About to change spark plugs - alternatives and reasons?

**McJim** · 11th March 2008, 21:16

I'm about to change the spark plugs on my wee 600ss. The reccommended plugs are Champion RA4HC.

Now I hear lots of stuff about different plugs providing better performance and other plugs that burn holes in the top of your pistons etc.

I was wondering what are my options? Should I go with the stock standard ones as reccommended or are there fancy ones I should put in ther to squeeze a little more performance out of the wee lump of metal?

**xwhatsit** · 11th March 2008, 23:52

I don't think you'll get any noticeable increase in horsepower from using fancy plugs, unless it's missing like a bitch, and if brand-new recommended plugs are doing that then it's not the plugs you should be worried about.

Just chuck in the recommended ones, or NGK equivalent.

If with the brand-new plugs, you pull 'em out after a few hundred kms and they look a little hot or fouled, you could move up or down a heat range in the same plug. I moved to a DR9ES from a DR8ES-L -- the 9 is one step cooler than the 8, and the `L' suffix means it's suitable for sub-5-degree conditions (don't need that). One step cooler meant less chance of the occasional hot detonation I was getting after the motor was really cooked.

**Pwalo** · 12th March 2008, 08:23

Go with the recommended plugs. If you're ultra keen you could pull your current ones out and have a look at them first, but unless you've already got problems I wouldn't worry.

Unless that 600SS has mysteriously turned into a two stroke.

**McJim** · 12th March 2008, 08:35

Originally Posted by Pwalo

Go with the recommended plugs. If you're ultra keen you could pull your current ones out and have a look at them first, but unless you've already got problems I wouldn't worry.

Unless that 600SS has mysteriously turned into a two stroke.

Yeah, I've got a 2 stroke conversion kit on order to get more power...it arrives on 1st April.

Thanks. Bike has no problems - I'm just changing oil, filters and checking the tappets this time - basically doing everything I can to make sure the bike doesn't have problems in the future (she's done 50,000km so far)

**xwhatsit** · 12th March 2008, 09:20

Originally Posted by McJim

Yeah, I've got a 2 stroke conversion kit on order to get more power...it arrives on 1st April.

Damn you! You tricked me once with that long ago

Originally Posted by McJim

Thanks. Bike has no problems - I'm just changing oil, filters and checking the tappets this time - basically doing everything I can to make sure the bike doesn't have problems in the future (she's done 50,000km so far)

Ducatis don't have problems, do they?