These have a ton of miles on them.
I clean/gap them occasionally, but it's been thousands of miles ago.
In order from L to R, RF, LF, RR, LR.
Right bank exhaust will soot speckle your hand/glove/garage door.
Uses a good bit of oil.
This is from my 82 which sees 500-600 miles a week, most weeks.
Starts right up, sputters one cylinder when cold. My guess is its the RF that sputters and speckles.
2008 GL1800 "yawn"
KTM390A “Hootinanny”
04 ST1300 DDDD (Double darksided daily driver) Sold 4/2022
93 GL1500I Double darksided and SOLD 3/29/20.
99 Valkyrie IS, Fast Black Double Darksided
"Fishtailed, flipped and flung me, but wearing it well". Sold!
82 GL1100 retired DD, needs work.... Sold 3/3/17
^^^^^^^^^^^^^ What he said. And really you don't read plugs that have thousands of miles. Too many cold starts and warm up idles to get true readings.
1976 Goldwing Super Sport
1985 Honda Elite
1976 KZ900 Dragbike
1992 ZX7 Dragbike (KZ900 style motor w/NOS)
and a rotation of various purchases
Randakk approved Carb Rebuilder
They look good to me. Maybe a little lean but since you probably just rode it and it cooled down that would be expected for the year model. I can't tell the heat range on the plugs but if you decide to change them try a normal heat range or even a colder heat range. If you are already using normal heat range then just let it go. If you have the hot heat range consider buying the normal heat range plug. No reason to fix it until you break it.
I do respectfully disagree about being too old to read. The "read" of the plug would show the last about 15 minutes of running no matter the age of the plug. Problem is on a bike that is running good reading the plugs is really not a good indicator of combustion health unless one or more plug looks dramatically different than the others. Oil fouled or black carbon would stick out like a sore thumb.
As for the speckle. That is just condensation in the exhaust and mufflers unless you notice that you're having to add anti-freeze all the time. Also make sure you don't have and exhaust leak on that right side. That would also let in moisture.
Can't read plugs any better than I can read tea leaves but, if those came out of my bike I'd be putting in some new ones ... for the price why take a chance on being stuck far from home?
The gaps were fairly wide, I cleaned them on a wire wheel, gapped them and she likes it.
("Buy new plugs" /Pshaw, kicks rocks/ these are fine, gotta be the 4th or 5th time I've cleaned them up.)
It actually does have sooty exhaust leaks at the Harley muffler clamp joint, both sides. Left bank doesn't soot up a glove when you rev it. I'm talking anytime it's running, not just that big spray from a cold start that splooged all on her garage door. Perhaps I'll do a video to show what I mean.
Appreciate all the comments!
I did an oil change (20-50 was too thick for starting in this cold) and treated her to semi-synthetic 10-30 Rotella.
No misfiring in all of yesterday's rain to/from work.
I'm spending all my "motorcycle money", as she calls it, on the 1500 I'm trying to finish fixing.
This 82 needs: Fork Seals/bushings, brake pads and steering stem bearings (notchy) and a rear tire soon.
2008 GL1800 "yawn"
KTM390A “Hootinanny”
04 ST1300 DDDD (Double darksided daily driver) Sold 4/2022
93 GL1500I Double darksided and SOLD 3/29/20.
99 Valkyrie IS, Fast Black Double Darksided
"Fishtailed, flipped and flung me, but wearing it well". Sold!
82 GL1100 retired DD, needs work.... Sold 3/3/17
IMHO they look pretty good as far as color and debris is about normal for a bike that uses some oil. They are starting to get rounded and this requires a bit more voltage to jump the gap then sharp new ones but I'm with you, clean , Gap and go again unless you want spend and try a set of Iridums. I like them so far.
Honda 72 CL100 sold
74 CB750 K4 nice driver
1966 CA77/305 Dream nostalgic driver
84 GL1200I work in progress
1970 CT 70
1982 GL500 Interstate
-Rodger- all it takes for evil to prosper is the want of a few good men to do nothing-Edmund Burke The question is not how much time do you have, it is what you do with the time that you haveGandalf "One of the greatest dignities of humankind is that each successive generation is invested in the welfare of each new generation." Fred Rodgers "it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert" ancient saying
78 constantly modified/customized since 1978, BOTM June 2015 de-evolving this very moment viewtopic.php?f=30&t=65511
76 Ltd "cookies bike" ALMOST DONE
79 project, finished, FOR SALE
'86 1200 (Beth's)(FOR SALE) with motorvation sidecar (sidecar sold) , July 2017 BOTM
'17 HD Road king and 08 HD Heritage softail (Beth's) (FOR SALE). I guess you can say we have MBS
Worn plugs can make the rest of the ignition system work harder. Causing other parts to wear faster than normal.
1976 Goldwing Super Sport
1985 Honda Elite
1976 KZ900 Dragbike
1992 ZX7 Dragbike (KZ900 style motor w/NOS)
and a rotation of various purchases
Randakk approved Carb Rebuilder
