Two best upgrades I've made.

[sv_rider1990]

Just had a pair off irridium plugs fitted to my 99 SV650S and some upgraded bulbs in the form of the Xenon White bulbs there awesome!!!! Anyone else had either fitted and what you reckon to them?

[simesb]

Just had a pair off irridium plugs fitted to my 99 SV650S

What difference do they make?

[northwind]

I've used iridium plugs for a while... I don't think they have any performance impact at all but they're good with bad mixtures (a blessing for me, since I do so many jetting mods it's often not quite right) and give better starting in the cold and damp. Also, they last ages, mine are about 12000 miles old, I swapped in another pair and couldn't tell any difference so I swapped back...

I used Osram Nightbreakers for bulbs, now those are damn good. The SV likes brighter bulbs...

[Dangerous Dave]

I don't think they have any performance impact at all...

...give better starting in the cold and damp. Also, they last ages...

...I used Osram Nightbreakers for bulbs, now those are damn good. The SV likes brighter bulbs...
+ 1

[sv_rider1990]

I dont know if its just a phycological thing becuase of put something in but it feels a lot smoother.

My xenon bulbs i got off of ebay the real ones becuase there is some cheap copies around.... but they really are good i get people flashing me coming the other way now thinking that there still on full beam.... i know its probably a pain to them but i'd rather be a pain and them knowing im there than not lol!!

[ASM-Forever]

I dont know if its just a phycological thing becuase of put something in but it feels a lot smoother.

My xenon bulbs i got off of ebay the real ones becuase there is some cheap copies around.... but they really are good i get people flashing me coming the other way now thinking that there still on full beam.... i know its probably a pain to them but i'd rather be a pain and them knowing im there than not lol!!

This is exactly why i hate xenon bulbs, not just on cars but on bikes as well! Ok if they're badly adjusted they are worse, but why should i be half blinded/struggle to see where i'm going, because some other selfish **** wants brighter headlights. I had a curvy and was fine with the standard headlights. Before someone asks i did ride lots of unlit country roads.

I would ban them in a heartbeart!

[SoulKiss]

This is exactly why i hate xenon bulbs, not just on cars but on bikes as well! Ok if they're badly adjusted they are worse, but why should i be half blinded/struggle to see where i'm going, because some other selfish **** wants brighter headlights. I had a curvy and was fine with the standard headlights. Before someone asks i did ride lots of unlit country roads.

I would ban them in a heartbeart!

Dont worry, someone will target fixate while squinting and solve the problem.

Probably someone driving a Range Rover or BMW

Or in other words, sort yer lights out sv_rider1990

[ASM-Forever]

Dont worry, someone will target fixate while squinting and solve the problem.

Probably someone driving a Range Rover or BMW

Or in other words, sort yer lights out sv_rider1990

That made me laugh... :smt077

[ejohnh]

This is exactly why i hate xenon bulbs, not just on cars but on bikes as well! Ok if they're badly adjusted they are worse, but why should i be half blinded/struggle to see where i'm going, because some other selfish **** wants brighter headlights. I had a curvy and was fine with the standard headlights. Before someone asks i did ride lots of unlit country roads.

I would ban them in a heartbeart!

I don't agree. I have a Phillips +50% brighter headlight in my naked and it is still pants on dip. So it's all a matter of opinion isn't it?

[ASM-Forever]

I don't agree. I have a Phillips +50% brighter headlight in my naked and it is still pants on dip. So it's all a matter of opinion isn't it?

I had standard headlights and could see just fine with dipped beam. Obviously with full beam you can see more and you can use this assuming there are no other road users.

Perhaps it is more a question of riders vision then? In which case if peoples vision is that poor, then maybe they should not be driving at night!

[sv_rider1990]

Yeh but no other f*cker on the road gives a sh*t about motorcyclists so why should i care about other road users shorely being a pain in the a*se with bright lights and making sure road users and cage drivers know that a motorcyclist is behind them or on the other side of the road is better than being through a lorrys windscreen or lying dead in a ditch???

[sv_rider1990]

I had standard headlights and could see just fine with dipped beam. Obviously with full beam you can see more and you can use this assuming there are no other road users.

