The worst job on the T7

Its time to change the plugs.... oh boy, was I in for a shock. This is no easy feat. I implemented the well known "plastic tray removal" mod.... You need to do it just to access the plugs, but it is not a magical fix.
Oh, and if youre going to say "im not buying a T7 because the plugs are hard to change", then I suggest you give up on going outside. Just curl up in the corner of your bedroom and stay safe! Something can be a pain, but its not the end of the world.
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XTZ690 tank removal tenere 700 yamaha

[@advsquared]

THIS is why engineers should be required to own and work on their own designs.

[@DanielSmith-vp5vn]

to be fair.. this engine wasnt designed for offroad and offroad servicability.. great motor though

[@glasshopper2010]

My heart always sinks when you discover you need to strip so much down to change plugs on most modern bikes. I find that once you get yourself calm and have the right tools it never is as big a deal as you first thought. I love my T7 but I have now got a CRF300L for more gnarly terrain. I dont get into the situation where I would drown my T7. Respect to those of you that do!

[@MaxwellBenson80]

I love my t7 , but working on my dr650 is way easier 😂

[@davewalton2358]

Holy heck, what a nightmare! The trusty old DR650 might be a bit behind the times, but it's bullet proof and so simple to work on. Takes longer to get the tool kit out than it does to remove a plug! You need to be a double-jointed, underfed, genetically modified contortionist to work on these new bikes...

[@ibuti01]

Yeah the modern bikes are a pitta when they break but that doesn't happen often but thank god the DR is easy to work on because we're always stopped to fix something on a DR. They often have high millage starters. LOL

[@martinfretwell]

Drz xrs ect were great we all had them but they are no more. Bikes are going backwards heavier slower harder to work on and more expensive. 😂

[@chainsawversustree]

My mate drowned his T700 on Davies Plains track, time to de drown trackside pre mod 3 hours. Second time post mod 30min with tank on. But he practised and got it down to a fine art. He also modified tools for plug removal.

[@Nerb1]

It took me just about 3 hours IN the garage! I will practice a few times and perfect my tools.

[@charlescummings1484]

Thanks for sharing the experience. From CT, USA

[@brendenvosper7772]

‘Can get my whole hand in there. That’s what she said’ 😂😂😂

[@Nerb1]

Thought I edited that out ;)

[@nicholasgullo9756]

Thanks for confirming this job is going to suck. I’m about 400 miles from changing the plugs. What a total pain this is going to be!

[@AwesomePlayers]

It was a pain on the F800GS as well. Always a good idea to practice in the comfort of the garage. Cheers.

[@2001cusito]

Well done! Thank you.

[@richgran]

Hellofrom Tennessee. Wow what a pain in the ars. I live the T7, but it is too complicated. Let us return to the 80's 😅

[@waynerose3239]

Motoguzzimoto has a good video showing access from side and tools Great vid nerb1

[@bluebludded]

Once you’ve loosened the spark plug it maybe possible to use say like a bit of vacuum hose or what ever fits over the porcelain of the plug to wind it out use to do it on some cars

[@Nerb1]

Ohh... I'll try that

[@bluebludded]

@@Nerb1 Also great for putting back in that slight chance when you lower plug back into hole reduces risk of closing up plug gap 🍻

[@peterdawson7775]

Will be interesting to see what (modified tools) you can come up with to make that job a bit easier Nerb , cheers

[@JohannesDalen]

It's good to see that you're doing this yourself. If you go on an adventure without having the tools or knowing how to remove the spark plug(s), you can be in for a tricky situation if you ever drown your bike. Too bad it's a lot of work on the T7, but if you had to do it you would be able to, just start by pitching your tent 😁

[@Nerb1]

Yes.... because the camp site is going to be next to a good sized river! Perfect!

[@1paulcave]

Good advice Nerb - don't drop it in the river😅Helicopter or RACV sound good options if you do... Looking forward to the custom tool setup you come up with - more tools to carry I guess.... I need to do plugs in about 2K kms - not looking forward to it😒

[@javiereastwood2320]

I did it yesterday... 4 hours, it was my first time. But it worked. I knew it was going to be a tough battle, so I did it on friday to have the whole weekend in case something went wrong

[@Nerb1]

Well done! Its satisfying doing it yourself

[@javiereastwood2320]

@@Nerb1 thank you. Yes, totally agree. Motorbikes used to be fixed by the owners with ease during the good old days!

