Rep Power: 0

on pg 225 of the owners manual, they say to change the air cleaner element all you need to do is remove the 7 bolts to take the cover off and pop a new filter in it. I can't get the 7 bolts off. I managed to get 2 off but the plastic around the bolts cracked around a few of them and now they spin when i turn it.

what is the trick to get these screws off?

 
Rep Power: 331

get a flat head and pry up on the screw head as you unscrew from the top.

 
Rep Power: 812

Well you should only have to unscrew them 1/2 way to take the cover off. They don't have to come out, but can be removed by pulling up and twisting for the second stage. However, it could also be likely that they were too tight and you may have broken the mounts. In this case, you will need to replace the airbox. I had to chop out pieces of the plastic just to get to the filter so I could move it to the new one.

 
Rep Power: 275

i cracked my airbox just trying to get the screws out once, i took it to the dealer and they fixed it under warranty