| Author | Message | ||
     Mhevezi |
Hey Kids, I know there are a ton of threads about this, and I just wanted to get everyone's opinions on what you personally use and when you change your plugs. Spark Plug threads are like Oil threads, I know. Everyone has their opinion and for the most part, everyone is right about their own bike. From YOUR experience, which plugs do you use and how often do you change them? I was forced to change mine after 2k miles on my '08 XT. I bought the bike with 10k on the clock and after a few months, it would hardly run. I seriously thought I'd purchased someone else's headache. But, 2 new NGK Iridium plugs later, she ran like a top again. Coming up on 17K and just wanted to get some feedback from y'all. Thanks in advance, and Happy New Year! | ||
| Motorbike |
I run NGK Iridium DCPR9EIX in my 08 XT as well. I replace them once per year only because I am pretty good at wasting money on unnecessary things. I guess I just like tinkering on the bike during the off season.... | ||
| Panhead_dan |
I like NGK's for most of my bikes but I don't fall for those overly expensive plugs. I also don't use those $35 light bulbs in my home. A 69 cent bulb seems to provide all the light I need and a 4 dollar plug will run 10000 miles. | ||
| Arry |
Mhevezi, Glad you brought this thread up. If I read your post right, your plugs went bad between 10k and 12k. My bike has 10k right now so it sounds like its due (also 10k is the recommended interval, now that I look it up). I hope more people weigh in with opinions. The Iridium doesn't sound like a waste of money (a few dollars more for 10k miles) if its actually a better performing plug. More opinions? | ||
| Uly_man |
Spark plugs need maintenance like anything else. They should be cleaned and the gap reset, if needed, every now and then. But if your going to do this, for what they cost, you may just as well change them out. If you want "cheap" basic plugs are good enough (even HDs are fine) and NGK have always been good. Iridum plugs are said to help the idle but I do not see how. If it does then thats good. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
My 2008 bike was delivered to me with a fouled plug. I guess showrooms start and run the bikes without warming them up? I tend to replace them around 20,000 miles or so. I used to replace my X1 plugs every couple of oil changes since it was so easy. | ||
| Yamafreak |
I bet it was your front plug that was fouled.That is the one that foul's on my 08XT.I am thinking of running a hotter plug up front and a cooler plug aft. On my race bikes(2 stroke) we read the plugs and change the heat range all the time. What do you think? Went to start mine today and front was fouled again! | ||
| Arry |
Yamafreak, It sounds like you've fouled a few front plugs. Have you tried different brands/types of plugs? How many miles do you get on a plug? | ||
| Yamafreak |
NGK Iridum I ride very little.Only have 14000 miles on my 08.I Change once a year with oil changes.But I think a hotter plug is going in next oil change. | ||
| Sagehawk |
What is the norm for warmup ? 07 12 x is only bike that I let idle for app 2 minutes or idle changes before I turn throttle at all ! Been thru several fouled plugs and it seems no input is crucial to vertical intake system. On evo motors , generally a colder plug goes upfront due to 305 / 415 firing order and front doesnt have equal cylinder fill. All bikes are different tho. I have stayed stock on my plugs till now and have installed iridiums to see what service they will give | ||
| Teeps |
At 9600 miles I swapped the stock plugs for NGK Iridium Plugs ,bought at American Sport Bike (#5887 NGK Iridium, 10R12.) At 28k miles, the replacement plugs are still firing just fine. | ||
| Thejosh |
NGK iridium DCPR9EIX from Napa | ||
| Panhead_dan |
It's very common for riders to start their bikes once a month or so during the winter for reasons they think are valid. In reality, there are several very good reasons not to do this, especially with a Buell XB. One of which is plug(s) fouling. | ||
| Yamafreak |
Guilty as charged! She makes me do it. Running the Iridium 10's now,think I will try a 9 in front(hotter). | ||
| Desertjeff |
I just bought a set of plugs for my 2006 but I used the NGK web site for a reference and the number they gave me is DCPR8EIX wondering why you guys seem to be using cooler plugs? | ||
| Yamafreak |
Ok an 8 will go in the front! | ||
| Uly_man |
