Sparkplugs again

[Rob Farmer]

for my recent blag to Spain I put my standard exhaust back on and reset the BBChip to the 'Normal' setting. The first thing that I noticed was that the surging appeared again, not horrendous just a slight fluffiness between 2k and 3k. I balanced the throttle bodies and tweaked the air mixture screws to minimise it as much as possible and got on with the trip.

Yesterday I thought I would have a shot at getting rid of the surging. I remember Ross Cole saying that Citroen BX 16 plugs made a big improvement so I called into Halfords and bought a set(4) of Champion Eon 1 plugs (£20 ish) and slapped them in. What an improvement! the bike is smoother, revs faster and doesn't surge at all. I was initially concerned because the plugs were slightly longer...took it to the redline in the first 4 gears without any problems so theres no problem there.

Does anybody know if there are any downsides to fitting different plugs? I cannot believe that it was really that simple to eliminate the problem.

 

[Mick Fagan]

Rob, I have a 98 1100GS and I now, after a fair amount of experimentation, change spark plugs at 5,000 Klm intervals, instead of the 10,000 Klm intervals at each service.

I've found that immediately after putting new plugs in, any surging or twitchiness that has crept into the bike, is eliminated.

A couple of riders on the MotoBins site who ride 1100 RT's & RS's also agree on this little quick fix.

So yes, your Champion spark plugs may be an improvement, but I'd be very interested to know if the improvement stayed for the life of the plug.

Speaking of Champion spark plugs, they are an invention of a French immigrant with the family name of Champion, living in the USA in the early 1900's.

Around 1910 -1912 Henry Ford poached him to make plugs for his 3rd attempt at making a motorcar (he was successfull). The Frenchman didn't know what to name his new company, so Henry suggested that he use his initials. This the Frenchman did and the name of that company was AC Sparking Plug Company. Later reduced to just "A C".

At least that's how I remember the history books.

Mick.

 

[Bill]

I fitted a set of bog standard NGK's, cost about £5 for four.
Got the same result

 

[Rob Farmer]

I fitted a pair of new plugs just before I set off so it can't just be that the plugs were old. I've always swapped the plugs at 6k intervals. I'll leave these plugs in for a while and see if theres any deterioration in performance. I was more concerned that there may be any issues with having the wrong grade plugs fitted.

 

[needlongerlegs]

I sware by these

Mine had Bloshes went I got it, I stuck NGKs in and its a different bike..

For info the plugs where NGK 2 BKR7EKC-N (NGK R)

G...

 

[PeterNicholson]

Sparkplugs, yet again

{flashback}
Captain Beaky went to Prestige for the 60,000 service, came back as usual, felt nice and smooth having been balanced by someone getting paid for it, rather than by yours truly for nowt (Irony=OFF)

Came to fill up 2 days later - hmm - only 160 miles on that tank.
Commuting day followed commuting day, and a pattern imprinted itself on the forebrain, and the wallet. Having previously done 190 - 210 miles to a tank, Beaky was now guzzling to the point where 170 miles would see the injectors squeaking, and frequently requiring the roadside tilt to persuade the remnants of petrol to the correct side of the tank. Now, as my commute is 45 miles each way, it doesn't need an Enrico Fermi to work out that 180 miles to a tank means filling up every other day, at the same point in the journey ( in Potters Bar, as it happens).
Being a bear of occasionally little brain, I rationalised this as me being a bit throttle-happy with the new-found smoothness, and attempted to go a bit easier. Still only getting 38-ish mpg, though, instead of 45-48mpg as previously.

HOWEVER
{fast-forward to last weekend}
On reading the threads on plugs, and having noticed a bit of hesitation at low revs (surging?), I got the urge to tinker.
A quick trip to Halfords yielded a set of copper core Champion plugs, and removal of the cat code plug was also plotted.

On removal of the Bosch plugs, they were definitely sooty as a very sooty thing. On lifting the seat to remove the CCP, I found the offending article - in the spare relays rack, having been removed already. Now - it wasn't there when I was last in the fusebox, so logic (and 20/20 hindsight) suggests that it was pulled out at the 60,000 mile service.
So I put the new plugs in and replaced the CCP, and guess what? No hesitation/stutter, and 46mpg.
I shall have words next time I visit Prestige

hazar