Perhaps it is more a question of riders vision then? In which case if peoples vision is that poor, then maybe they should not be driving at night!


My visions 20 / 20 thanks

[yorkie_chris]

I would ban them in a heartbeart!

Maybe, "adjust your headlamp aim" would be more appropriate than an outright ban

[ejohnh]

Perhaps it is more a question of riders vision then? In which case if peoples vision is that poor, then maybe they should not be driving at night!

Ever so slightly blase or what? I have never had a problem with driving my car on dipped headlights. However, my K1 on dipped is not good at all. I don't think it's rider's night vision problem at all. Maybe the twin heads of the S are better? I seem to recall a whole bunch of people on here going for xenon light because the standard lights where not that 'brilliant'.

A properly adjusted headlamp should not dazzle anyone when it is on dip - except maybe appearing over a hill.

[Dangerous Dave]

A properly adjusted headlamp should not dazzle anyone when it is on dip - except maybe appearing over a hill.
+ 1, that may be what the problem is with your Xenon's fitted.

[SoulKiss]

Yeh but no other f*cker on the road gives a sh*t about motorcyclists so why should i care about other road users shorely being a pain in the a*se with bright lights and making sure road users and cage drivers know that a motorcyclist is behind them or on the other side of the road is better than being through a lorrys windscreen or lying dead in a ditch???

And if I am riding in front of you being dazzled by your badly adjusted lights?

Two wrongs dont make a right (although 3 lefts do)

Get it fixed and stop being a selfish pratt.

Either that or get off the road before you cause an accident.

You are also breaking the law - see here about the requirements to get through an MOT with regards to headlight aim

http://www.motuk.co.uk/mcmanual_160.htm

Once again, stop being stroppy, grow up and get it fixed

[stewie]

Yeh but no other f*cker on the road gives a sh*t about motorcyclists so why should i care about other road users shorely being a pain in the a*se with bright lights and making sure road users and cage drivers know that a motorcyclist is behind them or on the other side of the road is better than being through a lorrys windscreen or lying dead in a ditch???

You,d have to be airborne to get through my windscreen mate ;) but its preferable to trying to get through a cummins diesel I suppose :D

[Dangerous Dave]

grow up and get it fixed
+ 1, you'll be moaning if it was happening to you!

[ejohnh]

I wondered when it was going start getting personal. :(

[Dangerous Dave]

It's not a personal attack on sv_rider1990, I personally am feed up of having to fold the mirrors in whenever someone with incorrectly positioned lights is behind me!!!

[yorkie_chris]

The whole "other road users don't care about bikers etc." arguement is b0llocks, if you're on a bike and you are seen to be polite and sensible then it doesn't hurt anyone and just maybe people will take a good look before pulling out and such.

[SoulKiss]

I wondered when it was going start getting personal. :(

so why should i care about other road users

you found that attitude acceptable?

[Wayluya]

I hate Xenon lights on approaching vehicles cos' they all seem to reduce my visibility markedly - and I doubt they are all badly adjusted :confused:

I don't do much night riding on me Scooter (holding a candle would give more viz!), but when in a car I just put my main beams on....why? countermeasures :smt071and gives me a chance to still see WTF is going on.

Xenon's are the most selfish invention on the road since the urban 4x4.

Maybe I should order a Xenon for the SV? (if not OE?- I never checked!)

[sv_rider1990]

And if I am riding in front of you being dazzled by your badly adjusted lights?

Two wrongs dont make a right (although 3 lefts do)

Get it fixed and stop being a selfish pratt.

Either that or get off the road before you cause an accident.

You are also breaking the law - see here about the requirements to get through an MOT with regards to headlight aim

http://www.motuk.co.uk/mcmanual_160.htm

Once again, stop being stroppy, grow up and get it fixed


Thats where you and me obviously have different views as far as im concerned I (we should i say, we motorcyclists are ment to be a community and look out for eachother now arent we" more vulnerable on the road when on the road so I look after me.... number 1 so if you dont like my attitude thats fine it really does not bother me one bit.

