r1100gs what plugs are you using

[motobiker]

err... a bike will always appear to run better with brand spanking new plugs. Its very noticable on my bike.. and i just use the ordinary Bosch ones supplied by Motorworks.

clean plugs with brand new electodes... course thats gonna be an improvement on the 12,000 mile old ones just removed.

 

[g.s.john]

got a pair of platignum tipped from either motobins or motorworks take them out once a year for a clean done 20000 miles so far
£4.00 each from motobins
http://www.motobins.co.uk/displayfi...ow&subs=012&title=SPARK+PLUGS&model=&bike=993

 

[Pykie]

Fancy Iridium tipped plugs

For what its worth:

recently my 1100gs was running badly and idling rough, (it turned out to be the lamda sensor and badly set up idle screws).

It had used, but newish, standard three point Bosch plugs. When I put new single electrode NGK standard £3.50 plugs it idled better. When I substituted these for expensive Iridium tipped NGK's it ran quite a lot better.

This wasnt the cause of or cure for the problem, but it did demonstrate that expensive Iridium plugs do make a difference, especially on a bike that is struggling for some reason (this may be worth bearing in mind if you are planning to travel in an area with crappy petrol).

Anecdotally, a few years ago I had to diagnose a problem with two-stroke snowmobile engines that were holing pistons at a ridiculous rate. It turned out to be partly caused by (or at least worsened by) the substitution of standard NGK's with the equivalent Bosch's. Several other mechanics I have spoken to don't like Bosch plugs either and have nasty tales to tell. It may be irrational, but I wouldn't fit this brand of plugs to a motor of mine unless I really had to.

Olly

 

[sproggy]

Several other mechanics I have spoken to don't like Bosch plugs either and have nasty tales to tell. It may be irrational, but I wouldn't fit this brand of plugs to a motor of mine unless I really had to.

I used to run a succession of Alfa boxers - mostly 33s (which most people will have no recollection of.....). They WOULD NOT run right with Bosch plugs - in fact I bought one very cheap because the owner couldn't get it running right despite expensive work. I fitted Lodge plugs and it ran perfectly. Some engines seem more sensitive to plugs than others, but those Alfas weren't half fussy. The carb'd ones more so than the injected ones it seemed.

 

[motobiker]

Not something I'm going to lose any sleep over.. each time I've ordered a service kit from Motorworks included is a pair of Bosch plugs.. take out the old ones. fit the new ones.. bike runs exactly as it should until the next major service.
Maybe once a year.. I'll take em out just to look at the colour.. all normal. stick em back in.

My guess is that the 3 major independents sell 10s of 1,000s of these kits between them.. with no problems at all.

paranoia eh? you gorra love it.

 

[Stewart H]

Not something I'm going to lose any sleep over.. each time I've ordered a service kit from Motorworks included is a pair of Bosch plugs.. take out the old ones. fit the new ones.. bike runs exactly as it should until the next major service.
Maybe once a year.. I'll take em out just to look at the colour.. all normal. stick em back in.

My guess is that the 3 major independents sell 10s of 1,000s of these kits between them.. with no problems at all.

paranoia eh? you gorra love it.

+1 for me too, its a low revving fourstroke, multi electrode plugs are there to last 24K, single electrode plugs might give an improved flame path during combustion at the expense of a shorter life, there must be some snake oil here somewhere, some applications get weird with plugs, cold running petroil outboards and stuff but these bikes are pretty simple.
Stewart

 

[MattW]

Last service I fitted Bosch Platinum FR 6 DP plugs (the ones with a very thin central electrode in a fat insulator). Tickover smoothness improved (not hugely because it wasn't bad to start with, just a bit smoother). Whether this was because the old plugs were past their best, I've no idea but I'll fit the same plugs next time.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Has new plugs smootheg out any sub 30mph fluffiness or surging?

 

[MattW]

Has new plugs smootheg out any sub 30mph fluffiness or surging?

This is probably the kiss of death , but I'm happy to say that I don't get any surging or fluffiness - pulls well from tickover to as high as you want to rev and will hold a steady throttle at any speed / gear. Pops occasionally on the over run but I think this is normal behaviour. It's an unmodified, completely standard '94 and to the best of my knowledge (only had it a year but I have a complete dealer history / receipts back to new) it's on the original hall sensor / tps etc.

