Did some research on here about plugs and looked at the awesome thread with all the plug photos but just wanted some opinions and options.

I noticed when I washed the bike last night and got some water in the exhaust the black soot just rolled out.

Here are what the plugs looked like after about 4,000 miles. (Very dry, not wet at all)

2000 fatboy, carb, cam, aftermarket exhaust and stock air filter. Get about 30mpg all the time no matter how you ride it. Low 26 and high 31.

Any suggestions or comments?

 

This is not the correct way to look at your plugs. The best way go for a ride till you know the engine is good on temperature then stop along the road shut off the bike immediatley and unplug the plugs. Then look how they look like or make the same picture to compare. They have to be some brown to grey.

 

that's pretty bad gas mileage, and the plugs do look rich.

what size jets you running?

no matter how i ride, i get about 43 mpg. similar bike - '02 fxst, carb, & mild cams with aftermarket exhaust & a/c.

i still have the stock 45 pilot & a 190 main currently. 3rd clip on the needle.

 

Whether your plugs are up to temp or not, it is easy to see that you are burning rich in both cylinders and the black soot is just a further indicator... This said you still have to "tune" a carb bike to get the most out of it. Adding a stage one is the first step... then adjusting all the jets for a proper air/fuel mix throughout the throttle positions. You should be running close to 40 - 45 mpg all the time, except maybe at 85 or 90 mph.

 

+2 to o/d and handy. you're running rich. a correct mix should have a brown toasty look with a little bit of carbon (go to a parts store and have them grab a spark plug catalog- champion/ac delco/ngk/bosch etc. it will have pics of what plugs should and shouldn't look like. yours is in the "shouldn't" column)....otherwise you'll be too lean. lean=hot. you definitely ought to be getting closer to 40 mpg.