The spark plug is one of the keys to knowing why the bike won’t start, gives up acceleration, makes misfires, has low mileage, etc.
Let us first know the names of the different parts of a plug. (see picture)
Now let’s learn how to identify the current condition or problem of the bike by looking at the plug.
Open the plug with a plug range when the engine is cold.
(anti-clockwise), take extra care when opening the plug on a hot engine, as the plug is very hot.
Now notice the plug head carefully and match it with the picture.
- Plug head light brown means plug and combustion process perfect.
- Browning of the plug electrodes and ash around the insulator means poor fuel quality, with excess fuel entering the chamber and resulting in misfire. There are gaps in the spark plug. The gap is between 0.6 and 0.8 mm; it may vary by motorcycle model.
- Dry carbon buildup on the plug head indicates excessive fuel and air mix, poor sparking as carbon is electrically non-conductive, and a possible cause is a dirty air filter or a faulty choke.
- Getting engine oil on the plug head means that the ring piston of the bike is weak or mis-adjustment of the valve guide, weak spark, and misfire, and getting oil on the two-stroke bike plug means that there is more oil in the engine.
- Blistered insulators and glossy electrodes mean ignition problems, bike cooling system problem, uneven fuel mixtures, engine overheating, etc.
- A corroded electrode indicates faulty starting (hot or cold) and will continue to waste fuel, so changing the plug and using a new plug will solve the problem.
It must be remembered that if it is necessary to change the plug, it must be changed, but it is equally important to solve the problem due to which the appearance and shape of the plug have changed.
When changing the plug, use the correct model plug according to the recommendation. Also, make sure the plug gap is correct.
Generally, spark plugs should be changed every 8 thousand kilometers, in which case the mileage and performance of the bike will be 100 out of 100.