The type of plug is the same front and rear. Or at least thats HDs spec. I know some have problems bit I have never had a fouled plug over 20,000 miles with the 06 and 10 bikes. "It's very common for riders to start their bikes once a month or so during the winter for reasons they think are valid." On a XB, just my opinion, you are better of taking it out for a good ride or just taking off the Battery Neg and leaving it to stand. Air cooled engines take a while to get real hot and short starting does them little good. | ||
| Yamafreak |
Some would say the valve springs would take a set and seals and O rings need to be worked.The old "use it or lose it". That said I have an old 1971 V-12 Jaguar E-type that I have not started in 10 years. The last time I did try,gas ran out of the carbs,brake peddle went to the floor and the clutch peddle was locked up. How long is to long to not start,drive or turn over a vehicle? | ||
| Uly_man |
Well I have not worked on a E-Type, for a number of years now, but if it is of any help I will make up a list of the seals/gaskets you are going to need to replace. And, err the other bits are going to cost as well. | ||
| Etennuly |
The biggest killer of plugs on these bikes is the cold start and either not running it until fully warmed up, or revving it while not warmed up. Not fully warming it up is also what makes for a milkshake of the oil in the primary housing. I ran the stock HD plugs for the first 10,000 on my "06 Uly. I went through my education on the "how to start and run a cold XB bike" on my "05 City-X. I switched to the iridium plugs for another 10,000. Then I forgot to change them at the next 10,000, so when I pulled them at 20,000 they looked great, and the bike still ran great. So I put in another set for another 20,000. I only have 10,000 on the current set and plan to make it to 20,000 on them as long as I do not foul them. IMHO I have never seen a wet fouled plug work as well as it did prior to being wet, even after a complete proper cleaning. They will still fire, but are never quite as good. My start up method is to fire up the bike not touching the throttle, let it idle until I get suited up. In the summer it takes less time to zip on my mesh stuff so it has about two minutes of warm up, usual temps are 70F+. In the winter, depending on how stiff my body feels, it may take five or ten minutes to layer up. The temps are usually from 28F to 50F on my "colder" starts. I never start the bike more than two times without riding it at least ten miles. Frequently I start it, let it warm up idling for ten minutes, load it into one of my customer's trucks, return the truck to it's owner location and ride the Uly twenty to thirty miles back to my truck repair shop. I run premium gas(with no alcohol when I can get it) which seems to always keep the fuel system clean and happy without additives. If it sits for more than two months I usually give it a little trickle charge for an hour before starting, just to make sure the resets on the dash don't drop. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Etennuly, I run only 10% ethanol gas, because it's cheaper, and I've only had to change one plug on my 06 and that was at 5,000 miles. Coming on 40,000 now. Blipping the throttle was most likely what caused the rear plug to go at 5K miles on my bike so I quit doing that. ET, next time you change out those iridiums you can send those used plugs to me and I'll run them for another 20K miles. | ||
| Etennuly |
Probably what will happen when it is time for plugs this round is that I will forget and just run them until one of them fails. What the heck, I monitor my fuel mileage all of the time, until I see a problem, why bother. My bike runs fine on the alcohol additive fuel, but it gets better mileage on pure gasoline. Here in East Tenn it is only a couple of cents more a gallon. What I like about the pure gasoline premium is it's ability to sit a long time without gumming things up. Case in point is my boat and some of my lawn equipment that may go as long as six months without running. | ||
| Arcticktm |
Roughly following 10k schedule with normal NGK DPR9EA-9 plugs (not iridium) put in at 9k and 21k. Now at about 27k on the bike. No issues, and I don't touch the throttle during starting or warmup on any of my fuel injected stuff. Most everything in NC is E10, though I found 90 octane no-ethanol recently and decided to put that in the bikes over the cold season, along with my usual fuel stabilizer treatment. Never had a fuel storage issue in 25 years by always having Sta-Bil or similar in my gas before off season (or in anything that gas will sit for more than 30 days). the hotter the weather, the quicker gas seems to go bad, as I found out in FL. |