I did not say i go round riding everywhere on full beam.... my personal view is there brighter so that i know people know im there! Yet again im looking after me!! A cage driver and any other cage driver doesnt care about a biker in my personal experiance there of the opinion round my area " ive got to wait in a que so why shouldnt you" when filtering and " my cars going to be faster than your bike" when at traffic lights and are always up for racing you round my area. So i personally want to live a long life and i dont want to be another motorcycle fatality statistic so any upgrade i can make that will improve the chances i will get seen then i will take myself into account before any road user first.

If thats a selfish attitude then im sorry that you dont like it but as modern society goes it is beggining to get a very selfish and know one cares about anyone else country so as a daily commuter i want to be as safe as i can on two wheels.

[fizzwheel]

sv_rider1990 - just a quick question, the xenons you upgraded to are they the same wattage as the standard bulb ? If so I believe that they would still be classed as legal. I did this with my car ages ago made one hell of a difference.

Oh and the curvey SVS headlights are IMHO sh*t, I really notice it now as the GSXR has a project dipped beam and it really does highlight how bad the lights are on the SVS IMHO.

[glade]

This is exactly why i hate xenon bulbs, not just on cars but on bikes as well! Ok if they're badly adjusted they are worse, but why should i be half blinded/struggle to see where i'm going, because some other selfish **** wants brighter headlights. I had a curvy and was fine with the standard headlights. Before someone asks i did ride lots of unlit country roads.

I would ban them in a heartbeart!

First of all are these actually proper zenon headlights?? People seem to get filament bulbs, with a different gas and tinted glass mixed up with proper zenon kits with discharge bulbs, ballast etc

I have zenons on the Clio and no-one has ever flashed me. EDIT: Factory fit, not aftermarket.

The pattern of the lights is much sharper than filament bulbs, and i always find when someone with zenons is approaching (from the front or behind) that you just see a blue tinge rather than the light, because the beam of light isn't actually shining into your eyes.

The times i get blinded is when someone's got their halfords 100w ice blue bulbs, in the standard headlamp reflector, searing my retinas.

IMO proper zenon projectors are less of a problem than upgraded filament/standard reflector headlamps.

[sv_rider1990]

sv_rider1990 - just a quick question, the xenons you upgraded to are they the same wattage as the standard bulb ? If so I believe that they would still be classed as legal. I did this with my car ages ago made one hell of a difference.

Oh and the curvey SVS headlights are IMHO sh*t, I really notice it now as the GSXR has a project dipped beam and it really does highlight how bad the lights are on the SVS IMHO.


Yeep they are fully legal and will pass the MOT i checked before i got them they have a better performance on the riding beam but not really much difference on the full beam thats why i wanted them becuase the OEM bulbs are rubbish. The unit is not well designed i think on the Curvy so i am making the best of a bad job with regards to the unit and an upgrade in bulbs.

[fizzwheel]

Yeep they are fully legal and will pass the MOT i checked before i got them they have a better performance on the riding beam but not really much difference on the full beam thats why i wanted them becuase the OEM bulbs are rubbish. The unit is not well designed i think on the Curvy so i am making the best of a bad job with regards to the unit and an upgrade in bulbs.

Dont see what the problem is then, legal upgrade and I'm guesing you have them correctly adjusted ?

If so I think a few of you have been a bit harsh, give the guy a break.

I get flashed now and again on my GSXR, because peeps think its on main beam. The light is completely standard and as it left the factory, its adjusted properly. Its just that the light is fantastic thats all.

[sv_rider1990]

Dont see what the problem is then, legal upgrade and I'm guesing you have them correctly adjusted ?

If so I think a few of you have been a bit harsh, give the guy a break.

I get flashed now and again on my GSXR, because peeps think its on main beam. The light is completely standard and as it left the factory, its adjusted properly. Its just that the light is fantastic thats all.


Yeeeh ive had them all correctly adjusted and there all fully legal.

My dads 2005 VFR lights are bright he gets flashed all the time and there standard bulbs. But i just want my personal safety to come first i dont see the problem.

[ejohnh]

you found that attitude acceptable?

Of course I didn't. But attack/criticise the message not the poster. What do I read out of you calling somebody a pratt on here? What does that add to the sum knowledge?

