Spark plug and gas question.

Why is it that my spark plugs are dry and dont smell like gas at ALL but the bike starts and runs on almost every kick.
Is this normal? Oh and my spark plugs are very hot.

Dry is normal. What do you mean by "very hot"? Are you not using the specified plugs?

TexasKZ wrote: Dry is normal. What do you mean by "very hot"? Are you not using the specified plugs?

Hot to the touch. I cant even hold the thing.its unbearably hot. I dont think their supposed to be like that. and im running B7ES which I believe is the correct plug. Running a bit lean maybe?

:lol: :lol: :lol: :woohoo:

swest wrote: :lol: :lol: :lol: :woohoo:

Yep

Any spark plug will be red hot if it has been in an engine that was recently running. Keep in mind that they are screwed into a cylinder head that heats up to more than 300 degrees F when the engine is running. Water boils at 212 degrees F, and a metal object will be painful to hold at 130-140 degrees F. Spark plugs take a while too cool down from 300+ degrees to less than 140 degrees. Ed

650ed wrote: Any spark plug will be red hot if it has been in an engine that was recently running. Keep in mind that they are screwed into a cylinder head that heats up to more than 300 degrees F when the engine is running. Water boils at 212 degrees F, and a metal object will be painful to hold at 130-140 degrees F. Spark plugs take a while too cool down from 300+ degrees to less than 140 degrees. Ed

Thanks Ed! Just didnt know if this was normal since it only sat and idled for about 3 minutes and got that hot

On a cool day my bike runs at around 230.
Steve

swest wrote: On a cool day my bike runs at around 230.
Steve

I hope you mean oil temp... cylinder head temps can be 300-400 depending on load and ambient conditions.

In a water cooled engine, the engine block will sit more or less at the the thermostat temperature. So if you have a 90 degree C (194 degrees F) thermostat, the engine will sit at about that. They don't get hugely hot, Air cooled engines are less accurate, but they are designed to operate about the same temperature.

The head however handles the exhaust gasses, which can be several hundred degrees. Have a look at engine paints - they will often do around 300 degrees C. Exhaust paint will often need closer to 800 degrees C. So the head will get hotter,but mostly around the exhaust outlet,

Regarding your spark plugs being dry, you don't want them wet. Wet would mean unburt fuel - when the engine is operating as designed it will let in a good ratio of petrol to air - just enough air to burn with the small amount of petrol, and there will be no petrol left.

missionkz wrote:

swest wrote: On a cool day my bike runs at around 230.
Steve

I hope you mean oil temp... cylinder head temps can be 300-400 depending on load and ambient conditions.

I have my sensor under the intake cam in one of the open passages. On a cool day while riding my gauge will read 230-250. On hot days like now, it will quickly get to 250 and can peg sitting at a stop light. Once I get rolling again, it happily goes down to 245-255 or so. I checked it with a radiator thermostat when I turned off the bike and it went up to 270 and stayed.
Steve

Very good.... in one of my air cooled engines, my cyl head temp sensor is right under the spark plug ..... +300 degrees F is very common... I've seen as high as 425 F on those +95-105 days and longer full power periods. Scary!
I've seen oil temps of around +280 F also, and that is with an oil cooler.
Where you live Steve, you should be painfully aware of those unbearably hot days and insane temps... I just don't ride when it like that.... or if I do, it's solo and very little city riding.
This is one of the reasons I am slightly nervous about running those 1075cc 10.25:1 Wiseco pistons in my KZ1000.