You all know the importance of a spark plug for engine performance, but many of you don’t realize that the effectiveness of a spark plug largely depends on the wire that passes electricity to the electrodes. Hence choosing the best spark plug wires for your Harley Davidson is crucial.
This article will help you in selecting the best spark plug wires for Harley Davidson from a range of wires available in the market. The article includes
- The features defining the best kind of spark plug wires
- Classification of spark plug wires
- Replacement of spark plug wires
- A brief introduction of different spark plug wire brands
For your convenience, we have shortlisted some highly ranked spark plug wires compatible with Harley Davidson and reviewed them for you. Let’s take a look.
Spark Plug Wires for Harley Davidson – Buying Guide
The electricity passing through the spark plug wire creates an extreme amount of heat and electromagnetic pressure. That’s why it is important that the leads are made from materials that are resistant to heat, wear, tear, and conductive to electricity.
The core components should be made from multiple layers of high-grade materials – usually stainless steel or any other conductive and elastic metal components. The cover must provide insulation for heat, electricity, and elasticity. Last but not the least, the boots must protect from high heat and vibration.
These are the main features you need to look for while choosing spark plug wires for your Harley Davidson. Now let’s check out different types of spark plug wires.
Fiberglass braided cover and silicon jet for insulation
High-grade silicone boots
Comes with a complete hardware kit
Types of Spark Plug Wires
The type of spark plug wires varies according to the material used in the core, cover, boot, etc. Some of the common types are explained below.
Distributed Resistance Wires
These are the most commonly used wires in today’s vehicles. These are carbon core wires with fiberglass infusion. The carbon core provides high resistance to noise.
Magnetic Resistance Wires (inductance wires)
These wires are mostly popular with the Japanese models. They use spiral cores with copper or nickel alloy wires. The high conductivity of these materials means that less current is needed to produce a spark.
Fixed Resistor Wires
This kind of lead is widely used in European vehicles. These steel and copper wires use resistors in the spark plug boots.
Main Characteristics of Spark Plug Wires
The features below must be considered before you buy a replacement for your spark plug wires.
Compatibility
The choice of spark plug wire depends on the type of vehicle you use. If you use your vehicle for regular use, distributed resistance wires are the best because they come with a reduced RFI system. Moreover, you should use distributed resistance wires for American – made vehicles, magnetic resistance wires for Japanese vehicles, and fixed resistor wires for European vehicles.
Number of Spark Plugs
To choose a suitable wire set you need to know how many spark plugs do your engine has. Some wires break into multiple wires to connect with multiple spark plug. If your vehicle has multiple spark plugs, it will require multiple wires as well.
Length
The length of the spark plug wire has to be equal to the distance from the ignition point to the spark plug. If the length is not sufficient enough it won’t be able to carry the spark to the spark plug.
Order
You must connect the spark plugs in the order prescribed in the wires. The wires are normally color-coded to help you connect easily.
#1 Spark Plug Wires for Harley Davidson
Accel Black Spark Plug Wire Set ACC 172086
This 8.8mm spark plug wire set comes with fiberglass braid covers and an extra layer of silicon jackets. This ready to install spark plug wires have brass terminals with high conductivity on the coil end. These leads are compatible with 1986-2006 XL.
RFI suspension, that comes with this model reduces interference to the electronic ignition. The kit comes with a pair of wires- one is 21″ and the other is 9″ long. This spark plug wire set undoubtedly provide the best spark plug wires for Harley Davidson XL application.
Technical Specifications
- Manufacturer: ACCEL
- Product: Spark Plug Wire Set, Black
- Model No: 172086
- Weight: 5.6 ounces
- Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.7 x 1.9 inches
Pros
- Ready to install
- Good for both racing and street performance
- Uses fiberglass braid covers and extra silicon jackets for optimum insulation
- Uses high conductivity stainless steel and brass terminals
- Works great for XL models
Cons
- Not compatible with Harley stock coils
ACCEL How To Choose Wires:
Best Spark Plug Wires for Harley Davidson
Now that you are equipped with all the basic information about spark plug wires, let’s go through the reviews of some of the highly ranked products to choose the best performance spark plug wires for Harley Davidson.
| Product Name | Features |
|---|---|
| ACCEL Yellow Spark Plug Wire Set ACC 172086 |
|
| ACCEL Black Custom Fit Spark Plug Wire Set ACC 172086K |
|
| Dragon Fire Spark Plug Wire Race Series OEM Fit PWJ191 |
|
| ACCEL Custom Fit Spark Plug Wire Set 175100 |
|
| XtremeAmazing Red Spark Plug Wire Set |
|
| BLUE ELF Spark Plug Wire |
|
| TIKSCIENCE Spark Plug Wire Set |
|
The top best product [hide]
ACCEL Yellow Spark Plug Wire Set ACC 172086 for Harley Davidson
Accel, being one of the reliable brands for spark plug wires, manufactures this black-yellow 8.8mm spiral core wire set which is highly recommended for the XL (1986-2006) models of Harley Davidson. The wires give optimum insulation due to the use of silicone jackets and fiberglass braid covers.
