I just want to know what color your spark plugs are. I know that light tan is good, but I want to know what YOUR plugs look like because I heard the ds likes to be a tad lean... So..... What color is IDEAL for a ds motor?? Thanks.

Josh

 

Very light brown - almost barely tan - But I am NOT a jetting pro.

 

I had an interesting experiance a few weeks back when I took my bike in for a dyno tunning. I was running 165 mains and the bike felt good , my plugs were light tan colored , I should add that I run the 39mm FCR's and I'm at 4500 ft. When I picked the bike up they had run it about 6 times on their dyno and ended up with an 8-10% increase across the entire band which pleased me. Then I asked what size mains I ended up with - I was slightly set back when they told me I had 142.5's in. They were using an exhaust gas analyzer and told my the ratios were spot on. The plugs were whitish grey- I told the tech that I thought a tannish color was what they were supposed to be, he told me that tan is for two strokes but that four strokes like whitish grey. Take it for what it's worth but I like the way it runs[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

That's cool!! I need to go leaner then!! I suppose you don't have any black residue on the end cap of the exhaust do you? Mine does a little so I have some work to do LOL!!

 

TTT..... C'mon more people please!!

 

Plug reading is just not that simple. Todays fuels have so many additives you not longer get white/tan/black plugs.
A little black is safe for two strokes as plugs are cheaper than pistons. Black on a modern 4 stroke is very rich.
A million shades of tan and tanish red will drive you nuts. An exhaust gas analyzer and dyno are the only way to get it on the money.

 

I had a similiar experience as Majorecho....I was sittin` on a 165 main with the TM45 (popular size main). After the analyzer did its sniffing around, we ended up with a 137.5 - 140 with a 4 Hp & @2 ft/lbs torque increase. Mars is right, there is WAY more to it than the color of the plug, but for reference I went from a hazle/cardboard color (165) to a grayish white---while reducing the black ring at the base of the porcelaine (sp) from a black 3mm wide ring to a light chocolate 1.75-2mm ring...this is while running VP`s C-16 which adds a strange hue to the color of the plugs....
Check this plug reading guide out!
The heat range #`s are not for a Ds650..all other criteria are applicable.
Seems as though the general concensus is that these motors like to be a tad lean.....

 

Thanks guys,
Forcefed, according to that plug reading guide you look at the top/side of the plug for a jetting reading...... I always look at the electrode for the proper color. Am I doing this right? The ELECTRODE of my plug is light brown/tanninsh. help again, lol!

 

no black at all, anywhere. My plug is all brown - the base ring at the end of the threads is brown, the electrode end is brown, all of it brown. my porcleain is brown too, but I don't care, main thing is no black. black anywhere means rich somewhere - you may not know exactly what part of your jetting circuit is the culprit at first, but for sure when its all right its all brown.

Rich sucks power - A few ago at the Face of Sand Mountain Utah, dropping one main jet size from 147.5 to 145 meant the difference between having to downshift to 2nd 2/3 of the way up, and clearing the top in 3rd all the way with plenty to spare! One jet size makes that much difference! i will never allow any black on my plug again! I used to run 155 at sea level, but after what I realized in Utah last month, I'm now running 150 (TM45).

 

just an FYI for the TM45 guys- The Punisher had his 720 dynoed and tunned by Samcoe - he ended up with a 142.5 at SEA LEVEL, he picked up a coupla ponies and some lb/ft too.