How beneficial or not is it to index the spark plugs. I'm thinking it can't hurt, any thoughts?

 

Wow, that's an old hotrodder's trick - indexing the plugs to get the best burn out of your spark! I used to do it on my FXR using different thickness gaskets to get the plug gap facing the right way, but if the truth be told I don't think the bike ran any different one way or the other. Electronic ignitions and high output coils that come on the bikes nowadays practically guarantee a good spark. Indexing won't hurt, but the performance gain is probably not going to be significant, if any at all. Just my 2¢.

 

A waste of time on a street bike. When you start worrying about that last 0.001th of a second in the 1/4 mile . . . maybe then . . . and the operative word here is "maybe".

 

Observing a local NHRA Stock engine builder doing Dyno runs and indexing the plugs is not part of his process. Believe me, he does all kinds of voodoo getting all there is with an engine combination. When they spray Freon (or whatever is in keyboard cleaner)on the underside of the hood just before making a pass, you know it's competitive.
I've seen cases where the plugs had to be indexed to clear the piston domes in a few engines though.

 

Yes, not sure if it does any measurable good, but I indexed mine as it appeals to my sense of order. And for sure it can't hurt . . .

 

Nope,it doesn't hurt unless you are using those little shims to get the index. That changes the depth of the plug inside the head along with the chamber volume.

 

Exactly what I was going to say. Got beat to it again.