do stunts for Hollywood movies.

(2) Concept. The MX Filter Service program was originally created for the factory teams, but is now available to the public. Hoodie’s shop is located near the corner of Innovation and Technology in Murrieta, California (just across the street from the old KTM building and only a mile from the new KTM headquarters). MX Filter Service’s shop is located in the same units as Twisted Development, BarX Suzuki’s race shop, VP Fuel, Viscid Graphics, PanicRev, and several other moto-industry companies. If you live in the Inland Empire, you can drop your dirty filters off. Otherwise, you can mail them to 38372 Innovation Court, Building C, #303, Murrieta, California, 92563.

(3) Convenience. When it comes to cleaning filters, many riders opt to clean their filters in gasoline, but gasoline isn’t cheap. When you’re cleaning a lot of filters, it’s more convenient to use a washing machine than to do it by hand, but how many racers have a dedicated air filter-only washing machine in the garage? MX Filter Service runs dirty filters through four separate washing machines.

MX Filter Service might seem expensive, but it is super convenient for race teams, families with multiple riders, groups of friends who join forces to get all of their filters cleaned at one time, or for riders who are just too busy. 

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? It’s not for everybody. There are riders who appreciate their time in the garage getting their hands dirty. MXA loves MX Filter Service. We get as many as 10 bikes dirty every week, so for us, Hoodie is a lifesaver.

MXA RATING: Riders who only ride once a week will scoff at the idea of paying someone to clean and oil their air filters, but for a lot of racers, this is no different from paying someone to change their tires.