Plug Chop

[Houndog]

This is two different shots of the same plug, not sure what is going on in the 2nd pic (same plug other side).

Pic A

Pic B

1995 KDX 200
Rev Pipe
158 Main, 45 Pilot, Middle Clip, 1 1/2 Turns Air screw
Ipone oil @ 50:1
Temperature 18C
17m above sea level

The plug chop was taken after about a 15 second run in 5th gear on a slight grade.

This is my 1st bike and my 1st jetting experience, any comments appreciated. 

 

[MDA]

Hi Houndog,

Sorry I can't offer you much help on your plug chop beyond the basics that I'm sure you have already read on this forum. I'll be curious to see what people have to say about it however. I am still running stock jetting on my 220. I have no mods yet (I still have an intact irbox cover), but I definitely want to learn as much as I can on the subject before I attempt anything.

How are things in Freddy Beach? I'm from Bathurst, currently working in Ottawa. I spent five great years at UNB. I love it there. My sister lives in Freddy. I will be visiting her this summer for a couple of days. How's the riding around there? I didn't own a bike when I was at UNB, so I never found out about the riding scene there.

-Mark-

 

[clutchcover]

I may be mistaken, but both look a tad lean. The last one looks better, but still looks fairly lean. In the conditions I ride in, the temp. can fluctuate 20 degrees in ten minutes, so I always run ever so slighty rich. Extra insurance, but I am just a worry wort.

 

[wibby]

From what CC has told me it is the width of the band that matters
so I'd say its close, might be a little rich, but what do i know ;)

I'm still learning....

 

[Houndog]

Hey MDA, Freddy Beach is great, lots of trails, mud, roots and rocks if the weather would be a bit kinder.

Clutchcover, the pics are of the same plug... it looked a bit weird on Pic B so I added that too.

From what I have learned on here it seems like it might be a bit rich also, but was looking for a 2nd, 3rd etc opinion.

 

[seancza]

MDA

I just picked up a KDX220 this winter which was completely stock and it was dripping spooge from the silencer. First thing you should do is fix the air box lid. I removed the snorkel and drilled some 1/2 inch holes to let it breathe. I leaned out the main jet from a 145 to a 142. I have noticed a big improvement. Bike runs better and no more spooge from the silencer. Now I'm tinkering with the slow circuit.

There's enough room to run plug chops at the Limerick Forest, south of Kemptville.

 

[MDA]

seancza,

Thanks for the info. I'm spoogin' from the silencer right now. I know I am runnning rich. I am willing to modify the air box lid, but I was afraid of leaning out my mixture too much and have to re-jet. I'm a real novice at all aspects of riding/wrenching and I didn't want to do anything that would risk damaging my ride before I got to enjoy it. I was willing to live with a bit of spooge and be able to ride whenever I wanted. From what I have been reading here however I am doubting that modifying the cover will put me in a lean situation.

Another issue was doing the plug chop. I don't have anywhere to do it safely. You mentioned that the Limerik forest has a good spot. I've never been there. I have only been to Calabogie so far. Last year I played around on the Sand Del Lee race track, but I'm not sure I'll be spending much time there this year. I've heard about the Limerick forest but I don't know where it is. Can you give me directions to the trail head? Are there many trails or is there just one big loop? How challenging are the trails? Any other good riding areas around Ottawa?

Sorry for the multiple questions but not being native to the Ottawa region, I have to jump on any opportunity to learn about new placed to ride.

Thanks again for the jetting info. I'll make note of where you ended up for our climate/elevation. I don't know if I will tackle re-jetting my bike this season. Its very reliable right now (starts every time and no fouled plugs) and tame enough for a beginner like me to learn with. Maybe next season I'll be game to try and get it closer to where it should be.

-Mark-

 

[canyncarvr]

It has nothing to do with what I said. I merely try to keep track of useful information and refer posters to it.

In this link , RR has some great pics of what a mixture ring should look like. It is a matter of thickness of that ring. The longer you run it, the darker the ring. The thickness shouldn't change. 15 seconds is not enough time to get a dark ring.

From the above noted thread, RR says:

'Does the size of the fuel ring vary with rich/lean condition...?'

Absolutely. As the jetting gets leaner the ring gets closer and closer to the bottom of the insulator. Once it disappears you can get into trouble pretty quickly. It's pretty dangerous to let the ring get too small on a two-stroke.

It looks somewhat wide to me (as opposed to optimum).

The difference in appearance of the two shots is likely due to a couple of things...which direction the plug was facing, effect of the swirl from the transfer ports and such. Might be the visible effect of the engine running a bit off WOT, too (during the shutdown process).

Keep in mind a WOT plug chop is for determing the state of the main jet circuit..not any of the other circuits.

 

[MDA]

Hey Houndog,

I read that great thread that CC posted in his reply to you (I had read it before, but I decided to read it again). Once I went through that I decided to take another look at your pictures. I was trying to estimate how wide the carbon ring might be. From the picture it is hard to tell. What would you estimate it to be... 2mm?

-Mark-

 

[TVRider]

How do you guys get such extreme close-ups on your plugs? I have a Canon PowerShot G1 3.3 Mega Pixel with a Macro feature and I can't get 1/2 that close!! :( I take pictures almost as well as I ride. :whiner:

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Houndog]

MDA the ring is close to 2mm.

TVRider I used a G2 for that shot with a lens adapter and a +7 lens. To focus on the plug and not the nackground I use the Portrait mode with either macro or manual focus. I used incandesant (regular lighting) and manually set my white balance so the white on the plug looks white and not yellow. I shoot at the highest setting using a tripod and then crop what I don't want. Then... I resize the image to make it smaller.

 

[canyncarvr]

In the noted thread above, a reference was made to 1mm being correct. That was not disputed by RR. Neither was it confirmed.

Based on the plug pic (post from RR noted above) that is still a bit rich, it looks to be close to 1mm, though.

So...you're too rich by 2! That means you need a 79 main.......right?
;)

 

[Houndog]

Originally posted by canyncarvr
So...you're too rich by 2! That means you need a 79 main.......right?
;)

LOL, I might try a plug chop on an 80 first... I don't want to be too lean :confused:

 

 

[seancza]

MDA

post your email and I think I can find a link to get you to the Limerick Forest.

There is a bike club in Ottawa called the bytown motorcycle association

They have weekend runs in different spots

here is how you can get in touch, keep trying hooking up to their website is not the easiest

http://www.motorcyclecourse.cyberus.ca/new/clubs.shtml

 

[Rich Rohrich]

If the temps and altitude stay consistent you should be right in the ballpark. It's important to keep in mind that discussions on jetting really sharp assume you'll have consistent fuel and conditions. Pump fuel is prone to knock as you get the jetting really close, so you don't have the normal margin of error that you would with richer jetting. If you can be assured you'll have a consistent fuel source then you can push it much closer to the edge without hurting anything.

If you aren't sure about what type weather/altitude changes you'll see during the ride make sure you err on the safe side. No one ever broke a motor by jetting the main a bit too rich ;)

 

[MDA]

seancza,

My email id is: marsenea7
my domain is: @rogers.com

I'd appreciate any information on the Limerick forest that you might have.

Thanks in advance...
-Mark-

 

[TVRider]

Houndog,

I sent you a PM with a question about picture posting.

Thanks,

Tom