E3 Spark Plugs News

Heath Frisby wins gold and makes history with the first ever front snowmobile flip at the 2012 Winter X Games. Photo by Mark Kohlman/ESPN.

E3 Spark Plugs sends big props to Colten Moore and Heath Frisby for their winning rides at the Winter X Games, which wrapped this weekend in Aspen, Colorado. Moore took the gold in the Snowmobile Freestyle event. And Frisby added a second Snowmobile Best Trick gold medal to his collection of seven Winter X Games medals.

Both wins were surprises. Many fans were shocked to see Moore make it into the finals, after a spectacular crash during the first heat of the elimination round. He let go of a double crab in midair and hit the ground, ducking his head and flipping onto his back in the nick of time. Chalk it up to the impressive aerial awareness he’s developed via exhaustive training over a foam pit and a decade of riding ATV quads.

Moore shored up his win with some serious FMX-styled tricks including a cordova backflip and a superflip Indian air. His skill and showmanship racked up a top score of 93.66, which he immediately celebrated by Tebowing in the snow.

“I knew I had to come out here and stomp the best run of my life, and that’s just what I did,” said a breathless Moore just after his winning run. “I’ve never rode so good in my life. I’m so pumped right now I can’t even breathe.”

Joe Parsons won the event’s silver medal and Moore’s brother, Caleb Moore, took home the bronze. Both Moore brothers are relatively new to snowmobiling, first taking up the sport only three years ago.

Heath Frisby delivered another big surprise, handily winning the gold and making sport history by pulling off the first ever frontflip on a snowmobile. He and his team tried to keep hush about his best trick competition plans, but word got out early in the afternoon. So, Frisby confirmed his plans – and worked up some serious fan hype – by posting a YouTube video of himself completing the trick over a foam pit in a practice run.

Frisby perfectly nailed the trick in his first of two runs. The feat proved impressive enough to beat Moore’s tsunami Indian flip and Parsons’ no-footed can-can backflip. Even more impressive than his history-making trick and top score is the fact that Frisby had the nerve to go for it just moments after seeing competitor and friend Justin Hoyer wipe out in a failed double backflip attempt and get carted off on a stretcher.

“Guys, it’s alright. I’ve been waiting a year to do this,” Frisby told concerned onlookers after seeing a video replay of Hoyer’s wicked crash. “I am my own deal. This is a totally different trick and I’m ready.”

Within minutes, he proved those words to an instantly whipped-up crowd and got an on-field onslaught of high-fives from fellow competitors.

E3 Spark Plugs congratulates Moore, Frisby and all the winners at this year’s Winter X Games. If you plan to hit the slopes soon yourself, make sure you stock your sled with a set of E3 snowmobile spark plugs for a competition-worthy ride.

Check out Frisby’s history-making flip…

And Moore’s gold-winning, FMX-styled run…

Have fun tearing it up on the slope. Just make sure you're packing a snowmobiling survial kit in case you break down, E3 Spark Plugs says.

Snowmobiling season is in full force. Every day, hundreds of avid snowmobilers are riding the powdered slopes, tearing it up and, unfortunately, breaking down. Each year, rescuers head out to help dig dozens of stranded snowmobilers out of snow banks and ditches. E3 Spark Plugs offers a few tips for stocking your snowmobiling survival kit to help keep you from being stranded, or at least making your time spent waiting for rescue a little more bearable.

Here’s what we recommend you take with you on all snowmobiling excursions:

• First aid items, including bandages, adhesive tape, iodine swabs, antibacterial, analgesic ointment, sun screen, lip balm, aspirin or other OTC pain reliever, antihistamine and diarrhea medications, etc
• A knife for cutting your way out of a tangle.
• A snow shovel to dig your way out of a snow bank or dig yourself a snow cave if it looks like you’ll be hanging out for a while.
• A whistle, mirror, dye marker or other signaling tool to help alert other snowmobilers to your plight or to help you find your snowmobile later should you have to leave it.
• Pull and tow straps should a rescue team or a Good Samaritan arrive to help pull your snowmobile out.
• A map, compass or GPS to help find your way back.
• A set of snowmobile spark plugs to help get your ride started again.
• A pair of snow shoes in case your ride is too far gone for those new spark plugs to fix.
• A flashlight if you’re snowmobiling at night or in case night falls while you’re trekking your way back home.
• Snacks and water should you find yourself stranded overnight.

