Black exhaust tips - normal?

[severdog]

Canadian "Mikey" said that I was burning oil when he rode behind me at NEXXT. I don't think that it was burning oil, as I haven't used an ounce.

...but I'm wondering if the ends of my exhausts are showing that the engine's not combusting 100%. I have the stock exhaust, and the ends (around the "mini-gun" holes) are black with soot/carbon.

Normal?

I replaced the plugs ~ 2000 miles ago.

thanks........

[matey_peeps]

when i was in wyoming my bird was smoking like a fucking barbeque on oxygenated fuel. got on the regular stuff and no worries.

[birdie_xx]

He probably saw the "rich" mixture burning out, and probably when you were accelerating hard. I notticed that my tips were darker than most of those at the NEXXT. I think it may be the gas we have here in IL, but I also used the 93 octane. I switched to lower gas and the color on the tips is not so much pronounced....

[birdie_xx]

P.S .... unless he saw a white smoke coming out of your pipes ! :???:

Cheers,

[N1K]

Both my 01 XX and my 02 did the same thing.

I have taken notice of other guys exhaust also...

If I wipe my finger inside my pipe, I get a tiny bit of soot on my finger.

I won't mention names, but I've done the 'finger' test on other guys bikes at nexxt and other places, and noticed that lots of other birds have the same.

I think if your bike is perfectly tuned, it doesn't do that...

Mac's bike, the inside of the pipes are clean... I think Jerry's were too, but I can't remember...

In any case... I wouldn't worry about it.

If I'm running rich... I still get GREAT gas mileage compared to others. (and that's with my 297#'s on the bike) SO I can't be too rich.

I think mostly its the cold starts that run rich. Once the bike warms up, I think its about right.