[@coastalcop]

Drill a series of holes around your socket from where the driver goes in and down the body of the socket on at least four sides. The socket itself is under minimal stress when undoing spark plugs. This would allow you to use a pick tool or thin Allen wrench to “walk” the socket up out of the hole ( pick, lift, second pick lift ) until you could get a good purchase on it with your fingers.

[@Nordkapp65]

Believe it is the same for the Tracer 7 and MT07, so much has to be removed to change the sodding plugs and do the valve check

[@rench55]

Thanks for going through all this so I will know not to. Cheers!

[@svenolav5275]

One reason I like my Harley and got a Enfield Himalayan. Very easy to work on, no plastic parts in the way.

[@agella72]

that's why I love my Guzzi, 5 min job!

[@JustTex]

I wonder if the mechanics would charge more on ya service because of the access, looks as difficult as a R6....Cheers 4 sharing sir.

[@pinkiewerewolf]

Taking the tank off doesn't seem too bad. My old ZZR1200 has always been a pain.

[@ianferrier235]

Nerb1, I guess if you have to do it you have to fo it. Do your best to avoid drowning the bike. Good video 👍🏻👍🏻

[@marcpigeon7796]

Hi from an Awesome Player, I drowned my T7 last year and I fully agree that even with the tank removed it is so very difficult getting the plugs out. One of my tricks was to use a length of tube to grasp the plug end and fish it out. We towed the bike out 25 km out of the woods and did the plug job besides the lake cabin while drinking cold ones 😀 which was way better than working in the bush. Love your vids, now that Riley and I are retired maybe we can swim down to ‘Stralia and ride around with you one day. It’d be fun. 🏍🇨🇦

[@AwesomePlayers]

Still have 4 weeks left!

[@Nerb1]

Youre welcome any time!

[@everythingtenere]

Nice one Nerb! Talk about a smack on the head, I’m lucky we do not have water crossings up here 😅

[@Nerb1]

Why is there no water crossings? All frozen solid?

[@everythingtenere]

@@Nerb1 haha, na. Just that we don’t have that kind of nature and gravel loads with water crossings. You still can get swamped in my holes off road 😂 Wish we had though

[@BikerBits]

Oh the dreaded river crossings will be even more tense now! 🤣

[@Getting-On]

EXCELLENT VIDEO, thank you, I’ve a world raid and there is no option but to remove the 2x Tanks, hours of effort and crash bars have to be removed. AAGGHH.

[@andycapp3867]

Thanks for that little nugget. Right now I’m just about to head for my bed and I’m guessing that sleep will take a while. A friend of mine had a Honda that he rode to work every day and I think he had it for about ten years. Maintenance was not his thing and he sold it with the original plugs. That has me thinking……

[@lockeddiffbro6177]

Welcome to life as a mechanic! Haha you Can use a flatblade screwdriver to leaver the Coil off and then magnet to fish the spark socket out. And small extension that has a hex head so could even use a racket spanner onto it instead of a 1/4 drive ratchet.

[@tarasb.ukrainian1947]

Done spark plugs twice now, through the side, about 30min total job time

[@yorkchris10]

I like the tank design. It looks like it keeps fuel near the pickup. Yamaha should have put the engine even higher so the head sticks above the tank.

[@atprodT700]

Hi, I changed my spark plugs on the T 700 Teneré. it is better not to do it in the middle of nature. There are many parts to disassemble to access the spark plugs

[@robpinter5431]

I had the same complicated engineering with my 2019 Triumph 800 XCA, 1.5 hours to just get the tank off to check the air filter.....bike now sold.....now own a restored 1980 R80 GS....analogue riding and way easier to service.

[@Nerb1]

Its weird how so much design goes into these things, but something as simple as spark plug access is completely overlooked. The workshop manual even says remove the radiator to check the spark plugs!

[@muddyfilms2632]

Gee that looks like fun. Glad I’m not on the tools anymore!

[@Nerb1]

Can you send me your number. vlog on wheels at gmail

[@neilhamill318]

If you use a ratchet ring spanner you'll get more clearance than the socket ratchet. Just a suggestion.

[@traviscarlow7112]

Out of curiosity what plugs did you install? I did this mod before going to the cape but agree it will be quicker and easier to remove the tank as well. With the tank off I also used a zip tie (just looped not done up)around the coil from the top to put some upwards pressure while I wiggled them.

