Plugs Fouling

Is it just me or is anyone else having trouble with plugs fouling all too often? I'm thinking it might be the shit fuel we get nowadays or maybe I'm leaving it in the tank too long between rides over winter. Wouldn't fire yday took plugs out and they were black. WD40, wire brush and hey presto fired like a boss. I'm running NGK DR9EIX IRIDIUM IX plugs that have done only 8K kms. The spiel says they're good for 100K and at $80 a set, so they should be. Should I be running "Hotter" plugs perhaps? Its the third time I've had them out this year, I'm over it.

Mine has the standard plugs in it. We're changed at 24k but only for a rough hot idle. Plugs looked fine but idle was fixed. 
No need for fancy iridium jobbies in the Bandit in my opinion.

I think your probably right 2WA. Im running a motor that basically hasn't changed since 1981, so why would I upset it with new technology? Like me, it probably doesn't know what iridium is, the poor thing. Next time they're out they're not going back in. Like Marty McFly I'm going Back to the Future and putting in the CR8's. Out with the new and in with the old I say!

I`ve got iridium IX27 Denso. As for whether the bike needs them or not????

I put them in for a "set and forget" situation. 100 000 on them now, and they still look like new, the gap was a little out, reset them and put them back in.

Either like you say your fuel quality, sitting around or tune issue?

I`ll always use them for the aforementioned reason.

The standard plug is a CR7E

I would wonder if the colder plug (heat range 9 rather than 7) would be suitable unless you were doing lots of high speed riding.

I don't do any more high speed riding than the next person Dave. I'm beginning to think it might be condensation in the tank hence it's not burning very well. It's bloody cold here in Wagga overnight in winter and I haven't been riding very much. I'll just see how we go over the next 6 months.

Must have something to do with those iridium plugs Jimmy - Canberra in winter is as bad (probably worse) as Wagga Wagga and I've not heard of fouling problems (mine has been through 4 Canberra winters). Swap the plugs over for standard ones and see if it keeps happening.

Jimmy the Boy wrote: I'm running NGK DR9EIX IRIDIUM IX plugs

Why the DR9EIX?

NGK's site says CR7E or CR7EIX for Iridium

NGK plugs

So your running a very cold plug which which is most likely the cause the carbon deposits

Probably plugs or tuning issue , but it is worth noting that the 1200 motor is much happier when ridden daily ( as well as the rider LOL ) ............. I found they can tend to run roughly at first under acceleration if not used regularly.  I don't want this to sound rude ,but could starting technique be an issue ? some bikes can be a bit choosey how they're handled / the three I have had anything to do with ( including my own 2004 model ) were a bitch to start if you touched the throttle ..........choke only   .
 Maybe try different plugs & move to a warmer climate

madmax wrote:

Jimmy the Boy wrote: I'm running NGK DR9EIX IRIDIUM IX plugs

Why the DR9EIX?

NGK's site says CR7E or CR7EIX for Iridium

NGK plugs

So your running a very cold plug which which is most likely the cause the carbon deposits

Dr9?? is right for the 1200 motor CR7?? for the 1250, so it depends which  bike he has.

I just had a sneaky look back at JtB's intro, he's got an 04 1200

Re-Cycled wrote:

madmax wrote:

Jimmy the Boy wrote: I'm running NGK DR9EIX IRIDIUM IX plugs

Why the DR9EIX?

NGK's site says CR7E or CR7EIX for Iridium

NGK plugs

So your running a very cold plug which which is most likely the cause the carbon deposits

Dr9?? is right for the 1200 motor CR7?? for the 1250, so it depends which  bike he has.

Argh fair enough, I don't know why but I was assuming 1250.

If the bike is oil cooled 1200 then JR9B plug is standard therefore heat range 9 is correct.

I withdraw my previous suggestion regarding wrong heat range plug.

I did have some issues with my 1200 with water in the fuel.

My solution was to drain the carby float bowls and all was good.

Incidentally, the problem was particularly on No. 1 cylinder (left side)

It seems if you park the bike on the sidestand that water migrates to the lowest level i.e. no.1 float bowl.

Subsequent draining of only this float bowl solved my problem.

I had a problem last year with my 1200 fouling a plug, just one.  Turns out that somewhere along the way the corresponding carb had been 'played' with and was running excessively rich. 

The bike shop (yes the only one in town) said "You've obviously had a play with the carbie". They weren't impressed when I told them that the only people who had touched the bike were his mechanics and it'd only been serviced 500km earlier.

b12mick wrote:
The bike shop (yes the only one in town) said "You've obviously had a play with the carbie". They weren't impressed when I told them that the only people who had touched the bike were his mechanics and it'd only been serviced 500km earlier.

<sigh> I keep hearing stories like this ALL the time, and it really makes me think over and over again, you want a job done properly, gotta do it yourself.

Kinda sucks when you have paid cash to someone, only for them to <mess> it up

b12mick wrote:I had a problem last year with my 1200 fouling a plug, just one.  Turns out that somewhere along the way the corresponding carb had been 'played' with and was running excessively rich. 

The bike shop (yes the only one in town) said "You've obviously had a play with the carbie". They weren't impressed when I told them that the only people who had touched the bike were his mechanics and it'd only been serviced 500km earlier.

Is there the slightest chance it was Cylinder #1 (left side)  

Thanks everyone for your input. I have the old oil burner so the plugs are the right ones. Dave I drained the float bowls last time it happened before I took the plugs out and it wouldn't go till I removed and cleaned the plugs. Strangely enough cylinder 3 always seems to be the blackest ( am I allowed to say that in this day and age? ). The more I think about it the more I think its due to the bike sitting in the shed for extended periods with very little fuel, ( and whats in it is old ) and its condensating in the tank over winter. We fill the trucks up at work at night in winter to stop this happening, I should have cottoned on earlier. Ps My starting technique is a work of art Paul, Half choke and push the button, I tell you what, if it was an Olympic sport................

Jimmy,

It doesn't seem to be the same issue I had with water in the fuel from a servo.

If it was water in the fuel you could drop in a cap full of metho to aid in burning it off

One of the fishing shows on telly get into this shit called Stabil. Apparently it can be used in any petrol tank, i.e. boat, bike, car etc. for when the vehicle/boat motor is stored for long periods.

Kiwisteve wrote:One of the fishing shows on telly get into this shit called Stabil. Apparently it can be used in any petrol tank, i.e. boat, bike, car etc. for when the vehicle/boat motor is stored for long periods.

Yeah Steve Stabil is pretty good stuff. Its just that Ive been really busy and its been stored unintentionally or I would have put some in the tank. I'll do it next year if work looks busy again. I do put it in the boat tank if I can't run in dry. Thanks for the metho tip Reddog.

BanditDave wrote:

b12mick wrote:I had a problem last year with my 1200 fouling a plug, just one.  Turns out that somewhere along the way the corresponding carb had been 'played' with and was running excessively rich. 

The bike shop (yes the only one in town) said "You've obviously had a play with the carbie". They weren't impressed when I told them that the only people who had touched the bike were his mechanics and it'd only been serviced 500km earlier.

Is there the slightest chance it was Cylinder #1 (left side)  

 
No it was #2 Cylinder.... while the bike was a bitch to ride at anything over 1/4 throttle the flames out of the exhaust were fucking awesome.

Jimmy, where do you work?

b12mick wrote:Jimmy, where do you work?

Thankfully not at the bike shop. I work on the roads all over Southern NSW doing heavy patching. We sub contract out to local councils and the RMS. I drive the lime tanker/spreader truck, you may have seen me filling up at Toll." />

Ok, yep.