Hi, It's been awhile,

Two questions actually;
What exactly goes wrong with spark plugs that a little cleaning and re-gapping won't fix,?
My bike has been running a little punky-(runs a little poorly until warm) this year and while I suspect a dirty carb that has not been cleaned in 25K miles I'm changing the plugs which have 43K on them. The old ones (Autolite Coppers) look fine, the electrode is a little rounded but the color is good as is the gap...

My other question is about the frequency of routine maintenance, Are you a maintenance Hog, or a slug like me?
Many of my Buddies go way overboard IMHO with things like fluid changes, plugs, and cleaning...Like new fluid every year regardless of the miles, and plugs, some of these guys only put 2-3K on a year and change their trans/primary oil and plugs every year..? And cleaning...OMG they carry a spray bottle and microfiber cloth in the saddle bags for touch ups.. These are not Aircraft...
I keep a log, change my oil every 3, and the others by certain mileage, I clean it at Oil change, I check things often and go around it once a year checking for loose hardware... Other than that I ride it.. How about you..

doug

 

New plugs are cheap insurance. You can re-gap, and re-use old plugs, but you may have a break in or under the ceramic that can not be seen that hinders a good spark at the right time.

I'm a baffoon, but I set-up my ride so I can ride. When things are apart, they get new oil/grease. Engine oil changed every 3k, primary every 20k, trans has a worn main drive gear shaft to were the seal leaks so it gets alittle fresh oil after every ride. I keep a log also, CRS------------------------------RJ

 

Spark plugs erode over their service life. This is "why" they wear out. 43,000 miles is asking a lot for regular spark plugs, but not for iridiums. Carb cleaning isn't necessary as long as the carb gets clean fuel, all the time. Jet needle erosion caused by ethanol is another matter.

Going "around" the bike, inspecting and verifying soundness isn't a bad idea. There are tons of riders out riding today, on bikes that are borderline unsafe, and they either don't know it, or don't care. One is based on ignorance, the other is ego.

Keeping a maintenance log is the only way to document servicing, especially when you have numerous vehicles.

 

 

I replace plugs every 5k miles. They're only $5 a pair. In addition to regular oil changes, I also do brakes, primary chain adjustment, clutch adjustment, air filter, throttle cable, brake and shift lever grease, tires/wheel bearings/belt adjustment is done separately when the tires need changing. It's a good idea to go around your bike with a few wrenches every now and then too. You may find a loose fastener here and there.

Speaking of cleaning, it is a good idea to disassemble, clean, inspect, and regrease items like brake calipers and clutch levers. These areas get dirty and performance is degraded. Clutch cables can break at the ball end if the grease turns to grit.


carl

 

Having three kids that play sports all over the eastern seaboard, I haven’t put many miles on the last few years but do maintenance twice a year weather I need it or not, cheap insurance.

 

Doug, spark plugs deal with pretty harsh voltages and loads inside the engine and, quite simply, deteriorate. One day one of them will fail and you will discover how awful a single cylinder Harley is! Change the darned things at the specified intervals in your owners manual and FSM. It's called preventative maintenance, along with changing oils, etc. I conduct routine maintenance as per the book, but will change engine oil/filter before a long trip and do routine checks at frequent intervals.

Don't laugh at the cleaning obsessives! A pal of mine was one and got persuaded to wash a German woman's Moto Guzzi Le Mans at the Isle of Man TT Races one year. She rewarded him with a freshly cooked steak sandwich.

 

Electricity likes to jump from sharp corners so old rounded corners on spark plugs don't spark as well as the new sharp edges on new spark plugs.
Iridium plugs are very nice.

 

Spark plugs should be changed as per FSM, they have to put up with some pretty high voltage over a long period of time,they are cheap.
I have a set of Iridium plugs in my old girl so time will tell with these.
I do my engine oil every 5k and primary every second change and gearbox every 3rd....doesn't hurt.
As far as preventative maintenance goes I go around my bike every time I wash her with a handful of tools, tighten/check every bolt/clamp etc I can find, doesn't hurt and takes 20 mins, I have found the odd loose bolt/ hose clamp or frayed wire and fixed before it became a problem.

Dave.

 

For discerning owners Iridium is the spark plug of choice these days, in earlier times it was Platinum. My Velocettes particularly liked them!