Random muttering

[Skeeve]

Was ordering some parts is parts, and tho' not needed now, thought I'd pick up some plugs for the V11 since the zippy iridium plugs aren't carried in motorcycle sizes by the local car parts vendors [Kragen, Peps, etc.] and the additional cost of shipping plugs w/ my order of RLS Heavy would be $0.00 vs. shipping cost of the plugs being a serious %age of the purchase price if ordered at some later date...

 

So, I check the spec & discover the plug is an NGK 6 heat range! Isn't that a tad on the warm side for an a/c engine? [bPR6E or something like that, I can't recall just now, looked it up on sparkplugs.com; great resource btw...] I remember the old VW Beetle used B8ES, and that never suffered from cold starting issues, altho' the heat sure could pose some problems!

 

Anyway, for here in sunny SoCal, I figured I'd be safe dropping one heat range colder to 7 [bPR7EIX] & put my order in for that, but even at 7 I suspect that the plug is warmer than it needs be. I know that the J4 manufacturers were all chronically notorious for spec'ing plugs at least one heat range too warm for good hot weather running on all their street bikes, but that was probably due to concerns about the EPA-mandated lean carbeuration not allowing the bikes to warm up fast enough more than anything else.

 

Anyone else care to comment? Anyone w/ hot weather riding experience tried a similar adjustment already? Any cold-clime riders have complaints about the stock plugs running too cool for them?

 

Just random curiosity on the topic poking up; I doubt very much that I'll run into any reliability problems with that one range cooler plugs, much less concerned about going cooler on plugs vs. warmer, esp. on an a/c engine...

[pete roper]

I use 6's in virtually everything. They work, there don't seem to be any downsides, it's what the factory sez, I can't see the point in changing.

 

If ay of my bikes started pre-igniting to buggery or showing some indicator that they weren't happy I'd change 'em but since I see no problem I just 'Do as I's told!'

 

Pete

 

PS, the newer smallblocks all use 8's FWIW.

[BrianG]

I like the fact that the 6's stay nice and clean, contributing to easy starting.

 

I have noticed no tendency to ping with my recent change to a richer fueling map, drilled air-box and Mistral cans.

[mike wilson]

PS, the newer smallblocks all use 8's FWIW.

 

When you say "newer" do you mean generically, as they are a newer design? All the ones I have had use the 8 series. Newest is 1987...... 8-)