Motorcycle Repair: Changing air and fuel intake for better mpg, suzuki bandit 1200, stock air filter

Question
I read your expertise question and sorry but my bike is not any of the models listed.  Still I was hoping you could help me figure out an affordable solution with me.  I installed a KandN air filter and jetted my 2002 suzuki bandit 1200.  This got rid of this backfire that was happening on the intake side, i.e. before the intake valves closed.  It ran great.  But it was burning as much fuel as my car with minimal power gains.  I want to get a good ten more miles per gallon out of my rides now that I am a starving college student with not a lot of money to spare.  That little extra power is nice on long rides, but a waste when you are sitting at traffic lights.  I put back in the stock pilots and it is intake-backfiring again.  I tried blocking the air filter with cardboard, but that seemed to kill the engine when I was shifting.  I tried fitting towels to the air filter to decrease how much air was getting in it still backfired.  I have ordered a stock air filter which I know will help, but won't be perfect.  Any suggestions on how to decrease the flow rate of air and thereby increase my mpg?

Answer
Go back to the stock setup; you will find it's pretty well sorted and will bive you good performance and good fuel economy.  Change one thing at a time to try and improve things, and verify every step.  too many things changed at once will get you where you are now.

Good luck,  Jan