missis sumner wrote:Cut a bit of hose pipe and place the spark plugs in it and screw them well in by hand before you tighten them with a socket. They'll slip in the hose, rather than cross-thread, then.

Good advice - something like this:



I know it is not a bike engine, but the same principle applies. This will ensure you dont cross thread the plug and also protect the ceramic portion until it comes to nipping it up. Remember plugs really are "just nipped up" - but check the haynes and see what the propper torque is.

As said before Ersan, these plugs a high end items and need to be treated like spoilt little girls (that’s why they cost so much) if you want them to perform. You can't just flick em on and off from cold (like you can with cheap plugs...and other things) you need to look after them, make sure the conditions are perfect for them, pamper them a bit ...but when you do all this....boy do they get hot and perform (enough double entendres yet? )

Stick with it - you'll get there

Or you could just use a nc30 spark plug wrench which has a rubber inside to hold the plug

i understand NGneer, can someone please confirm that, even though there is/was spark on all 4 plugs, doesnt mean they will make the bike start? am i correct? so the plugs could be the problem? because to my understanding, if it were pick-ups, CDI or Coils fault, then it wouldnt spark in the first place yes?

can the ignition timing go off by itself without touching it? maybe its gone off and thats why its backfiring?

Drunkn Munky wrote:Or you could just use a nc30 spark plug wrench which has a rubber inside to hold the plug

Which, when you remove the plugs grips the bloody things so tight it takes considerable effort to get the poxy things out of it. At least, it did in my case last weekend!

Drunkn Munky wrote:Or you could just use a nc30 spark plug wrench which has a rubber inside to hold the plug

If you use a plug wrench to put the plugs back in, there is a chance you can cross thread the plug, especially if you're cack-handed.

So if you suffer from the "reverse-Midas" effect, as indeed our friend seems to, it's probably a good idea to put them in by hand/hose first.

Surely the plug wrench can be held just like a piece of hose so if the plug was cross threading it can be felt before any damage happens??

I dont have a plug wrench and just use a deep socket on an extender which i then carefully tighten the plugs hand tight then do them up to 9Nm with my wrench, doing it by hand like that you can feel if its not threading in right.

Drunkn Munky wrote:Surely the plug wrench can be held just like a piece of hose so if the plug was cross threading it can be felt before any damage happens??

I always hold the plug spanner by hand and scrwe it up until the plugs are fully home and then use the spanner to tighten to the required setting.

If you cant screw the plug fully in by hand with the spanner then either your trying to cross thread or theres dirt int he plug holes, either of which isnt good

Just buy a new plug dude, if there sparking on the bike after you've cleaned them, bung them in and the carbs on (tho you could try it with the carbs off if its a bit flooded!!), and see if it'll fire up. The bit of pipe method of getting plugs in works well, i use that on me bikes/car loads a times. Flooded small engines can be a bit of a pain to start up, especially when its bloody cold!!!!
Cheers
Ian

Ian, how can i get the bike to start without the carbs? how can i get fuel in without carbs?