Broke_Dirty_FZ1
Well-Known Member
Does anyone here actually change their spark plugs at the recommended intervals? In my case, the manual says every 8,000 miles. Or do you all just inspect them and continue to use them unless they show signs of wear or because you think they might be affecting engine performance?
I just picked up my 2002 FZ1 a couple of weeks ago with 16,000 miles on it. Since I don't know the maintenance history on it, I decided to change the plugs, along with giving it an oil change, and as some of you may have seen from one of my other threads, it needed a new chain and sprockets. I also plan on synchronizing the carbs here in the next few days.
I know there are two schools of thought on spark plugs. There are people that say to run them until they croak, which is almost never from what I have seen. Barring other engine problems. And there are people that say you should change them at the recommended intervals even if they look fine because they undergo changes which may not be seen with the eye and that can affect performance.
The reason I ask, is because I was going to change mine the other day and I had them out for inspection. I couldn't change them because the company I ordered my parts from sent me the wrong ones. But I did have to regap a couple that were barely out of spec and they all looked quite nasty. Almost ashy crusty looking.
I decided I was going to change them based on that inspection and since I didn't know how many miles they had on them. But today, I got the new ones and I went back and pulled two of the four that were already in the bike out again, and they now looked almost perfect. They probably cleaned themselves now that I have been riding the bike and since I did the oil change. The oil that came out of it was low in quantity, very runny, and somewhat dirty.
So now that I see these plugs, I am thinking there is no reason to change them and I plan on just keeping the new ones in case I need them in the next few thousand miles. I know it might be easy to think that these might be fairly new but I seriously doubt it based on what I know about the kid that had the bike before me. I think the only thing he did in the 12,000 miles or so that he has had it, is to change tires. And even then, that was only because the back tire was Flintstones flat with no profile left to it, and the chords were showing.
I just picked up my 2002 FZ1 a couple of weeks ago with 16,000 miles on it. Since I don't know the maintenance history on it, I decided to change the plugs, along with giving it an oil change, and as some of you may have seen from one of my other threads, it needed a new chain and sprockets. I also plan on synchronizing the carbs here in the next few days.
I know there are two schools of thought on spark plugs. There are people that say to run them until they croak, which is almost never from what I have seen. Barring other engine problems. And there are people that say you should change them at the recommended intervals even if they look fine because they undergo changes which may not be seen with the eye and that can affect performance.
The reason I ask, is because I was going to change mine the other day and I had them out for inspection. I couldn't change them because the company I ordered my parts from sent me the wrong ones. But I did have to regap a couple that were barely out of spec and they all looked quite nasty. Almost ashy crusty looking.
I decided I was going to change them based on that inspection and since I didn't know how many miles they had on them. But today, I got the new ones and I went back and pulled two of the four that were already in the bike out again, and they now looked almost perfect. They probably cleaned themselves now that I have been riding the bike and since I did the oil change. The oil that came out of it was low in quantity, very runny, and somewhat dirty.
So now that I see these plugs, I am thinking there is no reason to change them and I plan on just keeping the new ones in case I need them in the next few thousand miles. I know it might be easy to think that these might be fairly new but I seriously doubt it based on what I know about the kid that had the bike before me. I think the only thing he did in the 12,000 miles or so that he has had it, is to change tires. And even then, that was only because the back tire was Flintstones flat with no profile left to it, and the chords were showing.
