Average spark plug coloring among XS11 engines...

[Shuriken]

Hello fellow XSives,

I am wondering how your spark plugs look and how your interpretation of how well your bike runs in relation to that spark plug color.

This is all relative of course, but should be an interesting topic.

For example, my bike runs a bit spongy under 2k and really good between 5k and 8.5k. Runs worse (richer) when warm at idle.

Plug color at idle is fairly dark
Midrange is kind of a dark gray
High end is light grey

My idle mix is set with a colortune and the bike doesn't seem to want to idle for more than a minute - dies.

Can anyone shoot digital pics of mid range plug color on a bike that runs hard enough to "pull your arms out of their sockets?"

I would like to see that.

Accordingly, my elevation is between 5700 and 6700.

For the XS11, what do you think is too lean? Seems in a lot of new bikes with good fuel mixes, the plugs look really lean to me.

Ben

[Ken Talbot]

Have a look for Mike Hart's epic (1000 plus posts?) thread. I seem to remember there may have been a photo or two somewhere in there of plugs in various condition...

[pgg]

I reckon the days of tan plugs are no longer. Years ago with leaded petrol all my bikes ran nice tan plugs. Nowadays the tripe they call petrol is full of so many additives, aromatics and chemicals your plugs are liable to turn anything from sky blue to flourescent pink. I do know that perfectly tuned bikes now run white plugs rather than tan. As long as there's some carbon on the BOTTOM of the insulater you're fine.