sdeane01 Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 A quick question. Are iridium plugs worth paying 5-6 times the price of regular spark plugs. Currently i am running an NGK and have run Nippon Denso in the past. I have a sherco 290 08 with the keihin flatslide carb as is run on the cab. models. Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stork955 Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 A quick answer - No. Spark plugs aren't magic, so spending heaps on them wont unlock horsepower. If there is an issue it isn't the plug, the plug will only be a symptom. Stick tp the recommended one and it's all good:-) HTH Cheers, Stork Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzralphy Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 You are kidding me... i can pick up an Iridum plug for 2-2.5 times the price of a std! I find they have a more reliable spark at low revs and last well over a year. Yes there is a bunch of cool technolagy inside e'm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jse Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 You are kidding me... i can pick up an Iridum plug for 2-2.5 times the price of a std! I find they have a more reliable spark at low revs and last well over a year. Yes there is a bunch of cool technolagy inside e'm. That's been my experience with the NGK BPR5EIX plug. I've had one in my 280 Pro for over a year and now and then I feel guilty and pull it out for a look and gap check, but it's been .024" each time. From what I've found, they have a slightly extended heat range, take less voltage to fire and really resist fouling under severe circumstances (I've never had a misfire or a problem with starting, even after crashing the bike and flopping on me bum, which happens all too often). They also make the 05" 300 Pro a cinch to start easily. They do cost a couple times the standard ES plug, but have proved, for me, to be a bargain in the long run. I'm doing a restoration for a friend on a Sachs powered Saracen and got him a whole new MZB ign system and they specify that an EIX plug is the best to use. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdeane01 Posted March 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 If i was to buy a Nippon Denso iridium plug it is $20au (10 pounds), reg. are $2.75. Reg. NGK are about $4 or $22 for the iridium!! Guess I will have to get them from NZ!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motojojo Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Iridium plugs are the way to go, Jon suggested one about 2yrs. ago and I've never had a problem with a miss fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copemech Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Although more difficult to find, I still run the non resistor(platinum) VX plug opened up to .7mm without problem. On the resistor EX plugs I would limit the gap to .6mm I think. Some bikes require the resistor plug, some do not, like the Sherco. I have not changed plugs in over two years now, knock wood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Go for a vx, sparkplugs .co.uk have them cheap I think. Great at the top end would match the keihin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stork955 Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 3 years on the good 'ol BP8ES or whatever the Techno runs. Still showing no signs of wear on the electrode. Fouling is either an incorrect fuel mixture or the wrong plug! As Copemech says go with the manufacturer on resistor or non-resistor. If you want to spend more its up to you of course, but I don't see or have ever found a need to spend $$$ on spark plugs. Cheers, Stork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdeane01 Posted March 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 (edited) thanks for all the input. Was just interested as had a plug die suddenly! It was a near new 08 that has done very little work, put on my flatslide, so therefore the mixture should have been fine as it had run on my 06 for 6 months without issue. Perhaps is was the previous carb and runnning rich to run the bike in! Will give the Nippon Denso standard plug a go and see how it compares to the NGK as the Nippon Densos were great on the technos. Copemech & Nigel Dabster is VX a brand of plug??? or is it a number for a Champion or other brand? The NGK i have been running is BP5ES. That is what is recommended for conditions here in Oz! Thanks Edited March 24, 2009 by sdeane01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony27 Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 VX is part of the code on NGK iridium plugs, think V stands for small diameter electrode from memory. Ran 1 of those for ages with no issues then managed to smash when out of bike & will run another fairly soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorpa4banger Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Hi lads I run a ( I think ) BKR6EIX in my scorpa and also ran them in my 07 for a whole season and they are great I only changed it half way through the season because it was getting harder to start once I changed the plug it was like a new bike again .. so even for 22 dollars well 15 if you have a trade account twice a season isn't bad my 02 beta 270 had to have a pack of 6 standard plugs kept with it at all times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jse Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 (edited) Copemech & Nigel Dabster is VX a brand of plug??? or is it a number for a Champion or other brand? The NGK i have been running is BP5ES. That is what is recommended for conditions here in Oz!Thanks Well, poop. The chart I tried to post was too small to read well, but I often use Sparkplugs.Com as a quick reference and their subsite at http://sparkplugs.com/sparkplug411.asp has a lot of good reference charts including the NGK codes. "VX" is for high-performance platinum as you'll see in the code chart. Jon Edited March 24, 2009 by JSE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Never understand this keeping the same plug for years thing. Regular changing of this cheap item keeps the spark spot on and the bike running sweet. just like a clean carb and filter for sure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jse Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Never understand this keeping the same plug for years thing.Regular changing of this cheap item keeps the spark spot on and the bike running sweet. just like a clean carb and filter for sure? Well, I agree and feel the same way about regular maintenance and replacing parts before they wear out. I used to replace the plug before every meet in my twinshock days, but I wanted to get an idea of an approximate lifespan for the EIX plug by checking for tip erosion, which has been approximately .001" so far (checked with wire, not flat gauges, to be accurate). I ran a new plug for several rides just to compare performance/starting with the "old" one and used a section where you need to lug the engine often and could find no difference, so the old one went back in for further testing. I'll probably change out the old plug soon just for the heck of it, but it has proven remarkably reliable. What got me to try the Iridium plug some time ago was my 02' Chevy S10 Blazer that comes with Iridium plugs that are factory rated as good for 100,000 miles (which I found hard to believe at first), and they have more than proved themselves. So, I guess, to answer the question "are they worth it?", my experience dictates, at least for me, "yes". Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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