So, over this past weekend somebody managed to sneak into our building's underground garage and busted a spark plug on each of our bikes, my CB750F and the GS500. They just bent the top on the 'F's spark plug but they shatered the ceramic upper half on the Suzuki. So, I had to go and get new sets.
Like who the hell does that?!?!

Anyway, as I changed the plugs on the Suzuki, I could see that they are not even. The bike runs alright, however it does have a hesitation off the line(only once in a while) and a flatspot(at about 6-7k) which seems to be related to warmer weather. I had a thread about it going a while ago http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=44218.0
Haven't done anything about it yet as it is not an ongoing problem and as I mentioned it happens on occasion. However, I feel like there are some horses to be rediscovered and I really should take care of the running issue. Just wondering what would be the best course of action. I did run some Seafoam through the tank and that hadn't done much it seems.

That said, I wanted everybody's opinion on the condition of the plugs. The dark/rich plug is actually darker then in the picture and the light one is notr as light as in the photo.

crack / meth addicts do that with spark plugs, its a known problem.

Bastards! Why would they do that? What's the point?

Quote from: fred on December 04, 2008, 06:32:51 PM
Bastards! Why would they do that? What's the point?

I guess using the spark plug as a crack pipe. They could not get one, so they got the top of the GS500 one... not sure what's left of it but aside from some shrapnel, I did not find it. So, that's gotta be it!

wow you're running rich on one side and lean on the other, both of my plugs are white on the top like they're running way lean, can't figure out why. that sucks tho.

It's not used as crack pipes it's even worse. They use the pieces of spark plug ceramic as "ninja rocks" that is you throw those ceramic pieces at other cars' glass and it easily and silently shatters the glass, you can then steal from those cars. In fact in some states it's illegal to have ceramic shards on you as it is considered criminal paraphenalia. I smell a local crime spree is gonna happen soon and cars are gonna get hit.

Quote from: qwertydude on December 04, 2008, 07:13:44 PM
It's not used as crack pipes it's even worse. They use the pieces of spark plug ceramic as "ninja rocks" that is you throw those ceramic pieces at other cars' glass and it easily and silently shatters the glass, you can then steal from those cars. In fact in some states it's illegal to have ceramic shards on you as it is considered criminal paraphenalia. I smell a local crime spree is gonna happen soon and cars are gonna get hit.

Well, no cars were vandalized/broken into.




Anybody on the rich/lean situation here and the course of action?

Not yet they're probably planning to steal from the cars later when people calm down from their bikes being vandalized. There's no real reason to break spark plugs other than that, especially if just the spark plugs were damaged. Bike plugs are the easiest to get. Trust me I live near the ghetto's of Long Beach and Los Angeles. I've seen this type of crime occur several times.

+1 about crack heads and thieves.

it's really unfortunate for folks to live that way, and be miserable. a part of me wants to help, but how to help a person that's flying on another planet ?

sucks you had to change plugs. good thing theives are lazy, and didn't throw it down on each side to get a good look at them before they smashed them

get a cover, and a blinking light (any blinking light) and they'll leave it alone.

It seems members are only interested in the vandalism part! 

Quote from: Batan on December 04, 2008, 06:18:05 PM
Anyway, as I changed the plugs on the Suzuki, I could see that they are not even. The bike runs alright, however it does have a hesitation off the line(only once in a while) and a flatspot(at about 6-7k) which seems to be related to warmer weather. I had a thread about it going a while ago http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=44218.0
Haven't done anything about it yet as it is not an ongoing problem and as I mentioned it happens on occasion. However, I feel like there are some horses to be rediscovered and I really should take care of the running issue. Just wondering what would be the best course of action. I did run some Seafoam through the tank and that hadn't done much it seems.

That said, I wanted everybody's opinion on the condition of the plugs. The dark/rich plug is actually darker then in the picture and the light one is notr as light as in the photo.

My plugs never came out looking that different from one another. As I recall from your previous posts, you've already checked for vacuum leaks, right? Have you confirmed that the float heights are ok? And have you tried balancing the carburetors?

http://www.funny.co.uk/stuff/art_172-2425-Dear-Crackhead.html

Here you go. In case you cant click links @ work ...


Dear Crackhead,

Yes, you. You sick *****. On Wednesday morning I emerged from my girlfriend's building by U.N. Plaza to find that you had sawed the tops off both the sparkplugs on my motorcycle. At the time, I had no idea why anyone would do that. Other than the sparkplugs, the bike was untouched. Some kind of bizarre vandalism? A fraternity prank gone awry? I had no idea. All I knew is that I looked like a huge douchebag riding the Muni to work in a padded motorcycle jacket and helmet.

Because the bike was immobilized I got a $35 street sweeping ticket that night. Thursday I had it towed to the shop ($45) where they replaced the sparkplugs and the boots ($50 including labor). They explained to me that "people" - I use the term loosely here - like you break off the tops of spark plugs and use the porcelain tubes to smoke crack. As an engineer and former MacGyver fan, in a way I think this is kind of cool. But then I remember that I just paid $100 for YOUR crackpipes, and I get angry again.

