spark plug - whats the difference?

I decided to get a platinum NGK for my Kinlon today, thinking everything helps and that a few blokes here have mentioned they use them and get better performance. I have to go to the local bike shop and they flatly and coldly refuse to discuss, look at or do any work on China bikes - but today the bloke at the counter was a newbie who hadn't experienced my cursing at him yet.
"What's it for?" he asked when I requested the plug. "Um, Honda 200cc" I lied. (trying to remember what Humanbeing told me about the Klingon engine), "CJ163 something or other dirtbike," I rambled, "an old one, but only done a few thousand though, " I continued, making it up as I went along. "Been in the shed and just used odd weekends."
He nodded, one eyebrow raised ...
"Look mate. Save yourself twenty bucks and get an ordinary NGK. Those Pplatinum and Irridium ones make absolutely no difference in a bike under 1000cc. Ok in a big cruiser or a car but useless in a 'bike, spend the difference in petrol and enjoy the old Honda, bewt bikes, they go on for ever!"

"Yeah, especially when they are cloned and renamed Klingons", I thought.
So I bought the ordinary NGK and will try it against the existing 'Torch' brand that Kinlons supply - which to be honest I have had no problems with. Actually that is not surprising, when I went out to change it, I found it was a NGK DR8EA already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rolleyes1:

Was he right about plugs? He is a middle-aged experienced bike mechanic that had never met me before after all! Do we get anything from spending cash on 'high-tech' extras for what is basically a standard bike even after we add exhausts and make carby changes? It's never gonna be a racer is it?

Talking of which he showed me a Honda 750 cruiser for only $55 a week - "seeing as how you like Hondas mate." Lies always get you further toward Hell. I very, very nearly signed up, they make it so easy for you, it was just the sight of reality - my twenty-three year old rusting car with the exhaust dropping off outside the showroom window that stopped me.

I played around with plugs but as mentioned, the JH600 runs a bit smoother on low rpm but no performance increase or anything else. If your engine runs nice with the current plug then keep it this way. If you really want it to be perfect, then check the color after a long run to see, if you should swap to a colder or hotter plug.

Cheers,
AW.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jape

I decided to get a platinum NGK ...

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NO platinum NGK in OZ... Iradium (IX) only.
Platinum DR8EGP are more common in Asia. CHEAP: Cost about 3 times of ordinary NGK ONLY

My JH600 thanked me immediately with smoother idle and better performance when I swapped out the stock plug for an NGK Iridium, which cost about 70 rmb or US$11 as I recall. The stock plug was really crap -- discolored by gases that it clearly was allowing to pass from inside the cylinder. I probably could have gotten along fine with a standard NGK plug, but the Iridium works well and gives me peace of mind. I'm still thinking of getting a matching Iridium cable.

Without quality spark, nothing else on the bike matters!

NB: My brother's company sells cables for high-end audio equipment. US$8500 for a set of speaker cables! For a bit of fun, read through a few of the comments about this particularly product on Amazon....

I have recently got my RMR. The previous owner had messed with it, aftermarket exhaust and race CDI, but kept all the standard parts. In order to start from a baseline I could understand I put the bike completely back to stock and ran it a few days. My bike also had an NGK DR8EA standard plug fitted. When I checked it it was running slightly rich, a light dry black sooty coating. I had read that the advantage of the iridium plugs is a more efficient burn. So as my plug was reading only 'slightly' rich I just swapped it for an iridium rather than mess with the carb. For me I feel I got better cold starting, less tendancy to carb ice, and when I checked the plug to my eye I was getting a perfect burn, so for me it was a simple bolt on carb adjustment! it didn't give me an extra 10mph top speed though which was dissapointing:O)

I've never found any difference in performance with any spark plug so I always buy the regular NGK. The one in my Lifan 200 has been in there for over 20,000 km so far and still works just fine.

choldy,
I can't imagine that the spark pug would have anything to do with carb icing but what do I know. Placebo?

I'm no carburation expert Barnone, I just assumed a more efficient burn, might help. Although having now thought it through the carb icing issue is a pre combustion issue so your probably right, the simple fact for me though is the change was done as part of a general servicing activity and was one of the factors that's reduced the issue for me, for whatever reason.

With all my strength and the standard plug spanner and bar I couldn't break it open and remove it to check colour! Hmm, leave well alone until I get a problem? Nah, will eat some sugary cereal and a banana for breakfast and try again with a hammer handy for a sharp 'tap'. Gulp. Will let you know but I reckon it is lean as it has started to fart and pop on change down and slowdown. I wonder if it is a real NGK in it or a copy with same number? Well at least I have a spare now even if it isn't iridium!

Ive ran iridium in every single one of my bikes, especially my race bikes which were far far less than 1000cc, I could also notice a fair bit of difference over the standard plugs, but to do that you really have to be able to feel your bike,
put it in the kinlon with the rest of the mods and posted my power increase so ill let that speak for itself, either way $5 at your local bike shop for a single spark standard, I get my iridiums on ebay for $7.50 delivered from the US, so may as well have a go, I wouldnt put a great deal of thought into bike shops, they do have alterior motives, also you really dont know who your talking to behind the counter, ive caught them out talking sh!t many a time.

