Poor quality sparkplugs

[stinkwheel]

I am not sure if this should be in a different section, but to me it is more of a consumer issue than technical assistance. It will doubtless be put in the appropriate place if not.

For years, I have always sworn by standard NGK sparkplugs in my bikes. Used to go through quite a lot since I usually ride 2-strokes and they seemed the best balance of quality and price.

Just recently, I have had more than a few dodgy plugs (you always used to get the odd one). I recently bought SIX plugs, four of these gave up the ghost within about 20 miles. I put an old set back in that had been sat in my toolbox for at least five years, these worked fine.

A friend who sprints a Yamaha RY500 2-stroke was telling me that he has had two NGK plugs recently that dropped the electrode core in use, only the tag prevented it dropping into his works engine! He phoned NGK to complain and their answer was that they don't recommend their sparkplugs for use in 2-strokes...which is decidedly odd as I am not aware of any four stroke that uses BH S plugs.

I have stopped using them now and have changed to Nippon Denso (as has my friend), these appear to be working well but are a little harder to come by.

So anyone else had problems with NGK plugs recently? I am interested since there are a lot of 2-stroke runners on this forum.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Odie]

I have had the same problem with NGK plugs being a bit duff, i put it down to may-be that a consignment got dropped.
I wasn't aware that NGK didn't do plugs for 2 strokes
I found that nippon denso plugs were worse, i put a new set in and did less than 100 miles.

What ever happened to champion spark plugs?
____________________
You are so ugly when you were born the doctor said "I?m gonna drop it, if it falls is a rat, if it flies is a bat."

[iCraig]

I used to work as a parts person in a car garage and used to sell NGK Spark Plugs.

We used to get floods of people coming back with them due to them being faulty and such.

I was told by the NGK Rep himself, 3 in 10 Spark Plugs fail due to manufacturing stresses/quality etc, and he said it was just the luck of the draw!

I also had problems with NGK's on the MZ, I put a new one in and it lasted about a day before it decided it wasn't going to start and try and deafen me by backfiring. I swapped the plug for a Bosch one I had that was in the same heat range and it kicked into life straight away.

I now try and get Bosch or other makes rather than NGK myself.

[iCraig]

[Lee_367]

I had 3 expensive iridium ones fail on my kx125, i was not impressed.

denso seem to be the way to go.
____________________
?It?s mercy, compassion, and forgiveness I lack?not rationality.?

[stinkwheel]

[tatters]

use splitfire and denso my self since problems with NGK
____________________
Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

[Robby]

I've never had any particularly trouble with them. My cb250 rsa used to eat spark plugs, but I think that was just the engine. I have NGK plugs in my car because the local garage sells them.

That said, when I last changed the plugs in my car the previous set were champion, and one of those broke in half as I undid it.

[divuk83]

Fancy iridium plugs don't work well in 2 strokes from my experience. Even the better NKG ones aren't great, although I have never really had a problem with them. One of my mates switched to cheapo denso ones and he reckons there much better than the NKG equivilants.

Dave

[Kickstart]

Hi

Friend who was a car mechanic mentioned several years ago that the quality of NGK plugs seemed to have dropped quite dramatically.

All the best

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