Yes, I think that a lot of what sv-rider says is blx. But that is just my opinion.

[SoulKiss]

Yeeeh ive had them all correctly adjusted and there all fully legal.

My dads 2005 VFR lights are bright he gets flashed all the time and there standard bulbs. But i just want my personal safety to come first i dont see the problem.

I realise that I may have jumped to some conclusions based on posts made after my initial posts, so, to stop this being a flame-fest, lets approach this another way.

1) The lights you have fitted are legal, no problem with your choice of bulbs

2) If these are properly adjusted with regards to height and aim then there should be no issues of blinding drivers either following them, or when heading towards them.

3) You feel that "if they did it to me its fair to do it to them too, in fact they made me that way.

Now to put my points forwards on these

1) I fitted some uprated Philips ones to my SV too, it does make a difference.

2) If you are behind a cop car and blinding them, be prepared to get pulled and a Rectification notice issued. It is dangerous to dazzle other people.

You say that are adjusted - it may be worth your while double checking that - maybe even take it to your local MOT place and see if they will run it through their test equipment for a couple of quid.

Then if anyone does take offence at your lights you are 100% in the right.

3) The reason that things are as they are is because people sign up to the "look after #1" thing.

Be different, dont follow the herd.

Believe me I am all for being as safe as you can be - I added extra LED's to my brake light system just for that purpose, but remember your lights are there to light your way, not as signals that you are there.

[ASM-Forever]

Believe me I am all for being as safe as you can be - I added extra LED's to my brake light system just for that purpose, but remember your lights are there to light your way, not as signals that you are there.

Which brings me on to my next point, the retards that thinks its acceptable to filter with full beam.

Bunch of nob-ends. :D

[ejohnh]

Which brings me on to my next point, the retards that thinks its acceptable to filter with full beam.

Bunch of nob-ends. :D

Strange company for you to keep methinks.. Personally I have never been with anyone or seen anyone filter on main beam.

[DanAbnormal]

Which brings me on to my next point, the retards that thinks its acceptable to filter with full beam.

Bunch of nob-ends. :D

I used to do this because of an accident, I was shaken up about people not seeing me and ending up under a car. "Don't filter then." I hear you shout, well then what is the point of a bike? I saw the error of my ways though and haven't done it for years as I realised I was blinding those drivers/riders who did check their mirrors. I had another filtering accident since though. :rolleyes: But it's not about being a nob head. I think it's more to do with self preservation. I don't really like Xenon lights as I find them too bright at night on cars. That also being said my lights at night are not the best. It's 50/50 really, if everyone did the same we'd be on a level playing field. Strangely enough I know many police officers and instructors who swear by HID lights on their bikes. I am considering getting a HID bulb for the simple reason that I want to see where I am going better but I am worried about blinding others. At what point do we forsake other road users for our own safety? If I didn't ge a HID unit would it stop others not blinding me? Of course not. But it's not as simple an argument as some of you make out.

Just my 2p.

[ejohnh]

During the bikesafe weekend I went on last year, the instructor said that it was only really safe to filter at about 20 mph. That is more or less when you are entering a traffic jam. I can't say that I have ever had occasion to filter at night. But there again, I very rarely ride in the dark, and I don't live in a city these days. That said, I have seen riders 'filtering' on motorways in free flowing traffic. What was that term of abuse ASM used? ;)

[ASM-Forever]

Strange company for you to keep methinks.. Personally I have never been with anyone or seen anyone filter on main beam.

Whenever i go into London i see a minority who do it. Probably it least one per day. They might think it keeps them safe, but you really can't see anything in your mirrors. Not only can that be dangerous in itself, but its hardly going to make car drivers have a good attitude towards bikers is it!

I stand by my point, anyone who does this shouldn't be allowed on the roads. Its the ultimate act of tw@-dom.

[DanAbnormal]

I stand by my point, anyone who does this shouldn't be allowed on the roads. Its the ultimate act of tw@-dom.

Ah ASM, ever the diplomat. :p

[ASM-Forever]

Ah ASM, ever the diplomat. :p

Well it is.

