Spark Plugs dry blackish lean ?

[Guest]

Decided to check my plugs today after running the bike about a year and 2500+ miles

today
used a color tune to re verify the air/fuel Nice Bunsen blue up to 3-4K starts to get a little yellow spark looks good

color of the the Plug's NGK B8es
Blackish overall including electrode (no brown present) dry not oil fouled but not gray ash
Gap is at 28 on all 4
no smoke

Runs good overall gas mileage average
some times i get a little back fire idling May need to adjust Dyna S ?
Runs very good better gas mileage would be nice but this is a sweet ride :>)

So i think this running lean ?
Can post a photo of the plug my carbs / jets at bottom of page

Thoughts
make some other adjustment or changes ?
larger main jets ?
pull the cover and recheck all the shims?
Or If it's not broke don't fix it :>)

[chuck hahn]

Over oiled pods can make it richISH which is what a dry but black plug means...which the colortune verifies.

One question I have is where are the bottom pilot screws set at? Stock air box or pods its generally accepted that they should be at 7/8 out. You make all the fine adjustments with the side mixture screws. Pods should be oiled as lightly as is possible to prevent restriction mimicking a choked condition. Also be sure the choke plungers themselves are closing fully.

AND the choke lifters themselves go in a particular way. Youll see that the lifters have two "humps" on the arms. look closely..one hump is bigger ( taller ) than the other. The bigger one goes to the bottom so as to push the plungers down good when you shut off the choke It does help.

And heres the service manual. Not sure what your pods require above the stock mains and pilot jets ( if anything ) b ut that too may be something to look at.

http://www.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/GS1000_C-E-S-L_Manual.pdf

[Recoush]

thanks blackish overall dry (Not oily at all) Steel pods no foam Pods not Oiled. (could find some foam to fit) not a bad idea :>)
will post a photo as they say worth many words
will check the Pilot screws are at least 6 turns out

Photos are better :>)

[chuck hahn]

6 OUT!!!! Way way way overdone. Set at 7/8 from very gently seated in. From there you set the side mixture screws at 2 out as the base start point. Leave the bottom ones and fine tune with the mixture screws. Any adjustments you want to do to try and get them leaner ( other than what you can get from the mixture screws ) is done with main and pilot jet changes. If you cant get it good at around 5000 RPMS and its still a bit yellow, then you drop the mains down 1 size.

From what your saying the lower end RPMs thats running mostly off the pilot circuit are doing real good so I wouldnt swap out pilot jets. IF you put foam on the pod cages, use the thinnest you can find so they dont just choke the heck out of the carbs. Or maybe get something like K&Ns or go to the stock airbox setup.

[Recoush]

Link to photos

http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/Recoush/library/Carburator/Plugs

Maybe it's me Yes their is a filter in my pods ( blame it on a short Memory)
Should take pictures before i post as these look good now Course out of sunshine now

[chuck hahn]

First 4 plugs are for sure way rich. Second 2 dont look so bad to me. Not ashy grey but yet not sooty black. I would be ok with that if it was my bike. You gotta get the bottom pilot screws in and then clean the heck out of your plugs or get new ones so you can see how they get after some readjusting.

[Recoush]

little over a half turn sorry the screw would fall out by that time Me bad photos uploaded
will double check this weekend but about 5/8-1/2 out not 6 turns me bad

[chuck hahn]

Some articles I have saved over the years that may be of use to you for understanding just what your plugs sections and colors are telling you.

http://www.dragstuff.com/

http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/pdf/DYK_HeatRanges.pdf

[GSX1000E]

Some recommendations... go back to the stock 15 pilot jets, keep the 107.5 main jets and use some K & N filter oil or equivalent on those filters.
Report back. You SHOULD be getting 36-40 mpg with that set up.

[Recoush]

thank you will pick up K&N Oil, (Off topic) went for a test ride added new fiberglass saddle bags and LED Rear turn signals (easy with the correct Relay) :>)
Found my headlight lacking and ordered a new headlight bulb going to do the headlight mode this afternoon Recheck the plugs and pilot jet setting and oil the filters and ride another week
going to wait and see how it goes if still Rich have the #15 some place thanks for the help

[Grimly]

Took me a while to realise the modern crap that's sold as petrol/gas doesn't produce anything like the traditional colours on the plugs.
I'm happy enough with a dark grey nowadays.

[chuck hahn]

Luckily here in Oklahoma there are plenty of stations that sell 100% pure gas. Thats what all my bikes get to enjoy.