Anyone have any useful advice as to the easiest way to remove the middle two spark plugs? There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of room between the top of the head, and the Frame/ bottom of carb. cover. Thanks

 

Manual says you can do it without, but I had to remove the tank and top of the air box so I could remove the air intake - which is what is in your way.

You find another way, lemme know.

 

With a lot of bruises and cuts it is possible to loosen them with a tube spanner and a wrench(not the one in the toolkit) thru the inspection panel.This means you don't have to remove anything
You then fish them out with the spark plug leads or a peace of hose.(must be able to bend 90deg) and it helps if your wrists are double jointed!

Apparently Honda's aren't suppose to break because they were never designed to do maintenance on

 

Sorry it took so long to get back to the forum. But seriously it takes me twenty five minutes to change my plugs on a 96 F-3. Get the allen wrench out or as I do use a speed handle and take the two upper side panels off on both sides two screws hold em and you have to take them out and back to remove them. Then I remove the plug boots dont worry they are numbers so the left side is not a problem, The I brake the plugs loose with a plug socket and a 3 inch extension with a 3/8 dr ratchett after they are loose I pull the sockett and ext out an replace the ext with a universal (its shorter) put it back on the plug and by hand thread them out, when the plugs completedly out to the head just lift it out and the universal will lay over and give you the clearance you need to get them out. Just reverse the process to put em back little note here number 4 takes the longest cause you dont get much throw on the ratchett, also completely seat the boots and wires back on the new plugs be sure to completely seal the tops.

Hope this helps USE A GOOD SOCKET WITH A RUBBER INSERT OR IT WONT HOLD ONTO THE PLUGS.

 

^^^
x2

 

This procedure has to be the biggest pain in the **** on any bike I've every owned (except maybe taking the battery out of a R65 BMW, don't ask). Thought to myself, "Change the plugs, go for a ride". Not only where my wrist to wrecked, but my back was screaming from bending all bloody day.
Mind you I used the tool in the kit, I took the lowers off to give myself some room, but I did manage it.
I took the tip from the Haynes manual, and used a piece of house to screw the buggers out and back in. (after you spend hours loosening them) You can see the Honda engineers "Ok, we screwed em with the altenator and the CCT, how about we make it almost impossible for them to change the plugs, replace the headlight?". "Yeah alright, but only if we can put the totally crap tool kit behind the biggest most useless side cover in the history of motorcycles, after all, we have our reputations to think of"

 

not to rub it in, but it took me about 20 minor less to do it on my old F3. try doing a plug change on an 04 1000rr. you would gladly pay a dealership 200.00 to do it. i still havent maganged to change mine out and ive tried 3x already.