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#1 spark plug - whats the difference?01-07-2011, 05:55 AM
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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.Kinlon R/T KBR JL200GY-2
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#2 Re: spark plug - whats the difference?
- Join Date
- May 2009
- Location
- Hong Kong, China, Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, USA, Pirmasens
- Posts
- 254
01-07-2011, 06:12 AMI 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.
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#3 Re: spark plug - whats the difference?
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#4 Re: spark plug - whats the difference?
- Join Date
- Dec 2009
- Location
- mostly Shanghai, sometimes northern California
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- 3,222
01-07-2011, 07:44 AMMy 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....jkp
Shanghai
2010 JH600 "Merkin Muffley" (in Shanghai)
2000 KLR650 "Feezer Ablanalp" (in California)
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#5 Re: spark plug - whats the difference?
- Join Date
- Dec 2010
- Location
- Southampton, UK
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- 101
01-07-2011, 07:58 AMI 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)
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#6 Re: spark plug - whats the difference?
- Join Date
- Nov 2009
- Posts
- 67
01-07-2011, 12:15 PMI'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.
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#7 Re: spark plug - whats the difference?01-07-2011, 01:51 PM
choldy,
I can't imagine that the spark pug would have anything to do with carb icing but what do I know. Placebo?Vince
2021 Ural cT
2022 Dong Fang DF250RTG
2021 Ice Bear 150cc scooter
2020 Ice Bear 150cc Scooter
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#8 Re: spark plug - whats the difference?
- Join Date
- Dec 2010
- Location
- Southampton, UK
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- 101
01-07-2011, 03:45 PMI'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.
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#9 Re: spark plug - whats the difference?01-07-2011, 04:27 PM
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!
Kinlon R/T KBR JL200GY-2
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#10 Re: spark plug - whats the difference?
- Join Date
- Dec 2010
- Location
- Oz
- Posts
- 27
01-07-2011, 10:59 PMIve 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.
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