P500 How often should I change my spark plug on P500

[JCart]

im with Ky on this one. exhaust and spark plug with fuel grade wont give you 30% increase in power on these bikes. maybe 1 or 2. from a hotter plug and freer flowing exhaust. now it will definitely regain 10hp if youv lost it. thats about the only way your going to see a 10hp gain on a 500 engine without connecting it to a computer and changing engine components

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@KYhillbilly, @Alan_Vander how are the legs fellas?

In Canada lower grades of gas have fuel additives that fall out of suspension and will gel, (over time) plugging up fuel delivery systems, the lower octane also impacts performance. Where as premium does not (so I was advised by Honda serviceman). In all my small engines, lawnmowers, chainsaws, outboards, gensets and P5 get premium unleaded fuel. I’ve noticed they run much smoother, fire up quicker, especially the two stroke outboards, chainsaws, brushsaws and weedwackers.
Cheers,
j

 

[KYhillbilly]

@KYhillbilly, @Alan_Vander how are the legs fellas?

In Canada lower grades of gas have fuel additives that fall out of suspension and will gel, (over time) plugging up fuel delivery systems, the lower octane also impacts performance. Where as premium does not (so I was advised by Honda serviceman). In all my small engines, lawnmowers, chainsaws, outboards, gensets and P5 get premium unleaded fuel. I’ve noticed they run much smoother, fire up quicker, especially the two stroke outboards, chainsaws, brushsaws and weedwackers.
Cheers,
j

actually lower grade gasolines contain more FCC and coker naphtha that is cracked and unstable while premium fuels to get octane up use reformate or alkylate that is higher octane and more stable. Its actually the lack of additives mainly antioxidants that cause the issue with regular gas. Also ethanol and time can cause issues as well. Not trying to be a know it all but i have been in the refining, lubricants and finished fuels business for 30 years.

sorry i got off topic, but regular gasoline in an engine designed for regular gasoline will produce more hp(most likely not enough to notice or measure) than premium just due to its higher BTU/gallon. Just be cognizant of stability issues if stored for long periods of time some refiners add just enough antioxidant to pass ASTM D525 oxidation stability test while others add enough to take long term storage into account.

 

[Smitty335]

actually lower grade gasolines contain more FCC and coker naphtha that is cracked and unstable while premium fuels to get octane up use reformate or alkylate that is higher octane and more stable. Its actually the lack of additives mainly antioxidants that cause the issue with regular gas. Also ethanol and time can cause issues as well. Not trying to be a know it all but i have been in the refining, lubricants and finished fuels business for 30 years.

sorry i got off topic, but regular gasoline in an engine designed for regular gasoline will produce more hp(most likely not enough to notice or measure) than premium just due to its higher BTU/gallon. Just be cognizant of stability issues if stored for long periods of time some refiners add just enough antioxidant to pass ASTM D525 oxidation stability test while others add enough to take long term storage into account.

Can you enlighten us on which refiners have the long term?

 

[KYhillbilly]

Can you enlighten us on which refiners have the long term?

it is not that simple as in a given area regardless of brand the gasoline could all be from one refinery or a multitude. Also in some areas the gasoline may come from a single refinery but different brands will add different additive packages. If your closest refineries all have cokers (a unit that uses heat to break apart the heavy oil left after distillation into gasoline and coke(coal like product)) then the regular gasoline will be unstable. Stabil type products work well if your not going to burn up your gasoline in a month i would add it to your tank or gas can. Stabil is a PDA antioxidant(red in color) that works well, the clear ones are typically hindered phenols, i prefer the PDA as from the lab work I have done they typically work better on gasoline.

 

[Smitty335]

it is not that simple as in a given area regardless of brand the gasoline could all be from one refinery or a multitude. Also in some areas the gasoline may come from a single refinery but different brands will add different additive packages. If your closest refineries all have cokers (a unit that uses heat to break apart the heavy oil left after distillation into gasoline and coke(coal like product)) then the regular gasoline will be unstable. Stabil type products work well if your not going to burn up your gasoline in a month i would add it to your tank or gas can. Stabil is a PDA antioxidant(red in color) that works well, the clear ones are typically hindered phenols, i prefer the PDA as from the lab work I have done they typically work better on gasoline.

AW Grasshopper!

 

[Mudder]

Really appreciate the different expertise of members in this forum. Thx @KYhillbilly .

 

[Arizona]

Sometimes my machines will sit for months not being used during our hot Arizona summers. I always put Star Tron in all tanks, keeps gas stable & fresh, 'up to 2 years' Star Tron says. And gas will slowly lose some of it's octane while sitting, so I always put in mid grade 89 octane which is a 1/2 each blend of regular 87 and premium 91

 

[Alan_Vander]

Sometimes my machines will sit for months not being used during our hot Arizona summers. I always put Star Tron in all tanks, keeps gas stable & fresh, 'up to 2 years' Star Tron says. And gas will slowly lose some of it's octane while sitting, so I always put in mid grade 89 octane which is a 1/2 each blend of regular 87 and premium 91

guess it really just a matter on what blend and
where your at aka summer winter blend. i usually just put 87 in mine with double dose of lucas injector cleaner and seafoam. and i havent had a problem starting it 6+ months later with 1 bar of fuel in it from the last ride. i use shell cause thats the gas station in my town lol.

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[DG Rider]

I'd normally run 87, but my machine actually pings a bit. Even on premium.

 

[JCart]

So I changed to an Iridium Plug Friday and Saturday went for 120km ride. Notice it fires up instantly and doesn’t backfire (on deceleration) like with the old plug. Such a fun machine.... huge gains in power, hahaha mmm not and didn’t expect any either. Aftermarket exhaust does provide broader power band and better bottom end then stock, for me worth the effort to mess with.

 

[rtn001]

Someone please correct me if I am in error. I was told by a very good wrench turner that if the computer is set to burn a specific octane, say 87, it does not and can not recognize a higher octane and that there will not be any noticeable change in performance when a higher octane is used. He then said he would first check the air filter, spark plug, fuel filter, fuel pressure. He would then start testing electrical/sensors ect.. as any one of these can cause loss of power. Check the easer things first.
I use Bell Performance Marine MXO additive in all my small engines. Two cycles, mowers, boat, P500. I've let my boat motor set for over 6 months with this additive in the gas and it started with about 6 pulls. Agreed it didn't run great until fresh gas was added but the key is it started and ran.

 

[Alan_Vander]

Someone please correct me if I am in error. I was told by a very good wrench turner that if the computer is set to burn a specific octane, say 87, it does not and can not recognize a higher octane and that there will not be any noticeable change in performance when a higher octane is used. He then said he would first check the air filter, spark plug, fuel filter, fuel pressure. He would then start testing electrical/sensors ect.. as any one of these can cause loss of power. Check the easer things first.
I use Bell Performance Marine MXO additive in all my small engines. Two cycles, mowers, boat, P500. I've let my boat motor set for over 6 months with this additive in the gas and it started with about 6 pulls. Agreed it didn't run great until fresh gas was added but the key is it started and ran.

you are correct. using higher octane in these wont really give you anything without doing other things. spark plug change. higher octane hotter plug. but it might crank faster but if your talking about dyno power. its equivalent of changing air filter with stock intake setup on a car.

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