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stock plugs and wires
- Thread starter coz
- Start date
NancysToy
Motorbike Professor
Spark plugs are suppposed to be checked every 6,000 miles and changed every 12,000 miles or two years...if you follow BRP's maintenance schedule. In real life, that is probably a bit premature for standard plugs, but they would be unlikely to last twice that in a high compression engine. Iridium plugs should last several times longer than standard plugs. As to wires, good ones generally last 50K or more...but the OEM wires are not good ones. There is no set life span or maintenance schedule...they can only be inspected or tested, and replaced when resistance rises or spark begins to jump. I'd put a good aftermarket (BajaRon) wires on it and some iridium plugs, if I was changing the plugs the first time, then ride the wheels off it for a while.
BajaRon
Well-known member
what is the life expectancy of the original plugs and wires ?opcorn:
Scotty is right, the OEM wires are not very good quality. And if you check your spark plugs every 6,000 miles (who does this?!) your OEM wires won't last nearly as long. The common senerio is, the Spyder starts missing a bit so the spark plugs are changed. The OEM wires DO NOT Appreciate being disturbed at all! In changing the plugs you have not only disturbed them, you've violated them!
So, your Spyder will typically run worse after installing new spark plugs unless you also change out the wires.
In the beginning (many moons ago) I sold only the Iridium spark plugs (back when BRP said they were of no value in the Spyder).
Customers started complaining that their Spyder ran worse after installing the Iridium plugs. Rumors started to fly about NOT Using Iridium plugs in the Spyder.
However, it turned out that it was the OEM wires, and not the Iridium plugs, that were the culprit. Now all new Spyders come with Iridium spark plugs.
When it came time to change my wires I just couldn't bring myself to pay that kind of money for what I was getting from BRP. Plus I figured if the Iridium spark plugs would go 40-50k, why not have wires that would go the same distance and give me a stronger spark at the same time? So I decided to make a set for myself. Lamont wanted a set too and that's how it all started.
ThreeWheels
Active member
Life expectancy of stock OEM wires/plugs....
If I knew then what I know now, the Spyder would not have left the dealer floor with the OEM plugs and wires.
I experienced the problems noted by Scotty with the solution by BajaRon.
If I knew then what I know now, the Spyder would not have left the dealer floor with the OEM plugs and wires.
I experienced the problems noted by Scotty with the solution by BajaRon.
NancysToy
Motorbike Professor
You can remove the plugs without damaging the OEM wires, but few owners (or techs) want to take the time to do what is necessary to accomplish this. The factory does not use spark plug boot release, which compounds the problem. The caps then stick to the plug insulator. To be safely removed, the boot must be grabbed directly, right over the plug, and twisted gently back and forth a small distance, until it releases. The wire can then be gently pulled off by the boot. Unfortunately, there are some huge obstacles to this procedure. The spark plugs are in deep recesses, which makes the boots hard to reach...especially with a hot engine. The airbox is in the way, too, and must be removed to properly access the plug boots. To add insult to injury, the wires can also be damaged where they are pinched down where they are routed through the heads...simply by pulling the wire loose.
Plug wires these days are what is known as suppression wires. They are constructed in such a way reduce radio frequency interference (RFI) and electromagnetic interference (EMI), both products of passing a current through a wire. The OEM wires are carbon suppression conductors. They are not actually "wires" at all, but usually threads impregnated with carbon dust, although they may actually be carbon filaments. Pulling on them, bending them, or just time itself, can separate the carbon, increasing resistance and reducing the voltage going to the spark plugs. In severe cases, the resistance becomes so high that the electrical pulse penetrates the insulation and jumps to the head, cylinder, or frame, instead of flowing to the spark plug where it belongs. Good aftermarket wires are what is known as magnetic suppression wires. They consist of a solid carbon filament or wire core, surrounded by a wire wound in a spiral around the core, to block the interference (RFI or EFI). These are much sturdier, usually electrically "quieter", and if installed and removed properly, with the aid of a tiny bit of plug boot release (dielectric grease), they last much longer and perform as well after many miles as they did new. They usually also have better insulation to prevent spark jump, and offer less resistance, delivering more voltage to the plugs. IMO, you cannot go wrong with installing good aftermarket wires on any vehicle, when the time comes.
Plug wires these days are what is known as suppression wires. They are constructed in such a way reduce radio frequency interference (RFI) and electromagnetic interference (EMI), both products of passing a current through a wire. The OEM wires are carbon suppression conductors. They are not actually "wires" at all, but usually threads impregnated with carbon dust, although they may actually be carbon filaments. Pulling on them, bending them, or just time itself, can separate the carbon, increasing resistance and reducing the voltage going to the spark plugs. In severe cases, the resistance becomes so high that the electrical pulse penetrates the insulation and jumps to the head, cylinder, or frame, instead of flowing to the spark plug where it belongs. Good aftermarket wires are what is known as magnetic suppression wires. They consist of a solid carbon filament or wire core, surrounded by a wire wound in a spiral around the core, to block the interference (RFI or EFI). These are much sturdier, usually electrically "quieter", and if installed and removed properly, with the aid of a tiny bit of plug boot release (dielectric grease), they last much longer and perform as well after many miles as they did new. They usually also have better insulation to prevent spark jump, and offer less resistance, delivering more voltage to the plugs. IMO, you cannot go wrong with installing good aftermarket wires on any vehicle, when the time comes.
