Iridium IX Spark plugs 449-511

As you get your fuel mixture closer to 12.8:1, the benefits increase due to the iridium plug being able to ignite a richer fuel ratio. Initial addition of fuel during opening of the throttle plate can create a rich condition which also is ignited easier with the iridium plug.

I have been running mine since feb. and about 1200 miles of supermoto track riding. Pulled it the other day and it looked brand freaking new. It was quite amazing actually.


BUT, its a hard plug to read up inside to the insulator. Just no color really changing at all. So that is tough.

http://www.ziptyracing.com/products.php?product=NGK-CR9EIX-(3521)-Iridium-spark-plug

So i had my 2011 TE511 in for some service work and told the mechanic to change the spark plug aswell. When i picked up the bike he told me that he replaced the existing plug with the manual specified sparkplug. To my suprise, (i bought the bike second hand), a CR7EIX plug was installed before the mechanic replaced the plug. I used the manual specified plug for a week but started getting hanging idle issues, the bike wouldn't idle down, never had that issue before, and no airleaks found. As the only major change made on the bike was the spark plug, i changed back to the CR7EIX plug, the hanging idle problems are gone again! (Thoroughly tested before and after spark plug change). Whats the difference between the CR7EIX and the original one, and is the CR7EIX acceptable to use? Both plugs look good after use (light brown colour). The bike is running RaceMapII and acropovic standard pipe.

Gap maybe? What was in there before?

A 7 seems kinda hot.

When i bought the bike (second hand) it was fitted with the CR7EIX, didn't find out about it before the mechanic changed the plug. Didn't feel any gap or unormalities when changing the plug, but i agree, there is quiet a big difference between 9 and 7, which is why i'm wondering.

I would change it to a colder NGK CR9EIX.

I agree, I carry nothing more than some tools, a CR9EIX plug as a spare, along with a spare master link.

I hope to never need to use either.

However running a CR7EIX, being 2 full heat ranges hotter than normal.

Could lead to more than just a spare spark plug at some point being needed !

Like spare everything from the connecting rod hanging off the crankshaft out of the cases on up. And that's if your lucky.

Don't take it from me though. I just ride the High AZ desert, sometimes when it gets like 115 in the shade but no worries, its a dry heat.

The hanging idle issue won't be related to the spark plug.
Based on my own experience it is very random and difficult to reproduce on demand.
The systems involved have no link to the plug at all, the electronic idle is the ECU monitoring throttle position and rpm, and the second butterfly shaft cam turning to lift the roller on the primary shaft to allow more idle air in.
I can not think of any way for the spark plug to effect this.

It's more likely that the mechanic adjusted the base idle speed away from standard.

If your bike is an early white frame bike with ignition switch, they seem to suffer the most from hanging idle and the very best thing you can do is remove the idle roller and control the idle yourself with the brass idle screw.
100% idle control

good call, DM. But I am surprised you didn't advocate removing the fly-by-wire butterfly too (not that it would have anything to do with the hanging idle though).

HuskySnake- do a search to read about the issue (FBW, flame-outs, secondary throttle plate... one of these should get you there by search)

Thanks for the replies m8s, appreciate it.
I read all the information in regard to hanging idles, second butterfly ect prior bying the TE. The reason for not doing any modifications is i've used the bike for about 3000km without any issues as long as RaceMapII was implemented, the only thing i noticed is that when riding and letting go of the gas there is half a second delay before the second butterlfy releases so the idle drops. After changing back to the CR7EIX sparkplug the issues were gone. I thought maybe a a higher heat rate was burning the fuel faster preventing the lazy idle problem, but as Dangermouse mentioned this proberbly is unrelated to the spark plug. I'll change back to the standard spark plug again, and remove the second butterfly so at least that is handled and keep you posted.

Just a quick question, if the idle-roller is removed (which i really would like to do), will this result in aditional adjustments having to be made?

Just a manual adjustment of the desired idle speed with the large brass idle air screw.
If you live where it is very cold on first start, you may have to open the throttle manually (twist the grip) to fire the engine and maintain cold idle.
Once warm it will run at the speed you set.

I would certainly say pull out the second butterfly if you want to enjoy the instant power your engine is capable of, but if you are happy with it and it doesn't flame out, you could leave it in there.
I still don't know of anyone who has put the butterfly back in after removing it though

Oh, but I believe wholeheartedly that it is the secondary butterfly that causes the hanging idle! I never experienced it after the butterfly was removed on my bike.

Well, it might be caused by the secondary system but from DMs description it sounds like there is a little push rod/roller thingy going on and just removing the butterfly valve wouldn't directly affect it- since it's actuated by the stepper-motor. (OTOH, maybe the ECU wouldn't hang the idle because the airflow is different now)

Maybe <shrug>.

Hey mates, yeah the nr2 butterfly is coming out. I opened up the throttlebody and looked at the idleroller being pushed in different variations and i definetly chose to remove it, fisty bugger to remove! I simply drilled a hole through. Its just a big releif knowing that the throttle issn't being messed with. The butterfly will come out this weekend.

Oh, wait, I retract the above statement. It was the throttle body mod that got rid of the hanging idle. It's all starting to come back to me now.

Sorry.

This is a 120 fps show-mo I made of the dual butterfly system in action. It became clear when the engine can flame out when the primary throttle is opened and the secondary lags behind.
(note, the idle roller arm wa removed from my bike prior to the video being shot.


View: https://youtu.be/7Vn_9JxDOz8

Sitrep:
* Changed back to the original spark plug
* Removed the idle roller
* Removed the secondary butterfly

Without a doubt, 100% throttle control/idle control and engine breaking reclaimed, no flame outs. After riding 4 houres total, no issues noticed. I even removed the RaceMapII plug to see how she would run, no flame outs and no handing idle. Earlier the bike was useless without the RaceMapII jumper installed, would flame out all the time, even at higher speeds when the throttle was dropped.

One question though, how do we know that the fuel injection isn't impacted negativly when the secondary butterfly is removed, wouldn't this impact the fuel/air ratio? I guess this would depend on where the air-ratio sensor is located. The bike feels great now, finally.