Spark Plugs

According to the Yamaha Service Manual, the spark plugs in my FJR should be changed every 8,000 miles. I’ve put well over 10,00 miles on the bike since I bought it in April of 2013 and I have no clue when they were last changed so since the bike is partially torn down waiting on my rebuilt shock to arrive, I thought I would install some new plugs.

T-BarAfter unbolting the fuel tank (mine already was unbolted), you’ll need to prop up the front of it. If you look closely you can see I used a long Phillips screwdriver.  Once the tank is propped up you’ll have to remove the T-Bar (pictured) which is held in by 3 (I think 13mm) bolts.

Plug WireWith the T-Bar out of the way, you’ll need to pull back the insulation. It doesn’t need to be totally removed, just pulled back out of the way. Once the insulation is out of the way, you’ll be able to access your plugs. Pictured above is my finger pointing to the plug wire to on the right hand side of the bike.

Next pull out the plug wire. You’re going to need a 5/8 inch deep well or spark plug socket to remove the spark plug.

PlugsObviously the old spark plug is on the left. Be sure to properly gap your new plug before reinstalling it. Also the service manual recommended torque setting is 9.4 ft/lbs.

NGK BoxYamaha recommends a Denso (don’t have the part number in front of me) or NGK CR8E spark plug. My bike had the NGK in it and that’s what I replaced it with. Some guys on the forums have had good luck with the NGK CR8EIX which is the iridium plug. I’m going to run mine for 8k miles, see how they do and then decide if I want to use the iridium next time.

Old PlugsThe old plugs where definitely in need of replacement. Make sure to get yourself a spark plug gap tool so you can be sure they are in spec.

One final note: While overall the install went fine, I did have an issue with my socket getting stuck. I have all Craftsman sockets and the diameter was a bit large for this job and it got stuck at one point. I was able to get the socket removed but didn’t feel comfortable using it on the last 2 plugs. I went to Lowes and picked up their Kobalt-brand spark plug socket and it worked perfect.