Bob Denman
New member
Just buy your wires and plugs from Ron and you'll be so "good to go", that you won't know what to do with yourself! :2thumbs:
Kmort44
New member
New Plugs and wires
I just completed changing out both my plugs and wires with what I purchased from BajaRon. I wouldn't consider myself a great mechanic but I do most of my own repairs if its not major(like engine rebuilds and such). It took me around four hours including a run to the auto supply store to purchase a small hose clamp to replace the one that holds the breather tube to the airbox(the one from the factory is a crimp on style and not reusable). With the instructions that BajaRon sends with his plug & wire kit, I had no trouble at all.I should add my Spyder has 12,420 trouble-free miles.
This maybe just me but I took it out for a short ride and I swear its more responsive and quicker
By the way with all the plastic off its a good time to lube the a-arms! just a thought.
Thanks BajaRon and Scotty for all the useful information that one can find on this site! :thumbup:
Kevin
I just completed changing out both my plugs and wires with what I purchased from BajaRon. I wouldn't consider myself a great mechanic but I do most of my own repairs if its not major(like engine rebuilds and such). It took me around four hours including a run to the auto supply store to purchase a small hose clamp to replace the one that holds the breather tube to the airbox(the one from the factory is a crimp on style and not reusable). With the instructions that BajaRon sends with his plug & wire kit, I had no trouble at all.I should add my Spyder has 12,420 trouble-free miles.
This maybe just me but I took it out for a short ride and I swear its more responsive and quicker
By the way with all the plastic off its a good time to lube the a-arms! just a thought.
Thanks BajaRon and Scotty for all the useful information that one can find on this site! :thumbup:
Kevin
Last edited:
bluestratos
New member
I installed Baja Rons plugs and wires yesterday, and yes as much as I love wrenching, I do not plan to change these again for a long time! I also changed the filter to a K&M while I was in there. It took the best part of 12 hours to strip the bike down and put the new parts in, then button everything back up. I had saved a few other repairs to do at the same time:
So she should be good to go for spring now
- Replace the burned out headlight
- Update the windshiled hardware to eliminate the rattle
- Fix the bluetooth issue
- Replace the Elka shocks springs with heavier units
- Grease the front suspension
So she should be good to go for spring now
Bob Denman
New member
Don't tell us that you're packing things away already! :shocked:
bluestratos
New member
Naw.. I ride all winter, lol but the real miles start in the spring when I go to Reno for my annual excursion
AbNormy
Active member
windshield rattle
the hardware that causes the windshield to rattle, was it updated on 2012s? mine has a production date of march 2012 bought it end of april but I do notice a little rattle in the windshield and cant' see just what might be causing it.:dontknow:
I got them to order my turn sig switch and started to just let them do that but figure I'll wait till I've got around 14k mi on it, since I'll have around 4000 on the oil in it, they can do the 14k service and I hope they'll cut me some slack putting in the HID lights I ordered from one of SLs vendors. guess I need to ask about why the windshields rattling. I sprang for the deluxe warranty when I got this precisely so I wouldn't have to work on it but if I don't stay after them it won't get done.
had the bluetooth harness installed along with the accessory harness only to find out after the fact it supposedly won't work without the BRP headsets.
while I like this dealer they seem to be on a learning curve about which accessories will work with what. Now I'm wishing I'd sprung for the limited since it's winding up costing more for installation. farkle farkle came to believe I was powerless over my craving for farkles!
:banghead:
the hardware that causes the windshield to rattle, was it updated on 2012s? mine has a production date of march 2012 bought it end of april but I do notice a little rattle in the windshield and cant' see just what might be causing it.:dontknow:
I got them to order my turn sig switch and started to just let them do that but figure I'll wait till I've got around 14k mi on it, since I'll have around 4000 on the oil in it, they can do the 14k service and I hope they'll cut me some slack putting in the HID lights I ordered from one of SLs vendors. guess I need to ask about why the windshields rattling. I sprang for the deluxe warranty when I got this precisely so I wouldn't have to work on it but if I don't stay after them it won't get done.
had the bluetooth harness installed along with the accessory harness only to find out after the fact it supposedly won't work without the BRP headsets.
while I like this dealer they seem to be on a learning curve about which accessories will work with what. Now I'm wishing I'd sprung for the limited since it's winding up costing more for installation. farkle farkle came to believe I was powerless over my craving for farkles!
:banghead:
ulflyer
Active member
what is the life expectancy of the original plugs and wires ?
I had about 18K and no issues with my OEM's. My intent was to leave them alone and go till they started missing. However, I caught BajaRon at a weak moment at Lamonts BBQ and we (mostly Ron) changed them out with a set of his.
It gave me a chance to check the air filter which was still pretty clean and the airbox was dry so I left it alone. Personally, I would think the OEM's would be good for at least 30K but thats just an opinion.
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