Tried a new plug in my NC700XD

[Hondo53]

I tried the E3 plugs and have run them for a couple weeks and like them. I didn’t need new plugs as I had Champion Iridium plugs with apx 20000 miles but the E3 claims to give better performance. Also I felt that the bike had lost acceleration when trying to pass at highway speeds.
The first thing i noticed was a smoother idle. Then I rode the bike and I believe I have more power and acceleration. That sluggishness when passing seems to be gone.
My son who has a NC as well says that iridium plugs are all about lasting forever and not performance.
If you try the plug please post your results.
BTW the plug in the package is the Champion I replaced and not the E3.

 

[Rabbit]

I tried the E3 plugs and have run them for a couple weeks and like them. I didn’t need new plugs as I had Champion Iridium plugs with apx 20000 miles but the E3 claims to give better performance. Also I felt that the bike had lost acceleration when trying to pass at highway speeds.
The first thing i noticed was a smoother idle. Then I rode the bike and I believe I have more power and acceleration. That sluggishness when passing seems to be gone.
My son who has a NC as well says that iridium plugs are all about lasting forever and not performance.
If you try the plug please post your results.
BTW the plug in the package is the Champion I replaced and not the E3.

I used to make spark plugs, iridium plugs are about getting top mileage. Iridium keeps the sharp edge longer than a copper center electrode. However performance is more determined by a combination of voltage pushed through the plug, the heat range and gap. Champions have the capability of pushing the most voltage of any other plug, but their gapping isn’t nearly as good as NGK. Heat ranges aren’t easy for swapping between any of the major brands.

On a side note the 1000 hp funny cars use copper plugs so the difference between performance isnt as much between the different metals as many people think.

 

[ST13Fred]

I'm exclusively Honda and NGK.

 

[MZ5]

Thanks for posting, sandspike. Please follow up with long-term observations, too.

 

[showkey]

I'm exclusively Honda and NGK.

Champion plugs have a 30 year plus year history of NOT working ( well) in all Honda products.

Then there’s the concept that: The stock NGK plugs can easily last 50-100k miles in the NC.

 

[670cc]

Champion plugs have a 30 year plus year history of NOT working ( well) in all Honda products.

Then there’s the concept that: The stock NGK plugs can easily last 50-100k miles in the NC.

That, and I have some faith and expectations in Honda engineers, whereas if there was more power and acceleration, and a smoother idle to had by simply choosing a different spark plug, they would have easily discovered that long ago.

 

[MZ5]

I've read that a lot, and generally held with that view. In fact I tested that story here on the forum with my NCX and plain-copper Champions. They ran perfectly, with no decrease in either fuel economy or casually-observed performance.
(-;

 

[Rabbit]

That, and I have some faith and expectations in Honda engineers, whereas if there was more power and acceleration, and a smoother idle to had by simply choosing a different spark plug, they would have easily discovered that long ago.

the OEM designs the plug. If Honda went with Bosch or champion, they would work the same as the NGK.

 

[Rabbit]

I've read that a lot, and generally held with that view. In fact I tested that story here on the forum with my NCX and plain-copper Champions. They ran perfectly, with no decrease in either fuel economy or casually-observed performance.
(-;

Are you still running them?

 

[Rabbit]

Then there’s the concept that: The stock NGK plugs can easily last 50-100k miles in the NC.

Stock iridium plugs should last at least 60k miles in an NC700X. It confuses me to no end why Honda recommends replacement after 32k. That’s copper territory.

 

[MZ5]

Are you still running them?

I swapped back to the factory NGKs a little while ago to try to figure out why my mpg has been low. That didn't help mpg, which just means the spark plugs had nothing to do with it.

I think I'm about to put some copper Autolites in, though I've no real reason why other than that's what the local auto parts store has on the shelf.

 

[Rabbit]

Little known fact, Autolite plugs use a heaping helping of other companies components and just do the finished assembly.

 

[MZ5]

Didn’t know that; thanks. Guess that makes them like most every brand name that most people know in the automotive realm.

 

[Rabbit]

Didn’t know that; thanks. Guess that makes them like most every brand name that most people know in the automotive realm.

About 10 years ago they shuttered their ceramic insulator plant and started sourcing those parts from a competitor. From there they have moved on to other components as well to my understanding.

 

[Rabbit]

Champion, NGK and Bosch make their own components. I’m not sure about Denso, or E3 but Autolite, mopar, and AC delco are either private label or assembly only.

 

[670cc]

Stock iridium plugs should last at least 60k miles in an NC700X. It confuses me to no end why Honda recommends replacement after 32k. That’s copper territory.

Agree. I have the original NGK spark plugs in my NC700 at 51,000 miles. At one time I found an NGK web page that suggested those plugs should last 70,000 miles. They currently work just fine. I will probably change them at the 64,000 mile service.

 

[MZ5]

I read a thing yesterday, though now I can’t recall where (sure it was a thread on here), which I _thought_ was a data sheet saying the factory plugs have no special firing point on the ground strap (ground strap is just cupro-nickel; no platinum or iridium pad on it). Perhaps Honda expect there to be sufficient erosion by 30 -35k that they think the plugs should be replaced. Normally the center electrode wears much more than the ground strap, but that’s what I thought of when I saw that data sheet. Or, maybe the sheet was wrong.

 

[Rabbit]

The point of the precious metal is to maintain a sharp edge to get a clean spark I know they put precious metals on the ground strap, but I don’t really know why except for 100k mile applications where perhaps the ground strap might burn through over time.

 

[670cc]

I’m not sure if this NGK article relates directly to the OEM NC spark plugs, but it talks about iridium center electrode and nickel ground electrode plug type and it’s expected lifespan. Note the comment about 60,000 to 80,000 expected life in an unaltered motor. That is where I based my plan to change NC plugs at 64,000 miles.

https://www.ngk.com/how-long-do-ngk-iridium-plugs-last