Let’s talk about the simple spark plug.
It turns out that there isn’t a simple spark plug for a 690, there’s two!
Having never replaced my spark plugs (yet) I figured now would be a great time as I’m prepping the bike for the LAB2V and So CABDR trip.
I hopped on RockyMountain (my general purveyor of choice) and started looking at spark plugs. It was then that the confusion started. There’s 2 sections to RockyMountain, the OEM side and what I’ll call the aftermarket side.
If you look in the OEM side you’ll find there’s 2 different plugs and numbers.
#14 below is listed as…
and then you also see that Number 19:
Whoa! That’s pretty high prices for little itty bitty spark plugs wouldn’t you say? That’s like $60 bucks!
Naturally there’s the aftermarket side which is going to have options that are better than stock and maybe a tad bit cheaper…
Cool! Right? They even say right there that the two of these fit my 690.
But then I started wondering why the two different parts numbers on the OEM Parts fiche. So I called Rocky Mountain direct. The guy on the phone pulled them up and after looking said there’s no difference and I can ship you two Iridiums for a total of $30 – deal! Once again, it actually says right there that it fits my bike!
Remember, this is all before I even pulled them out.
Well, the new plugs came and so I pulled the old ones out. The first thing I found out was the Iridiums that they shipped had ends that didn’t unscrew like normal and I definitely had coils that needed what I found out were “Stud” type.
Figuring that the only issue was that they shipped me “Solid” terminal types I went off for a quick fix.
I stopped at my local auto parts place but they had no clue. Next I went to Cycle Gear, once again no joy. The local multi brand motorcycle dealership didn’t carry KTM or Husky but figured it was worth a try – struck out there too.
So I called Rocky Mountain back. I explained the terminal differences, what I needed, what they shipped and so on. The rep asked the tech department for a little help and they were going to pull the OEM ones, pull what they sent me, figure out what I needed and fix it.
A week later I got an identical pair of plugs in the mail. UGH!
That’s when I looked closer. The two weren’t even the same diameter hole size! Look closely and you can see the top one is visibly smaller in threaded diameter than the one below it!
So I called them back again and they ended up sending me the OEM plugs.
When they arrived they are in a KTM box with KTM Parts numbers.
One looks like an Iridium, the other like a Resistor type. Both have “Stud” type terminals. Phew!
They’re in the bike now and it started so I’m guessing they’ll last at least another 14,355 miles.
He's an avid hockey fan, rides a mountain bike, sometimes rides a road bike, has a few motorcycles (he had a really fast one, had a big cool orange one, rode a really slow one, and is currently building a perfect "BDR Weapon"). If that isn't enough, he makes cheese and sourdough bread, loves strong beer and good red wine, and poorly plays the Mandolin.
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