spark plug check at 6K Miles ?

[datjackal]

I am doing the 6K miles maintenance on my 2012. On the list is a spark plug check/gap. This seems rather excessive to me, and I am mostly feeling lazy. Is that really needed on plugs that should easily last 24K miles ? The bike has 6200 miles now, and it is starting/running great. Is it safe to ignore for now and visit at 12K, or more ?

I also see that they are scheduled to be replaced at 12K miles. Is there a mistake in the owner's manual, or they are shooting for some strange worse case scenario ?

 

[squarebore]

If you pulled the plugs and checked the gap at the 6k service I reckon you would be the first.

 

[limey]

$14,000 bike and your being a cheapskate on plugs. ::008::

 

[datjackal]

$14,000 bike and your being a cheapskate on plugs. ::008::

I am not being cheap at all as checking/gapping plugs is free. I am just lazy (I was clear on that), and I hate doing unneeded work, specially is the owner's manual is wrong.

 

[limey]

Do you change the oil at recommended intervals ?

 

[datjackal]

Do you change the oil at recommended intervals ?

I change the oil by the book. Skipping oil changes could ruin the engine, or at least shorten it's life. Not checking a plug would not do any serious damage if any to an engine. Worse case scenario it would make it a tiny bit harder to start, which not a problem that I have. I suppose it might also affect the performance, but again it is not a problem for me.

I don't check the tire pressure before each ride, please don't turn me in to the yamaha gods.

 

[Checkswrecks]

The spark plugs do cost more than the cheapies in a lot of bikes, and I don't necessarily replace them as often as the book says. But I can sure tell a difference in gas mileage and performance when I do.


Thanks for the reminder, as I need to buy another set.

 

[Mchaskell]

I replaced the plugs at 12,000. I did not check the gaps on the old set however I did not notice a great deal of electrode wear. I did find the bolts that hold the stick coils difficult to remove due to corrosion. I would suggest that you a least remove these bolts and treat them with antisieze.

 

[SingleTrackMind]

I am not being cheap at all as checking/gapping plugs is free. I am just lazy (I was clear on that), and I hate doing unneeded work, specially is the owner's manual is wrong.

I had to laugh, a more or less bullet proof bike that's designed by educated engineers, mechanics etc who's designs and recommendations are used to publish the maintenance manual...can you see where this is going? I wouldn't bet on the idea that it's wrong, especially if your bike was built a year or more after the original (think amendments to manuals.)
I would however bet on the fact that the recommended procedures are done at certain intervals for reasons obvious or not.

 

[SingleTrackMind]

I could be wrong, but I think a lot of maintenence on motorcycles they are more or less trying to help the dealers. Yea right, take it in at 6000, they check the plugs, check the screws and bolts to see if they are corroded, of course check the fuel lines and brake lines as they may be bad, check the brake linings, check compression, oil pressure, check coolant for green color. The dealer spends hours checking all this, (sure they do, they say they did and that is golden),and of course all is fine, so all you did was toilet a $300 bill you could use to ride. You can check the plugs, they will be fine. I would bet most dealers just say they checked them and they were fine. Save yourself the work, they are fine.

True. A good dealership can be worth it's weight in gold. I'm lucky to have one in my area.

 

[datjackal]

I could be wrong, but I think a lot of maintenence on motorcycles they are more or less trying to help the dealers. Yea right, take it in at 6000, they check the plugs, check the screws and bolts to see if they are corroded, of course check the fuel lines and brake lines as they may be bad, check the brake linings, check compression, oil pressure, check coolant for green color. The dealer spends hours checking all this, (sure they do, they say they did and that is golden),and of course all is fine, so all you did was toilet a $300 bill you could use to ride. You can check the plugs, they will be fine. I would bet most dealers just say they checked them and they were fine. Save yourself the work, they are fine.

part of my gripe is that the Beemers require no checks of any kind till 24K. it is not like they get plugs made on Mars. It is all NGK stuff.

 

[RIVA]

I had to laugh, a more or less bullet proof bike that's designed by educated engineers, mechanics etc who's designs and recommendations are used to publish the maintenance manual...can you see where this is going? I wouldn't bet on the idea that it's wrong, especially if your bike was built a year or more after the original (think amendments to manuals.)
I would however bet on the fact that the recommended procedures are done at certain intervals for reasons obvious or not.

Are these the same educated engineers mechanics etc who designed and fitted our bulletproof CCT ?.

 

[Don in Lodi]

First time the plugs were looked at was 24,000. Replaced them and the air filter while there. Second set of plugs went in just now at 43,000 with the first valve check, air filter still clean, valves good. I keep on putting gas in her, she keeps on keeping on. ::001::

 

[SingleTrackMind]

Are these the same educated engineers mechanics etc who designed and fitted our bullet CCT ?.

More than likely designed on a Wednesday morning after a night of sake slammers and expensive hookers. I'm sure they were scolded!

 

[squarebore]

I'm sure some of the service intervals are pulled out of where the sun doesn't shine. I'd like to see the evidence the 6k mile spark plug check is based on. How about the replacement interval? Maybe we should do a survey and provide the information to yamaha.

 

[dcstrom]

I accidentally found out how long is too long to run a set of plugs. Previous experience told me that plugs still looked fine at 24,000 miles, could use a bit of gapping (but 6,000 miles? waste of time). But replaced at 24,000 miles. Next major service, valves at a dealership in the UK, I had a new set of plugs put in but I'd put them in a "safe place" and couldn't find them when I needed them. Rather than buy another set from the dealer (UK prices, no thanks), I told Nigel the tech just to take a look at them, gap if necessary and I'll put the new ones in next time I get a chance.

Not long after the service I started suffering a slight miss accelerating from low revs. Seemed too much of a coincidence so took the bike back and asked if there was anything Nigel might have done at the service that might cause it? Nope - it was intermittant so was hoping it would just go away. It didn't, and, it got worse. About 1000 miles later I was in Germany and stripped the airbox to replace the plugs. Problem solved.

So, I would say 24,000 miles is ok on a set of plugs, but not much more

 

[frez]

Strange, I started getting the occasional miss fire at low revs when the bike was cold, I put it down to the Arrows pipes I put on, but after the 24k service when the plugs were changed the issue went away. So maybe 24000 miles is on the edge for these plugs.

 

[catang5oh]

6k check is probably just to make sure they are still there and tight.

 

[Don in Lodi]

And we've all seen the recommended shift intervals... )

 

[Kevhunts]

Haven't some on here pulled their plugs and found corrosion from a leaking coil gasket?
It may be overkill but pulling them now gains you experience and a chance to correct any coil/plug corrosion that may be starting.