Its one thing having an incorrectly adjusted headlight. The chances are the owner accidentally misadjusted it when they tinkered with it. But filtering with high beam on is a deliberate act, perpetrated by **** juggling thunder ****s. :p :D

[northwind]

Funny enough, I've never been flashed with my Nightbreakers, and I've never been flashed with the HIDs since I, er, removed the one that wouldn't aim right :rolleyes:. I reckon if you're getting flashed chances are you're doing something wrong- aim or usage. At the end of the day, if you glare an approaching driver badly enough it's potentially going to work out very badly, so it makes sense to avoid it. But you can have very effective headlights without dangerous glare (I barely use full beam now due to the fact that my dips actually work out to the edge of their range, frinstance)

As to the plugs- this is kind of like the suspension upgrade thing I think, if you replaced worn out suspension with new suspension it will feel amazing even if the new stuff's no better. Same with plugs, if they're old and maybe a wee bit tired then you could well notice a difference with fresh ones. You can only really compare like with like.

[DanAbnormal]

Well it is.

No more nob headed than filtering through traffic at excessive speed my good man. But let me move those goal posts back for you. ;)

[ASM-Forever]

No more nob headed than filtering through traffic at excessive speed my good man. But let me move those goal posts back for you. ;)

You're only a nob if you hit something. :p

Anyhow define excessive speeds.......I'm no courier but i took a Domino's ped 'down to china town' in Kingston a few weeks ago. :smt003

[sv_rider1990]

Where did the filtering on full beam come from??? I dont filter on full beam i dont filter through any traffic at night it just stupid in my opinion.

I am offened at what some of you guys have said about me and i joined this forum to get abit more knowledge of biking and tips to improve my riding and SAFETY! I am only 17 on a restricted license and consideringyou lot have never met me i dont think it is accpetable to say some things that people have said.

I have taken 2 ROSPA training sessions and have been told to put forward for my test and my instructor thinks any less than silver i should be dissapointed with my self..... How many 17 year olds would even think of doing ROSPA??

I only want to be more safe on the road and make the best of what I have so you cant have ago at someone for wanting to improve there safety and being seen.

[SoulKiss]

Where did the filtering on full beam come from??? I dont filter on full beam i dont filter through any traffic at night it just stupid in my opinion.

I am offened at what some of you guys have said about me and i joined this forum to get abit more knowledge of biking and tips to improve my riding and SAFETY! I am only 17 on a restricted license and consideringyou lot have never met me i dont think it is accpetable to say some things that people have said.

I have taken 2 ROSPA training sessions and have been told to put forward for my test and my instructor thinks any less than silver i should be dissapointed with my self..... How many 17 year olds would even think of doing ROSPA??

I only want to be more safe on the road and make the best of what I have so you cant have ago at someone for wanting to improve there safety and being seen.

Believe me, although you probably have me down as one of the ones attacking you - and to be fair, some of what I said was a bit harsh, you dont do yourself many favours with some of what you have said.

You comment on the fact that people are selfish by blocking you filtering, but then say its ok that you can selfishly blind people as long as it makes you more visible.

You also say this is ok, because its selfish people that have made you selfish.

I am really glad that you are doing ROSPA, but at least half of what keeps you safe is attitude, not technical capabilities.

Just chill out, and when somone cuts you up/causes you to take avoiding action, dont go off on one, just let it go and not affect your riding.

Please see the positive in some of the harsh words that have been said.

This IS a good place for help and advice - but as with everything on the internet, expect people to have extreme views on things and sometimes things are typed in haste etc.

Here have this big pinch of salt until you get your own stock - it helps :)

[Luckypants]

You say that are adjusted - it may be worth your while double checking that - maybe even take it to your local MOT place and see if they will run it through their test equipment for a couple of quid.

One thing no one has mentioned about aim, is that the lights need to be set with you on the bike, in kit so that they are set correctly with the bike at it's 'riding attitude'. Just a thought that this might be the source of the problem.

The other thing that might be causing a problem is the location of the light source (filament) within the lamp. To this end you need to make sure that the bulbs are correctly seated in the lamp (not easy on a curvy unless you have small hands). Also the quality of the bulb is paramount as the brightness increases, since these are manufactured to finer tolerances than a cheap Chinese knock-off. Therefore I would personally only fit Phillips or Osram upgrade bulbs to ensure that the filament is in the correct place to minimise glare.

