Spark plug rusting issue
 

put new plugs in a month and a half ago, took them out to do a valve check yesterday and the outsides are already all rusted (around the nut, below the ceramic) otherwise the plugs look great and the engine is running fine. is this just a case of water getting under the plastic covers??? i do ride a quite a bit in the rain, but the 6 yr old plugs i pulled out of the bike didn't seem this bad (8000 miles in 6 yrs or 5000 in the past 50 days) it doesnt seem like this should have happened so quickly

umm, they all do that.

A quick squirt of "Tectyl" preservative spray on wax onto the exposed plug body can help with this.

NGK plugs seem more susceptable to rust than some others, in my experience.

It looks unsightly, but should not affect the plugs integrity.

Make sure you're using some kind of "anti-seize" on the threads.