What NOT to take with you: Alcohol. None. Period. Alcohol is a top factor in snowmobiling accidents as it messes you’re your motor skills and slows your reaction time, even if you’re not yet certifiably blitzed. So, fugghetaboutit until you’re back home or at the bar and done snowmobiling for the day. Seriously.

Companies and websites like www.snowstuf.com offer complete snowmobile survival and emergency kits, including some with provisions needed to survive for three days or more stranded in the snowy wilderness. Whether you buy one of theirs or build one of your own, just make sure you’re covered. Have fun, stay safe, come home.

Levi LaVallee and Robbie "Maddo" Maddison power in 2012 with record-breaking jumps across a San Diego harbor. Photo by Garth Milan for Red Bull.

So how did you ring in the New Year? Major props if you powered into 2012 anywhere near the way pro snowmobiler Levi LaVallee and FMX rider Robbie “Maddo” Maddison did – with record-breaking jumps across an icy San Diego harbor on a snowmobile and a motorbike at Red Bull’s New Year-No Limits event.

The two rode side-by-side with a shared goal of breaking their respective sports’ longest-jump records. Both succeeded fantastically. Maddison beat his 351-feet, 3-inches certified world record with an impressive jump of 378 feet, nine inches. He came a bit short of his 400-foot goal, likely because wet conditions nixed his 100-mph launch speed goal. But the massive leap proved a record breaker and a crowd pleaser nonetheless. That Maddo can pull off any feat of this sort is nothing short of a miracle if you know his history. Shortly after graduating high school, Maddison came down with viral meningitis and viral encephalitis. The sicknesses caused temporary paralysis and blinded Maddison in one eye. But he recovered and never looked back as he pushed his motocross passion and went pro.

Meanwhile, LaVallee had his own point to prove that night. He was out to break his record of 361-feet, hit last year in a practice jump that nearly killed him. LaVallee suffered collapsed lungs, a broken pelvis, cracked ribs and a concussion a year ago and has since rebounded in ways that many – including LaVallee’s doctors – thought impossible. To say he “broke” the record doesn’t do the guy justice. He SLAMMED last year’s record by a full 51 feet, crossing the harbor with a 412-foot jump. If you’re doing the numbers, that’s 52 feet longer than an NFL football field.

So what, pray tell, drives a man to repeat the feat that nearly put him six feet under?

“It was something I had to overcome,” LaVallee told ESPN. Otherwise it was going to haunt me the rest of my life… After last year and being out I was like, ‘Man, you just missed out on the coolest opportunity.’ And to be here today and to be able to land an over 400-foot jump… you can’t make it any better.”

From all of us here at E3 Spark Plugs, congrats to both LaVallee and Maddison. Got your eye on breaking your own personal best record? Stock your ride with E3 motorcycle spark plugs or snowmobile spark plugs. Be bold, but be careful. And have an awesome 2012.

DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha rider Kyle Cunningham has finished fourth overall in last three Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX 250cc championship races behind Pro Circuit's dynamic trio. Photo courtesy of www.yamaha-motor.com.

The Monster Energy 250cc Kawasaki team dominated the podium once again at Round 8 of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro MX Championship last weekend in Washougal, WA. Geico Honda’s Justin Barcia led the Lites class through turn one of the first moto ahead of Pro Circuit’s Blake Baggett and DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha’s Ryan Sipes. El Chupacabra wasted little time and quickly passed Barcia for the lead but Sipes, who was fastest of day in qualifying, would take the lead away before the close of lap one. Series points leader, Dean Wilson, had a bad start, clipped the fence and was struggling to work his way forward.

Although Sipes has shown the speed to unseat the Pro Circuit trio of Baggett, Wilson and Rattray, the Yamaha rider has lacked consistency. After Baggett re-passed the Star Racing Yamaha, Sipes would make several mistakes dropping him to an eventual 15th place finish. In the mean time, his Yamaha teammate, Kyle Cunningham and the green bike of Tyla Rattray were working their way by Barcia. Rattray would try to close the gap on Baggett but finished 11 seconds to the rears. Cunningham held on for third place with Barcia in fourth followed by a hard-charging Dean Wilson in fifth. Local favorite Tommy Weeck finished sixth on his Motosport Hillsboro Honda.