Crackhead, it was really good to have my bike back though. I rode home from the shop with a couple of spare sparkplugs and a smile on my face. I figured the next time I parked at my girlfriend's place overnight I would have to buy some crackpipes and tape them to my bike as a peace offering. Overall, I wasn't that upset. Despite having to ride the bus for three days and dropping a hundred bones at the shop, I had gained some fascinating knowledge, a new set of sparkplugs, and a pretty funny anecdote about how f%&ked up you are, and how our paths once crossed briefly in the night.

But you couldn't just let sleeping dogs lie, could you Crackhead. You couldn't just stay in on Friday, watch Letterman through the window of a home electronics store and then call it a night. You couldn't rest on your laurels. Two porcelain sparkplug crackpipes just wasn't enough for you, was it Crackhead? You just had to come back for more.

This morning, a scant fifteen hours after I rode it out of the shop, I found my motorcycle violated once again. This time you only took the right one - maybe you were having an off night. At least this time I had a spare sparkplug and the tools to fix it - or so I thought - having ordered a 73-piece toolset from SEARS.com last week. But no, the sparkplug socket in my new toolset was for American sparkplugs. So I had to go down to the neighborhood Ace hardware. They had an 18mm socket that would fit over my sparkplug, but it was for a 1/2" drive ratchet. My toolkit only has 1/4" and 3/8" ratchets. So I had to buy a 1/2" ratchet along with the socket. Even though the clerk took pity on me and gave me the senior citizen discount (I'm 25) it still cost me $22 all told. Now, you might say that I should have just gotten a 3/8"-to-1/2" drive adaptor instead of springing for the whole ratchet. And to that I say "Shut the hell up, Crackhead, I'm not finished. And besides, I was eventually going to buy a 1/2" ratchet anyway so it's probably not worth it to take it back now."

OK, now I'm rambling. But the point is, Crackhead, that you have done me wrong. Now, I get that you love crack. That is totally understandable. I've heard it is really fun, at first, and quite addictive. What I don't understand is,

YOU ARE A CRACKHEAD. WHY DON'T YOU OWN A CRACKPIPE?

I am an engineer. Do you ever see me shaking down bums in the Loin for a calculator and sliderule? No, you don't. Because engineering is the main thing I do, I went and bought myself a calculator. The main thing you do is crack. How do you get by without a crackpipe? The other crackheads must clown on you non-stop. I mean, the f%$king saw you used to saw off my sparkplugs is probably worth five or ten bucks. Why not sell or trade it for a crackpipe? You really haven't put much thought into this, have you?

Please, Crackhead, please don't tell me you sold your crackpipe to buy crack. Even a stupid crackhead such as yourself couldn't possibly be that stupid.

I've decided that taping crackpipes to my motorcycle would be tantamount to appeasement. You have crossed a line, Crackhead - specifically California Street. You have come onto my own street and you have desecrated that which I hold dear. You have stolen from me, and you have caused me to spend the last half hour writing this post instead of engineering shaZam!, and it is concievable, if not likely, that my boss could find out about this and fire me. I am hella pissed at you dude.

Here are my options as I see them:

1. Write a note saying that I have coated both of my sparkplugs in rat poison and tape it to my bike at night. You can thank Tim for that one, it was his idea.

2. Don't write a note, but just coat both sparkplugs in rat poison. This is probably closer to a punishment that would fit your despicable crime. I'm sure this is super illegal and shaZam!, but it's not like anyone is going to miss you, Crackhead. Don't fool yourself.

3. Wait in an alley near my bike armed with my new stainless steel mirror-finish Ace Professional brand 1/2" drive socket wrench, my 18mm sparkplug socket, and my searing rage. It's pretty heavy and well balanced. I am not a large man, but I am angry.

In conclusion, Crackhead, why don't you just do both of us a favor and buy yourself a crackpipe? It will both enhance your crack smoking experience and save me a lot of time and felony assault charges. Think about it.

Sincerely,
Matt

*** If you are not the Crackhead that took my sparkplugs, please disregard this posting ***

Cool.
Buddha.

 

Quote from: The Buddha on December 05, 2008, 09:26:17 AM
I had it towed to the shop ($45) where they replaced the sparkplugs and the boots ($50 including labor).

I don't understand why he had the whole bike towed to a shop for a sparkplug replacement Especially since he goes on to say that he bought the appropriate tools anyways!

YOU ARE A CRACKHEAD. WHY DON'T YOU OWN A CRACKPIPE?

I am an engineer. Do you ever see me shaking down bums in the Loin for a calculator and sliderule? No, you don't. Because engineering is the main thing I do, I went and bought myself a calculator. The main thing you do is crack. How do you get by without a crackpipe? The other crackheads must clown on you non-stop. I mean, the f%$king saw you used to saw off my sparkplugs is probably worth five or ten bucks. Why not sell or trade it for a crackpipe? You really haven't put much thought into this, have you?

Please, Crackhead, please don't tell me you sold your crackpipe to buy crack. Even a stupid crackhead such as yourself couldn't possibly be that stupid.


That is my favorite. But I do have an answer ...

I have heard that crackheads tend to be so very forgetful and the time of doing crack, being under the effect of crack and the time they get down from that effect and a good 1/2 hour after they are completely near blacked out. Then they seem to get aware of their surroundings and when they do, sometimes I have heard they can be miles away from where they started with a whole different set of clothes ... and have no idea where they have been the last few hours.

But ... get this ... how do they remember that sparkplugs serve as crackpipes after that ?

Cool.
Buddha.