To clarify the effects of equivalence ratio, initial pressure and temperature on the flame propagation and radicals characteristics, a series of the experimental study were conducted in a quiescent methane-air premixture using a constant volume chamber. The development of the flame was visualized following the start of ignition using high speed schlieren photo and radical images by intensified CCD camera. Combustion pressure and ion current were recorded simultaneously according to the experimental conditions which were equivalence ratio with 0.7 to 1.2, initial pressure with 0.08 MPa to 0.40 MPa and initial premixture temperature with 3l3.2K to 403.2K. The results showed that the flame speed by ion current and mass fraction burned by combustion pressure characterized the effects of flame propagation very well. And increased combustion duration due to lean combustion condition that was below equivalence ratio, 0.8 caused cycle variation and decreasing the power of engine.