[DanAbnormal]

Where did the filtering on full beam come from??? I dont filter on full beam i dont filter through any traffic at night it just stupid in my opinion.

I think some were saying that the high intensity bulbs that are badly adjusted are like riding with full beams on. Plus I probably didn't help as I used to do it many moons ago. The thing with this site is that sometimes these posts end up as ranting matches. We are pretty used to them and they are never meant seriously. To new folk it can put them off, I think people need to remember that when posting (me included). I have to admit upon reading the posts some people sound rather overly aggresive and judgemental, which if you met them I'm sure they would not be. This forum is much freindlier and more tolerant than the likes of other online bike forums. The best thing would be not to take anything on here personally. Usually people just get a bit over excited and end up posting something that comes across worse than if they had been saying it to you in person. I wish people would just excercise a little diplomacy sometimes, I'm probably even guilty myself from time to time. Anyway, hope you stick around and meet some of us. We're a great bunch all in all. Well done on your training, you sound like you're on your way to becoming a seasoned rider.

Dan

[sv_rider1990]

I'll put it down to being young and inexperianced... Just dont knock me for wanting to be a safer rider.

I personally think being 17 I am extremely sensible on such a capable machine unlike SOME (dont want to cause another rant about branding all other 17 year olds now would i) the kids that ride Cagiva Mitos and RS125s.

I think its just no way to tell a youngster there opinion it could have been said a different way.

But being a biker we dont hold grudges ( i learn things quickly about respecting other bikers and elder people - ive always been tuaght to respect your elders) i aint going to hold a grudge..... as this forum has taught me alot of things and i have picked up alot of valuable information.

So i think end of this topic lol!

SORRY ITS CUASED SUCH AN UPROAR!

[ASM-Forever]

I personally think being 17 I am extremely sensible on such a capable machine unlike SOME (dont want to cause another rant about branding all other 17 year olds now would i) the kids that ride Cagiva Mitos and RS125s.


I had a Mito and two RS125's when i was that age. Apart from the reliability/servicing they trump the SV. Now they are sweet handling bikes.

[thedonal]

Going back to the iridium plugs from the start of this thread (!)-

Does it really make that much difference?

I'm interested as, reg/rec aside (getting replaced soon), my bike can be a bit of a b*gg*r to get started first thing.

Also, using CR9's instead of CR8's- what difference does this make? My morning journey is often done at 9k or more revs for most of it- though this is only for about 15-20 mins on the A3. Would changing the plugs to CR9's extend the life of the plugs? Would it affect starting the bike first thing?

From my last service, the front plug was nastier, but that's due to being in the way of all the cr@p from the road I would have though, rather than overall riding/wear & tear.

[yorkie_chris]

If you're only using it for 15-20 minutes then CR9E's might not even get upto temperature and you could possibly get problems with fouling.

If it ain't broke don't fix it, if you start to hear pinking then think about it.

The cooler plugs won't, IMO be any different to start it, but apparently the iridium ones do help.

[lukemillar]

I've used iridium plugs for a while... I don't think they have any performance impact at all but they're good with bad mixtures (a blessing for me, since I do so many jetting mods it's often not quite right) and give better starting in the cold and damp. Also, they last ages, mine are about 12000 miles old, I swapped in another pair and couldn't tell any difference so I swapped back...

I bought them because I thought the name sounded cool! The old plugs needed changing anyway.

[thedonal]

Cheers guys- I will give them a go, then.

[simesb]

I bought them because I thought the name sounded cool!

You must be a marketing man's dreams :smt042

"And it's only a dollar, step right up, it's only a dollar, step right up" (http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/tom_waits/step_right_up.html)

[SoulKiss]

You must be a marketing man's dreams :smt042

"And it's only a dollar, step right up, it's only a dollar, step right up" (http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/tom_waits/step_right_up.html)

Well he fell for the Triumph 675 marketing machine...................

[embee]

Going back to the iridium plugs from the start of this thread (!)-

Does it really make that much difference?

