I am again still in the jetting process every seasons!
It was 50f outside on monday and installed a new br9es sparkplug.I did not do a plug chop test but just ride 2 hours in normal trail conditions.
158 main jet/48 pilot/stock needle 2 knotch from top/air screw 1 turn out/air box lid half removed/fmf pipe and silenser/40:1/boyesen reeds.
Maybe the picture will mean nothing at all but what do you think?
thanks for any info...Phil
'89 KDX 198cc '03 Gasgas Ec250 '13 Husaberg Te300
*CANADA* LEADING THE WORLD IN BEING JUST NORTH OF THE UNITED STATES.
About all I can tell from this picture is that your temperature range looks good and you don't have too many additives in your pump gas (I assume it's pump gas??) or at least they are very clean burning additives. This picture tells me all but nothing about your jetting. A plug chop and looking at the very base of the ceramic insulator will give those indicators.
Phil - Maybe it is just late at night - but the picture does indicate that you do not ride enough and do not wrench enough - man your fingers are so clean!!! :cool
Plug - threads seem to indicate heat range is close. Ground electrode is hard to read in the picture but your ignition timing looks to be within a degree or so of ideal. Outer metal shell is dark colored indicating that whatever range you were riding in you were not overly lean. Appears that liquid oil residue is still on the first couple of thread indicating adequate oil mixture for the throttle/load conditions prior to shutting off the engine. If throttle response was good and crisp with no hesitation (indicating lean) then I would have to believe your overal trail pace jetting was very close for the conditions you were riding.
P.S. I can hardly believe all of you that are out riding. It is snowing today as we poured concrete. This is at 4700 feet - above 8000 feet or so where the good riding is still has 5-10 feet of snow. I'am now deeply depressed!! I always have thought that at least we (Idaho Riders) rode before the Canadian riders.
In the Vancouver area we can ride pretty much year round (well..snow doesn't stop us below 3,000')
Our weather here on the coast is VERY similar to Seattle..mild and wettish..
Quebec? Now that is another story (weather-wise, of course)
Last edited by GS on 09:20 am Apr 19 2006, edited 1 time in total.
We had an ideal winter over here. Tons of snow around the ski areas, but not much on the eastern slope. The riding areas are mostly clear with small patches of ice in the shadows. Even those have enough crud mixed in to not be a problem. In fact, I'm taking off tomorrow to ride.
Mike
Life's tough, it's even tougher if you're stupid.
'04 KDX220
I'm calling in sick tomorrow to ride; first time in 2 months that the required 48 hour drying out period has elapsed. I'm outa here and off to prerun the May riding date I have with m0rie and CC. Photos to follow......
As far as the plug goes; it's been said. Do a plug chop and cut the threads off to reveal the base of the insulator. there will be a dark band, like someone drew a ring around it with a lead pencil. Check my photo album for examples.
Jerry
I'd rather be a smartass like carvr, than a dumbass like.... well, you fill in the blank!
I run pump gaz and br9es...yes. And thanks for the replys guys...My fingers are so clean because I use latex gloves most of the time. The season is just beginning now and I look for some guideslines from you!
morie said:funky canadian bikes...
I ride about 100-200 feet above the see level and I will do a real plug chop test soon as possible to confirm.
'89 KDX 198cc '03 Gasgas Ec250 '13 Husaberg Te300
*CANADA* LEADING THE WORLD IN BEING JUST NORTH OF THE UNITED STATES.
"Growing Old is Mandatory, Growing Up is Optional"
2008 KLX450R
2008 DRZ400SM
2005 KDX 220R
1985 KDX 200A3
2005 KLX 125L (SONS)
2003 KTM 50SX Pro Jr
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Phil - What didn't you like about the response? The B(R)8ES is a one step hotter plug than the B(R)9ES. Most people just find the 9's to be too cold (causing the tip to not self clean adequatly) and leading to the plug fouling, even with otherwise perfect jetting.
The only thing that I can come up with for the strange change on the 90-94 is that the timing is slightly different than the 89. It shouldn't change the main from a 158 to a 150 though.
When I was still using the stock needle I went down to a 155 main and a 45 pilot. Shortly there after I switched to a CGK needle and was running it in the 1st and 2nd clips with a 42 pilot and a 152 main. In the desert I was down to a 40 pilot and a 148 main. With the RB carb mod i'm running a DEK on the fourth clip with a 40 pilot and a 150 main. The pilot could most likely go a step leaner but I don't have a 38 yet to put in and try it with. For reference i'm running between 100' and 1500' with the temps around 45-60 lately. Pretty much 100% humidity. If you decide that you want to run a different needle give the CGK a try. It works pretty good with the lower jet nozzle in your E series carby and the #6 slide.
The proper heat range plug for your bike is just that...the proper heat range. If you're going to use the plug as a tell-tale for figuring out what your jetting should be, starting that process with the WRONG heat range plug will obviously lead to trouble.
A perfect example is this situation. IF your plug is too cold and you jet by that plug you are going to be too lean.
Yes, a #8 plug will have a hotter tip than a #9, all other things being equal. There are two different (opposing) schools of thought on whether or not a different heat range plug changes the heat in the engine. I figure there is only 'X' amount of heat (pick a number) in an engine. If it's not in place 'A', it is someplace else. It doesn't magically appear OR disappear anywhere.
I don't know why your bike series has a '9' plug spec. I've talked with an NGK tech about the 'H' series and the '8' plug. He said the '8' was correct. Period. They (NGK) do a lot of investigative work with engines using sensor plugs to come up with the correct heat range plug for an engine (he said).
I DON'T know if NGK was involved with the '9' idea or if Kaw decided to do it on their own.
Most '9' KDX owners are happier with an '8'. That doesn't make it right.
Changing to a hotter plug to mask a poorly jetted bike is a waste of time.
Example: Most OEM KDXs (H model) will run a whole lot better plug-longevity-wise with a '7' plug in place of the '8' they come with. That doesn't change the fact that the jetting out of the box on an 'H' model is wrong. A pretty looking plug doesn't change that fact.
M0rie's question is key: What did you not like about the response.
In lieu of dynos and plug chop inspections by experts, a bike can be well-tuned using a responsive derriere. That requires some fine communication. 'It don't run right' doesn't get you anywhere.
BTW...the thread flat is a jetting tell-tale..and there looks to be a good lot of carbon there in your pic. There should be NONE of that after only two hours. That comment based on what I've seen in my machines with what I consider proper jetting, new plugs, and HOURS of riding over four days.
Change to an '8', likely drop the pilot one, probably the main one, get rid of the 'B' slope needle. ALL of that based on response and/or plug-chop inspection.
Consider the source
Using a perceived level of knowledge to boost my self worth.
Non impediti ratione cogitationis
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skipro3 wrote:I'm calling in sick tomorrow to ride; first time in 2 months that the required 48 hour drying out period has elapsed. I'm outa here and off to prerun the May riding date I have with m0rie and CC. Photos to follow......
CC wrote "...the thread flat is a jetting tell-tale..and there looks to be a good lot of carbon there in your pic. There should be NONE of that after only two hours. ...
I agree with CC on this observation - two hours worth of riding should still have this area relatively clean or with a very slight brown residue surface coating. Definately not too lean based upon this tell-tale sign, however as CC eludes to - if your running a colder plug than normal don't jet the engine too lean to clean-up a too cold of plug: Expect this shell area of a plug to run cooler if your using a colder plug and accept or ignore it.
The season is just beginning now and I look for some guideslines from you!
