Oily residue on Spark Plug

[kiwikx500]

Running 32 to 1 Castrol fully synthetic oil - 95 Octane petrol (average)
Air/mixture screw as per Clymer manual 1 1/2 turns out

Plug does not have the clean look like the plug in clymer manual when everything running correctly.

Had no trouble starting and plug never fouled but looks to much oil residue.

The guy that had the K5 before me put one size higher needle, think it was a #7 needle, is standard a #6 ?

Last run back to the van I pinned it and it didn't seem to pull and rev out like it usually does when I show the working of a K5 to the four stroke boys in the carpark 

Any suggestions please on air mixture adjustment, oil ratio, etc ? Will the larger needle in the accelarator slide have put the  factory specs for adjustment out ?


Cheers

Kiwi

[Hillclimb#42]

Running rich one way or another. Lots of things going on with your k5. I'd be cautious about changing too much at one time. I think your ratio is rich. Full synthetics do a great job and can be ran 44:1 up to 50:1 or maybe even leaner mixture than that. Also, the needle being bigger seems weird without other mods that would coincide with that. Lots of people like to play with the taper of the needle to change throttle response. I personally think its too easy to mess up a good piece of engineering. Still wide open is wide open. If you hold it open during a ride(in whatever gear) hit the kill switch. Then check plug color. That will tell you what to do with main jet. Needle controls the range between slow jet and main jet.
  Hint: My Pro Circuit Pipe recommends to be leaner than stock settings on clip adjustment. Stock settings for stock pipe, or jet for the pipe you have...

[don46]

When your talking a 6 or 7 needle are you talking the slide? needles have numbers like longer numbers like 83cm98, slides have numbers like 5, 6, 7,or 8. the K5 has a 7 slide stock, I go to a 8, it cleans up the bottom end. I don't like Kawasaki's jetting, it seems always rich, really rich, I'm at 3400' elevation. Get a Lectron carb idles smooth and is very responsive.

[tharden]

I believe your ratio is rich too.  I run 52:1 on my Goldenspecto and it solved a lot of my problems.  I worked to this ratio from 32:1 over about six tanks of fuel slowly decreasing the oil until I was satisfied with the 52:1.

[kiwikx500]

Interesting  Looks to be a bigger slide then or the guy that sold me the bike has gotten mixed up and its just an original #7 - is it stamped on somewhere the number or some code ?

When you say slide you are talking about what is listed as the throttle valve in the clymer manual ?

I'm at sea level, does the slide have nothing to do with how rich or lean K5 will run ? Will i need perhaps a hotter plug because of different slide ?

I'm with Hillclimb and prefer things to be kept standard, so I can just go off factory setting for adjustment 

As suggested I'll do it in stages leaning it out, I've run 40 to 1 before crank seal replaced, but will go higher depending on how plug looks.


Cheerz

 

[don46]

The slide (throttle valve) is stamped on the bottom, where the needle comes through. Standard is a #7.  the slide works on the bottom end. keep in mind as you decrease the amount of oil you increase the amount of fuel while its miniscual it can make a difference.
the problem with keeping things standard is that your more than likely to rich and unless you change it it going to be that way.

[kiwikx500]

Cheerz Don - true true true.

Will have a gander tomorrow at the slide.


"Happy days"


 

[kiwimonster]

hey kiwikx i run castrol tts at 40.1 ive never had to change a plug.  cheers.

[markus18]

I've always believed that messing with your fuel:oil ratio is not the way to address rich/lean issues.  Your fuel:oil ratio should be determined by the manafacturer (of the bike or the oil) as needed to provide proper lubrication.  As mentioned below, decreasing the amount of oil in the fuel (with no other mods) actually increases the amount of fuel in the fuel:air ratio which enrichens the fuel:air mixture while decreasing lubrication.  Personally, I run RedLine at 40:1 and rarely foul plugs. It's easy to mix this ratio at one 16 oz. bottle of redline to 5 gallons of fuel.

Make sure you jet the bike to match your pipe and elevation.  Another factor that people often overlook is the reeds - basically, your 'valves' - they should match your pipe as well (low end, middle, or top end).

[kiwikx500]

Cheers dudes

I'm gunning for 40:1 next week when I go for a blast

Some turkey has taken to the housing that houses the reeds with a file (mate spotted it, to change air flow or something, equivalent of porting )

Where backyard mechanics get off thinking they can do a better job with a file in the back yard than Kawasaki million dollar machining tools and design is beyond my comprehension 

KX500 not quick enough by something else - if its truly available