Spark plug locations.... competition time!

[Feasty]

On my XR125 the spark plug was on the side and easy to reach, however now I've got the SLR650 I can't believe the stupid place it is positioned! Facing forwards with the frame directly in front of it, making it a nightmare to reach and get in and out...

Which has led me to creating this thread to find out the worst bike for spark plug location - where's yours!?


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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed). Also now a Tiger 1050, easily best of the lot!

[t121anf]

under the tank, so loads of plastic to remove, then tank then plugs.

you can sometimes just bend the plastics enough to remove the tank but the proper way is all the plastics off

[NSR Mick]

I have an easy one and a slightly harder one.

One pokes out of the front of the fairing and the other is under the tank facing straight up
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If you dont like the way that I ride.......Stop trying to keep up!!!

[Kickstart]

Hi

On the Bimota, down a long and very narrow spark plug well (you need a very thin walled plug socket to get them out, same as the FZ750), but close to the frame, etc.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Feasty]

[Mudskipper]

CBR400.

Plastics off, rad off.

Then simply poke your 12 inch long, inch wide hands in, around the frame, use a concoction of various obselete plug spanners/sockets/extensions to loosen each plug.

Then with a blob of blu tack stuck on the end of your 7 inch long finger, poke manically for ten minutes at each loosened plug end till it sticks then pull out.


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CBR125|||GSXR400|||CBR400|||CBR400|||CB250RS|||GSXR750|||CB250RS
"You're clumsy, you eat too much and you behave like a 12 year old boy. But you know what? Every once in a while, you find a thumb."

[MattHirst]

On the blandit 400 it is taken off. You can get plugs 1 and 4 out just by using a floppy adaptor thing but for 2 and 3 the tank must come off and then its still a pig to dodge all the wires and hoses and stuff.
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It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, then it's bloody hilarious!!!

[The Artist]

not mine but someone I know with a duke 999. Its a v twin, one facing forwards which is ok to get to, both side fairings off, small piece of metal off and then coil then spark plug is down narrow hole about 4-5inches deep.

Other plug is vertical under the tank. I think you have to remove side fairings, then tank then coil then plug in narrow hole.

The coil is built into the plug caps I think so no HT leads. Although not entirely sure.

[virus]

GPZ750r, all 4 are 6 inches down in very tight recesses, meaning you need a very thin walled plug spanner.

1+4 come out once the tank is off (and fairings if I had them, naked = win ) but to take 2+3 out you have to disconnect the coolant overflow, remove the coils, move the throttle cable, and wiggle the loom around to get to them.


Cheers
John
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[Feasty]

I feel guilty for whinging about it now!!
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed). Also now a Tiger 1050, easily best of the lot!

[Kal]

CX500 - in the top of the heads a good 4 inches clear of the tank and other obstructions.

Very easy to get at with tools, sadly very easy for water to get at too making the sudden drop from two firing cylinders to a single firing cylinder a regular event in the rain.

Have had over an inch of water around the lefthand plug before now.
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Kal...
I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It Ya Like To (HOON IT!).
1984 GB250 Clubman,1983 CB250N Superdream, 1999 GPZ500S

[virus]

Oh yes, water.

Get that on the gpz all the time on cylinder 1, there are no recess drains, and the lack of fairing means rain runs off the tank, and onto the engine, then into plug cap 1.


Im going to have to find a solution to that.


Cheers
John
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[growler]

Hyosung GV 650 V twin rear plug easy seat off tank raised front plug radiator cover radiator off!
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DILLIGAF

[MarJay]

The Buell XB12R was the worst one... Apparently its impossible to get the rear plug in the rear cylinder without cross threading it. The alternative is to drop the engine of course...
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Feasty]

What is it with these idiot motorbike engine designers, surely they need to take a LITTLE heed of the fact the bike might need servicing every now and again!
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed). Also now a Tiger 1050, easily best of the lot!

[chillpill]

aerox 100

you had to remove every single panel except the clock cowling, you had to remove the seat , remove the fan cover , remove the cylinder cover, take the rear suspension off because the spark plug was in the way of a frame brace, then have someone lift the engine up by the back wheel to angle the plug down and fit a spaner on it

fookin effort , changing spark plugs took about an hour and a half

[MarJay]

[NSR Mick]

If you think some bikes are bad. On my old Passat the engine and box have to come out to change cam adjusters, alternator, O2 sensors amongst other things.
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If you dont like the way that I ride.......Stop trying to keep up!!!

[Finglonga]

Doesn't get much easier than this . . . . . .

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/finglonga/DSCF1388a.jpg
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Andy Sez....
F.Y.Y.F.F.

[MarJay]

[Graham88]

VFR400 NC30.

To get to the rear plugs, seat unit off, then the tank and then you have access.

Front plugs, front plastics off, rad off (could sometimes get it to swing forwards enough, but I kept on pushing it too hard and popping the coolant hose off) then you had access.