TOPIC:

Possibly a heat range issue if not mixture?
Seems to give similar colouration.

Mine's not running yet so no 1st hand pic's I'm afraid.

Stan, If your plugs came out of a fuel injected vehicle running an open loop fuel injection system then your whiteish plugs would be normal. Open loop systems monitor everything including exhaust O2 and change the fuel map to run the engine as lean as possible and white plugs are what you'd expect to find.
Carbureted engines can't run at this lean a setting because there would be no room for error like ambient temperature , barometric pressure, engine temperature, throttle position (under load or coasting). So in order to satisfy all the possible conditions, carbureted engines have to be run in a rich condition most of the time to prevent burning holes in piston and possible detonation. Your white plugs are indicating a lean like condition or running very hot. Dry, tan colored center electrode insulators are the desired color for carbed engines AND also closed looped fuel injection system like the ZN1300. A closed loop system doesn't monitor the O2 levels so there is no feed back signal to the computer to adjust the fuel map. The only way to change the mixture on a closed loop system is to remap the fuel injection computer or fool the computer by altering the feedback signals to tell the computer false information to get the computer to add or provide less fuel under certain conditions.

All this info is why I find the Megasquirt system a very interesting option but it's not for everybody. But once you go that route the possibilities are limitless. What can I say. I'm a motorhead junky. Should have gone through unniversity and become an engineer. I live for this kind of stuff.
Hope this helps,
KB

Looks similar to hot or lean first pic. I have to check on the plugs after cleaning them. The engine is definitely not overheating. I paid more attention to it, and it stays most of the time around 50%, and moves to about 60 - 65% and with the fan running goes back to about 50.

The engine starts cold on first crank, and when warmed up just immediately. But when cold, on choke, it's very sensitive playing with the choke lever. The carb has Scotch's silicone/brass tube vacuum start up mod. Maybe not desired for a brand new engine? I have no experience with a regular set up.
I first lift the choke all the way up. The bike starts running, Soon I need to add air, so I push the lever down. It's just so sensitive that it revs up the rpm's immediately, I have to back off, but not too far to retard the rpm's. So, it's a bit of a back and forth game to find the about 1500 rpm spot. When warming up, I pull push the choke down. It skyrockets the rpm, and usually I miss the sweet spot. Restart the engine then with a little blip and pull the choke lever up, with a little play it finds the about 1500 rpm spot and hums away steady until the temperature needle goes a bit up, and all the 'cold engine noises' go away. Push the choke down, and it's just smooth engine and idle.

Today, putting about 50 miles, the bike seemed somewhat smoother and more responsive than the last time. I think it's braking in nicely! I will just need to fine tune the carbs as the conditions change.

Didn't see your post KB. Will read in a few.

I think you are doing just fine KB. Look at me - I became an engineer and went on to being an artist, a jack of all trades and a gypsy? haha It is true though, you never know where I'd be if I followed on the engineering career, and likewise, you might be elsewhere as well. One thing I am certain, the training I got was excellent. Abandoning it for so many years, after a few short stint in late 80's as a fork lift and tow motor service man, I could have not done this project without the background I have.

I am going to check on the plugs again and report in a couple days. It's just too bad I can't experiment much, as the bike is in a garage and I must keep it quiet! Except for the engine running, having the bike in the living room was such a convenient and comfy time!

All my carb bikes seem to have had chokes like that, late ZZR11 included.

Re lean running, may not manifest as engine temperature affecting while you are still holding light-load and limiting revs?

Don't think the choke-enrichening mod can do any bad, quite the opposite given the suspicion of lean running (although cold start is irrelevant after a few minutes of course).