Re: GasMileage/Surging

["Steve Makohin" <wateredg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Murali and list,

From: <kalimusic@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

> According to John Parker, skilled engine tuner and lead technician at 
> Budds
> BMW, he says that preferences for spark plug brand is like a religion:
> People swear by it because they allege it makes their life better, but 
> they
> don't know how it works. Autolite plugs are a famous case in point for 
> their
> alleged ability to reduce or eliminate surging in Oilheads.
>
> My R1100S surged, and John Parker fixed it. And he knows why his fix 
> worked.
> <<snipped>>
> Note: Parker warned me that before I "shoot off my mouth on the Internet"
> (he used slightly nicer words), make sure I mention that his experience
> indicates that the plugs he installed for me aren't a magic bullet. They 
> may
> not do the trick on another Oilhead, nor even another R1100S. I guess 
> that's
> where having a skilled engine tuner helps.
>
> - -Steve Makohin
> '01 R1100S/ABS
> Oakville, Ontario, Canada
>
> I had some surging issues, very mild, w/my 94 R11RS.  I put in the NGK 
> plugs
> and it got better.  I had the 36k mile service done by Santa Fe BMW: the 
> surge
> disappeared.  Good carb sync, replaced vacuum hoses, good valve 
> adjustment.
> They kept the nearly-new NGKs.  I would agree m/Mssrs. Parker and Makohin: 
> a
> skilled engine tuner helps.
> BTW, my mileage varies between 48/gal hwy to 38/gal w/aggressive city 
> driving.

Just to add a further two cents, my experience is consistent with Murali's. 
The really nice thing is that John Parker (and Budds BMW) saved me around 
CAD$1800 in dual plugging mods. Would dual plugging have made my bike still 
better? Probably. Maybe. But am I happy with the work John did, the results 
he got, and for the price I paid? Absolutely!

- -Steve Makohin
 '01 R1100S/ABS
 Oakville, Ontario, Canada 

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