Inspired by Diesel's exhortation to get the odd jobs done early rather than the day before departure, I decided to install the Iridium plugs I got from saaz at mate's rates.
This job doesn't warrant a series of photos, since it's fairly straight-forward.
However, you'll need to beg, borrow or buy yourself these:
Remove the little side access cover (phillips head screwdriver and finger nails).
Then remove the silver plastic head cover. If you haven't done this to top up the oil, you're in for a treat.
First, poke your fingers into the little gap at the back and lift as far as you can. This lifts a rubber grommet off a metal pin. Then move the cover forward, lifting gently as you go. From here on, you're on your own getting the right one off. The left one seems to be easier off and on. Once you get it off, you'll be able to see how it's held in place and replace it appropriately.
Now use those strong fingers to pull the front plug cap up. Again, if you haven't done this before and are used to cars, you're in for a surprise. Mother Honda seems to have buried the plugs in the bottom of the engine.
That's why you need that long bar. I have the angled one which is dual purpose- it's an extension (with a shifting spanner to turn it) and it's a breaker bar (for reluctant bolts/ nuts).
Snap your 5/8" plug socket onto the extension bar. Before you go poking it in the chasm, put a spot of BluTack on the end. Dedicated plug sockets have a nice rubber sleeve in them that grips the plug to retrieve it. Mine does, but it didn't hold tightly enough, hence the adhesive gum.
It takes 9 turns to remove the plug. Pull it up gently and it should be in the socket. I mark mine with a felt tip pen just to keep track of the characteristics of the cylinders. My front right burns richer than the front left, for example.
A tiny spot of BluTack inside the socket to hold the plug and you ease it into the hole. After 9 turns, it will seat. Tighten it a maximum of 1/4 turn. At this point you are flattening the new seating washer, so don't overdo it. Someone will put a torque wrench value in here if they think it's important.
You can't put the wrong lead on the plug- they're just the right length.
Run the motor to check you haven't broken it.
If you check the oil visiglass straight away you might think you need to add oil. Give it ten minutes to run back into the sump for a truer reading. Of course, this is done on the centre stand, just in case someone is reading this who is even less of a mechanic than I am, if that's possible.