I had the left cylinder head off early this year to change a leaking head gasket and paid careful attention to valve clearances / rocker end-float when I reassembled. I've never balanced the TB's (not got round to making a manometer) but it could probably do with it this winter (ever so slight unevenness at idle but hardly worth bothering about).

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

This is probably the kiss of death , but I'm happy to say that I don't get any surging or fluffiness - pulls well from tickover to as high as you want to rev and will hold a steady throttle at any speed / gear. Pops occasionally on the over run but I think this is normal behaviour. It's an unmodified, completely standard '94 and to the best of my knowledge (only had it a year but I have a complete dealer history / receipts back to new) it's on the original hall sensor / tps etc.

I had the left cylinder head off early this year to change a leaking head gasket and paid careful attention to valve clearances / rocker end-float when I reassembled. I've never balanced the TB's (not got round to making a manometer) but it could probably do with it this winter (ever so slight unevenness at idle but hardly worth bothering about).

Cheers

How many miles?

 

[MattW]

Cheers

How many miles?

No worries.
36k (ish)

 

[HORIZONTALLY OPPOSED]

Iridiums?

old hat standards - K22PBR-S for the 1100

and K22TNR-S for the 1150 (in all gs flavours)

I now use iridiums on my Triumph triple, it does run rather hot with failed plugs in the past, in my opinion it starts better & is much smother on acceleration, no hard evidence of this just a britches arse feeling.

 

[Steptoe]

sorry folks completely forgot about them.yes whoever says plugs are plugs is talking complete and hutter bo***cks.i have certainly noticed that my bike starts up/idles better,although i have to say i cant notice any differance in the way it runs on the road.cheers

err... a bike will always appear to run better with brand spanking new plugs. Its very noticable on my bike.. and i just use the ordinary Bosch ones supplied by Motorworks.

clean plugs with brand new electodes... course thats gonna be an improvement on the 12,000 mile old ones just removed.

He shoots, he scores.

Along the same lines as reported massive improvements after fitting braided brake lines - Most improvement is the proper complete and utter flush and changing of the brake fluid

 

[Kenny]

OK...my ( used by Porsche ) Autolite 3923 spark plugs arrived today...anybody know the plug gap on these babies? 25 thou is the norm.

Will I be able to handle the power once fitted?

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

OK...my ( used by Porsche ) Autolite 3923 spark plugs arrived today...anybody know the plug gap on these babies? 25 thou is the norm.

Will I be able to handle the power once fitted?

0.032 or 0.035 from my research on AdvRider.................they love 3923's on there

 

[(RIP) Yamaha1]

Never having used Autolite plugs before, I've just ordered 6 from Andys-Autos on eBay - item 370100165652.

99p each - plus £3.50 carriage - interesting to see if they're an improvement on the Bosch FR6DDC ones.

Mike

 

[Kenny]

Never having used Autolite plugs before, I've just ordered 6 from Andys-Autos on eBay - item 370100165652.

99p each - plus £3.50 carriage - interesting to see if they're an improvement on the Bosch FR6DDC ones.

Mike

Yup..same place
Thanks Johnny..in new money that is correct gap at 0.80mm

 

[Vern]

It's a spark that makes the mixture go bang,and unless you're going to throw £40+ per plug,they'll all do more or less the same thing.

Off you go

 

[Kenny]

Yours may go bang... but my beauty goes something like this.....

Spark plugs usually require voltage in excess of 12,000-25,000 volts to 'fire' properly. Although it can go up to 45,000 volts,and they supply higher current during the discharge process resulting in a hotter and longer-duration spark.

As the current of electrons surges across the gap, it raises the temperature of the spark channel to 60,000 K. The intense heat in the spark channel causes the ionized gas to expand very quickly, like a small explosion. This is the "click" heard when observing a spark, similar to lightning and thunder.

The heat and pressure force the gases to react with each other, and at the end of the spark event there should be a small ball of fire in the spark gap as the gases burn on their own. The size of this fireball or kernel depends on the exact composition of the mixture between the electrodes and the level of combustion chamber turbulence at the time of the spark. A small kernel will make the engine run as though the ignition timing was retarded, and a large one as though the timing was advanced.




(Had to cut n paste as I never understood it )

 

[Vern]

Like I said,it makes a spark that makes the mixture go bang.

Dress it up as you like,but that's what happens