Maintenance – Polaris 2001 Victory Standard Cruiser User Manual
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MAINTENANCE
Spark Plug Inspection
Specified Spark Plug
RA8GHC Champion
Spark Plug Gap (1)
0.040″ (1.0 mm)
Tightening Torque
12 - 14 ft. lbs.
The condition of the spark
plugs can often times indi-
cate abnormal engine
conditions. They are im-
portant engine compo-
nents and are easy to
check. Refer to page 17
for spark plug location.
You should periodically remove and inspect the spark plugs be-
cause heat and deposits will cause any spark plug to erode away
its electrodes. If electrode erosion is excessive or if foreign depos-
its are excessive, you should replace the spark plug with the speci-
fied spark plug.
Normally, both of the spark plugs from the same engine should
have the same color on the spark plugs center insulator. The ideal
color is a medium tan color for a motorcycle being operated nor-
mally. If one or more spark plugs show a distinctive different color
it could be an indication of an engine problem. Do not attempt to
diagnose such problems yourself. Have your Victory dealer deter-
mine what, if anything, is wrong with your motorcycle.
Do not over-tighten or under-tighten the spark plug. Loose-
ness can cause pre-ignition because heat is not dissipated
through the threads. Excessive tightness can damage the
threads of both the cylinder head and spark plug.
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