New pics added (after cleaning the plugs) to my more recent post below


left-hand side


right-hand side


shown together

Looks like you need to clean/sync your carbs  The darker one is too rich (getting more fuel than it can burn) the other looks about right. replace both for now and clean/sync carbs ASAP

+1, and be very meticulous about looking for whats wrong with the left carb.

Check the float height on the left side. There's a sticky showing an easy method that doesn't require you removing the carbs.

It looks like your left spark plug just got back from the beach.

Right is pretty lean, left is pre igniting. That looks eaten ... no one else thinks that ?
Cool.
Buddha.

Quote from: The Buddha on December 02, 2009, 09:24:45 PM
Right is pretty lean, left is pre igniting. That looks eaten ... no one else thinks that ?
Cool.
Buddha.

I think right looks fine. almost , if not perfect

Left seemsto be melting.
Right has a wee bit much ash. Darker should be better.
Cool.
Buddha.

Right looks good, a little lean. left looks , well , ive never seen that, looks rusted or corroded but kind of rich. almost oil fouled

http://www.verrill.com/moto/sellingguide/sparkplugs/plugcolorchart.htm

Buddha

I was also thinking pre ignition, only because it reminded me of a picture I saw in a book.  I have no experience with it so I did not want to be the first to say it and have you correct me.  I would not bet $10 on pre ignition, though.  I lean toward oil and krap fouling, which is odd seeing as the plug seems to be too long so it should burn too hot and burn all that junk off.  Just guesses, I am no expert here.

joshr08, thanks for the link!  here's another:

http://www.explorerforum.com/photopost/data/503/medium/reading_spark_plugs.jpg

BeerGarage

left looks fouled all to heck.  See if you can scrape the gunk off.  If its not gunk and its pitting, then Buddha is right and you have a pre-ignition issue

right side looks almost perfect to me, a little on the lean side. 

Balance out the carbs

Left cylinder head is probably full of crap. needs decrapping.

I vote oil getting in. Rings or valve stems.

Maybe its carbs. Thats easier.

Quote from: johnny ro on December 03, 2009, 08:04:40 PM
Left cylinder head is probably full of crap. needs decrapping.

I vote oil getting in. Rings or valve stems.

Maybe its carbs. Thats easier.

Seafoam!

Thanks guys, keep the advice and opinions coming. So far the possibilities given for the condition of the left-hand plug are:

1. oil getting to the plug and fouling it, denoting a failure of the rings or valves (hoping its not this one  )
2. too much fuel getting to the left cylinder and not combusting sufficiently, denoting a carb problem??
or
3. pre-ignition (I'm not familiar with what this is or how/why it occurs)

After cleaning with a wire brush and some closer inspection, it does appear that some of the metal on the left-hand side plug is pitted. It kind of looks like an additional layer of rough metal upon the original smooth surface. This also appears on part of the center piece of metal on the plug. Here are some new pics after cleaning it off. I took 360 degree pics:







What do you think now??

for less than 5 bucks a peice, id replace it

Quote from: gregvhen on December 03, 2009, 10:51:27 PM
for less than 5 bucks a peice, id replace it

I'm going to replace them, sure, but I wanted to know if their condition was a sign of any problem. I don't believe the pittedness is a normal sign of wear for a spark plug, though correct me if I'm wrong.

Definitely not "normal" wear. Let's start with the basics; if you can't remember the last time you cleaned or synced yer carbs, do it.
But I digress. Your leftie reminds me of my Jeep's plugs when my head gasket was going south. Less compression=detonation? Help me out here...

the brownish one looks fine. the other one, dunno; maybe oil burning, maybe rich, wouldn't have thought detonation. should see the plugs from my truck last weekend - they make yours look gooooooood.

Ok sorry This pic after scraping doesn't look melted. Some pitting is normal, that extra deposit you have is not that normal, but you may be actually getting in trouble with additives. I'd stop any thing you added to the gas.
Oh yea get new plugs.

What is that deposit made of. Carbon ? if so scrape it off nice and good with a metal scraper and run it. Old plugs burn a nice color in and hold them so you can read it better. New plugs tend to clean off before you can get to them. Of course new plugs ruun better, old plugs just read easier. Once you get it dialed in, swap it for new.

Cool.
Buddha.