A cylindrical constant volume combustion chamber was used to investigate the flow characteristics at the spark electrode gap and the combustion characteristics of a homogeneous charged methane-air mixture under various overall charge pressures, excess air ratios and ignition times. The flow characteristics, including the mean velocity and turbulence intensity, were analyzed with a hot wire anemometer. Combustion pressure development measured by piezoelectric pressure transducer, a flame propagation image acquired by ICCD camera and exhaust emissions measured by 2-valve gas chromatography were used to investigate effects of initial pressures, excess air ratios and ignition times on the combustion characteristics. It was found that the mean velocity and turbulence intensity had the maximum value around 200-300 ms and then decreased gradually to a near-zero value after 3000 ms and that the combustion duration was shorten and the flame speed and laminar burning velocity had the highest value under the condition of an excess air ratio of 1.1, an overall charge pressure of 0.15 MPa and an ignition time of 300 ms in the present study. The $CO_2$ concentration was proportional to the ignition time and overall charge pressure, the $CO_2$ concentration was proportional to the excess air ratio, and the UHC concentration was inversely proportional to the ignition time and overall charge pressure.