I'm interested as, reg/rec aside (getting replaced soon), my bike can be a bit of a b*gg*r to get started first thing.

Also, using CR9's instead of CR8's- what difference does this make? My morning journey is often done at 9k or more revs for most of it- though this is only for about 15-20 mins on the A3. Would changing the plugs to CR9's extend the life of the plugs? Would it affect starting the bike first thing?


Don't fit colder plugs unless there's a real need for them.

Iridium versions do have a very slightly wider heat range than the equivalent "traditional" plug anyway (less heat transfer into the central electrode due to the size).

Plug fouling is most critical just after the start, when the cylinder is getting condensing of the exhaust (water) and a lot of soft carbon formation from the enrichment.

The plug central electrode/insulator needs to get to about 300C before it will self-clean.

If you fit "colder" plugs, get into a routine for cold starting.
Use choke (on a carb bike) but don't touch the throttle. As soon as it's running hold the throttle steady to keep the revs up, and back off the choke as soon as possible, and hold the revs constant at about 2500rpm for about 30sec.
DO NOT BLIP THE THROTTLE, this is the easiest way to generate fouling!!!!! Extra enrichment from blipping the throttle will produce more soft carbon.

For a FI engine, start it hands off the throttle, then once it is running do the same thing with holding the speed constant at 2500rpm.

Once you are riding, DO NOT use big throttle openings until it has warmed up properly, maybe a couple of miles. Plug temp increases most with revs, so keep the revs up in lower gears using small throttle opening.

Manufacturers are pretty careful about selecting plug grades, and there's usually enough safety margin to not need anything colder unless you've increased the compression ratio or advanced the timing significantly (plug temp increases something like 10-15degC per deg of ignition advance).

I found iridium plugs made my curvy feel just that little bit sweeter, nothing really significant but subtle improvements (as you would expect), and yes they will help with cold starting compared to traditional types.

[pmapp]

I found iridium plugs made my curvy feel just that little bit sweeter, nothing really significant but subtle improvements (as you would expect), and yes they will help with cold starting compared to traditional types.

+1
Mine seemed to pull a little harder/cleaner after I fitted them.

[sv_rider1990]

Agreed i dont have to leave my choke on for very long at all now on a cold morning, feels alot smoother etc

[thedonal]

Don't fit colder plugs unless there's a real need for them.

Iridium versions do have a very slightly wider heat range than the equivalent "traditional" plug anyway (less heat transfer into the central electrode due to the size).

Plug fouling is most critical just after the start, when the cylinder is getting condensing of the exhaust (water) and a lot of soft carbon formation from the enrichment.

The plug central electrode/insulator needs to get to about 300C before it will self-clean.

If you fit "colder" plugs, get into a routine for cold starting.
Use choke (on a carb bike) but don't touch the throttle. As soon as it's running hold the throttle steady to keep the revs up, and back off the choke as soon as possible, and hold the revs constant at about 2500rpm for about 30sec.
DO NOT BLIP THE THROTTLE, this is the easiest way to generate fouling!!!!! Extra enrichment from blipping the throttle will produce more soft carbon.

For a FI engine, start it hands off the throttle, then once it is running do the same thing with holding the speed constant at 2500rpm.

Once you are riding, DO NOT use big throttle openings until it has warmed up properly, maybe a couple of miles. Plug temp increases most with revs, so keep the revs up in lower gears using small throttle opening.

Manufacturers are pretty careful about selecting plug grades, and there's usually enough safety margin to not need anything colder unless you've increased the compression ratio or advanced the timing significantly (plug temp increases something like 10-15degC per deg of ignition advance).

I found iridium plugs made my curvy feel just that little bit sweeter, nothing really significant but subtle improvements (as you would expect), and yes they will help with cold starting compared to traditional types.

Thanks for that Embee- really useful stuff.

I currently start with as little choke as possible (I find it actually tends to start easier with less than full choke, which I've been using for most of winter). I normally ensure it stays running around 1500 rpm for the first 5 mins of the ride, then drop the choke completely. It's just that first thing in the morning thing of having to hit the starter 2-4 times to get the engine to 'catch' that's the worst- and with partial choke, the revs tend to fluctuate- not ideal in morning traffic!