[@Nerb1]

Thats a good idea. I installed the iridium LMAR8BI-9

[@carlk1993]

And there we go... the last nail in the coffin of reasons why I will not be buying one.

[@alrightdave6135]

Your loss

[@wonkywheels1037]

I did the mod and still found accessing the left plug a pain. Made my own plug tool with an elbow to get the sucker out. Drowning the bike is my biggest fear, and trying to get the bike out of the water crossing by ones self would be almost impossible.

[@graantmnz]

someone who never watches YT videos, and takes their bike to the shop to get the plugs changed is going to have a fit at the $1000 bill ...this job rates right up there with changing the original mini's CV joints...arrggg

[@backwoodsman1753]

Hard to credit that Japanese engineers could come up with such a nasty piece of work as that. Thank you for the revelation.

[@NomadSweden]

That is one tough job. I think I will just skip this one and hope I never need it. I will do like Ewan and Charlie and just call for a helicopter lift if it happens.

[@Nerb1]

Haha... yes, the one downside of a parallel twin.

[@wmrider_adventures]

I’ll leave the bike behind and ride bitch 😝

[@toby7504]

A challenge in the bush 😄🇳🇴☕

[@Ausmodica]

Bloody hell and I thought my BMW was bad. Hopefully the T7 is like your old KTM where it "de-waters" itself...

[@Nerb1]

Look everyone! It lives!

[@Nick_of_Time]

‘Worst job’? Ahem, valve clearances.

[@Nerb1]

Worst job so far! Haha Im not looking forward to valve clearances!

[@MVDBR]

That's what I was gonna say hahaha... the amount of riding is gonna drop off severely as I approach 40k kms 😬

[@benlondon8467]

Cam chain ?? , etc etc, spark plugs 😂😂😂😂, bloody hell...

[@warrenclark9590]

nowhere near as we discussed some time ago hey. but it can be done if you want to spend how? many hours working on it..bugga

[@whitedrguy6503]

Interesting one that, I have about another 2000 ks before I have to change the plugs so always interested on an easy way to do them. MAD TV had a vid about it and I think MVDBR had one, but I did read or hear something about removing the radiator to gain easier access, anyway the coolant is probably due for a change at 20K so killing 2 birds might be the go. And just as a matter of curiosity, why no pre filter on the air box snorkel ? I got sick of cleaning the standard air filter, much easier the clean the pre filter, that standard filter is pretty small and being an inside out gets dirty real quick.

[@Nerb1]

When you ride at the front, you dont get dusty! Haha... I have a prefilter on the bench, just havnt fitted it yet. I actually dont find that the main filter gets very dirty very quickly.

[@benlondon8467]

Don’t replace spark plugs until you start getting misfire, I bet you get 100,000 km out of genuine plugs, you probably do more damage to coil & leads trying to replace plugs.

[@benlondon8467]

Ps, I have a 1996 GPZ1100 still using original plugs, they don’t where out that much mate.

[@1962clarky]

I was thinking one of these T700's would look good in the shed. But after this, no way. How ridiculous, what you have to go through just to remove/replace spark plugs.

[@jetstream454]

It's not too uncommon, some cruosers I've had as well as my '94 KLX250R have the plugs right on top, buried in the valve cover

[@davedakozman4966]

Bugger that!

[@erikz2754]

Goodday day if you remove the plastic tray will not it allow h20 and mud go int the plug hole this is going to be a problem after the plug is removed ??????? It looks just as bad as my super t stay safe

[@Nerb1]

The plug hole is sealed by the coil cap, so water is not a problem. The tray simply holds a few wires. Best 108g saving ever!

[@keepyourdatatoolsafe]

Buy a kawasaki tool pouch from the wreckers for the spark plug tool and throw that yamaha allen key in the bin Cheers

[@teneretreckin8384]

I have done this mod and makes plug changing easy, but with all the dirt and crap under the tank I would still take the tank off if I drowned the bike, all the crap would end up back in the cylinders. IMO

[@wazza33racer]

Nah, there are some cars, I think minvans like the Toyota Torago, that to change the plugs required dropping the engine off the engine mounts. "Your mission Jim, should you decide to accept it..........." /mission impossible.

[@_JoshJB_]

I guess I’ll be leaving the T7 in the river and walking home instead 🤣

[@wobblysauce]

"Can do it" vs should you. But yes, you need to get a swivel.

