Sparkplugs

[hyder4lunch]

How do you get to the sparkplugs?

I haven't received the Service Manual yet and have done some looking around here to no avail.

The Owner's Manual suggests "checking sparkplugs" every 4000 miles, "clean and re-gap if necessary". For something that's supposed to be performed relatively frequently, it's not readily apparent how to get to them. Do you go in from the front behind the motor mount or from the top under the airbox? Any pictures out there?

Do the plugs need to be checked that frequently?

Thanks.

 

[eemsreno]

I just replaced mine today. You have to take off the air box and unbolt the coils . It's not hard.

 

[markjenn]

For some reason, Yamaha (and the Japanese mfgs in general) has habitually been ultra-conservative in their recommendations about servicing spark plugs. I don't know, maybe Yamaha owns part of NGK or Denso. I think is is partly historical - older bikes were tough on plugs (especially two-strokes - I replaced plugs in my Kawi triple every 500 miles or so), but with modern plugs, unleaded gas, electronic FI systems, and better oil control, 4K seems ridiculous to me.

My S1000RR has 18K plug change intervals with no cleanings. I've got to believe its 13:1 compression ratio and 14K redline, not to mention making double the horsepower from 15% less displacement, would put more stress on its plugs than the relatively docile S10. I have a friend with a VFR who lets his plugs go to 50K and the bike seems to run fine.

So this is one of those things you can fudge a little (perhaps a lot) on without harm I think. Even if they're not optimally clean, probably the worst that would happen is throttle response and fuel mileage would suffer a bit. But you wouldn't harm your motor.

I'lll probably ignore the cleanings (come to think of it, I didn't clean them at 4K so I already have) but do the replacement at 12K or when I'm under the tank for other maintenance.

Basically, not something to get religious about.

- Mark

 

[colorider]

How do you get to the sparkplugs?

I haven't received the Service Manual yet and have done some looking around here to no avail.

The Owner's Manual suggests "checking sparkplugs" every 4000 miles, "clean and re-gap if necessary". For something that's supposed to be performed relatively frequently, it's not readily apparent how to get to them. Do you go in from the front behind the motor mount or from the top under the airbox? Any pictures out there?

Do the plugs need to be checked that frequently?

Thanks.

::003:: aboard!

I'm with Mark on his assessment on plugs. Years ago, plug checks and/or replacement at 5k miles was not uncommon, but with today's technology - not so.

Rod

 

[rem]

Welcome on, hyder4lunch. May I assume you hail from the Hyder area? Or do you just go there for lunch ?? ::025:: ::025:: ::025:: Anyway, ::004:: . When and where did you get your bike ?? R ::022::

 

[whisperquiet]

I changed the plugs on my ST1300 at 40,000 and my BMW R1200GSA at 30,000............and could not tell the difference between the new and old plug performance, gas mileage, etc.

Thus, the S10 probably won't see new plugs until I complete the 24,000 mile service at a minimum. I have 7800 miles on the S10 and never even gave a thought to changing/checking them at 4000 miles...........heck, even the spark plug in my KLR650 has 10,000 miles on it.

 

[Tremor38]

Agree with the comments made about Yamaha being ultra conservative about checking the plugs. I personally like looking at them from time to time just as one indicator of the engine's overall health

 

[whisperquiet]

Agree with the comments made about Yamaha being ultra conservative about checking the plugs. I personally like looking at them from time to time just as one indicator of the engine's overall health

I MIGHT look at them if I am really bored. ???

 

[justbob]

On my '02 GL1800 and my '05 R1200RT I changed the plugs at 50,000 miles.
I shouldnt have, they didnt need them replaced.
I'd be surprised if there are any U.S. Super Teneres that need a plug change yet, we've only had them for 4 months.

 

[whisperquiet]

On my '02 GL1800 and my '05 R1200RT I changed the plugs at 50,000 miles.
I shouldnt have, they didnt need them replaced.
I'd be surprised if there are any U.S. Super Teneres that need a plug change yet, we've only had them for 4 months.

That"s it...........I won't check/change my Tenere plugs until 50,001 miles.

 

[Yamaguy55]

I think emission compliance is the primary reason. Those over-plug coils don't put out a gazillion volts, either. I used to change the plugs on my FZ once every 5K miles, they still looked ok, but it wasn't that tough and was good preventative maintenance. I could actually feel a seat of the pants difference when I did, so it wasn't a waste.

