Honda Blackbird Spark Plug Change

[Trev_P]

Hi Guys
probably only applies to BB riders/owners
questions:

1. does anyone have a Plug socket spanner I can borrow as my BB never came with the toolkit, the usual scenario for a used bike.
2. more importantly - do you have experience of changing the plugs on BB's and would you like to help me out as it looks like a right palarva of a job (tea and biccys provided) or I can come to you (bacon sarnies on me)

[Burbler]

Yep, got various plug spanners AND a Haynes BB manual. S'posed to be Iridium methinks.

Will have a read up. Happy to sneak over to RWB one day.

[Trev_P]

cheers mate, your right plugs are iridium CR9EHIX-9, from what i have read on the interweb BB's dont like any other plug. Coming back on our ride to Swanage the bike started misfiring and ran a bit rough but after a rest at the half moon it seemed to be ok.
not worth a total plug failure so want to replace them, according to the SH they have never been done and now the bikes over the mileage life for them. i'm guessing plugs anyway if its anything else i may need a 2nd mortgage :)


Yep, got various plug spanners AND a Haynes BB manual. S'posed to be Iridium methinks.

Will have a read up. Happy to sneak over to RWB one day.

[Trev_P]

scrub that the interweb is wrong (funny that) - the manwel says IMR9C-9H, still Iridium but twice the price :eek:, methinks should have checked the manwel first but the interweb was closer. i think i need a lie down :p


cheers mate, your right plugs are iridium CR9EHIX-9, from what i have read on the interweb BB's dont like any other plug. Coming back on our ride to Swanage the bike started misfiring and ran a bit rough but after a rest at the half moon it seemed to be ok.
not worth a total plug failure so want to replace them, according to the SH they have never been done and now the bikes over the mileage life for them. i'm guessing plugs anyway if its anything else i may need a 2nd mortgage :)

[Burbler]

scrub that the interweb is wrong (funny that) - the manwel says IMR9C-9H, still Iridium but twice the price :eek:, methinks should have checked the manwel first but the interweb was closer. i think i need a lie down :p

Th CR9 is for the carbs version.

My Haynes says IMR9A-9H is the equivalent for the carbs version.


Best price I've seen for the IMR9C is £12.50

[Burbler]

P.S. The 'C' is the reach length inside the pot. Don't get that wrong.

[Trev_P]

i rang the Honda dealer and they say whatever the owners manual says and then they say they can supply at £32ea ! hmmm honda dealer at £32 or halfords for £19. how the hell can they justify that for the same plug (fitting not included)

so IMR9C-9H it is

where did you see them for £12.50 Larry





P.S. The 'C' is the reach length inside the pot. Don't get that wrong.

[wheelers]

Wemoto recommend Iridium plugs NGK IMR9A-9H trade price is £14.48 +vat.
Fowlers parts are IMR9C9HES - 5766 £27.35 inc

NGK own web site says IMR9C-9H 6777 ebay do for around £54 for 4.
cant buy trade as cheap as ebay.
so take your pick

obvious answer, take one out and see what is fitted...

[Trev_P]

I got them from M & P in the end, with some discounts I had saved up I got the NGK IMR9C-9H 6777 for £14 ea inc VAT. the HES I believe is different again, also the plugs differ from Carbed to Inj
Just waiting delivery

take one out is the obvious and usually done thing to do when in doubt, a couple of things that stopped me.
1. has some donut fitted wrong ones in the past which would cause more confusion, (unoffically changed as no plug change is listed in the service book)
2. its such a pig of a job (according to the write ups) to get to the plugs that once its stripped down it would have stay that way for what could be a while, which would mean missing out on the great WB rideouts :)


Wemoto recommend Iridium plugs NGK IMR9A-9H trade price is £14.48 +vat.
Fowlers parts are IMR9C9HES - 5766 £27.35 inc

NGK own web site says IMR9C-9H 6777 ebay do for around £54 for 4.
cant buy trade as cheap as ebay.
so take your pick

obvious answer, take one out and see what is fitted...

[wheelers]

this is the thing about service history. if you find it a hard job then when the likes of Fwlers charge £99 for a 4 cyl service you wonder how they can afford to do it. I would be between £175 and 200. that's both filters, oil, fluids and plugs. Ive serviced bikes from there and Blade/Geo Whites where its been obvious the air filter hasn't ben changed and when come to it if that hasn't been done then neither has the plugs.
my vectra car has just done 65,000 miles on the same set of NGK plugs, still ok, but a pig of a job as you have to remove the plenum chamber, found rear bank deep in oil. not much different to a big bike but service charge around £350 indi or 450 at a GM dealer. many dealers don't change the plugs (or air filters) as they know owners wont check, the oil filter can be seen so needs to be clean, I have also known dealers wipe the can style oil filters clean to make it look like they have been changed. they assume the low mileage we do wont matter for another year, that's ok as long as done next time.

[Trev_P]

personally I dont hold much faith in "FSH" as you say dealers can and do fudge it, it just helps with the resale to those that refer to FSH as the holy grail. my last service and MOT was over £200 and all i can see they "did" was change the oil and filter if they did it at all.
i used to have a vectra also, a 2000 2.5 GSi. i used to service that myself, plugs, filters inc cabin filter etc all good fun especially when you have the tools :)

so next time i need a service do i give you a shout :p :D


this is the thing about service history. if you find it a hard job then when the likes of Fwlers charge £99 for a 4 cyl service you wonder how they can afford to do it. I would be between £175 and 200. that's both filters, oil, fluids and plugs. Ive serviced bikes from there and Blade/Geo Whites where its been obvious the air filter hasn't ben changed and when come to it if that hasn't been done then neither has the plugs.
my vectra car has just done 65,000 miles on the same set of NGK plugs, still ok, but a pig of a job as you have to remove the plenum chamber, found rear bank deep in oil. not much different to a big bike but service charge around £350 indi or 450 at a GM dealer. many dealers don't change the plugs (or air filters) as they know owners wont check, the oil filter can be seen so needs to be clean, I have also known dealers wipe the can style oil filters clean to make it look like they have been changed. they assume the low mileage we do wont matter for another year, that's ok as long as done next time.