Iridium spark plugs - good buy!

[Beeza]

A set of NGK iridium plugs (BR8EIX) has absolutely transformed my infuriatingly hard-to-start Laverda into something which simply leaps into life at the slightest hint of starter. No missing or hesitation at part-throttle either --- now I can ride it through stop-start city traffic without worrying that it might stall. Well worth the extra money, whereas other quite pricey things like SplitFire brand plugs and platinum ones have been disappointingly ordinary.

[vifferman]

Good stuff!
I fitted them to my VTR1000 and more recently to the VFR, but they made no noticeable difference. The only reason I fiitted them to the VFR is they cost less at Repco than the ordinary ones did at Cycletreads.

[Woodman]

Yep I always run Iridiums, don't really make much difference to the klr, but they last ages.

A note on splitfire plugs.

They say that the spark goes two ways when they fire, but that is actually a physical (physics?) impossibility as electricity will always go the easiest route therefore there will only ever be one spark not two.

[I'll C U Jimmy]

I concur :-) I have them in my XS650. Starts first kick every time.

[bsasuper]

Ebay is your friend for these plugs, half the cost.

[{.bLanK}G_o_D]

electricity will always go the easiest route

Not entirely correct but close.
Electricity flows very much like water.
The "majority", not all, of "the electricity" (electrons flowing through a conductor) will follow the path of least resistance.

[firefighter]

Ebay is your friend for these plugs, half the cost.

Yep. $80 for iridiums, to your door off ebay

[slofox]

They say that the spark goes two ways when they fire, but that is actually a physical (physics?) impossibility as electricity will always go the easiest route therefore there will only ever be one spark not two.

Errrrmmmmmm...so how do you explain THIS then?

[Owl]

Yep. $80 for iridiums, to your door off ebay

Hell, I paid $11.50+gst each, but then I'm good at finding bargains eh!

[firefighter]

Hell, I paid $11.50+gst each, but then I'm good at finding bargains eh!

Whaaaa??? Where?! You have to share iv'e never found any for cheaper, I get mine from the UK. (is that kiwi dollars, shipped to your door?)

[Owl]

Whaaaa??? Where?! You have to share iv'e never found any for cheaper, I get mine from the UK. (is that kiwi dollars, shipped to your door?)

It's a secret (friend of friend type deal), but I should get an updated price, as that was a couple of years ago now. I did query the price at the time, but apparently there was no mistake.

[dipshit]

I just got mine for $17.34 each as a genuine Suzuki part from the local dealer. (as iridiums are standard on the K8 600/750)

They would have been about $35 each as an off the shelf NGK. ( CR9EIA-9 )

[Woodman]

Errrrmmmmmm...so how do you explain THIS then?

I can't, You may have a point. I will look into it.

[Woodman]

Not entirely correct but close.
Electricity flows very much like water.
The "majority", not all, of "the electricity" (electrons flowing through a conductor) will follow the path of least resistance.

So can a spark jump to 2 places at once like a splitfire plug claims to do? I am more than happy to be proven wrong btw.

[{.bLanK}G_o_D]

So can a spark jump to 2 places at once like a splitfire plug claims to do? I am more than happy to be proven wrong btw.

I don't know if the splitfire plugs spark in two points or not, I have never heard that. I heard the split in the electrode makes a wider spark. Could well be a bit of both our theories.

But to answer your question directly, yes of course a spark can jump to more than one point. slofox posted the perfect example.
A lightning bolt is spark that jumps all over the place. It doesn't always discharge to earth, more often it is easier to discharge from cloud to cloud.