ACCEL How To Choose Wires:
ACCEL Black Custom Fit Spark Plug Wire Set ACC 172086K for Harley
This black custom spark plug wire set for Harley has similar features as the black-yellow set. This set is suitable for 1986-2006 XL models. The 8.8mm wires have a highly conductive core and a perfectly insulated sheath.
This product also serves as the best spark plug wires for Harley Davidson 103 and spark plug wires for Harley Davidson knucklehead.
Dragon Fire Spark Plug Wire Race Series OEM Fit PWJ191
These are high performance, heat protected, extra-thick spark plug wires with precision wound conductors. The 10.2mm spark plug leads are manufactured as the best spark plug wires for Harley Touring (2009-2016) and Trike models.
ACCEL Custom Fit Spark Plug Wire Set 175100
You can get this excellent wire set at an affordable price ideal for Harley Fatboy, Cross Bones, and various Softail (2000-2010) models. The Ferro-spiro core ensures excellent conduction with a reliable and durable operation.
XtremeAmazing Red Spark Plug Wire Set - Harley Davidson
This red wire set is compatible with Harley Softail (1999-2017) and Dyna (2000-2017) models. The 10.4mm wire comes with new look bobbers and scramblers. If you are looking for spark plug wires for Harley road king, then this product may also be suitable.
BLUE ELF Spark Plug Wire for Harley
This blue spark plug wire set comes with two wires with different diameters and lengths. The wires are good for racing and street driving. These leads are compatible with Harley Davidson Dyna and Harley Davidson Softail.
TIKSCIENCE Spark Plug Wire Set
This wire set comes with a 409-ignition wire to ensure up to 600°F heat protection. Suitable for both racing and street driving, the wires are compatible with Harley-Davidson Dyna (2000-2017) and Harley-Davidson Softail (1999-2017).
Fiberglass braided cover and silicon jet for insulation
High-grade silicone boots
Comes with a complete hardware kit
How to Check If Your Spark Plug Wires are Damaged
Spark plug wires are more prone to external damage than spark plugs and so they need to be checked from time to time. There are several ways to examine if the wires are damaged.
Visual Damage
At first you need to look for any visual damage in the form of discoloration, cracking, melting abrasion, etc.
Vibration Damage
Now check the connection. The wire connection loosens up due to constant engine vibration which results in a greater amount of voltage required for ignition. This causes damage to the ignition coil as well.
Heat Damage
This kind of damage can be identified by discolored and burnt cover or boots. This damage is caused by engine heat.
Abrasion Damage
Abrasive damage can be identified by tears, cracks, holes, etc. on the sheath. Due to this, the core can be exposed to the external environment hampering the flow of electricity.
Test with a Multimeter
In the absence of any visual damage, the spark plug wires can also be tested with the help of a multimeter. Connect the probe to the ends of the wire and read the multimeter result. If it is higher than 12,000Ω/ft, you should replace the wire.
How to Replace Spark Plug Wires
If your wires are damaged by any of the processes mentioned above, you must replace them immediately. Installing spark plug wires for Harley Davidson can be done as follows:
- Firstly, check whether your spark plugs are numbered or not, if not arrange them according to their length in descending order.
- Remove the old wires one at a time. Disconnect the wire from the distributor cap or spark plug by simply twisting the boot.
- Look for a wire in the new set that matches the length of the removed old wire. Install the new wire by pushing one end of the spark plug wire boot to the module and the other end to the spark plug.
- While pushing the boot to the spark plug end, do not force the wire. Gently push and twist, it will easily go on when perfectly aligned and you will hear a noticeable ‘click’.
- Test by pilling back the wires tightly. The installation is improper if they come off easily.
Popular Harley Davidson spark plug wire manufacturers
Here are some trusted brand spark plug wires for Harley Davidson.
NGK
For over 80 years NGK Spark Plug has been producing high-quality spark plug, spark plug wires, sensors, and other products, etc. They ensure innovation, performance, and quality through extreme dedication.
Official site: ngksparkplugs.com
ACDelco
ACDelco has been creating parts for spacecraft, planes, vehicles, etc. since 1906 and worked with General Motors to design shocks. spark plugs, etc.
Official site: acdelco.com
DENSO
DENSO has been manufacturing a wide range of automobile parts since 1949. They make almost all the vehicle parts for example- spark plugs, alternators, air filters, etc.
Official site: denso.com
Spark Plug Wires for Harley Davidson - FAQs
Which wire diameter (8mm, 8.8mm, 10mm, 10.4mm) is suitable for my Haley?
Should I use heat shocks over the wire boots?
Are carbon core wires better?
How long will my spark plug wires last?
Can spark plug wire increase engine power?
Verdict
Finally, you should frequently check for any kind of wear tear, and burn on the spark plug wire. Carefully go through our review- the product features, pros and cons and choose the best wire for your Harley Davidson. You must check the fitment of the product to ensure that the wire fits your spark plug.
Remember that, a better-quality wire ensures a better spark resulting in better combustion. And better combustion boosts the engine power.