Thanks 123P, you have re-convinced me! It was you that first made me think of it as you have similar bike, same engine, I just got misdirected yesterday at the shop. I have decided I will get one anyway then, will try the Ebay route as they wanted $18 which was partly why I got the $4 one!

Mate this is the exact plug you need, heres the link to the one I picked up.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWNX%3AIT

Ah, why not, I saved that much by not going into town today, too bloody hot for me. Done. thanks mate.
What filter did you get, which carby and jet size, seeing as how you are being so helpful ...:naughty:

ahah im going to start charging you mate,

heres the filter

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....=STRK:MEWNX:IT

as for the jetting, i didnt change jets it wasnt needed, I just adjusted my own jetting to run much richer, solving the problem of the bike stumbling when the airbox is removed,
which it will and is unridable when it happens, so be prepared to do that mod if you go a pod filter,

since then have connected new race thinner low mount handlebars, and have some bar end mirrors coming.

im done with it then, unless someone can help me out with any mech mods I could do to achieve alot more power like my engine swap idea.

Gotya. I know what I know but there lots I don't know, so I rely on you youngsters going ahead of me ... nah, I'm just lazy.
I will have to sort all that stuff out soon, just getting prepared, because the carby to engine rubber is perishing after 2000 km and is about to disintegrate I fear.

Sometimes on this forum things seem very quiet then someone reads something and it fires up. Or else it just dies away to nothing which can be a shame. especially for the person who posted! Post again in your thread about engine swap and see if someone else picks up on it. Try Chinarider forum as well, the forums all compliment each other and cover things in different ways, it isn't disloyalty!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by euphonius

US$8500 for a set of speaker cables! For a bit of fun, read through a few of the comments about this particularly product on Amazon....

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haha, some of those are classic!

"My cats chewed on this cable and now they can both speak."

thanks-you to jape and 123p for your enthusiasm on this forum. It has been good to learn from you both on this subject.
I was trying to get my sisters Kinlon SM 200 going this weekend. It has been sitting (covered) for easily over a year.
As I was not having any luck starting it, I reached for the standard spark plug sockets in my tool kit, only to find neither would fit : 5/8" definately too small.
It has its original Torch plug in it. I'm new to this, what is the socket size it should be using on these Torch plugs?
I'm off to by a DR8EA/D8EA right now

My 18mm deep socket undid mine. I think it is an 11/16 equivalent? Make sure the jets aren't blocked from petrol grunge.

Excellent. Having a look for 18mm (11/16") deep sockets online now. Funny, it's the one size that is never in a metric set.
I went to the trouble of mostly draining the tank and refilled with premium as i suspected things might be getting dodgy after so long with no use.
Now, unblocking the jets, is that definately a carbie off operation? Or can I hit a with clean-r-carb and resolve the issue?
I'm thinking it's time I found a good bike shop in my area if I can't get it on the road myself.

You shouldn't have to go to a bike shop and pay out hard-earned dollars if it was working when left sitting.

By all means run a carburettor cleaner through with the first fuel, you can also get some you spray into the inlet as you turn it over (take out any foam of course). Do as little as possible is my method. If it was running then you should only need to check spark and fuel. The carby jets are pretty small and the deposits of decayed fuel and crap can easily block them. As long as you are very careful with any gaskets, screw heads and so on you can undo carbies easy enough if you find you have to. A thin wire, maybe stripped from inside some multi-strand will pass through the jet holes and clear blockages.

But I usually check spark first, if I have spark then I will check fuel. Look inside the spark-plug lead cap, is it clean, not corroded? Mainly just use common-sense and patience, there may be something obvious like corroded wires under the seat if you do have problems, so don't give up. It should start quite easily with spark and fuel sorted. So don't twist the throttle and flood it! I wish you luck, lets us know how it goes.

Does it turn over OK? Do you have compression? No mud wasp nests anywhere, earwigs etc shorting it out? Good battery power?

AND make sure the choke is the right way! On the R/T it should be to the left when you first start. You should need no throttle, or just the tiniest touch. AND make sure the engine kill switch is definitely OFF. We all make such simple errors. If you don't have a user's manual there is one on the Kinlon .au site.

Plug lead looks great. Should check if it arcs to the block to comfirm.
Fuel OK. The fuel runs out of the tap well.
Turns over great. Float charging the battery between attempts.
Wires under seat are like new. Kill switch off.
Compression feels present.
No insect infestations.
I was careful not to flood the carb. However i have no experience with this choke and my sister could not remember where it should be positioned (or the kill switch): I had it in pulled out slightly.
I'll have a look for that users manual now.
Hope it's as much fun after I get it running!

In my CF Moto 500 EFI engine, i run with an Iridiun Spark plug made by Denso.
It runs very good and the spark has a very big light....yes, i put it out from the Cylinder to see it.

No spark after all. Original plug, once removed with 11/16" was in perfect order.
Traced power back along circuit and seems that the spark plug lead+coil pack combo is where the problem is. Kinlon part number #27092.
Could possibly be the "ignitor" part no #27101, will need to establish that next time.