Interval for Spark Plug Change??

[donaldcc]

  I've done a lot of maintenance in last few thousand miles.  Tires with Dynabeads, rear end & drive shaft, final drive oil, Galfer brake and clutch lines and fluids, air filter, carb synch, valve adjustment, replaced a few gaskets, Progressive 440s and desmog all with help from BigMac.  So today I finished out some simple stuff with oil and filter change and took a look at spark plugs.  They had about 15-16 k on them and all looked good, no deposits or fouling but at $2.50 each I said what the heck and replaced them.  Bike was running great before and still does.

  So, my question is, How long do you go between spark plug changes on a bike that is running great and without problems??  

[Chrisj CMA]

On a stock Valkyrie there is no reason to change plugs more often than 50-70K miles.  Seriously......I hope you kept the ones you took out because you have over 100K worth of sparkplugs on your hands

[Bone]

I have a 98 Tourer. Reading here about the spark plugs becoming hard to remove I pull all the plugs twice a year. I compare them (burn color) to each other and gap if needed. Install them at the torque spec Honda recommends.
To answer your question I changed them at 70k for the first time preparing for a long trip. I didn't notice any change with my butt Dyno.

[donaldcc]

 OK so have have almost 40k on my new to me 2 years ago '97 Tourer.  ride about 1000 mi/month.  I will look for next change at 80-100k. 

 Now not to stir the waters, but I changed my synthetic Mobil 1 today with about 9000 mi.  What i don't understand is why some change oil at 3-4 k.  don't really get that.  is it because it is just an easy fix that feels good??

[Daniel Meyer]

The Honda interval is 10k miles. This is not due to plug life, but rather, they want that nice steel plug pulled out of that aluminum head at regular intervals.

Saves machine work and head gaskets...

[Alien]

The Honda interval is 10k miles. This is not due to plug life, but rather, they want that nice steel plug pulled out of that aluminum head at regular intervals.

Saves machine work and head gaskets...

On that note, I've always been a proponent of anti-seize on plugs in any aluminium cylinder head.

[Steve K (IA)]

On my 2000 I/S, I changed out the plugs at 16,000 miles.  The originals that I took out looked almost new.  The bike has 55,000 miles on now and runs great, will probably change 'em out next year.  For the cost of NGK plugs, it's cheap maintenance.

[donaldcc]

The Honda interval is 10k miles. This is not due to plug life, but rather, they want that nice steel plug pulled out of that aluminum head at regular intervals.

Saves machine work and head gaskets...

On that note, I've always been a proponent of anti-seize on plugs in any aluminium cylinder head.

  and manual recommends anti-sieze as well, so i have used it whenever plugs come out.  had no problem removing these that had been in for over a year and used torque wrench on new ones to make sure i didn't tighten that extra turn.

[Rio Wil]

When you first get the bike, pull the plugs and inspect for burn.  If ok, put a little antiseize on and you are good for 100K mile intervals thereafter.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

 OK so have have almost 40k on my new to me 2 years ago '97 Tourer.  ride about 1000 mi/month.  I will look for next change at 80-100k. 

 Now not to stir the waters, but I changed my synthetic Mobil 1 today with about 9000 mi.  What i don't understand is why some change oil at 3-4 k.  don't really get that.  is it because it is just an easy fix that feels good??

I change the oil on all my vehicles at 5000 mile intervals because it's easy to remember. If I get in the cage or on the scooter and see 60,000 or 95,000 for instance then I know it's time to change the oil.

[9Ball]

The Honda interval is 10k miles. This is not due to plug life, but rather, they want that nice steel plug pulled out of that aluminum head at regular intervals.

Saves machine work and head gaskets...

We must have different Honda Service Manuals...mine has "R" every 8,000 miles....not like it's a big difference but curious why yours is different than mine.

[KSDragonRider]

 OK so have have almost 40k on my new to me 2 years ago '97 Tourer.  ride about 1000 mi/month.  I will look for next change at 80-100k. 

 Now not to stir the waters, but I changed my synthetic Mobil 1 today with about 9000 mi.  What i don't understand is why some change oil at 3-4 k.  don't really get that.  is it because it is just an easy fix that feels good??

I do it because they have made all these great improvements on oil, but not on filters.  So if the filter from 20 years ago was dirty at 3k, and you are still using these filters today, how are they suddenly good for 10K? 

That being said, I talked to an amsoil dealer and he replaces his 10k oil at 5k even with the amsoil filter that is said to be good for 10k.  I am planning on switching to amsoil next change but I will not be running the full 10k either.

Oil is so cheap, and so is a filter, why not change it at 3k anyway? 

Say you run 10k a year, and you run honda oil and filter.  that means 3 times a year you have 45 bucks in oil and filter.  Is your bike motor really not worth $135 to you?

[PhredValk]

So, I should pull and put my plugs back in during annual maint? One more step each spring isn't that much...
Fred.

