Inner Spark Plugs

[silvergoose]

I have a question about the life of the spark plugs for my 2007 Norge in general and the "long life inner plugs"as a focal point of this question.
Plug life for the Norge is stated to be around 6250 while the innerplugs are twice as long. I understand that the innerplugs fire only during the exhast cycle, I assume to hel meet epa reqs. Is this so?
After only 6250 miles have plugs been so overburden by the combustion gasses that they are consummed?
what is the real world life for these plugs? Case in point my K1200 Lt gets a fresh set of plugs every 50,000 miles whith a clean and check every 20,000. Performance is still good,mileage is great and my costs per mile is less than the MG. Do Not get my wrong I like the Norge, but I just do not undrstand some of the maintence and operational problems that i read about here and other sites. I feel like I should ride it change oil and filter every 5000 miles and fix it if it breaks,

 

[Kevin.NZ]

Hi silvergoose,
I think you will find that both plugs fire at the same time per cylinder as they are both connected to the same coil. The correct lead has to go the correct plug and consequently one of the leads has a marker on it -red marker to the external plug. I have a similar plug to the inner type in my car and they don't need to be changed for 100,000Kms, one reason they put them in is it is a V6 transverse engine and a major job to get to the rear 3 plugs against the firewall/bulkhead. The outer plug is in another vehicle and is recommended to be changed every 20,000Kms.
Cheers Kevin

 

[silvergoose]

Some times the dealers speak to people about things that may not be completly founded in truth. It did not seem possible for the inner plugs to fire on a different cycle as the main plugs, but the dealer was convinced and passed on the knowledge to me. Can you see any reason to change plugs at such short time intervals. I am sure that if car demanded such care it would not be a good seller.
I may be wrong and would be happy to listen to another view, but I will run the plugs for 20,000 miles, check and clean and replace @ 50,000.

Thanks for the input

 

[Kevin.NZ]

Hi silvergoose,
I check and if necessary adj the plugs every 5000Kms or there abouts (0.6-0.7mm). I will replace the plug when the central electrode starts to get rounded in shape instead of flat and nice sharp edges or 20,000Kms. I always use a copper grease on the threads. The workshop manual doesnt give a replacement mileage for the inner plugs, all it says is adj every 20,000Kms.
Kevin

 

[Penis Rotor]

The plug change interval is, IMHO absolutely absurd. Similar plugs in cars have a 100,000Km service life. I see no reason at all to change 'em before 50,000 at the earliest. Buy a couple of spares and keep 'em on the shelf, (I'd suggest NOT buying them from Guzzi!) if fuel ecconomy or performance drop off radically then throw new ones in and see if it fixes it, (Probably won't!)

I WOULD suggest removing them and coating the threads with zinc-cote or some such high temp anti seize though as leabving 'em in for extended periods will make 'em hard to extract.

Pete

 

[PP-1753]

I found my inners were rusting externally at 20,000 km. They looked OK and I replaced them anyway. Only Managed to leave one of the inner leads off and had an intermittent miss for a while - Until I found it and put it back - no discernible difference in performance felt.

The environment under there is hostile so they need checking probably every 10k. As Pete says, some anti seize is a great idea!

 

[ncassidy]

I did my inner plugs at 20,000 miles. They looked fine when removed. I replaced them with new ones and used never seize on the threads. I have seen threads pulled out if the plugs stay in there to long, so it is a good idea to at least remove and clean them on a periodic basis. They are a pain in the ass to get at, great design.

 

[azccj]

I have the view that some of the maintenance specified in the manual is a little over the top. 6250 miles between oil changes I got no problem with, but changing out the outside plugs every oil change, changing out the fuel filter, inner plugs and air filter every 2 oil changes, and my favorite, replacing the fork seals and fork oil at 6250 miles then every 12500 there after, it all seems way more than what should be needed to keep these things running reliably for many miles. :S

My own maintenance schedule goes like this, 6250 for oil changes, 26000 miles for the air filter and inner plugs, 32250 miles for the fuel filer, once the original half plastic half metal one has been converted to an all metal one, and replace the fork seals when they start to leak.

 

[guzzibob]

My own maintenance schedule goes like this, 6250 for oil changes, 26000 miles for the air filter and inner plugs, 32250 miles for the fuel filer, once the original half plastic half metal one has been converted to an all metal one, and replace the fork seals when they start to leak.

At 20k miles I checked/changed inner plugs & air filter. Plugs looked ok, but air filter was really very dirty. so I'm going with specified air filter interval of 12.5k in the future. Where you live air may be more or less dirty/dusty than where I live (LA) & ride (all over the SW), so YMMV.

 

[Captstevens]

Replace the paper filter with a K & N re-useable (cleanable) filter P/N AL-1001 which according to the part Number probably fits an Aprilia I clean it every 10,000 mi also, I use NGK iriidium plugs (Outer BPR6EIX) inner is a double platinum plug (PMR8B) I guess they don't make an Iridium plug for the inner. I change them every 10,000 Mi I had to make my own plug socket to remove the inner plug as it is a very tight fit, I took a standard 16mm deep socket and turned it down on the lathe to 20.75mm O.D.