Changed spark plugs in the ZX6-E

"AdverseMartyr" (ewilliamson) 02/09/2015 at 18:12 • Filed to: None

0

3

I changed the spark plugs in my motorcycle on Saturday. I was averaging about 25mpg, and it just seemed like it could use it.

Well, I ended up seeing that 1 plug looked fine, two were partially fouled and the fourth was fouled. So, it was well worth it to swap them out.

The funny part was that I had a helper and the swap ended up taking me about twice as long as it should have.

My neighbor's 4 year old son decided to come help, and that turned the experience into something new.

"Could you hand me those?" (He had the box of clamps I needed in his hand. He sets the clamps down and hands me a wrench.)

"No, the plastic and paper thing you were just holding. Could you hand me it?" (Hands me another wrench)

This repeated through every tool I had out.

I was struck with terror a few times. I mean it's fine when he is swinging around an extension, and pretending to work on his tricycle just like I am working on my motorcycle, but the "oh, god, he has my torque wrench and is swinging it around, please don't hit anything, especially not the motorcycle" followed by the, "crap, I left the gap tool in the house how fast can I go and get it; can he destroy something in 30 seconds?"

He was great though. Really, he air cleaned the bike for me with the can of compressed air I had for blasting the debris away from the spark plug ports.

I must have looked so relieved when his dad came and told him they had to go to lunch. "Sorry, he was bothering you."

"Oh, no. He wasn't a bother, He helped a lot." (I let him hand tighten down a couple of accessory bolts after I started them.) I mean, of course he was in the way, but he was enthusiastic work on the vehicle in the way.

But I swear, little kids can smell impending parenthood and start interacting with me just to make sure I go, "WTF have I gotten myself into?!!!" now that it is too late.

On the plus side the bike has more 'pep.'

bob and john > AdverseMartyr 02/09/2015 at 18:16

0

maybe run some injector cleaner? lord knows my SV needs some....

AdverseMartyr > bob and john 02/09/2015 at 18:32

0

Nah, I just hadn't replaced them when I got the bike running. I bought it non-running, and cleaned out the old fuel, and got it running, but I didn't do a full clean of the carbs, just ran cleaner through the fuel system.

I partially dissassembled the carbs after I had it running for a couple hundred miles. The air filter disintegrated and it sucked into the air passages. So I had to do that maintenance, and I didn't do the plugs then because I was already well over my motorcycle budget at the time.

bob and john > AdverseMartyr 02/09/2015 at 18:34

0

ah, carbie bikes.

I dont do carbs. I had 1 bike with it, and (granted it was a REALLY shitty design) the crab keep falling off.

Next bike was FI.