[donaldcc]

. . . Say you run 10k a year, and you run honda oil and filter.  that means 3 times a year you have 45 bucks in oil and filter.  Is your bike motor really not worth $135 to you?

 so KS i'm just trying to get a handle on this.  i would change my oil every 1000 mi if it was needed.  Manual for dino oil says 8000.  I have changed at lots of intervals 3k, 5k, 8k, and the most recent at 9k because i sort of forgot about it because i was riding a lot.  i know lots of people change early.

  is there any objective evidence that a 3k change offers any benefit or is that just a "gut" feeling that people have.  it also seems odd that people ignore honda recommendation of 8k (same as sparklers) on oil and change at 3k but say go 40k on spark plugs.

  who has the right answer??

[Rio Wil]

Chuckle,,,,,we all do, just pick a interval and go with it.  These engines are very forgiving, I go with 5K oil and filter changes and 100K for plugs......check out this plug, it has 100K and only changed them cause I was feeling guilty..

[Mildew]

Don't believe mine has ever been out. It runs too good, don't want to ruin a good thing

[KSDragonRider]

. . . Say you run 10k a year, and you run honda oil and filter.  that means 3 times a year you have 45 bucks in oil and filter.  Is your bike motor really not worth $135 to you?

 so KS i'm just trying to get a handle on this.  i would change my oil every 1000 mi if it was needed.  Manual for dino oil says 8000.  I have changed at lots of intervals 3k, 5k, 8k, and the most recent at 9k because i sort of forgot about it because i was riding a lot.  i know lots of people change early.

  is there any objective evidence that a 3k change offers any benefit or is that just a "gut" feeling that people have.  it also seems odd that people ignore honda recommendation of 8k (same as sparklers) on oil and change at 3k but say go 40k on spark plugs.

  who has the right answer??

I dont have the answers.  I grew up changing oil at 3k.  I have a 2005 Dodge and a 2004 Toyota, both have just over 100k on them, so i change oil at 3k.  Personally I feel that the oil, oil filter and air filter is the cheapest maint you can do that in the end can add 10s of thousands of miles to your motor and keep it cleaner.   Alot of people talk about type of oil, but personally I feel like you change that oil often it does you more good than the expensive oil.

Im wrong all the time, but at the same time that does not mean I dont have my gut feelings and experiences.  In the end, my bike is my problem, and yours is your problem.  I just give you my thoughts and feelings for those who will listen.  You can check my history, im not really one of the guys that are starting oil and tire wars. 

But to make this complete, I do run dark side, and will go to a shinko front next month. hahaha 

[DatBoi69YOLO]

They want that nice steel plug pulled out of that aluminum head at regular intervals.
Saves machine work and head gaskets...

Old thread I know, but I’m not following you here. Was that second comment sarcastic, meaning that that Honda wants you to wear down that aluminum over time resulting in more sales? Or were you genuine, maybe referring to corrosion due to the galvanic potential between steel and aluminum?

[rug_burn]

Spark plugs fail in various ways:

They get fouled by leaded gasoline (one of the advantages of unleaded gas)
They get broken insulators when dropped
They get threads so gunked up with burned oil that they are hard to get out and can mess up aluminum heads  (use graphite thread lube-  a pencil works good)
They get electrodes eroded to nothing by long use.  It's  obvious when you see one.

The don't just mysteriously stop working.   I have only replaced mine once and my bike has almost 200k in it.  And I probably could have gotten a lot more miles on those.

Good Advice:   Don't obsess over spark plugs.    They're simple devices.
(I need another beer...)

[Oss]

on my way to Montrose in 2005 I stopped for gas somewhere in kansas
A nice harley was at the other side of my particular pump
We complimented each other on our bikes, he asked how many miles on mine
I replied about 35000   He asked me how many times my engine was rebuilt as he was on the 3rd one with 14000 miles and also when i last changed my plugs

mostly seriously I said, I dont even know where they are and I have not done a thing but change oil about 5 times since buying the bike with 3200 on the odometer

Big BF did it for me around 50000 and at 102000 by the way  It did not need it, should have saved the plugs

[Bagger John - #3785]

I pull my plugs twice a year.

Once in spring to check the gaps and apply a dab of anti-seize to the threads.

Once in fall to squirt a little storage oil down the holes if I'm planning to store the bikes for the winter.

When Blondie's Tourer (now mine) arrived in 2008 I replaced the plugs. They've been run ever since. Ditto the I/S I got the year before.

I used to do this with our other Valks and replaced plugs along with a valve job or carb sync but as others have noted if there's no excessive wear or fouling just check the gaps and go.

[h13man]

Well I have had two NGK plugs quit shortly after 10,000 mi. on two different cylinders on two different 10,000 mi. intervals. No fouling just quit working thus led me believe the 8,000 mi. interval had some merit to it though I believe these plugs should last MUCH longer. I went to iridiums for much better cold starting as I done with my VT1100C with great success. 14,000 mi. and no issues. Other than wheel bearing failure and starter button failure these are the only issues this bike has had in 49,000 mi. No choke needed only after winter layup/startup. Both failures occurred on cold start with the use of the "enrichner"/choke. Basically there's always exception to everything but in agreement that the stock NGK plugs should last longer than this. Let the flogging begin.