Spark plugs

[dustync 58]

Is there an easy way to change them. Speaking as a potential new owner. How long does it take? May I also ask about headlamp bulb and ease of repacement.

 

Regards D

[Crofty 119]

If you are asking about the 700 it helps to take the grey belly pan off and then it is pretty easy using the Honda supplied tool.

I have a Hepco and Becker bashplate on mine and it makes its even easier. The headlight bulb is fine if you have small hands. a black rubber shroud is easy to pull off and change the bulb, it is a bit more difficult getting the rubber cover back on but can be modified to go on and off easier. 

I would,nt let these fairly routine tasks put you off buying one

Edited December 5, 2014 by Crofty

[Guest motorboy]

I don't think I would worry very much about spark plugs as their good for 32,000 miles and can be changed in 10 min's but boy are they expensive..

[Guest bonekicker]

Dont change your spark plugs because you may think it will make a difference it wont  -- 32,000 as Mr motorboy says.

 

Changing the headlight bulb is a pain in the arse small hands or not, one of the members of this forum very kindly came over to my house and changed it for a upgraded bulb, he did it in about 5mins were as i had been struggling for hours, so good luck.

 

Do continue to do your own bike maintaince if you fell confident and always ask if you have a problem there are plenty of clever guys on this forum (not me)    

[Guest phantom309]

the plugs are the the one most people change to as standard...so no need.as for head light bulb even if it is a pain . it's not like you'll been changing it very often

[embee 7,288]

Agree with the above. The plugs are precious metal types and are good for at least 30k miles, probably more like 50k miles is a very realistic life. I fitted precious metal plugs in my car and they are now at about 60k miles and look perfect.

 

As/when you do need to change them, they can be had from online specialist spark plug places for substantially less than Honda will want, somewhere around £14 each at current prices.

[dustync 58]

Thanks for all the information. The reason I asked about

the plugs was because I may need to get them out if flooded. I had no idea the plugs would last 32000 miles though. The headlamp question was because I have been caught out at work with a blown bulb on my hornet, and even that naked thing was a nightmare to get at. I dont mind riding in the daytime with no lights but the hornet only blew them in december.

Thanks again for all your help.

[Guest motorboy]

Thanks for all the information. The reason I asked about

the plugs was because I may need to get them out if flooded. I had no idea the plugs would last 32000 miles though. The headlamp question was because I have been caught out at work with a blown bulb on my hornet, and even that naked thing was a nightmare to get at. I dont mind riding in the daytime with no lights but the hornet only blew them in december.

Thanks again for all your help.

Another thing not to worry about no way, no how can you flood a fuel injected bike--put your mine in netural and just ride it

[shiggsy 529]

Why can't you flood a fuel injected bike, fuel injected cars can be flooded.

[Guest motorboy]

Why can't you flood a fuel injected bike, fuel injected cars can be flooded.

How can it be done electronices stop it from happening    I'll stick at what I said  prove me wrong  have you ever seen a flooded NC and we are talking about the Honda NC here only..

[shiggsy 529]

I'm not saying it can or can't be done, (although I imagine it can), I was just asking the question in response to your assertion that it can't?  

[Guest motorboy]

I'm not saying it can or can't be done, (although I imagine it can), I was just asking the question in response to your assertion that it can't?  

My fault, I should have given a little bit of info  the Honda system is a simple one you have a crank sensor, water temp sensor, ECU and a throttle sensor  no matter how you twist the throttle the bike can only get enough gas to start and run this is all built in to the ECU and that is a very long story other than twisting the throttle there is nothing the operator does and if the engine is just turning over and not running that's not much just more air   things can happen if a sensor is off but that is rare.

[shiggsy 529]

Ah, that's were the misunderstanding is, as I was thinking along the lines of a faulty sensor preventing spark. As you say, with everything working correctly, it you shouldn't be able to flood it.

[embee 7,288]

I don't know about the "on board diagnostics" OBD used on bike engines, but in cars there is misfire detection which will inhibit the fuelling to an individual cylinder if it detects a misfire. It detects the misfire by looking at the crank speed, it "knows" what is a normal speed fluctuation due to firing/compression etc and if it sees anything different it knows which cylinder it is by the crank/cam sensors (no cam sensor on the NC as far as I know but the unequal firing intervals might still allow it to detect which cylinder it is).

 

The OBD legislation introduced this so that exhaust emissions don't go sky high, plus it prevents the catalyst over-heating due to teh reaction of the unburnt charge from the misfiring cylinder.

 

Misfire detection doesn't address the failing to start issue talked of here, leading to potential flooding. Many engine management systems used to inhibit fuelling on cranking if the throttle was held wide open, allowing fuel wetting to be cleared if it occurred. I don't know if this is still the case with modern systems.

 

As others have suggested, I really wouldn't worry about the NC flooding, it's very unlikely. If the battery is healthy it will start.