How to Replace a Spark Plug in 5 Minutes on a V Star 250 Motorcycle
Table of Contents
Why Replace Your Spark Plug?
A good spark is necessary for a motorcycle to run. Clean and properly gapped spark plugs may be the fix if your bike isn’t producing spark.
Spark plugs do go bad. When this happens, they’ll need to be replaced.
What Tools You’ll Need
Besides the spark plug itself, there’s only one “special” tool you’ll need. You may also want a socket extension if your spark plugs are deep in the engine.
The Yamaha Virago and V Star 250 have easily accessible spark plugs.
- (2) NGK C6HSA Spark Plugs
- Spark plug socket
- Socket wrench
- Spark plug gap tester (optional)
The gap tester is handy to confirm or correct the gap on your spark plug. I once dropped a brand-new plug and bent the tip — it needed adjustment.
Fixing the Spark Plug Gap
The Yamaha V Star 250 manual calls for a gap of 0.28–0.32. After my drop, the gap narrowed to 0.1. With a flathead screwdriver, I carefully bent it back up to spec.
A bad gap can affect performance or cause misfires.
The 5 Steps
- Locate the spark plugs.
- Pull off the spark plug wiring harness.
- Remove the plug using the spark plug socket.
- Screw in the new spark plug.
Start by hand, finish with the socket. - Reconnect the wiring harness.
Repeat for the other side. That’s it — you can get it done in 5 minutes!
Conclusion
Spark plugs are key to the ignition system. Replacing them yourself saves money and gets your bike back on the road quickly.
The tools and parts are affordable and reusable for other motorcycles or even cars. Buy the best tools you can afford — they’ll pay off over time.
We hope this guide helped! Check out our other walkthroughs to get your project bike back on the road.
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