[@olmate6935]

That's what she said! 😅

[@glossamano1899]

@7:20 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@thinpins1]

I’m even more scared to drown the bike now

[@fun2rideadventure]

... Just tild down the water radiator....or from the right side plastic pannel...you don't have to remove the fuel tank and other thinks....

[@bogenjaeger98]

Looks almost as awfull as on the stock 950 Adventure. The rear spark plug is super easy, just remove the seat. The front one needs to remove the right Tank and pull the Radiator and oil tank forward and now you can break your hands to get it out.

[@waynekerr8003]

Re - packing the muffler bearing with hi temp grease, shit job indeed

[@JimmyCall]

You should have done the second half of the video with a bald joke cap on... nightmare... hair pulling moment...

[@mapache_del_sur]

I haven't taken the tank of the T7, only on our XT250. It's really not that bad. Is it really that bad for the T7? From experience working on our other vehicles, I can say that sometimes trying to take a shortcut is not worth it. You'll wish you had just taken everything off like the service manual suggests.

[@BikerGirlTraveler]

You know, if you cut off all those pesty cables, remove most of the components around the engine, and remove the engine, any time you heed to change the plugs it's be super easy. If fact, changes are that you'll never need to change the plugs again. Just think about all the time you'll save. You are welcome! 🤪😂

[@queenslander954]

But better than rebuilding whole engines .. eh Nerb.

[@Nerb1]

You can say that again!

[@ibuti01]

Watched this so I can help @Marc Pigeon de-water his bike the next time he dumps it in Black Lake or the Pipes, even if he has the experience of de-watering a T7 already. LOL!

[@Nerb1]

Haha. The more hands the better!

[@dfj555]

😳

[@fairdinkum9454]

That’s what she said… 🤭🤣

[@majormassenspektrometer]

Spark plug change every 20k km. How much do you ride in a year? How often do you need to do it in the lifespan of that bike? 4 maybe 5 times? lol.... Do you wanna know what's worse? Did you do valve inspection? Have you actually replaced the shims on the Tenere? Even more worse? Do it on the Africa Twin... Damn people....

[@Nerb1]

These days I only ride about 20,000 a year. However, that is not the point. The spark plugs should be easily accessible so that the bike can be dewatered in the event it is dropped in any of the many river crossings we ride through. Removing the spark plugs on the trail is a requirement. The shims will only ever be done in the garage. If you only ever ride on the road, all of the above is not a concern.

[@majormassenspektrometer]

@@Nerb1 I only ride on road so that's not the problem. If you need to dewater your engine than I guess the Tenere is not your bike.

[@cliveparsons7674]

Hey Nerb,I have a outex clear tubeless kit for a tenere 700 (unopened)No longer needed as sold the bike.PM me if your interested.(going cheap and can post)

[@mojomania101]

😂😂😂

[@benlondon8467]

If it was fitted with Platinum plugs or similar don’t need replacement for 100k minimum. Don’t bother replacing plugs on modern engines.

[@Nerb1]

But the manual says to replace them at 20k

[@benlondon8467]

@@Nerb1 yep, I’m sure it does, it also says check your tyre pressure before every ride ?? MX bike manuals say put a piston in every 50 hrs ? In fact MX bike manual suggest you pull the head / barrel off ya 2T MX bike and check clearances at 5 hrs ??? But do we and should we bother doing these things as most of us are not using our bikes to win world championships ??? The manual is a recommended guide not the entire truth of what’s required, it’s all good, you follow the manual, I’ll rely on real world knowledge I have learnt over 50 years of riding & swinging spanners . 🥳

[@DriveOnLeft]

Hang on, you service your own bike???? :p

[@Nerb1]

I wouldnt let just anyone touch it!

[@ryanharvey485]

👉 քʀօʍօֆʍ

[@Ogri202]

It's not any easier on the 901

[@Nerb1]

Yeah, all inline twins have the spark plugs buried under the tank and frame. I dont know why the spark plugs cant be from the side like all single cylinder bikes???

[@robsonenduro3316]

LOL why would you change plugs at 20k km??? sparks are good for at least 50k km, waste of time.

[@Nerb1]

Its what the manual says, so we can assume it comes with shit ones from the factory.

[@robsonenduro3316]

@@Nerb1 Never changed spark plugs on my japan bikes before 50k and they never failed. NGK iridium plugs lasts even 100k km as per ngk site.

[@Nerb1]

@@robsonenduro3316 Thats why i put an iridium in it.