Quote:
Originally Posted by franque
I'd ignore 1-3... While the bottom drain plug is convenient, either one is fine. 87 is also fine, these aren't high performance machines, they won't ping on the cheap stuff. As for the plug, just use whatever plug it calls for, gapping it closer won't do a single thing for you.
|
Thanks franque, I suspected that everything you said is true.
His reason for recommending the bottom drain plug is for noobs, who might crossthread the left plug because it is under spring tension. Makes sense actually (for noobs).
I suspected 87 octane would be fine, simply because these OHV motors are designed for third-world use and whatever godawful gas they often have there. I see that the compression ratio is 9:1, pretty low. Specifically the manual calls for "RQ-87" octane. Never heard of that RQ designation before. When I use up this full tank of 93 octane, I will half-fill it with 87 and see how it runs. What I fill it with after that (87, 89 or 93) will depend on how it likes the 87.
The Royal Enfield Himalayan has a CR of 9.5:1, and obviously works great in third-world environments.
Gapping a plug too close will have negative effects, as the spark will be too small for efficient combustion. I am used to cars with plug gaps similar to what I went with, so I ignored him on this. The measured plug gap before I altered it was really narrow, about .020".
He had some pretty unkind things to say about Chinabike forums, and the manual itself. But I agree with the manual on the gas and plug gap.
Starting to wonder if this mechanic is the Barney Fife of mechanics--i.e. he got the job because he is the cousin of the owner.