Orange spark plug deposits

Ok so i read that my newly turned orange spark plugs is down to octane booster i was advised to use with my Zed.
Does anyone else use octane booster in their Zed? Is it just a waste of cash?
In Australia we have 91 95 98 and now 100 octane fuel.

When I got orange plugs it was fine rust.

KZ1000inaus wrote: Ok so i read that my newly turned orange spark plugs is down to octane booster i was advised to use with my Zed.
Does anyone else use octane booster in their Zed? Is it just a waste of cash?
In Australia we have 91 95 98 and now 100 octane fuel.

Unless you have modified the engine to raise the compression ratio the 98 octane (and probably the 95 octane) fuel should be fine. Maybe others have different experience, but I don't know of anyone using octane booster on a stock engine, and the highest octane in my area is 97. Ed

I think octane rating means different things in different places
see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating and scroll down to the bottom for regional variations

Altitude as well as other equations can effect the octane needed.
The Orange is as you said, likely the Booster, which is not needed unless you have high compression. Do a compression test and find out the cylinder pressure. The lower the pressure then the lower the octane needed, for the most part. There are always changes related to spark advance, lean mixture, and dynamic cylinder pressures.

For reference, the original Z1 Owner's Manual specifies, "Plain gasoline of at least 85 octane should be used in the fuel tank."

Good Fortune!

Just curious - what was the compression ratio of the original Z1? Ed

650ed wrote: Just curious - what was the compression ratio of the original Z1? Ed

Standard 145 lbs/sq in, with service limit 100 lbs sq in.

Good Fortune!

Too high an octane in lower (7.5 to 8 to 1) compression engines potentially causes more harm than good.
Tired, cant find the excellent article- low octane gas fires easier. so, less spark is needed and burning temp comes into play.
I bet one of the smarter guys here knows it by heart, I'll try and find it tomorrow otherwise.
89 is fine for these I believe- 8.9 to 1
however the crap they put in these days, alcohol, nitrogen etc...not so sure anymore.
Leaded gasoline was largely phased out by 1986. my bike was made in 81, could do well adding lead substitute I suspect

Leaded gasoline was largely phased out by 1986. my bike was made in 81, could do well adding lead substitute I suspect[/quote]

this was from another thread i started on another Kwacker site a reply mentions the use of lead replacement (or not use of it)
www.kawariders.com.au/showthread.php?202...&p=249867#post249867

KZ1000inaus wrote: Leaded gasoline was largely phased out by 1986. my bike was made in 81, could do well adding lead substitute I suspect

this was from another thread i started on another Kwacker site a reply mentions the use of lead replacement (or not use of it)
www.kawariders.com.au/showthread.php?202...&p=249867#post249867 [/quote]

The Gov't started their effort to phase out leaded gas in 1972 and around that time catalytic converters were being installed on cars (so lead was a bad thing for new cars). And even though it took years before leaded gas was history, especially depending on where you lived, manufacturers had stopped making engines that required lead well before your bike was made. Even the 1977 (and earlier, I'm sure) models did not need lead, so I don't think using a lead substitute is necessary. Ed

KZ1000inaus wrote: Leaded gasoline was largely phased out by 1986. my bike was made in 81, could do well adding lead substitute I suspect

I use a booster with tetraethyl lead in my '79. Never turned my plugs orange. I doubt it's necessary, I just use the additive to lubricate the valves.