Bandit Alley

MODEL SPECIFIC => SUZUKI BANDIT 250 & 400 => Topic started by: duane on February 25, 2006, 02:04:11 AM

Title: A moment to vent
Post by: duane on February 25, 2006, 02:04:11 AM

[rant]
Damn!!  I just spent $9.59 per spark plug for the little Bandit.  Nine-freakin-fifty-nine!!  What the!?  I know, no one was holding a gun to my head, I bought them with my own free will, but I remember buying Champion plugs for my Yamaha xs1100 and they were only a little more than $2.00.  And that bike ran great with those cheap plugs!

NGK cr8ek (for the Bandit)
At Denis Kirk online they are $8.20 each.
At Bike Bandit they are $7.38 each but you have to buy a minimum of 10.
Parts 411 has them for $7.13.

So If I did buy these online, shipping would be about $5, that's only a few bucks cheaper than what I paid at Cycle Gear.  Cycle Gear is expensive and these plugs are expensive.
[/rant]

Thank you.  Any one else bothered by something?

Title: A moment to vent
Post by: Nacho2059 on February 25, 2006, 03:30:56 AM

If I remeber correctly you can run the ngk plugs with the one electrode rather than droping the $9.59 per plug for the 2 electrode plugs.  You can use CR8E plug rather than the CR8EK.  Both plugs are 10mm with 3/4" reach and 5/8" hex.  Plus the CR8E plugs are about $15 for four.
Correct me if I am wrong about this everyone.

Title: A moment to vent
Post by: PitterB4 on February 25, 2006, 08:49:24 AM

^^^  That's what I do, on Jay's (GSXR400Racer) suggestion.  Champion or Autolite also makes a plug that works, I think.  I don't know of anyone who has tried them.

Title: A moment to vent
Post by: Red01 on February 25, 2006, 10:53:52 AM

I've been running the Autolite plugs for my B12 since the factory original came out. The third set will be going in soon. The B12 uses a different plug than the B4 though.

Title: A moment to vent
Post by: PitterB4 on February 25, 2006, 12:01:30 PM

Yeah - what I meant is that I don't know of anyone doing it with a B4.  

Here's  (http://www.banditalley.com/parts/sparkplugs.html)a link to a chart Pete put together.  The B4 table isn't totally correct since the 93 uses a cr9ek.  I'm not sure what the AL or Champ equiv to that is.

Title: A moment to vent
Post by: duane on February 26, 2006, 10:09:06 PM

Whoa.....whoa.... what?

Quote

The B4 table isn't totally correct since the 93 uses a cr9ek

Do you mean, "Uses a cr9ek AS WELL"  or "Uses a cr9ek INSTEAD OF"?

I've already put the cr8ek in my '93 bike but haven't started it yet.  When I do start it, the piston's not going to reach top dead center and crack itself against the plug or something, is it?  (I'm being a little dramatic, but you know what I mean.)

Title: A moment to vent
Post by: PitterB4 on February 26, 2006, 10:23:17 PM

Well, I mean "instead of".  It's not a huge deal though, I don't think (anyone else feel free to chime in).  The number is the temperature of the plug - everything else is the same.  The timing of the 93 is slightly different and it calls for a cooler plug (again, correct me if that's not exaclty the reason).  I do know the 8 is one step hotter than the 9.  I ran 8s in my 93 for at least 6k before I realized it.  There were 8s in when I got it.

If you look in the 93 update section of the manual, it's noted there (along with the different valve clearances and so forth).

Title: A moment to vent
Post by: Thief400 on February 26, 2006, 10:56:37 PM

Here's a bit of wisdom given to me by an employee of Dana who owns Champion Spark plugs. In his southern accent and I quote" I wouldn't screw those" meaning Champion " into the ground let alone any engine I owned and I can get them for free"!

Title: A moment to vent
Post by: Herr Tod on February 27, 2006, 11:04:38 AM

NGK or Denso, two proven brands.