Spark plug colours, diagnosis

[The Other PaulG]

I'm happy when my plugs are a light greyish colour, indicating that all's fine in terms of combustion conditions, but please can anyone tell me what a light, pinkish colour means?

No pitting, erosion or other signs, just the pink colour, is this still fine?

(1100GS, triple-earth plugs).

Cheers!

Paul G

 

[Womble]

The bike's telling you to get in touch with your feminine side.

 

[Steve]

Pinky-brown is usually indicative of normal (correct) mixture.

White to light grey is usually too lean.

 

[The Other PaulG]

The bike's telling you to get in touch with your feminine side.

Nah, can't be that, I did that years ago.


Steve, thanks for that.


PG

 

[cookie]

pink? i'd say it was something in the petrol

light grey is fine in modern engines. worry when there's no deposit or anything silver

 

[alimey4u2]

Pink ?? If no fuel additives are being used, & you use various brands of petrol & no history of colour blindness in the family I would be looking at ("possibly") suspicious lubrication to the valve guides.

 

[The Other PaulG]

Thanks guys.

The background to the question is that I've done a couple of plug chops, to try to address the paranoia that comes from fitting a Laser zorst without making any corresponding changes to the chip... ie "is my mixture now too lean"?

As long as the pink colour doesn't indicate lean-ness, then I'm happy.

By the way, Laser exhaust:

Does it make the bike faster? No
Reason I justify to myself for fitting it? Weight saving
Honest reason for fitting it? Just the noise. What a tart..!​

PG

 

[cookie]

i did plug chops on my 1150 for similar reasons, but found it took ages to build up any colour at all.

gave up, bought chip.