Wilson’s hard charge continued in Moto 2 as the Scotsman rounded the first turn of the difficult Washougal track in the lead. Barcia, Baggett and Cunningham were stuck in the pack and working hard to get by slower riders. Mr. Consistency, Tyla Rattray, had put his Pro Circuit Kawasaki in second and would challenge Wilson late in the Moto 2. But, Wilson would hold on to a slim half-second lead at the finish line over Rattray followed by El Chupacabra in third giving the Monster Energy Kawasaki team its fifth sweep of the overall podium in just eight races. The DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha of Gareth Swanepoel crossed the line in fourth giving the South African a fifth place overall for the event.

Wilson retains the series points lead but once again failed to win an overall. Baggett’s 1-3 finishes gave the Kawasaki ace his fifth overall win for the season. Rattray, who is the only other Lites rider to win in 2011, finished second overall with Wilson in third. Cunningham’s 3-7 finishes added to the Yamaha rider’s streak of fourth-place overalls. Teams, riders and E3 spark plugs racing fans have the next two weekends off as everyone looks forward to Round 9 of the championship at the famed Unadilla MX track in New Berlin, NY. If you’re looking for a high performance car, truck, motorcycle or snowmobile spark plugs, stop by your favorite discount or auto parts store and pick up a box of E3 replacement plugs for your ride.

Heading higher for your next snowmobiling trip? E3 Spark Plugs tells you how to calculate the horsepower loss at altitude for snowmobiles.

Can I calculate the horsepower loss at altitude for my snowmobile?

Yes you can. If you’re headed to a higher altitude to ride your snowmobile, there are several variables to consider that are directly related to how your sled’s engine will perform in the thinner air. Let’s say you typically ride at 1,000 feet elevation but are headed to 6,000 feet-plus for a snowmobiling trip. Using the formula below, you can make a quick determination as to the approximate loss in horsepower that you will experience at the higher elevation:

HP Loss = (elevation x 0.03 x horsepower @ sea level)/1000

Now, let’s also assume you have a 150-horsepower snowmobile engine in your sled. The Horsepower Loss is going to be equal to 6000 times .03 times 150 divided by 1000 or a loss of 27 horsepower. That’s roughly an 18 % loss of power which is noticeable in both the feel and sound of your snowmobile’s powerplant. So, always take the time to test your sled’s performance before tackling big jumps or slope-side moguls to prevent coming up short.

If you’re headed up the mountain for a competitive snowcross or freestyle-snowmobile event, you will also need to consider the normal atmospheric conditions such as the relative humidity, ambient temperature and barometric pressure changes. Adjustments made to the carburetor or fuel injector can help offset some of the “Horsepower Loss at Altitude”. In addition, a local dealership may have a hot setup for adjusting your snowmobile’s intake and exhaust-port timing as well as a recommendation for the best octane rating for your racing fuel.

Don’t forget. If you’re looking for a hot tip, E3 snowmobile spark plugs are Born to Burn. Our snowmobile replacement plugs provide one of the strongest flame fronts of all high performance spark plugs on the market today. Check your local auto parts or discount store; or shop online at an authorized E3 dealer for your Arctic Cat, Polaris, Yamaha or Ski-Doo snowmobile plugs.

Make sure you've got a new set of E3 snowmobile spark plugs before heading to the lake shore for some watercross action this summer. Andreas Gradin / Shutterstock.com

For those who suffer separation anxiety with the springtime’s first thaw, we’ve got good news. Just because the powdery snow gives way to the green grass, that doesn’t mean you have to part ways with your beloved snowmobile.  E3 Spark Plugs does have a few safety tips for the snowmobile skimming set, however.

Snowmobile skimming (also see summer sports: pond skipping and watercross) involves snowmobilers hydroplaning their sleds across the surface of lakes or rivers. Remember those cartoons where the dog/cat/horse ran so fast that when he reached a body of water, he just ran across the surface until he looked down, panicked and sank? Well, that’s a bit like skimming.

Skimming is possible because sleds have wide tracks for traction and flotation in the snow. If a driver hits the water at a fast enough speed and keeps his snowmobile’s throttle open, the track will keep the snowmobile moving across the water’s surface. But, if a rider backs out of the throttle or if his snowmobile bogs, down goes the ship . . so to speak.

Safety precautions required at the annual World Champion Snowmobile Watercross competition held in Grantsburg, Wisconsin since 1977 include wearing a life jackets and tethering a buoy to the sled. If a sled sinks, the rider releases the buoy from the snowmobile so that it floats to the top and makes identifying the retrieval spot easier. If your snowmobile does hit the lake bottom before it hits the shore, it can be revived. You’ll need to drain the water from the carburetor and exhaust, replace the fuel and get yourself a new set of snowmobile spark plugs. Be sure to check our online cross reference catalog to find the right E3 snowmobile spark plugs for your sled.

