Change the spark plug

[Nobby]

Originally Posted by xeres

guys, trying to replace my plugs right now and what a ******* position theyre in. Ive loosened off the radiator bolts so's i got beter access but i cant wrk out the plugs. How the hell do i get the covering off? someone guide me thru this pls...

X

Blow some compressed air through the hole in the side of the cylinder

[Rich]

From the manual:

1. Remove: radiator lower bolt and radiator lower hose bracket bolt

2. Remove: spark plug caps

3. Remove plugs:

Right side #1 and #2 and #3
Left side #4

CAUTION:
Before removing the spark plugs, blow away any dirt accumulated in the park plug wells with compressed air to prevent it from falling into the cylinders.

[xeres]

holy crap that was a headache. Thank god i play lacrosse and have strong wrists and fingers cos they're are job to pull out and position. Ended up having to hang the radiator completely to get the last plug out but once you've done it one, it'll be 10x faster next time.

Just to note, i installed Iridium plugs cos i managed to get them cheaper (believe it or not) than the standard. Will post up on if they make any difference whatsoever.

Note of thanks to this guy from SBN, this article is a comprehensive lifesaver on the job.

How to: Replace your sparkplugs in 20 minutes - Sportbikes.net

X

[headache56]

Nelly,

I have also checked the circa 500 page manual whcih makes no mention of removing the airbox and radiator. I wonder if of one should kind of twist the radiator a bit (having disconnected the bracket/s) then use a special shallow thoated spark plug spanner to remove the spark plugs. Any ideas please ? In the absnce I will try and remove the rad and airbox.


Regards
Kevin / Headache56

Originally Posted by Nelly

Hi mate,
I beleive that you need to remove tank, and air box to get to plugs. I have also searched the manual and it has no mention. Have you checked the technical section on this site? There are PDF service manuals in there. Its on page 4 or 5 I think.

Failing that Sportsrider and wrightme do there own servicing and they could help you.

Neil

[headache56]

Fantastic, thanks

[CooperFZ6]

It's not easy, but, I got them changed today. #1 is a pain. The other 3, not so bad. You do have to get the radiator loosened and tipped back a bit.

I'm not sure I want to do this every fall (I was winterizing the bike and wanted to put some fogging oil in the cyclinders). We'll see how I feel next year, albeit having done this once, I think I could do it much faster the next time around.

Anyway, here's a pic of the ones I took out. I think they look ok, may be I'm running a little rich since they seem to be more black then brown, but, the bike seemed to run fine before I put it away. Any comments?

[Jedi]

They look a little rich, when did you last change or clean your air filter?

[CooperFZ6]

I'm thinking the same thing. I just got the bike used in September checked the oil and coolant etc. then went riding. I don't know how long these plugs were in, but, they don't look eroded or anything like that. Also, the bike ran fine the last time I went riding, so, if it is rich, it can't be too far off optimal (I hope).

As I'm still getting familiar with the bike, I'm taking it slow in terms of what maintenance I'm doing. I got the battery out last night and saw the air box staring me in the face, but, I didn't jump into it yet. I'll be pulling the old air filter out soon and putting the new one in. In the spring, after riding a bit, I'll pull plug # 4 and take a look and see what I've got.

Also, I put Stabil in a little early, and ended up running a tank of gas through with the stuff in it. I think the Stabil contributes to plug fouling, so, that might explain the colour too. I'm also thinking may be my photography skills make them look worse then they actually are!

[VEGASRIDER]

So after 20,800 miles, I decided to change my plugs. Bike was still starting and running fine, no issues at all. I know the recommended mileage for spark plug change is 8,000 miles, but I stretched it out. I replaced them with the Iridum plugs.

[sideshow_downs]

Those plugs look nice and worn. I bet it runs better now with the new ones