Sheduled plug change at low mileage??

[Bmwdumptruck]

Found this explanation of why dealers are being made to change plugs at low mileages On Ukgser.

Many manufacturers are now telling us to change our spark plugs at 7500 miles. Even though the spark plug manufacturers themselves claim a lifetime of FIVE TIMES that figure. Even iridium plugs, which could really last 100,000 miles. It seems utterly insane. And it is.

"SERVICE SCAM" I hear you cry. And that's what I always put it down to until I learned something very interesting whilst on a training course for one of the big Jap manufacturers.

It seems you can really blame this on tighter and tighter emmissions laws. And a thing called "In use complience"

A motorcycle has to meet it's Euro 4/5 criteria for the service life of that motorcycle. Not just when it's brand new. The fines and repocussions of falling foul of emmissions standard are HUGE. Just ask Volkswagon.

So the manufacturers are telling you to change your plugs so soon because under very rare circumstances (starting and stopping the engine constantly. Super short journeys in cold weather etc) the plug could foul to a point where the emmissions standard won't be met. Even though the plug is totally fine for the safe running of the engine, and could be de-carbed with a blast down the motorway, if the bike was randonly tested in this circumstance, the manufacturer could be fined or forced to recall their machines.

Changing the plugs so early helps to avoid this rare eventuality. Or maybe knowing a lot of people skip this 7500 plug change gives them reason to shirk off responsibilty.

So there's nothing wrong with your plugs at 7500 or even 12,000 miles. And you don't really need to change them. I for one will be recommending to my customers to double the service internal of their plug changes. The amount of beautfully clean (as new) expensive plugs I chuck in the bin always bothered me and made little mechanical sense.

 

[bimota]

because of the uk climate, and the coil stick corrosion issues we have, over the last 9 years i have changed plugs every year at about 4000 miles
just to make sure the coil sticks get looked at no big deal but thats me

rob

 

[Panman]

I can run plugs in my FJR for 30,000 miles, my Ten really seems to eat the plugs faster. At about 10,000 it doesn't start as easy as with fresh plugs. Not sure why??

 

[WJBertrand]

I change my plugs every 26,000 miles when I do the valve clearance inspections. They still look fine at that point and I’ve never noticed any difference in starting , performance or fuel mileage after the new plugs are installed.


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[tntmo]

I didn't change out my spark plugs until the second valve clearance check. I meant to do it at the first one, but didn't want to take a chance on getting clone/fake plugs from online orders. Someone here posted a solid place to get them, but it took so long to get them that I just set them on the shelf and sort of forgot about it.

So my plugs ran over 50,000 miles and the bike still seemed to run pretty good. It ran noticeably better after the service, but I adjusted a few valves and changed the air filter at the same time as the plug change so who knows? The plugs didn't look bad to me at that point?

 

[~TABASCO~]

This world has gone totally BONKERS...... Wont be to many more years that "living your life" will be bad for the Earth, you better stop doing everything. The deterioration of the plug that might cause a change in emissions is probably .0000000000002 % over a life span of 7000 miles.

I dont have time to go off on a rant.... LOLOLOLO ......... IMOP, if you're always running stock plugs go ahead, change them as often as you like (or made to by your government), they are cheep and easy to get...... If you're running a special high performance plug it would be a total waste of money and adding to the trash pile. Over the years I have checked and re checked high performance plugs and they are absolutely tip-top 98-99% of their recommended life span. Even at 50 K miles they are in the exact spec as a brand new plug. (and 'they' want us to toss them in the garbage) for what damn reason?

Anyhow, do what you feel you need to do.......................

 

[Panman]

This world has gone totally BONKERS...... Wont be to many more years that "living your life" will be bad for the Earth, you better stop doing everything. The deterioration of the plug that might cause a change in emissions is probably .0000000000002 % over a life span of 7000 miles.

I dont have time to go off on a rant.... LOLOLOLO ......... IMOP, if you're always running stock plugs go ahead, change them as often as you like (or made to by your government), they are cheep and easy to get...... If you're running a special high performance plug it would be a total waste of money and adding to the trash pile. Over the years I have checked and re checked high performance plugs and they are absolutely tip-top 98-99% of their recommended life span. Even at 50 K miles they are in the exact spec as a brand new plug. (and 'they' want us to toss them in the garbage) for what damn reason?

Anyhow, do what you feel you need to do.......................

That being said what is better than stock?

 

[~TABASCO~]

That being said what is better than stock?

There is a LONG spark plug thread that will answer ALL your questions about the better plugs.... Im not selling anything, I just have posted my findings.................

 

[~TABASCO~]

I’m currently running these DX.
The yellow box are great plugs as well for the Tenere 1200.

Dont buy fake plugs off eBay, only buy from reputable supply house/ parts place.

 

[AlanSmith7]

Change your plug after 10,000 to 35,000 miles.

 

[RCinNC]

There are quite a few UK members here on the forum; have any of you personally had this experience of being told by a service department that you had to change your plugs at 7500 miles, or personally got some sort of bulletin directly from a manufacturer that you had to change your spark plugs at such a wildly different interval than the one quoted in the owner's manual and service manual?

This seems like the sort of information that the UK guys would have had personal experience with already if it was occurring the way that guy in the OP's post was describing. Maybe it is and I missed the posts from our members about it.

 

[MattR]

I always change my plugs at 7500 anyway. In fact, whe I had the valves done recently, I had the plugs changed at the same time even though they had only done about 3000. I only use the OEM plugs and filters


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[bimota]

There are quite a few UK members here on the forum; have any of you personally had this experience of being told by a service department that you had to change your plugs at 7500 miles, or personally got some sort of bulletin directly from a manufacturer that you had to change your spark plugs at such a wildly different interval than the one quoted in the owner's manual and service manual?

This seems like the sort of information that the UK guys would have had personal experience with already if it was occurring the way that guy in the OP's post was describing. Maybe it is and I missed the posts from our members about it.

NO thats never happened, most of us make our own disicions on our bikes, i was changing every year just because of our climate , to check coil sticks were ok, sometimes i,ve had the shop change plugs he,s pulled them and said no there fine put them back in.
so no dealers or back street shops telling us we have to change at 7500

rob

 

[Clawdog60]

I’m currently running these DX.
The yellow box are great plugs as well for the Tenere 1200.

Dont buy fake plugs off eBay, only buy from reputable supply house/ parts place.


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Are these still not available in u s?

 

[~TABASCO~]

Are these still not available in u s?

I don’t believe so. Just order from Japan spark plugs.