Don't be this guy. Before you hit the slopes, pack a snowmobiling emergency kit (including extra spark plugs), buddy up with a fellow sledder and call your mom.

Snowmobiling is in full swing right now, and sheriff’s deputies and rescue workers are reminding riders to take along emergency supplies – including an extra set of snowmobile spark plugs.

Just this week, sheriff’s deputies and rescue workers in Oneida, NY were dispatched to help a stranded snowmobiler who ran his Ski Doo across a swamp area just off the main snowmobiling trail. Not a smart idea, for sure. When his sled started to break through ice covering the swamp, the driver accelerated, hoping it would help keep him on the surface. No such luck. The sled hit a patch of cattails and deep water and promptly sank.

Fortunately, the driver (whose name we won’t mention so as to spare the guy a little humiliation) was able to keep his head and his cell phone above water long enough to call 911. By the time a crew from the local fire department showed up in their ATR, the unlucky snowmobiler had climbed his way out of the chest-deep swamp water to higher ground. He ended up in the hospital – no word on whether his snowmobile made it out of the swamp.

What’s the moral of this story? Any avid snowmobiler will tell you that an emergency pack and a little common sense are critical on the slopes. Stay on marked trails, bring a buddy and let your friends and family know where you’ll be riding and what time they can expect you back home. Make sure your supply pack includes:

• A change of clothes
• A flashlight and batteries
• A Tow strap
• Matches
• A cell phone
• A GPS unit
• A compact reflective emergency blanket in case your GPS unit and cell phone fail
• An extra set of spark plugs

E3 snowmobile spark plugs are ideal for snowmobiles. They offer a stronger, cleaner burn that affords your engine more power and won’t muck up the environment. Cruise our online catalog to find the right spark plugs for your snowmobile, or find an authorized E3 power sports spark plugs dealer near you.

Car spark plug designs have come a long way over the past 150 years since Belgian engineer Jean Joseph Étienne Lenoir used a Ruhmkorff induction coil to jump the spark that ignited distilled coal gas in his Lenoir 2-Stroke engine. In those earliest days of automotive development, a wealthy Frenchman could expect to get 10 kilometers or more before the disruptive discharge system needed routine maintenance. Today, a standing joke among auto mechanics is that you need to change your car’s spark plugs when you have your muffler bearings greased . . . meaning never. However, all jokes aside, there are a number of reasons to have your car spark plugs checked more often than every 10 years or 100,000 miles.

Although most cars and trucks use a 12-volt DC battery as an initial source of energy, the ignition system’s coil increases the low voltage input to a high voltage discharge by one to two thousand times. This high energy flow of electrical current sparks across the gap between the plug’s central and ground electrodes. The increase in the temperature of the compressed gas/air mixture results in a small explosion in each combustion chamber for every firing cycle of the engine. So, the actual road mileage for any spark plugs lifecycle is based on numerous variables such as the weather conditions, how the engine is used, the additives in the fuel, etc. In other words, it’s probably a good idea to check your car or truck spark plugs more often than every 100K miles.

Since most of today’s automotive engines use electronic ignition systems, the modern day tune-up is basically limited to changing the car spark plugs and replacing the motor’s air filter, or servicing the P.C.V. (positive crankcase ventilation) valve. Most experienced auto mechanics recommend that these items be inspected every 30,000 miles. Anytime that you notice a loss of engine power or reduction in fuel mileage, then an unscheduled tune-up should be considered to prevent more permanent damage to your motor. When your engine is misfiring or not running properly, excessive heat can leave the plugs worn or galling of the plug’s threads can occur in the motor’s cylinder head. This could potentially cost the owner much more in repair charges than the costs of routine engine maintenance.

E3 car spark plugs come with a 5-Year or 100,000 Mile Warranty from the date of purchase, as long as your vehicle is used for personal or family purposes. Our goal is to always provide you a positive driving experience with more power on less fuel, quicker starts and less fouling than our competitor’s standard spark plugs. This way, your car or truck spark plugs are guaranteed to be free of defects in material or workmanship and you’ll have a good reason to service vital engine components in a timely manner. For additional information about E3′s patented DiamondFire Technology or Combustion Cycle Analysis, visit any of our E3 portal websites for car spark plugs, truck spark plugs, motorcycle spark plugs, snowmobile spark plugs or lawn & garden plugs.