The service manual says the gap is .031-.035", which tells me we aren't dealing with a high output coil. Most auto plugs have almost twice that gap. (Sometimes as much as .075") Motorcycles tend to have much higher outputs from their engines than cars ( if my F150 had the same output as the S10, it would be 450 HP, not the 300 +/- it is now. The truck is 9:1 cr, the S10 is 11:1 cr. So: higher output, higher compression ratio, lower voltage ignition coils means change the p,us more often.

In the old leaded gas muscle car days, 5-8 thousand miles was it for plugs. Points too.

I'd like to see Iridium plugs for our beast. They give better spark for minimal output systems. platinum is good, Iridium is better.

 

[eemsreno]

I changed my plugs yesterday because I have 10500 miles on the bike and I usually do all my maintenance in the winter so I can just ride in the summer and not have to work on my bikes. Another reason is I don’t trust the factory's sparkplugs being tight enough. If you do your own work you’ll see what I mean when you change your plugs, they are not torqued in the head good. A two year old could remove the stock plugs. Next up I think I’ll change the fork oil and grease the steering head . Then grease the rear linkage. Steve

 

[Yamaguy55]

Put anti-seize on the plug threads. Otherwise, one of these times the threads will come out too.

 

[roy]

My Bking uses irridium plugs, came stock with them. Recommended replacement interval was 7500 miles. I ignored it and went until the air filter needed servicing at 11k miles. Reason I did this was the airbox had to come out and the plugs were not that easy to get at even then. At $12 bucks a piece I changed them and the air filter. The bike does run better but it's not due to the plug change. The air filter was in rough shape at 10458 miles. The irridium plugs looked okay to me visually but it clearly said do not attempt to adjust the plug gap in the service manual, replace the plug. I would have been leary of even trying to clean them. I had read reports where the Bking had the 7500 mile interval due to the small hair like electrode breaking off if ran too long. I am gonna throw the BS flag out on that because every Suzuki I have had for the past 30 years recommended 7500 change intervals.

Fast forward to my one banger DR650 recommended 7000 miles and I changed them at 7000 miles, boy it made a difference on the over worked one banger. YMMV

 

[Tremor38]

I think emission compliance is the primary reason. Those over-plug coils don't put out a gazillion volts, either. I used to change the plugs on my FZ once every 5K miles, they still looked ok, but it wasn't that tough and was good preventative maintenance. I could actually feel a seat of the pants difference when I did, so it wasn't a waste.

The service manual says the gap is .031-.035", which tells me we aren't dealing with a high output coil. Most auto plugs have almost twice that gap. (Sometimes as much as .075") Motorcycles tend to have much higher outputs from their engines than cars ( if my F150 had the same output as the S10, it would be 450 HP, not the 300 +/- it is now. The truck is 9:1 cr, the S10 is 11:1 cr. So: higher output, higher compression ratio, lower voltage ignition coils means change the p,us more often.

In the old leaded gas muscle car days, 5-8 thousand miles was it for plugs. Points too.

I'd like to see Iridium plugs for our beast. They give better spark for minimal output systems. platinum is good, Iridium is better.

Yeah, I'm wondering why Iridium isn't available.

 

[markjenn]

The air filter was in rough shape at 10458 miles.

Yes, it seems totally inconsistent to me that you'd let the air filter go for 12K but clean the plugs every four. If anything, I'd reverse these two recommendations, especially for a bike that sees any dirt.

I've always thought Yamaha's service recommendations to be the oddest of the big four Japanese mfgs. Often, they just don't seem to make common sense. I also don't understand why the US has 4K basic oil change intervals vs. 6K for the same-spec Euro bike.

- Mark

 

[jozmoto]

I also don't understand why the US has 4K basic oil change intervals vs. 6K for the same-spec Euro bike.

I was wondering the same thing. My past 4 BMW were 6000mi. All my cars (Hondas) are around 8-10,000mi also.

 

[Yamaguy55]

Yeah, I'm wondering why Iridium isn't available.

Odd plug size right now; I'm sure they will do something if there's a demand.

 

[Koinz]

Odd plug size right now; I'm sure they will do something if there's a demand.

Are the plugs all the same? Some four plug beasts have different plugs for primary and secondary's.

 

[Tremor38]

Are the plugs all the same? Some four plug beasts have different plugs for primary and secondary's.

Four of the same part number. CPR8EB-9